1 00:00:05,594 --> 00:00:10,594 ♪♪ 2 00:00:27,859 --> 00:00:48,857 ♪♪ 3 00:00:48,858 --> 00:00:52,292 Welcome to "Very Scary People." I'm Donnie Wahlberg. 4 00:00:52,359 --> 00:00:56,592 He was one of the most notorious Mafia dons in American history. 5 00:00:56,658 --> 00:00:58,957 Born in the Bronx, raised in Brooklyn, 6 00:00:58,958 --> 00:01:01,756 John Gotti clawed his way to the top of the organization 7 00:01:01,757 --> 00:01:04,057 by any means necessary. 8 00:01:04,058 --> 00:01:07,157 Case in point -- the 1985 murder of Mafia boss 9 00:01:07,158 --> 00:01:10,257 Paul Castellano so that Gotti could take over 10 00:01:10,258 --> 00:01:13,058 the powerful Gambino crime family. 11 00:01:13,158 --> 00:01:15,258 Law enforcement and even other goodfellas 12 00:01:15,358 --> 00:01:18,358 considered Gotti dangerous and unpredictable. 13 00:01:18,457 --> 00:01:21,457 And for many years, he seemed unstoppable, 14 00:01:21,557 --> 00:01:26,090 until a secret FBI operation finally ended Gotti's reign. 15 00:01:26,157 --> 00:01:29,056 This is part 2 of "John Gotti." 16 00:01:29,057 --> 00:01:42,356 ♪♪ 17 00:01:42,357 --> 00:01:47,089 Louis DiBono was an associate of the crime family. 18 00:01:47,156 --> 00:01:50,155 Papa: DiBono was in construction. 19 00:01:50,156 --> 00:01:53,255 Helped build the World Trade Center. 20 00:01:53,256 --> 00:01:57,989 All of a sudden, he disappeared. 21 00:01:58,055 --> 00:02:01,555 Papa: He was missing for a few days. 22 00:02:01,556 --> 00:02:04,155 Nobody could find him. 23 00:02:04,255 --> 00:02:06,955 Gabriel: We had actually gotten informant information 24 00:02:07,055 --> 00:02:10,688 that indicated -- they said, "Hey, Louie DiBono's dead. 25 00:02:10,754 --> 00:02:13,087 He was left in a very public place. 26 00:02:13,155 --> 00:02:16,255 You should be able to find the body." 27 00:02:16,354 --> 00:02:18,754 Papa: The irony of Louis DiBono's death was, 28 00:02:18,853 --> 00:02:22,987 here he was in construction, built the world trade center, 29 00:02:23,054 --> 00:02:26,652 and his body was found in the parking lot 30 00:02:26,653 --> 00:02:29,353 of the World Trade Center. 31 00:02:29,354 --> 00:02:30,987 Gabriel: DiBono was laying dead in his car 32 00:02:31,054 --> 00:02:33,453 for two days in the parking lot. 33 00:02:33,554 --> 00:02:35,686 Somebody that thought this guy was asleep 34 00:02:35,752 --> 00:02:38,252 knocked on the window and realized he was dead. 35 00:02:38,253 --> 00:02:40,152 He'd been just sitting there for two days. 36 00:02:40,153 --> 00:02:41,986 Nobody had noticed. 37 00:02:43,386 --> 00:02:46,552 Papa: Gotti used DiBono, actually, as an example. 38 00:02:46,553 --> 00:02:50,486 He would teach lessons, and if anybody was disloyal 39 00:02:50,585 --> 00:02:53,953 or anybody wasn't listening to John Gotti, 40 00:02:54,053 --> 00:02:56,985 there were fatal consequences. 41 00:02:57,053 --> 00:03:02,351 Gotti, at one point, wanted to talk with him. 42 00:03:02,352 --> 00:03:05,685 DiBono wouldn't meet with him or wouldn't answer his telephones. 43 00:03:05,751 --> 00:03:09,849 DiBono didn't want to do what Gotti was telling him to do. 44 00:03:09,850 --> 00:03:12,451 And for that reason, for not coming 45 00:03:12,552 --> 00:03:18,584 when Gotti wanted him to come, Gotti decided that he had to go. 46 00:03:21,351 --> 00:03:23,584 DiBono was going to his car, 47 00:03:23,650 --> 00:03:28,983 and an assassination team followed him, 48 00:03:29,051 --> 00:03:32,383 cased it out... 49 00:03:32,451 --> 00:03:36,849 shot him dead in the car, and got out of there. 50 00:03:39,083 --> 00:03:42,683 Was John Gotti an evil or vicious person? 