1 00:00:04,847 --> 00:00:11,949 ♪♪ 2 00:00:32,056 --> 00:00:53,563 ♪♪ 3 00:00:53,564 --> 00:00:55,163 Welcome to "Very Scary People." 4 00:00:55,164 --> 00:00:56,565 I'm Donnie Wahlberg. 5 00:00:56,665 --> 00:00:59,866 He was one of the biggest celebrities of the 1980s. 6 00:00:59,966 --> 00:01:02,000 His expensive suits and swagger 7 00:01:02,100 --> 00:01:04,567 earned him the nickname "Dapper Don." 8 00:01:04,568 --> 00:01:08,568 But, in reality, John Gotti was a man to be feared, 9 00:01:08,569 --> 00:01:12,603 a ruthless, dangerous gangster who ordered hits on his enemies, 10 00:01:12,670 --> 00:01:15,671 his friends, anyone who crossed him. 11 00:01:15,672 --> 00:01:17,872 How did this common street thug end up 12 00:01:17,873 --> 00:01:21,573 ruling one of the most powerful crime families in the world? 13 00:01:21,674 --> 00:01:23,773 This is "John Gotti." 14 00:01:23,774 --> 00:01:37,112 ♪♪ 15 00:01:37,178 --> 00:01:40,313 Feldman: Carlo Gambino was, in 1973, 16 00:01:40,379 --> 00:01:43,880 the head of the Gambino crime family. 17 00:01:43,881 --> 00:01:48,982 His nephew was kidnapped and held for ransom. 18 00:01:48,983 --> 00:01:51,382 The ransom money was partly paid, 19 00:01:51,383 --> 00:01:53,685 but unfortunately for the nephew, 20 00:01:53,785 --> 00:01:58,219 the nephew was executed anyway. 21 00:01:58,285 --> 00:02:01,787 This, of course, didn't sit well with Carlo. 22 00:02:03,688 --> 00:02:07,188 Feldman: Vengeance is the order of the day in mob families, 23 00:02:07,189 --> 00:02:09,491 and so a contract was put out to go 24 00:02:09,590 --> 00:02:15,891 after and kill those responsible for killing his nephew. 25 00:02:15,892 --> 00:02:20,494 And that contract went out to, among others, John Gotti. 26 00:02:22,328 --> 00:02:24,895 Gabriel: John's introduction to the family, 27 00:02:24,896 --> 00:02:26,630 or his bona fides, 28 00:02:26,696 --> 00:02:29,796 were gained by participating in the murder of a guy 29 00:02:29,797 --> 00:02:32,431 by the name of James McBratney. 30 00:02:32,498 --> 00:02:35,799 McBratney was suspected of having kidnapped 31 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,501 and killed the nephew of Gambino. 32 00:02:42,235 --> 00:02:45,402 McBratney: My dad was larger than life. 33 00:02:45,503 --> 00:02:47,037 As a little boy, I remember looking up 34 00:02:47,136 --> 00:02:50,904 and seeing how big he was, and he had tattoos all over. 35 00:02:50,905 --> 00:02:52,303 He was funny. 36 00:02:52,304 --> 00:02:55,039 He was loved by a lot of people. 37 00:02:55,140 --> 00:02:58,708 He had gotten caught up in doing some burglaries 38 00:02:58,807 --> 00:03:02,942 and he was sentenced to four years. 39 00:03:03,009 --> 00:03:06,909 When he was in prison, he made plans to kidnap gangsters 40 00:03:06,910 --> 00:03:08,410 and hold them for ransom 41 00:03:08,511 --> 00:03:12,011 because the wise guys wouldn't call the police. 42 00:03:12,012 --> 00:03:14,146 They would just pay. 43 00:03:14,246 --> 00:03:17,347 They put a contract out on my father, 44 00:03:17,413 --> 00:03:19,948 and I was told that my father was aware 45 00:03:20,015 --> 00:03:22,715 there was a contract out on his life. 46 00:03:22,716 --> 00:03:26,316 I met a guy who saw him, and he had told my father, 47 00:03:26,416 --> 00:03:27,817 "Why don't you just leave? 48 00:03:27,818 --> 00:03:29,918 Why don't you just get out of New York for a while?" 49 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:31,252 And his answer was, "And what? 50 00:03:31,318 --> 00:03:33,153 Leave my children?" 51 00:03:34,853 --> 00:03:39,255 Therein lay the first substantial homicide case 52 00:03:39,321 --> 00:03:43,256 that Gotti got involved in. 53 00:03:43,322 --> 00:03:48,158 They found McBratney at a bar in Staten Island. 54 00:03:48,224 --> 00:03:53,726 Raab: It was Gotti, his pal Angelo Ruggiero, 55 00:03:53,727 --> 00:03:57,727 and a third person who they really didn't know too well. 56 00:03:57,728 --> 00:04:02,663 The three of them walked in pretending to be detectives. 57 00:04:02,730 --> 00:04:04,328 They shot a bullet into the ceiling 58 00:04:04,329 --> 00:04:07,230 to get everyone's attention. 59 00:04:07,231 --> 00:04:11,032 And they approached my father, 60 00:04:11,033 --> 00:04:14,167 and the gentleman who was sitting next to my father 61 00:04:14,233 --> 00:04:18,368 told me that Gotti grabbed one arm of my father, 62 00:04:18,434 --> 00:04:21,737 and they said, "We are taking you with us." 63 00:04:21,837 --> 00:04:24,271 My father wasn't going anywhere with anybody. 64 00:04:24,337 --> 00:04:27,637 The guy told me -- he said, "Your father dragged 65 00:04:27,638 --> 00:04:29,438 Gotti and Ruggiero down all the way 66 00:04:29,539 --> 00:04:33,239 to the back of the bar to the back room." 67 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,441 He was getting out of their grip, 68 00:04:36,542 --> 00:04:38,742 and that's when they killed him. 69 00:04:43,277 --> 00:04:47,478 McBratney was dead on the barroom floor. 70 00:04:49,146 --> 00:04:51,780 When I first saw the photo, my heart stopped, 71 00:04:51,847 --> 00:04:53,446 my breathing stopped. 72 00:04:53,447 --> 00:04:55,748 I don't know anybody who could really see 73 00:04:55,749 --> 00:04:57,548 a picture of their father laying dead on the floor 74 00:04:57,549 --> 00:05:01,049 and not feel shock. 75 00:05:01,050 --> 00:05:04,284 The shoes that were on my father in the photo, 76 00:05:04,350 --> 00:05:06,185 I remembered loving those shoes. 77 00:05:06,285 --> 00:05:07,852 I couldn't wait to wear them. 78 00:05:07,853 --> 00:05:09,853 I wanted to be like him, 79 00:05:09,854 --> 00:05:13,755 like every kid wants to be like his father. 80 00:05:13,855 --> 00:05:18,756 There were three little kids and a wife and mother 81 00:05:18,757 --> 00:05:22,957 who were left so hurt, so broken. 82 00:05:22,958 --> 00:05:24,892 Did I want revenge? 83 00:05:24,959 --> 00:05:27,560 Absolutely, I wanted revenge. 84 00:05:29,893 --> 00:05:34,195 Raab: The three of them shot McBratney in front of dozens of witnesses 85 00:05:34,261 --> 00:05:36,863 who could identify them from rogues' galleries. 86 00:05:36,963 --> 00:05:40,297 Sooner or later, Gotti knew the jig was going to be up. 87 00:05:40,363 --> 00:05:42,798 Schumacher: This was not the smartest hit 88 00:05:42,865 --> 00:05:45,199 that John Gotti was ever involved in, 89 00:05:45,265 --> 00:05:46,800 because they weren't wearing masks. 90 00:05:46,866 --> 00:05:49,900 They weren't trying to hide their identities. 91 00:05:49,967 --> 00:05:54,002 And so it wasn't all that hard to find him once they knew 92 00:05:54,069 --> 00:05:57,468 he was involved in the murder. 93 00:05:57,469 --> 00:06:01,870 Gotti ultimately surrendered and, lo and behold, 94 00:06:01,871 --> 00:06:06,973 got one of the most expensive criminal lawyers in New York, 95 00:06:07,073 --> 00:06:09,974 a barrister by the name of Roy Cohn, 96 00:06:10,074 --> 00:06:13,308 who made his reputation as the chief counsel 97 00:06:13,374 --> 00:06:16,410 for Joe McCarthy in the notorious crack down 98 00:06:16,476 --> 00:06:19,711 on leftists in the 1950s. 99 00:06:19,778 --> 00:06:22,612 He had tremendous influence in New York city. 100 00:06:22,679 --> 00:06:25,513 He was involved in prosecuting the Rosenbergs, 101 00:06:25,580 --> 00:06:27,981 later represented Donald Trump. 