On this day, April 2, in 1992, mob boss John Gotti was convicted of murder in a serious blow to organized crime.
Dubbed the “Teflon Don” because authorities had trouble making charges stick against him, Gotti also was known for an outspoken personality that made him a favorite of the New York tabloids.
Gotti rose through the ranks of the Gambino crime family and seized power in 1985 after having then-boss Paul Castellano killed outside a Manhattan steakhouse.
Gotti went down when the FBI taped him discussing a number of murders, including Castellano’s.
The FBI also caught him denigrating his underboss, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano. Gravano made a deal and testified to committing 19 murders, 10 of them sanctioned by Gotti.
Gotti died of throat cancer in prison in 2002.
– Scott McCabe