51 00:03:42,749 --> 00:03:44,583 Absolutely, he was. 52 00:03:56,782 --> 00:04:01,747 ♪♪ 53 00:04:01,748 --> 00:04:07,782 Schumacher: In 1985, John Gotti was a capo in the Gambino crime family. 54 00:04:07,848 --> 00:04:10,981 Capos, or captains, are really like crew chiefs. 55 00:04:11,048 --> 00:04:14,747 They're responsible for either different areas of geography 56 00:04:14,847 --> 00:04:18,481 or of different types of crimes that they're focused on. 57 00:04:18,581 --> 00:04:25,448 And these capos have under them soldiers and associates. 58 00:04:25,548 --> 00:04:28,581 The Gambino crime family was the largest crime family 59 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:29,947 in the greater New York area. 60 00:04:30,048 --> 00:04:33,447 They were extremely powerful and were involved 61 00:04:33,547 --> 00:04:37,080 in just a vast array of criminal enterprises, 62 00:04:37,147 --> 00:04:40,246 everything from bookmaking and loan-sharking, 63 00:04:40,247 --> 00:04:43,045 up to their control of unions, 64 00:04:43,046 --> 00:04:46,046 involvement with the construction industry. 65 00:04:46,147 --> 00:04:49,845 The Gambinos were one of the five Mafia families in New York, 66 00:04:49,946 --> 00:04:54,679 and this was the structure of organized crime. 67 00:04:54,745 --> 00:04:58,245 In 1985, Paul Castellano was the boss 68 00:04:58,246 --> 00:05:00,744 of the Gambino crime family. 69 00:05:00,745 --> 00:05:03,144 Gotti didn't think highly of him at all. 70 00:05:03,145 --> 00:05:04,944 He thought, frankly, that Castellano 71 00:05:04,945 --> 00:05:08,179 should never have been put in the position he was put in. 72 00:05:08,245 --> 00:05:12,378 Gotti decides that Castellano has to go. 73 00:05:12,445 --> 00:05:13,844 DeStefano: And that's what happened. 74 00:05:13,945 --> 00:05:18,878 He went after Castellano and set up the infamous 75 00:05:18,945 --> 00:05:24,045 December 1985 assassination of Castellano 76 00:05:24,144 --> 00:05:27,377 in front of Sparks Steak House. 77 00:05:27,444 --> 00:05:29,044 Schumacher: After Castellano's death, 78 00:05:29,144 --> 00:05:31,977 Gotti makes a bid to become the boss, 79 00:05:32,044 --> 00:05:34,777 and he ultimately does become the boss. 80 00:05:34,843 --> 00:05:39,877 ♪♪ 81 00:05:39,944 --> 00:05:43,776 Once John Gotti becomes the head of the Gambino crime family, 82 00:05:43,842 --> 00:05:48,942 what emerges is a very unprecedented 83 00:05:48,943 --> 00:05:52,376 and very public head of a mob family. 84 00:05:52,443 --> 00:05:55,943 Elevation to stardom in the Mafia 85 00:05:56,043 --> 00:05:59,841 was a sea change for John Gotti. 86 00:05:59,842 --> 00:06:01,175 Before he became boss, 87 00:06:01,243 --> 00:06:05,375 he was known as sort of a casual dresser, 88 00:06:05,442 --> 00:06:08,741 often seen walking around in jackets, 89 00:06:08,841 --> 00:06:11,941 one of which was for the Oakland Raiders. 90 00:06:11,942 --> 00:06:16,640 And, suddenly, overnight, his whole attire changed. 91 00:06:16,641 --> 00:06:19,941 He started wearing hand-painted ties, 92 00:06:20,041 --> 00:06:22,974 believe it or not, monogrammed socks. 93 00:06:23,041 --> 00:06:28,241 He would show up in these, you know, $1,000 Armani suits. 94 00:06:28,341 --> 00:06:30,574 He would be dapper John. 95 00:06:30,674 --> 00:06:34,040 He got his hair done every day, got a shave. 96 00:06:34,041 --> 00:06:38,673 He switched his whole lifestyle from being a Queens hood 97 00:06:38,739 --> 00:06:44,040 to being this sort of boss-of-bosses-type character. 