102 00:06:28,081 --> 00:06:31,781 Roy Cohn arranged what can be described 103 00:06:31,782 --> 00:06:35,116 as an unbelievable sentence for Gotti. 104 00:06:35,216 --> 00:06:38,684 He eventually copped a plea to manslaughter and served, 105 00:06:38,685 --> 00:06:41,986 I believe, four years in state penitentiary. 106 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,987 Destefano: After Gotti got out of prison for the McBratney killing, 107 00:06:48,988 --> 00:06:51,522 soon after that, he was inducted into Mafia, 108 00:06:51,589 --> 00:06:53,023 became a made member. 109 00:06:53,090 --> 00:06:56,924 And in that world, that's the Holy Grail. 110 00:06:56,991 --> 00:06:58,591 Feldman: Contrary to what many people think, 111 00:06:58,691 --> 00:07:01,891 not every person who was in the Mafia 112 00:07:01,892 --> 00:07:05,492 was considered a full-fledged member of the mob. 113 00:07:05,493 --> 00:07:06,793 In fact, most aren't. 114 00:07:06,794 --> 00:07:08,328 And very few people 115 00:07:08,394 --> 00:07:11,696 are selected to become made men. 116 00:07:11,796 --> 00:07:13,796 Being a made member of the Mafia 117 00:07:13,797 --> 00:07:19,099 was really everything that these guys aspired to. 118 00:07:19,199 --> 00:07:22,133 Gabriel: One of the things you have to do to be proposed as a made member 119 00:07:22,233 --> 00:07:23,699 and actually be inducted is, 120 00:07:23,700 --> 00:07:25,400 you have to participate in a murder. 121 00:07:25,500 --> 00:07:27,835 They want to check your loyalty. 122 00:07:27,902 --> 00:07:31,002 Papa: That earns you merit in organized crime. 123 00:07:31,003 --> 00:07:33,803 You show that you have the courage 124 00:07:33,804 --> 00:07:35,705 or the temerity to do it. 125 00:07:35,804 --> 00:07:37,905 Making your bones basically means 126 00:07:38,005 --> 00:07:41,107 that you're proving you're bona fide. 127 00:07:41,206 --> 00:07:44,807 Gotti made his bones by killing my father. 128 00:07:47,342 --> 00:07:49,507 Destefano: The induction ceremony is a meeting 129 00:07:49,508 --> 00:07:51,810 with other crime-family members, 130 00:07:51,910 --> 00:07:55,911 where you're basically sworn loyalty to the life. 131 00:07:56,012 --> 00:08:00,411 Fingers were pricked to show that you would give your blood. 132 00:08:00,412 --> 00:08:02,347 And they burned a picture of a saint in your hand 133 00:08:02,413 --> 00:08:04,147 with the admonition that if you betray 134 00:08:04,248 --> 00:08:05,815 the brotherhood of the crime family, 135 00:08:05,915 --> 00:08:08,749 you will burn as the saint is doing. 136 00:08:08,816 --> 00:08:11,350 Schumacher: In other words, this is going to be your life, 137 00:08:11,416 --> 00:08:15,017 and you are going to follow the principles of the Mafia 138 00:08:15,018 --> 00:08:16,652 throughout your life up to 139 00:08:16,719 --> 00:08:19,919 and including a complete loyalty to the mob, 140 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,954 even above your own family. 141 00:08:23,021 --> 00:08:26,255 Destefano: And Gotti wanted nothing more than to be a gangster. 142 00:08:26,321 --> 00:08:29,522 That really is a signature moment. 143 00:08:31,423 --> 00:08:34,523 Schumacher: So, a Mafia family has a structure. 144 00:08:34,524 --> 00:08:36,659 You have the boss, of course, at the top. 145 00:08:36,726 --> 00:08:39,125 Right below the boss is the underboss. 146 00:08:39,126 --> 00:08:42,361 And underneath the underboss, there's a series of capos, 147 00:08:42,427 --> 00:08:46,528 or captains, who are really like crew chiefs. 148 00:08:46,629 --> 00:08:48,929 After Gotti became a made man, 149 00:08:48,930 --> 00:08:53,865 he became the captain of a crew based in Queens. 150 00:08:53,932 --> 00:08:57,566 Morrill: From the moment that John came on the scene, you could see, 151 00:08:57,633 --> 00:08:59,834 in the way he walked, the way he held himself, 152 00:08:59,934 --> 00:09:01,568 the way he carried himself, 153 00:09:01,634 --> 00:09:05,534 he had a very strong opinion of himself. 154 00:09:05,535 --> 00:09:09,370 He had the knowledge and understanding 155 00:09:09,436 --> 00:09:12,638 that he could do anything he wanted to do 156 00:09:12,639 --> 00:09:15,772 without anyone coming back at him. 157 00:09:15,839 --> 00:09:19,040 Destefano: Gotti, particularly as a capo and ruler, 158 00:09:19,141 --> 00:09:24,475 could be very demanding, very brutal, very threatening. 159 00:09:24,541 --> 00:09:26,441 Cardinale: If he was not happy, he was not shy 160 00:09:26,442 --> 00:09:28,144 about letting people know about it. 161 00:09:28,244 --> 00:09:30,144 It was almost a storm front if he was mad. 162 00:09:30,245 --> 00:09:34,045 You did not want to get inside that front. 163 00:09:34,046 --> 00:09:36,246 There were times that you would see him, 164 00:09:36,247 --> 00:09:39,848 and he would be adamantly pointing fingers into the chest 165 00:09:39,948 --> 00:09:42,682 of some other member of the crew 166 00:09:42,749 --> 00:09:45,383 so that they should follow his orders 167 00:09:45,449 --> 00:09:48,449 or they would suffer the consequences. 168 00:09:48,450 --> 00:09:52,052 They heard him often berating people who made 169 00:09:52,152 --> 00:09:54,853 what he considered the slightest insult. 170 00:10:03,756 --> 00:10:06,090 And if you weren't convinced by that, 171 00:10:06,157 --> 00:10:08,556 you probably weren't going to survive. 172 00:10:08,557 --> 00:10:14,793 ♪♪ 173 00:10:17,761 --> 00:10:20,895 To understand the Mafia, it's important to know 174 00:10:20,962 --> 00:10:22,763 its roots in America. 175 00:10:24,397 --> 00:10:28,065 Schumacher: In the late 1800s and in the early 1900s, 176 00:10:28,165 --> 00:10:33,066 the United States saw just a massive immigration of Italians, 177 00:10:33,067 --> 00:10:35,866 and especially Italians from Sicily. 178 00:10:35,867 --> 00:10:37,168 And they were really 179 00:10:37,268 --> 00:10:39,467 almost immediately discriminated against. 180 00:10:39,468 --> 00:10:42,770 They were treated as second-class citizens. 181 00:10:42,870 --> 00:10:46,871 A large majority of individuals would say, "You know what? 182 00:10:46,872 --> 00:10:48,471 We're gonna work hard. 183 00:10:48,571 --> 00:10:51,506 We're gonna just do our best to achieve the American dream." 184 00:10:51,572 --> 00:10:55,372 However, there was certainly a percentage of immigrants 185 00:10:55,373 --> 00:10:56,675 who said, "You know what? 186 00:10:56,775 --> 00:10:58,909 We need a shortcut." 187 00:10:58,975 --> 00:11:01,810 And formed into gangs. 188 00:11:01,877 --> 00:11:06,011 But the street gangs were not particularly well-organized. 189 00:11:06,078 --> 00:11:09,078 There was this notion that things could be better. 190 00:11:09,079 --> 00:11:13,914 And no one saw that more clearly than Charles "Lucky" Luciano. 