John Joseph Gotti, Jr. (October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002), commonly known by the media as "The Dapper Don" and "The Teflon Don" after the murder of his former boss Paul Castellano, was the boss of the well known Gambino crime family, one of the Five Families in New York City. He became widely known for his outspoken personality and flamboyant style that eventually caused his downfall. In 1992, Gotti was convicted of racketeering, 13 murders, obstruction of justice, hijacking, conspiracy to commit murder, illegal gambling, extortion, tax evasion, loansharking and other crimes and was sentenced to life in prison where he died 10 years later.

Gotti was born to Italian-American parents John Gotti Sr and Philomena "Fannie" Gotti. He was 12 when his family moved to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn where he and his brothers Peter and Richard became part of a local street gang. In the early summer of 1954, while trying to steal a cement mixer, the mixer tipped over, crushing Gotti`s foot, giving him a limp that would last him his life.

In 1962, Gotti married Victoria DeGiorgio. They had five children, Angela (Angel), Victoria, John A. "Junior" Gotti, Peter and Frank. John Gotti did not think very highly of his family, being recorded on video as saying "I took garbage Gotti blood and contaminated it with DiGiorgio blood." Gotti was also recorded on video as saying to his daughter Victoria "I`m not your father or John`s father or these kids`s grandfather." A brutal and short tempered family man, John Gotti used to subject his wife and son to regular beatings. This has been proven by FBI tapes, and later became media fodder for the New York papers.

On March 18, 1980, 12-year-old Frank Gotti, youngest son of John Gotti was run over and killed on his bicycle by neighbor John Favara whose children were friends with Frank Gotti.

Police found Favara was not to blame in the accident, which was officially ruled "accidental" and no charges were ever filed against him. However, in the months after the accident, the word "Murderer" was spray-painted onto Favara`s car. On May 28, Victoria DiGiorgio Gotti, Frank`s mother, attacked Favara with a metal baseball bat, sending him to the hospital. Favara decided not to press charges and planned to move out of Howard Beach. According to the FBI, on July 28, 1980, Favara was kidnapped and murdered by eight members of Gotti`s crew while Gotti and his wife were out of town. The New York Police Department was contacted days after Favara disappeared and the caller, who seemed to have an intimate knowledge of what had happened, claimed that Favara had been kidnapped by Gotti`s henchmen and been held captive until Gotti returned from vacation. Then, despite Favara`s pleas for mercy, John Gotti himself dismembered Favara with a chainsaw.

Gotti died of throat cancer at 12:45 p.m. on June 10, 2002 at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he had been transferred once the cancer was diagnosed. Gotti had the lower half of his jaw removed due to the cancer and was fed through a tube. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced that Gotti`s family would not be permitted to have a Mass of Christian Burial but allowed Gotti`s family to have a Requiem after burial.

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