191 00:11:15,881 --> 00:11:21,417 Raab: Prohibition occurred, and to run an important bootlegging ring, 192 00:11:21,483 --> 00:11:23,217 you had to become almost an executive. 193 00:11:23,317 --> 00:11:26,584 You had to import or manufacture booze and beer. 194 00:11:26,685 --> 00:11:29,619 You had to have a sophisticated trucking system, 195 00:11:29,686 --> 00:11:30,887 delivery system. 196 00:11:30,987 --> 00:11:33,421 So they became big. 197 00:11:33,487 --> 00:11:35,987 But the Italian-Americans were fighting with each other 198 00:11:35,988 --> 00:11:39,089 for territory, killing each other. 199 00:11:39,090 --> 00:11:42,190 There were gang wars. 200 00:11:42,291 --> 00:11:45,225 Luciano saw that this was no good for business 201 00:11:45,325 --> 00:11:49,026 and that the only solution was some kind of setup 202 00:11:49,093 --> 00:11:51,793 where it would be more profitable, 203 00:11:51,794 --> 00:11:54,094 at the same time, less dangerous. 204 00:11:54,095 --> 00:11:57,796 Schumacher: So he created something called the commission, 205 00:11:57,896 --> 00:12:00,595 and the commission was like a board of directors 206 00:12:00,596 --> 00:12:02,798 for the national crime syndicate. 207 00:12:02,898 --> 00:12:06,698 Raab: He organized some 20-odd families throughout the country, 208 00:12:06,699 --> 00:12:10,199 the commission, to resolve all major disputes. 209 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,434 In addition to that, it actually wrote a constitution, 210 00:12:13,500 --> 00:12:17,202 dos and don'ts, how you could become a made guy, 211 00:12:17,203 --> 00:12:19,436 how you were supposed to conduct yourself, 212 00:12:19,502 --> 00:12:22,137 all sorts of rules and regulations, 213 00:12:22,205 --> 00:12:25,206 and that you could never be disloyal to the organization. 214 00:12:25,306 --> 00:12:30,707 Omerta -- never cooperate, never talk with law enforcement. 215 00:12:30,708 --> 00:12:34,642 It's really kind of this whole structured environment. 216 00:12:36,743 --> 00:12:41,210 Feldman: Cosa nostra is what most Americans refer to as the Mafia. 217 00:12:41,211 --> 00:12:43,611 The literal translation is "our thing." 218 00:12:43,712 --> 00:12:46,213 And it is a kind of umbrella title 219 00:12:46,313 --> 00:12:50,412 that encompasses many different mob families. 220 00:12:50,413 --> 00:12:55,015 The mob scene in the 1970s and 1980s in New York City 221 00:12:55,016 --> 00:12:58,716 revolved around the five classic Mafia families. 222 00:12:58,717 --> 00:13:01,751 They were the Genovese, Gambino, 223 00:13:01,818 --> 00:13:06,853 Lucchese, Bonanno, and Colombo crime families. 224 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,354 Feldman: The Gambino family, which was the family 225 00:13:09,454 --> 00:13:12,821 that John Gotti ultimately ended up heading, 226 00:13:12,822 --> 00:13:16,023 was at one time considered the most powerful 227 00:13:16,024 --> 00:13:19,523 of the five Mafia families in New York city. 228 00:13:19,624 --> 00:13:22,359 It was powerful because it had its tentacles 229 00:13:22,425 --> 00:13:23,926 in many different areas, 230 00:13:24,026 --> 00:13:28,361 from construction to airport operations. 231 00:13:28,427 --> 00:13:30,361 Cardinale: There was nothing, according to the government, 232 00:13:30,428 --> 00:13:32,362 that was built that involved concrete 233 00:13:32,462 --> 00:13:37,529 that they didn't have some involvement and made money from. 234 00:13:37,530 --> 00:13:41,031 Gabriel: Organized crime and the Mafia families survived 235 00:13:41,032 --> 00:13:44,567 by the revenue that they can generate, basically, 236 00:13:44,633 --> 00:13:46,267 from criminal conduct. 237 00:13:46,367 --> 00:13:47,667 They were bookmakers. 238 00:13:47,735 --> 00:13:49,234 They were loan sharks. 239 00:13:49,235 --> 00:13:53,035 They were extorting businesses for protection money. 240 00:13:53,036 --> 00:13:57,037 You'd go into a restaurant or a store in your neighborhood 241 00:13:57,038 --> 00:13:59,138 and warn them something might happen 242 00:13:59,139 --> 00:14:01,537 unless they paid you some fees. 243 00:14:01,538 --> 00:14:03,538 "I'm going to protect you or I'm going to beat you up. 244 00:14:03,539 --> 00:14:04,874 Which one are you going to pick?" 245 00:14:04,941 --> 00:14:06,841 These threats often were very effective. 246 00:14:06,941 --> 00:14:10,541 If you knew that something bad could happen to you, 247 00:14:10,642 --> 00:14:12,777 you would find a way to pay. 248 00:14:12,843 --> 00:14:16,378 The threat of actually being killed 249 00:14:16,477 --> 00:14:19,478 is something that was very real at that time. 250 00:14:21,346 --> 00:14:26,048 By definition, you cannot be the head of a mob family 251 00:14:26,148 --> 00:14:29,282 without being feared both by the public 252 00:14:29,382 --> 00:14:30,849 and, more importantly, I suppose, 253 00:14:30,950 --> 00:14:34,384 by the people who work for you in that family. 254 00:14:34,450 --> 00:14:36,885 They're dangerous, ruthless people. 255 00:14:36,952 --> 00:14:40,852 Killing is in their fabric. 256 00:14:40,853 --> 00:14:44,487 When you're doing street crimes and robberies and hijackings, 257 00:14:44,553 --> 00:14:46,154 you need tough guys. 258 00:14:46,155 --> 00:14:48,855 John Gotti had a reputation of being a tough guy. 259 00:14:48,856 --> 00:14:50,590 So somebody steps out of line, 260 00:14:50,656 --> 00:14:52,690 you need folks who can enforce it. 261 00:14:52,757 --> 00:14:55,857 John Gotti and his crew were enforcers. 262 00:14:55,858 --> 00:14:59,159 Whether it was as simple as giving somebody a beating 263 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:00,860 or escalating it all the way up 264 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,862 to actually having to take a life, 265 00:15:04,962 --> 00:15:09,396 he was known as a reliable person that can do that. 266 00:15:09,496 --> 00:15:11,397 Feldman: John Gotti rose through the ranks 267 00:15:11,497 --> 00:15:14,264 by things like loan-sharking. 268 00:15:14,265 --> 00:15:16,599 Schumacher: Loan-sharking is the notion of giving out loans 269 00:15:16,665 --> 00:15:19,499 to someone who needs money fast, who needs cash, 270 00:15:19,565 --> 00:15:22,167 and they're expected to be paid back quickly. 271 00:15:22,268 --> 00:15:23,767 In the case of Gotti's crew, 272 00:15:23,768 --> 00:15:26,968 they were extremely effective at getting their money. 273 00:15:26,969 --> 00:15:28,468 And if they didn't get their money, 274 00:15:28,469 --> 00:15:30,771 people knew what the consequences were. 275 00:15:30,870 --> 00:15:35,405 Gotti and his enforcers could be very ruthless. 276 00:15:35,471 --> 00:15:42,074 One of the main methods of organized crime to gain funds 277 00:15:42,075 --> 00:15:44,175 was hijacking. 278 00:15:44,276 --> 00:15:48,177 By the time the early-to-mid-'70s came along, 279 00:15:48,277 --> 00:15:51,977 he would actually go out on hijackings. 280 00:15:51,978 --> 00:15:54,677 Destefano: The trucks would come off of the JFK area. 281 00:15:54,678 --> 00:15:57,179 They'd be pulled over by a couple of cars 282 00:15:57,180 --> 00:15:58,513 that blocked their way. 283 00:15:58,579 --> 00:16:00,114 The hijackers would go up. 284 00:16:00,181 --> 00:16:02,782 They would tell the driver, "Listen, give us the truck. 285 00:16:02,882 --> 00:16:05,616 And by the way, from your license, we know who you are, 286 00:16:05,682 --> 00:16:08,517 so don't go running to the cops." 287 00:16:08,583 --> 00:16:12,084 You got goods that you could fence. 288 00:16:12,085 --> 00:16:14,584 Destefano: And that's how John got his footing 289 00:16:14,585 --> 00:16:16,686 into the organized-crime arena. 290 00:16:16,786 --> 00:16:23,022 ♪♪ 291 00:16:27,191 --> 00:16:29,791 Woman: Mrs. Gotti was extremely nice and polite 292 00:16:29,891 --> 00:16:32,892 as she refused our request for an interview, 293 00:16:32,893 --> 00:16:35,526 saying her husband had joked he'd take her to the dentist 294 00:16:35,592 --> 00:16:36,894 and have her mouth glued shut 295 00:16:36,994 --> 00:16:39,995 if she did any more talking to the press. 296 00:16:42,996 --> 00:16:47,898 Gotti got married fairly early, when he was 22, to Victoria. 297 00:16:47,997 --> 00:16:53,900 Victoria Digiorgio was a very striking dark-haired woman. 298 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,433 Papa: But they had a rough time. 299 00:16:56,534 --> 00:17:00,801 I think he maybe wasn't the easiest person to deal with. 300 00:17:00,802 --> 00:17:02,736 Raab: First of all, he was fooling around a lot 301 00:17:02,803 --> 00:17:05,003 with other women, which she knew. 302 00:17:05,004 --> 00:17:07,738 He would disappear for days. 303 00:17:07,804 --> 00:17:10,106 Destefano: In the early days, they didn't have much money, 304 00:17:10,205 --> 00:17:11,906 and the story was that, at one point, 305 00:17:12,006 --> 00:17:14,006 Gotti sneaked Victoria 306 00:17:14,007 --> 00:17:15,907 and one of their children out of the hospital 307 00:17:16,007 --> 00:17:17,706 because he couldn't pay the bill. 308 00:17:17,707 --> 00:17:22,609 Mom is, in a nutshell, to sum up -- 309 00:17:22,709 --> 00:17:26,010 she's an old-fashioned woman, very traditional, 310 00:17:26,011 --> 00:17:30,645 raised with the belief that her children, her husband, 311 00:17:30,711 --> 00:17:35,747 her home is the most important thing, in that order. 312 00:17:35,814 --> 00:17:39,549 Papa: John Gotti and his family lived in Howard Beach, Queens. 313 00:17:39,615 --> 00:17:43,350 It was not some big, flashy house, McMansion. 314 00:17:43,450 --> 00:17:46,217 It was a modest home right on the block. 315 00:17:46,218 --> 00:17:51,018 And that's where he lived for many, many years. 316 00:17:51,019 --> 00:17:55,554 Gotti had five children -- three boys and two daughters. 317 00:17:55,620 --> 00:17:58,620 King: What was it like growing up a Gotti? 318 00:17:58,621 --> 00:18:01,223 Victoria: Growing up a Gotti. 319 00:18:01,323 --> 00:18:05,224 It was regimented, warm. 320 00:18:05,225 --> 00:18:10,525 We were -- I think early on, it was instilled in all of us 321 00:18:10,526 --> 00:18:13,027 that we were a close-knit family. 322 00:18:13,128 --> 00:18:15,627 We had to remain a close-knit family. 323 00:18:15,727 --> 00:18:23,230 And I think that, growing up, my dad executed the values 324 00:18:23,231 --> 00:18:27,233 and the morals that he wanted us to take through life. 325 00:18:27,332 --> 00:18:29,432 Cardinale: His sons and his two daughters were a big, 326 00:18:29,433 --> 00:18:30,933 big, big part of his life. 327 00:18:31,034 --> 00:18:34,633 You could tell that just whenever he spoke about them. 328 00:18:34,634 --> 00:18:36,469 Papa: He was very close to his kids. 329 00:18:36,535 --> 00:18:38,269 He loved them. 330 00:18:38,336 --> 00:18:40,470 I think he wanted to be protective 331 00:18:40,570 --> 00:18:43,636 and he wanted to do what he could for them. 332 00:18:43,637 --> 00:18:45,972 Destefano: And therein, of course, lay the route 333 00:18:46,039 --> 00:18:48,473 to one of the tragedies in their life. 334 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:54,142 ♪♪ 335 00:18:54,242 --> 00:18:57,442 Raab: Gotti's youngest son, frank, of course, 336 00:18:57,443 --> 00:18:59,476 grew up in Howard Beach. 337 00:18:59,542 --> 00:19:02,078 Frankie, who was kind of the apple of his eye, 338 00:19:02,144 --> 00:19:07,179 had a minibike, a small, miniature motorcycle. 339 00:19:07,246 --> 00:19:11,647 And he drove it out in the street one day between cars 340 00:19:11,747 --> 00:19:14,449 and he was hit. 341 00:19:16,382 --> 00:19:19,250 Papa: And the young boy died. 342 00:19:19,351 --> 00:19:23,051 The Howard Beach driver who struck and killed 343 00:19:23,052 --> 00:19:26,853 little Frankie was John Favara, 344 00:19:26,953 --> 00:19:28,253 and he was a person from the neighborhood. 345 00:19:28,354 --> 00:19:29,653 He lived not far from the Gottis, 346 00:19:29,753 --> 00:19:31,955 probably a few houses away. 347 00:19:32,055 --> 00:19:35,356 And that, of course, sent Gotti, his wife, and his whole family 348 00:19:35,456 --> 00:19:39,357 into a tailspin of depression and grief. 349 00:19:39,458 --> 00:19:42,892 Papa: Police, at the time, investigated and they determined 350 00:19:42,959 --> 00:19:44,858 that this was an accident. 351 00:19:44,859 --> 00:19:49,094 The man who ran over and killed John Gotti's son, 352 00:19:49,161 --> 00:19:54,596 at one point, went to apologize to John Gotti and his wife. 353 00:19:54,662 --> 00:19:59,497 I think Victoria Gotti felt that he didn't show enough remorse, 354 00:19:59,563 --> 00:20:01,664 and she did not forgive him. 355 00:20:01,764 --> 00:20:05,499 And there's a story that she went after him with a bat. 356 00:20:05,566 --> 00:20:07,866 Favara knew who he was dealing with, 357 00:20:07,867 --> 00:20:10,502 and I'm sure he was frightened. 358 00:20:12,969 --> 00:20:16,403 John Favara was kidnapped from his place of business 359 00:20:16,504 --> 00:20:19,604 out on Long Island by a group of men. 360 00:20:19,670 --> 00:20:23,372 A few weeks after, a few months, the guy disappeared. 361 00:20:23,373 --> 00:20:26,507 Eyewitnesses claimed they saw him being hit over the head 362 00:20:26,573 --> 00:20:30,208 and put into the back of a car. 363 00:20:30,276 --> 00:20:33,175 Favara was never seen again. 364 00:20:33,176 --> 00:20:36,878 Destefano: The story that we subsequently were able to piece together 365 00:20:36,977 --> 00:20:41,812 was that Favara was killed and that his body, 366 00:20:41,879 --> 00:20:44,013 according to court records, 367 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:49,915 was dissolved in acid in a junkyard in East New York. 368 00:20:49,982 --> 00:20:53,384 Gotti, as I recall, at the time, had an alibi. 369 00:20:53,483 --> 00:20:57,518 He said he was away in Florida when that happened. 370 00:20:57,618 --> 00:21:00,685 Schumacher: I think there's no question that the disappearance 371 00:21:00,785 --> 00:21:03,786 of John Favara sent a message to the community 372 00:21:03,887 --> 00:21:05,821 that Gotti was someone to be reckoned with. 373 00:21:05,888 --> 00:21:10,588 ♪♪ 374 00:21:10,589 --> 00:21:15,424 For somebody to just disappear off the face of the earth, 375 00:21:15,524 --> 00:21:17,525 never to be seen again, 376 00:21:17,625 --> 00:21:21,292 that had to send a chill through the neighborhood. 377 00:21:21,293 --> 00:21:23,327 He meant business. 378 00:21:23,394 --> 00:21:27,896 That's where he comes across as scary. 379 00:21:27,995 --> 00:21:30,095 Who was going to mess with that? 380 00:21:30,096 --> 00:21:32,496 Woman: Of such stories, legends are born, 381 00:21:32,497 --> 00:21:34,831 and John Gotti lives up to his. 382 00:21:34,898 --> 00:21:41,300 ♪♪ 383 00:21:43,301 --> 00:21:48,336 ♪♪ 384 00:21:48,402 --> 00:21:50,904 Welcome back to "Very Scary People." 385 00:21:51,004 --> 00:21:54,338 By the late 1970s, John Gotti was working his way up 386 00:21:54,405 --> 00:21:56,939 the ranks of the Gambino crime family 387 00:21:57,006 --> 00:21:59,839 as a solid earner and vicious capo, 388 00:21:59,907 --> 00:22:04,207 determined to not let anything or anyone stand in his way. 389 00:22:04,208 --> 00:22:05,908 Soon, he would become the boss 390 00:22:05,909 --> 00:22:08,909 of a multi-million-dollar criminal operation. 391 00:22:08,910 --> 00:22:12,544 For Gotti, it all started in the boogie-down Bronx. 392 00:22:12,644 --> 00:22:16,611 ♪♪ 393 00:22:16,612 --> 00:22:19,513 Feldman: John Gotti was born on the 27th of October 394 00:22:19,514 --> 00:22:21,513 in 1940 in the South Bronx. 395 00:22:21,514 --> 00:22:23,548 His grandparents came over from, 396 00:22:23,614 --> 00:22:25,815 as they used to say, "the old country". 397 00:22:25,916 --> 00:22:29,650 He had a troubled childhood. 398 00:22:29,716 --> 00:22:32,417 Raab: His father was a laborer who earned almost nothing. 399 00:22:32,418 --> 00:22:36,919 He had 12 siblings, big family, and his poor father 400 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,753 really couldn't provide for all of them. 401 00:22:39,819 --> 00:22:43,321 Gotti grew up in a very haggard type of way. 402 00:22:43,322 --> 00:22:44,655 He was embarrassed. 403 00:22:44,721 --> 00:22:46,756 He claimed later that when he went to school, 404 00:22:46,822 --> 00:22:50,357 he was wearing different shoes on each foot. 405 00:22:50,425 --> 00:22:51,858 His clothes were ragged. 406 00:22:51,925 --> 00:22:54,325 The other kids made fun of him. 407 00:22:54,326 --> 00:22:57,160 That's when he learned to use his fast fists, 408 00:22:57,227 --> 00:22:59,360 because he had to fight his way 409 00:22:59,428 --> 00:23:02,929 to get any kind of recognition and respect. 410 00:23:03,029 --> 00:23:05,929 Things improved for him when he was just in his teens, 411 00:23:05,930 --> 00:23:08,664 when his father and his mother 412 00:23:08,730 --> 00:23:11,565 moved to East New York in Brooklyn. 413 00:23:11,665 --> 00:23:14,532 If you wanted to exist in your neighborhood 414 00:23:14,533 --> 00:23:15,732 and show your machismo, 415 00:23:15,832 --> 00:23:18,267 you had to be part of a street gang. 416 00:23:18,334 --> 00:23:20,135 He didn't have much of an education, 417 00:23:20,235 --> 00:23:25,136 but he was smart and and he knew how to hustle. 418 00:23:25,237 --> 00:23:28,971 So got involved with people on the street. 419 00:23:29,038 --> 00:23:31,772 Raab: In one situation, he was doing a theft. 420 00:23:31,838 --> 00:23:35,673 He broke into a construction area in the neighborhood 421 00:23:35,739 --> 00:23:39,174 and he dropped a heavy piece of equipment on his foot. 422 00:23:39,241 --> 00:23:42,043 And he actually broke one of his toes, 423 00:23:42,142 --> 00:23:44,976 which gave him a limp for the rest of his life. 424 00:23:45,044 --> 00:23:47,044 Some people thought it was a swagger, 425 00:23:47,144 --> 00:23:50,678 but he obtained it by fouling up on a simple crime. 426 00:23:52,845 --> 00:23:56,447 Mafia bosses and their lieutenants in the neighborhoods 427 00:23:56,448 --> 00:24:01,148 were always on the lookout for possible recruits, 428 00:24:01,149 --> 00:24:04,349 people who were hard and tough and would carry out orders. 429 00:24:04,350 --> 00:24:06,951 And he shined in those aspects. 430 00:24:07,051 --> 00:24:08,452 There's a certain level of respect 431 00:24:08,551 --> 00:24:12,452 that he wanted perhaps that, in his life, 432 00:24:12,453 --> 00:24:15,154 he wasn't really getting it anywhere else. 433 00:24:15,254 --> 00:24:18,989 Here were these guys driving around in flashy cars, 434 00:24:19,055 --> 00:24:22,257 hanging around these clubs, attracting women. 435 00:24:22,356 --> 00:24:26,057 The only chance he had, in his viewpoint, 436 00:24:26,058 --> 00:24:28,159 for success was crime. 437 00:24:28,259 --> 00:24:33,259 ♪♪ 438 00:24:33,260 --> 00:24:36,361 Gotti, in his teens and early 20s, 439 00:24:36,362 --> 00:24:38,061 was part of a crew that was part 440 00:24:38,062 --> 00:24:42,263 of the Gambino crime family in East New York. 441 00:24:42,364 --> 00:24:46,598 And Gambino's second-in-command was a man by the name 442 00:24:46,698 --> 00:24:52,000 of Aniello Dellacroce, better known as "Neil." 443 00:24:52,067 --> 00:24:55,701 Cardinale: Aniello Dellacroce was a very powerful individual 444 00:24:55,767 --> 00:24:57,568 within the Gambino family. 445 00:24:57,569 --> 00:25:00,668 Gabriel: John gets himself fairly close to Neil, 446 00:25:00,669 --> 00:25:03,769 and Neil takes a strong liking to John. 447 00:25:03,770 --> 00:25:05,071 Raab: Dellacroce liked him. 448 00:25:05,172 --> 00:25:07,505 He saw him as a chip off his own block. 449 00:25:07,606 --> 00:25:10,072 Respected the activity that John did, 450 00:25:10,073 --> 00:25:12,707 respected the loyalty that John showed, 451 00:25:12,773 --> 00:25:14,708 and respected the chutzpah that John had. 452 00:25:14,774 --> 00:25:18,476 So they create a very, very close bond. 453 00:25:23,111 --> 00:25:26,178 Papa: In 1976, Carlo Gambino, 454 00:25:26,179 --> 00:25:29,113 the revered boss of the Gambino crime family 455 00:25:29,180 --> 00:25:32,314 and the namesake of the family, passes away. 456 00:25:32,381 --> 00:25:34,181 So who is the successor? 457 00:25:34,182 --> 00:25:37,516 Gabriel: Gambino, rather than taking Neil Dellacroce, 458 00:25:37,616 --> 00:25:41,783 who the whole Gambino family respected and revered, 459 00:25:41,884 --> 00:25:45,484 he names his cousin, Paul Castellano, 460 00:25:45,485 --> 00:25:47,485 the next boss of the family. 461 00:25:47,486 --> 00:25:50,187 That just turned everybody's stomach. 462 00:25:50,287 --> 00:25:53,488 Inside of the Gambino crime family, 463 00:25:53,489 --> 00:25:55,522 there were several factions. 464 00:25:55,622 --> 00:25:59,490 John, being in the Dellacroce faction, 465 00:25:59,491 --> 00:26:02,124 sort of looked at Paul Castellano 466 00:26:02,192 --> 00:26:03,625 as a weak leader. 467 00:26:03,691 --> 00:26:05,791 Raab: They thought he was too remote. 468 00:26:05,792 --> 00:26:07,126 He didn't like them. 469 00:26:07,193 --> 00:26:09,294 He never visited their clubs. 470 00:26:09,394 --> 00:26:11,693 And all he wanted was their dough. 471 00:26:11,694 --> 00:26:13,929 Gotti and some of the people that Gotti surrounded 472 00:26:13,995 --> 00:26:17,296 himself with felt that Paul Castellano 473 00:26:17,297 --> 00:26:20,931 was not the legitimate head of the family. 474 00:26:20,998 --> 00:26:23,332 Gotti felt that Aniello Dellacroce 475 00:26:23,399 --> 00:26:25,500 should have been the rightful heir 476 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,400 to the Gambino crime family. 477 00:26:27,500 --> 00:26:31,735 So that created this long source of resentment 478 00:26:31,801 --> 00:26:36,602 between Gotti's people and Castellano and his tribe. 479 00:26:36,603 --> 00:26:39,938 Schumacher: At the same time, Gotti thinks that he can become 480 00:26:40,005 --> 00:26:43,005 the boss of the Gambino crime family. 481 00:26:43,006 --> 00:26:45,039 Gabriel: Dellacroce had that ability 482 00:26:45,107 --> 00:26:48,207 to keep the Gottis of the world in check. 483 00:26:48,308 --> 00:26:49,607 He was the buffer. 484 00:26:49,608 --> 00:26:53,342 But when Dellacroce died, then all bets are off. 485 00:26:53,409 --> 00:27:01,112 ♪♪ 486 00:27:03,912 --> 00:27:05,812 Cardinale: John Gotti -- he would make an impression 487 00:27:05,813 --> 00:27:07,047 on anybody that saw him. 488 00:27:07,114 --> 00:27:08,448 He had a certain aura that, 489 00:27:08,515 --> 00:27:10,848 if he walked in the room, you would notice him. 490 00:27:10,914 --> 00:27:13,715 He was somebody that would turn heads 491 00:27:13,716 --> 00:27:17,351 just because of the way he carried himself. 492 00:27:17,418 --> 00:27:20,018 Had a very commanding presence. Let's put it that way. 493 00:27:22,219 --> 00:27:27,120 Destefano: Angelo Ruggiero was one of the core members of the crew 494 00:27:27,121 --> 00:27:29,422 that Gotti was a member of. 495 00:27:29,522 --> 00:27:33,123 Papa: Ruggiero was one of Gotti's best friends. 496 00:27:33,223 --> 00:27:34,257 They grew up together. 497 00:27:34,324 --> 00:27:35,923 They were in gangs together. 498 00:27:36,024 --> 00:27:37,924 They were very, very close. 499 00:27:38,025 --> 00:27:41,926 A big crisis came in 1985. 500 00:27:42,026 --> 00:27:45,860 Cardinale: Angelo Ruggiero, John Gotti's brother Gene, 501 00:27:45,927 --> 00:27:48,061 and a third defendant were charged 502 00:27:48,129 --> 00:27:50,628 in a racketeering case that involved drugs. 503 00:27:50,629 --> 00:27:54,229 The trouble that Ruggiero got into was he had a big mouth. 504 00:27:54,230 --> 00:27:57,031 Papa: His nickname was "Quack Quack," 505 00:27:57,032 --> 00:27:59,533 because they say he liked to talk a lot. 506 00:27:59,632 --> 00:28:04,534 One of the major pieces of evidence against him was a tape. 507 00:28:04,634 --> 00:28:06,268 His house had been bugged. 508 00:28:06,335 --> 00:28:10,136 He's caught on tape speaking about heroin buys, 509 00:28:10,236 --> 00:28:15,038 and this was forbidden by Paul Castellano. 510 00:28:15,138 --> 00:28:17,139 The Gambino crime family, at the time, 511 00:28:17,239 --> 00:28:20,140 was into a lot of illegal activities, 512 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:23,774 but he did not want to be involved in drugs. 513 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:26,675 A lot of people thought the Mafia was involved 514 00:28:26,741 --> 00:28:28,042 in all kinds of drug deals, 515 00:28:28,043 --> 00:28:30,442 and the fact is, historically, they weren't 516 00:28:30,443 --> 00:28:33,043 because it brought on too much heat. 517 00:28:33,044 --> 00:28:35,278 Gabriel: Castellano becomes irate. 518 00:28:35,345 --> 00:28:38,079 He's also now got to deal with wise guys 519 00:28:38,146 --> 00:28:40,247 and bosses from other families, 520 00:28:40,347 --> 00:28:42,681 who are now putting pressure on him, 521 00:28:42,781 --> 00:28:47,049 basically saying, "Hey, your guy got us in this mess." 522 00:28:47,149 --> 00:28:50,649 So now Castellano's got reason to put pressure on. 523 00:28:50,650 --> 00:28:53,050 "I need to know what's on those bugs. 524 00:28:53,051 --> 00:28:55,385 I hear you guys were dealing babanya, 525 00:28:55,452 --> 00:28:58,453 and if that's true, we've got a problem." 526 00:28:58,553 --> 00:29:03,354 Castellano wanted to get copies of all of the tape recordings 527 00:29:03,355 --> 00:29:06,256 from Angelo Ruggiero's case. 528 00:29:06,356 --> 00:29:09,256 Gotti knew that the Castellano tapes 529 00:29:09,257 --> 00:29:12,791 was a probable death sentence for him, 530 00:29:12,857 --> 00:29:14,592 because it was his crew. 531 00:29:14,692 --> 00:29:18,260 This would give Castellano an excuse to kill all of them. 532 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:22,760 ♪♪ 533 00:29:22,761 --> 00:29:26,262 Gabriel: The summer of '85, 534 00:29:26,263 --> 00:29:30,464 we got a bug in Neil Dellacroce's house. 535 00:29:30,564 --> 00:29:34,066 Neil was sick. He's dying of cancer. 536 00:29:34,165 --> 00:29:37,800 And John and Angelo were going there frequently. 537 00:29:37,866 --> 00:29:41,468 One of the visits we capture on tape. 538 00:30:01,175 --> 00:30:05,175 Dellacroce realized, "I can't keep Castellano at bay forever." 539 00:30:05,176 --> 00:30:07,810 You're going to have to show him what's on the tape. 540 00:30:31,819 --> 00:30:37,488 So it's clear that this issue is very flammable. 541 00:30:37,588 --> 00:30:40,722 There was a lot of friction, and, at some point, 542 00:30:40,788 --> 00:30:42,288 things were going to come to a head. 543 00:30:42,289 --> 00:30:47,789 ♪♪ 544 00:30:47,790 --> 00:30:53,226 Destefano: December of 1985, Dellacroce passes away from cancer. 545 00:30:53,293 --> 00:30:59,094 That removed the one sort of buffer 546 00:30:59,095 --> 00:31:00,595 that was keeping the crime family 547 00:31:00,596 --> 00:31:05,031 from spinning out of control and devolving into a war. 548 00:31:05,097 --> 00:31:06,796 Gabriel: John read the tea leaves, knew his life 549 00:31:06,797 --> 00:31:09,832 was in jeopardy, feared for his crew. 550 00:31:09,898 --> 00:31:13,033 Papa: He had to decide where his loyalties were, 551 00:31:13,100 --> 00:31:16,634 and they certainly were not with Paul Castellano. 552 00:31:16,735 --> 00:31:18,900 Destefano: Castellano, if he wanted to, 553 00:31:18,901 --> 00:31:21,036 could have him killed for the drug-dealing stuff 554 00:31:21,103 --> 00:31:22,302 that was going on. 555 00:31:22,303 --> 00:31:25,902 Gotti realized, "I have to move quickly. 556 00:31:25,903 --> 00:31:28,003 Castellano's suspicious of me. 557 00:31:28,004 --> 00:31:31,740 He's suspicious of the crew and the drug situation. 558 00:31:31,806 --> 00:31:32,840 I've got to do something." 559 00:31:32,906 --> 00:31:34,540 Papa: He figured he had to move 560 00:31:34,608 --> 00:31:38,908 to save his skin, to save Angelo Ruggiero's skin. 561 00:31:39,008 --> 00:31:42,343 Gotti decides that Castellano has to go. 562 00:31:44,111 --> 00:31:48,311 Schumacher: I think he believed that he was the best person for that job. 563 00:31:48,312 --> 00:31:51,113 He really wanted to run the Gambino crime family 564 00:31:51,214 --> 00:31:53,247 the way he thought it should be run. 565 00:31:53,314 --> 00:31:56,148 Feldman: Gotti felt very strongly that that was the time 566 00:31:56,215 --> 00:31:59,915 to make a move on and to replace, I.E., 567 00:31:59,916 --> 00:32:02,618 kill, Paul Castellano. 568 00:32:02,717 --> 00:32:06,118 Gotti was very, how should I say, full of himself. 569 00:32:06,119 --> 00:32:09,653 He thought he was the embodiment of the Mafia. 570 00:32:11,321 --> 00:32:14,154 Schumacher: If someone is going to kill a Mafia boss, 571 00:32:14,222 --> 00:32:17,256 you have to get the permission of the commission 572 00:32:17,323 --> 00:32:19,323 in order to do that. 573 00:32:19,424 --> 00:32:21,324 In this case, there's a risk. 574 00:32:21,424 --> 00:32:27,825 ♪♪ 575 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:34,362 Once John Gotti makes a decision he's got to kill his boss, 576 00:32:34,429 --> 00:32:36,028 that's no light decision. 577 00:32:36,129 --> 00:32:40,263 There are a lot of rules in organized crime. 578 00:32:40,331 --> 00:32:44,265 The cardinal rule is, you don't kill the boss. 579 00:32:44,332 --> 00:32:48,066 You don't take out the boss of a crime family 580 00:32:48,133 --> 00:32:49,534 unless you're sanctioned. 581 00:32:49,634 --> 00:32:51,435 You have to get the permission 582 00:32:51,502 --> 00:32:53,334 of the commission in order to do that. 583 00:32:53,335 --> 00:32:57,437 Because if you don't have that, then everybody's fair game. 584 00:32:59,270 --> 00:33:02,071 Papa: John Gotti was hatching a plot 585 00:33:02,138 --> 00:33:07,139 without the approval of the other families in New York 586 00:33:07,140 --> 00:33:10,441 to bump off Paul Castellano. 587 00:33:10,508 --> 00:33:12,275 It was kill or be killed. 588 00:33:12,342 --> 00:33:14,841 Raab: Gotti showed some actual brilliance, 589 00:33:14,842 --> 00:33:21,345 how he arranged, engineered the murder of Paul Castellano. 590 00:33:21,445 --> 00:33:24,245 Destefano: He needed certain alliances with certain people, 591 00:33:24,246 --> 00:33:29,181 so Angelo Ruggiero approached Sammy Gravano, 592 00:33:29,248 --> 00:33:33,449 who was a well-respected member of the crime family, 593 00:33:33,549 --> 00:33:36,048 a good earner in the construction business, 594 00:33:36,049 --> 00:33:40,352 but had a reputation for being a brutal guy, a killer. 595 00:33:40,452 --> 00:33:43,285 Feldman: Sammy Gravano, or, as he was known in the family, 596 00:33:43,353 --> 00:33:45,952 Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, was a tough guy. 597 00:33:45,953 --> 00:33:48,555 He was somebody who, later on, 598 00:33:48,654 --> 00:33:52,456 admitted to having no issues at all killing people 599 00:33:52,523 --> 00:33:54,256 if he thought that that was something that needed 600 00:33:54,257 --> 00:33:56,357 to be done for the family. 601 00:33:56,457 --> 00:33:58,158 Schumacher: He was a kind of a mastermind 602 00:33:58,258 --> 00:34:00,459 of how to make these things happen 603 00:34:00,526 --> 00:34:02,359 so that they were done efficiently, 604 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:03,893 with minimal witnesses, 605 00:34:03,959 --> 00:34:05,858 so they could all get away with it. 606 00:34:05,859 --> 00:34:08,961 Gotti sent his right-hand man, Angelo, and he had told me -- 607 00:34:09,061 --> 00:34:12,796 he said, "Sammy," he says, "We're going to take out Paul." 608 00:34:12,896 --> 00:34:14,963 Schumacher: And Sammy Gravano was all in. 609 00:34:15,063 --> 00:34:20,899 ♪♪ 610 00:34:20,965 --> 00:34:24,467 Feldman: The word had reached John Gotti that Paul Castellano 611 00:34:24,567 --> 00:34:29,368 was going to have dinner at the Sparks Steak House in Manhattan. 612 00:34:29,369 --> 00:34:31,067 And the decision was made 613 00:34:31,068 --> 00:34:35,371 that that would be the perfect time to kill him. 614 00:34:37,805 --> 00:34:39,805 Papa: Here it is, it's a winter night. 615 00:34:39,906 --> 00:34:42,973 It's a week or so before Christmas. 616 00:34:43,072 --> 00:34:46,007 Gabriel: John and Sammy had put a crew together 617 00:34:46,073 --> 00:34:49,575 and were very careful in who they selected. 618 00:34:49,576 --> 00:34:53,810 Only about 11 people involved in this hit. 619 00:34:53,910 --> 00:34:56,811 Raab: Almost nobody knew who the target was 620 00:34:56,877 --> 00:34:59,279 until the very day of the murder. 621 00:34:59,380 --> 00:35:01,480 Destefano: The plan was well-choreographed. 622 00:35:01,580 --> 00:35:07,381 All the shooters gathered down by Madison Square Park 623 00:35:07,382 --> 00:35:09,216 in Manhattan. 624 00:35:09,283 --> 00:35:13,183 Raab: Gotti had this whole hit crew dressed in the same way -- 625 00:35:13,184 --> 00:35:18,085 long raincoats and wearing Russian fur hats. 626 00:35:18,186 --> 00:35:22,488 This, of course, was done to make identification problematic 627 00:35:22,554 --> 00:35:24,554 later for eyewitnesses. 628 00:35:24,555 --> 00:35:25,987 They were given their assignments, 629 00:35:26,088 --> 00:35:28,087 and they went uptown. 630 00:35:28,088 --> 00:35:30,990 They were told, "Kill them. 631 00:35:31,089 --> 00:35:33,224 And if it means you have to die there, 632 00:35:33,291 --> 00:35:34,991 then die there with them. 633 00:35:35,091 --> 00:35:36,592 Die there in a gun battle with the cops. 634 00:35:36,593 --> 00:35:38,726 Do not back off of this hit." 635 00:35:41,093 --> 00:35:42,594 Destefano: Close in time to this, 636 00:35:42,595 --> 00:35:45,296 Castellano was coming in from Staten Island, 637 00:35:45,395 --> 00:35:47,429 visiting his lawyer, 638 00:35:47,496 --> 00:35:50,430 and then had a dinner date at sparks restaurant. 639 00:35:50,497 --> 00:35:54,932 Paul Castellano left his attorney's office in Downtown 640 00:35:54,998 --> 00:35:56,499 or Midtown Manhattan. 641 00:35:56,566 --> 00:35:58,933 Gabriel: Tommy Bilotti, who's Paul's underboss -- 642 00:35:58,999 --> 00:36:02,435 he's driving Paul in Paul's town car. 643 00:36:02,501 --> 00:36:04,701 Raab: They didn't have a bodyguard. 644 00:36:04,702 --> 00:36:06,603 Neither was armed. 645 00:36:06,703 --> 00:36:09,902 He was just so certain of his security 646 00:36:09,903 --> 00:36:12,305 that no one would dare oppose him. 647 00:36:12,405 --> 00:36:14,706 And that shows you his fatal mistake. 648 00:36:16,706 --> 00:36:19,508 Destefano: The streets were packed with a lot of people, 649 00:36:19,574 --> 00:36:22,341 which was another thing the planners figured, 650 00:36:22,408 --> 00:36:24,742 that may be easy to blend in. 651 00:36:24,842 --> 00:36:27,108 Gabriel: So, you had four primary shooters 652 00:36:27,109 --> 00:36:29,311 that were going to attack the car, 653 00:36:29,411 --> 00:36:31,611 and then you had shooters strategically placed 654 00:36:31,712 --> 00:36:33,512 around corners in case 655 00:36:33,612 --> 00:36:35,846 they tried to get away or whatever. 656 00:36:35,946 --> 00:36:37,514 [ Walkie-talkie chirps ] 657 00:36:37,580 --> 00:36:39,948 Feldman: Gotti and Sammy "The Bull" Gravano 658 00:36:40,014 --> 00:36:45,049 were witnessing this from a car just across the street. 659 00:36:45,115 --> 00:36:49,050 Gabriel: Sammy's got a gun, so he's kind of a backup shooter. 660 00:36:49,116 --> 00:36:52,352 And they're positioned kind of as the lookouts 661 00:36:52,419 --> 00:36:54,520 to give the shooters a heads-up 662 00:36:54,587 --> 00:36:58,154 if they were to see Paul coming down. 663 00:36:58,221 --> 00:37:01,255 Sammy's sitting there with a walkie-talkie. 664 00:37:01,322 --> 00:37:05,622 You know, suddenly, they notice Paul's car 665 00:37:05,623 --> 00:37:09,625 pulling up right past them and stopping at the light. 666 00:37:09,725 --> 00:37:11,426 They're just praying Paul doesn't look over, 667 00:37:11,525 --> 00:37:14,427 because he would recognize them in a heartbeat. 668 00:37:14,526 --> 00:37:17,594 Gravano: And I said, "John, they're right next to us." 669 00:37:17,595 --> 00:37:19,828 And I told John, "If he turns in our direction, 670 00:37:19,829 --> 00:37:21,962 I'm going to start shooting right here and now." 671 00:37:24,630 --> 00:37:27,864 Gabriel: Light changes, and Sammy radios to the shooters, 672 00:37:27,964 --> 00:37:29,665 "Hey, they're pulling up right now. 673 00:37:29,732 --> 00:37:31,632 So everybody get ready." 674 00:37:31,733 --> 00:37:35,032 Feldman: So, when Paul Castellano and his driver 675 00:37:35,033 --> 00:37:38,535 showed up at the Sparks Steak House in Manhattan, 676 00:37:38,635 --> 00:37:42,636 they got out of the car, and -- 677 00:37:42,637 --> 00:37:46,637 as soon as those doors opened, 678 00:37:46,638 --> 00:37:49,639 Gotti's shooters were right on the scene. 679 00:37:49,739 --> 00:37:53,873 Papa: Before you know it, numerous shots are fired. 680 00:37:56,541 --> 00:37:59,776 And these two men were dead in the street. 681 00:37:59,875 --> 00:38:05,978 ♪♪ 682 00:38:06,044 --> 00:38:08,979 Gabriel: It went off as planned. 683 00:38:09,045 --> 00:38:10,612 Once they confirm that they were dead, 684 00:38:10,613 --> 00:38:15,448 these guys calmly walked into the crowd, disappeared. 685 00:38:15,548 --> 00:38:17,349 According to Gravano, 686 00:38:17,449 --> 00:38:20,282 he and John watched the shooting take place 687 00:38:20,350 --> 00:38:22,083 and then drove by it 688 00:38:22,149 --> 00:38:26,050 and saw that Bilotti and Castellano were shot 689 00:38:26,151 --> 00:38:27,985 and then drove away. 690 00:38:31,653 --> 00:38:34,255 Raab: They both died at the scene. No chance. 691 00:38:34,354 --> 00:38:37,154 They never even bothered taking them to a hospital. 692 00:38:37,256 --> 00:38:39,256 They went right to the morgue. 693 00:38:39,356 --> 00:38:41,657 Destefano: Of course, it's pandemonium on the street. 694 00:38:41,757 --> 00:38:43,258 The shooting. There's two bodies. 695 00:38:43,357 --> 00:38:46,758 On the curb is Castellano, who was clenching his gloves 696 00:38:46,759 --> 00:38:51,660 in his hand, mouth open, blood all over the place. 697 00:38:51,661 --> 00:38:53,260 Feldman: The killing of Paul Castellano 698 00:38:53,261 --> 00:38:55,262 was not only a big deal in the Mafia world, 699 00:38:55,362 --> 00:38:57,896 it was a big deal in the general public. 700 00:38:57,962 --> 00:39:03,463 This was an execution in the middle of New York city. 701 00:39:03,464 --> 00:39:05,698 Papa: What happened? Why did this happen? 702 00:39:05,766 --> 00:39:09,567 What was going on? Who did this? 703 00:39:09,634 --> 00:39:16,002 A mob boss taken out in broad daylight in Midtown Manhattan, 704 00:39:16,068 --> 00:39:18,469 and, basically, nobody saw anything. 705 00:39:18,470 --> 00:39:19,870 Cardinale: It was huge. 706 00:39:19,871 --> 00:39:21,870 Every single newspaper in New York 707 00:39:21,871 --> 00:39:24,772 had it on the front page. 708 00:39:24,872 --> 00:39:28,274 Papa: To the general public, this was scary. 709 00:39:28,373 --> 00:39:29,907 It was titillating. 710 00:39:29,973 --> 00:39:32,108 It was real tabloid fodder. 711 00:39:32,174 --> 00:39:35,409 And New Yorkers really eat that up. 712 00:39:37,010 --> 00:39:38,377 Destefano: Everybody's figuring, 713 00:39:38,477 --> 00:39:42,211 "Okay, are we going to see a war on the streets now? 714 00:39:42,278 --> 00:39:44,078 What's going on?" 715 00:39:44,178 --> 00:39:46,412 This is a major, major hit. 716 00:39:48,213 --> 00:39:51,381 Papa: This moment changed the trajectory for John Gotti. 717 00:39:51,382 --> 00:39:54,481 The Paul Castellano killing really catapulted 718 00:39:54,482 --> 00:39:56,916 John Gotti into the forefront. 719 00:39:57,016 --> 00:39:58,650 Destefano: Gotti, overnight, 720 00:39:58,651 --> 00:40:03,885 became the premier gangster in the Gambino family. 721 00:40:03,886 --> 00:40:07,985 Papa: This now becomes this power vacuum 722 00:40:07,986 --> 00:40:11,921 in the most powerful crime family in New York. 723 00:40:11,987 --> 00:40:18,024 And John Gotti was stepping into that void and taking control. 724 00:40:18,090 --> 00:40:22,225 Destefano: There was a meeting of the captains in the crime family, 725 00:40:22,292 --> 00:40:24,991 and Gotti was voted in. 726 00:40:24,992 --> 00:40:28,193 Raab: So, here he is, in his 40s -- he's now the head 727 00:40:28,295 --> 00:40:31,295 of the most powerful crime family in America. 728 00:40:31,296 --> 00:40:35,597 ♪♪ 729 00:40:35,664 --> 00:40:37,397 Feldman: Once John Gotti becomes the head, 730 00:40:37,498 --> 00:40:42,132 what emerges is a very unprecedented 731 00:40:42,198 --> 00:40:45,701 and very public head of a mob family. 732 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:48,501 Schumacher: Ultimately, Gravano becomes Gotti's underboss, 733 00:40:48,601 --> 00:40:50,801 running a lot of the day-to-day operations 734 00:40:50,802 --> 00:40:52,803 of the Gambino crime family. 735 00:40:52,903 --> 00:40:56,904 Raab: John Gotti was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. 736 00:40:59,204 --> 00:41:02,705 Destefano: The press romanticized him, glorified him. 737 00:41:02,706 --> 00:41:07,741 John Gotti was the number-one target for the government. 738 00:41:07,808 --> 00:41:10,609 Man: John Gotti stands out as the most powerful leader 739 00:41:10,676 --> 00:41:12,208 in organized crime. 740 00:41:12,209 --> 00:41:14,710 Schumacher: In order to get recordings, 741 00:41:14,711 --> 00:41:17,745 they needed to be inside the Ravenite Social Club. 742 00:41:17,812 --> 00:41:22,046 To try to get him to incriminate himself, basically. 743 00:41:25,447 --> 00:41:28,214 Gabriel: We got to find a way to put him in jail. 744 00:41:28,316 --> 00:41:30,682 Up until Paul Castellano's brutal murder, 745 00:41:30,683 --> 00:41:34,216 John Gotti was barely on federal investigators' radar. 746 00:41:34,318 --> 00:41:36,318 But after he carried out the ruthless hit 747 00:41:36,418 --> 00:41:39,218 and took the throne as the Gambino's godfather, 748 00:41:39,319 --> 00:41:41,719 Gotti became public enemy number one. 749 00:41:41,720 --> 00:41:45,755 Almost instantly, he transformed into the Dapper Don, 750 00:41:45,821 --> 00:41:47,955 running a violent criminal enterprise, 751 00:41:48,055 --> 00:41:50,756 all while wearing a suit and a smile. 752 00:41:50,823 --> 00:41:52,923 In the end, it would take a complex 753 00:41:52,924 --> 00:41:54,625 and lengthy FBI operation 754 00:41:54,692 --> 00:41:58,726 to finally stop him, in part 2 of "John Gotti." 755 00:41:58,826 --> 00:42:01,760 I'm Donnie Wahlberg. Thanks for watching. 756 00:42:01,827 --> 00:42:03,161 Good night.