98 00:06:48,940 --> 00:06:53,440 Morrill: John Gotti was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. 99 00:06:53,539 --> 00:06:56,339 The John Gotti that I knew was a common criminal, 100 00:06:56,340 --> 00:07:01,737 and crime took no holiday when it was in John's hands. 101 00:07:01,738 --> 00:07:05,838 Cardinale: His presence was such that if he were annoyed 102 00:07:05,939 --> 00:07:08,472 or if he was mad, you couldn't miss it. 103 00:07:08,572 --> 00:07:11,439 It would be like a storm brewing. 104 00:07:11,539 --> 00:07:13,272 You could see it in his eyes. 105 00:07:13,338 --> 00:07:16,239 His eyes, in my view, would literally change color 106 00:07:16,338 --> 00:07:21,537 and become really, really dark when he was really infuriated. 107 00:07:21,538 --> 00:07:24,471 He was somebody who had no issues at all 108 00:07:24,571 --> 00:07:28,338 about brow-beating people within his organization. 109 00:07:28,438 --> 00:07:30,971 He sent out a warning to the capos 110 00:07:31,037 --> 00:07:32,937 and everybody else in the family 111 00:07:32,938 --> 00:07:37,871 that if they were picked up on any kind of recording or bug, 112 00:07:37,937 --> 00:07:40,070 they would be met with death. 113 00:07:42,270 --> 00:07:44,270 Gabriel: These guys are dangerous people. 114 00:07:44,337 --> 00:07:46,437 Killing is in their fabric. 115 00:07:46,537 --> 00:07:49,136 They're able to turn on people on a dime. 116 00:07:49,137 --> 00:07:53,137 If they feel threatened in any way, their reaction to it is, 117 00:07:53,236 --> 00:07:56,137 "That guy's got to go," period, and he goes. 118 00:07:57,769 --> 00:08:00,135 And it's your friend who's doing it. 119 00:08:00,136 --> 00:08:05,569 So there's a different level of ruthlessness behind that. 120 00:08:05,669 --> 00:08:09,935 And John Gotti was the epitome of that. 121 00:08:09,936 --> 00:08:12,834 If you crossed John Gotti, 122 00:08:12,936 --> 00:08:15,968 you were probably going to be dead within 24 hours. 123 00:08:16,035 --> 00:08:20,368 It was part of his whole homicidal character. 124 00:08:20,435 --> 00:08:22,834 He didn't care what the consequences were. 125 00:08:22,935 --> 00:08:29,168 ♪♪ 126 00:08:30,734 --> 00:08:34,567 ♪♪ 127 00:08:34,633 --> 00:08:36,934 There comes a time when John Gotti allegedly 128 00:08:37,034 --> 00:08:39,267 has a dispute with a refrigerator repairman 129 00:08:39,334 --> 00:08:42,234 named Romual Piecyk. 130 00:08:42,334 --> 00:08:46,434 Raab: Gotti went to a bar in Queens, 131 00:08:46,534 --> 00:08:49,032 and he double-parked. 132 00:08:49,033 --> 00:08:53,033 And Gotti saw this guy honking, whose car he had blocked, 133 00:08:53,133 --> 00:08:56,566 and he walked over and told him to go [bleep] himself. 134 00:08:56,666 --> 00:09:00,631 And this repairman talked back to him. 135 00:09:00,632 --> 00:09:02,432 So, in typical Gotti fashion, 136 00:09:02,433 --> 00:09:04,932 they started beating up this guy. 137 00:09:05,033 --> 00:09:07,432 Cardinale: Gotti was a street guy. 138 00:09:07,433 --> 00:09:10,932 He was not a kind of person you'd want to get mad. 139 00:09:11,032 --> 00:09:16,031 Raab: They took his money and then drove off. 140 00:09:16,032 --> 00:09:18,331 Gotti didn't expect any problem. 141 00:09:18,332 --> 00:09:20,431 Cardinale: The guy then goes to the police, 142 00:09:20,432 --> 00:09:23,165 claims that he was attacked for no reason, 143 00:09:23,231 --> 00:09:25,730 and John gets arrested. 144 00:09:28,730 --> 00:09:31,330 Gabriel: It's not until a year or two later, 145 00:09:31,331 --> 00:09:34,664 that matter now comes to trial. 146 00:09:34,730 --> 00:09:36,664 Raab: And, suddenly, Gotti, instead of being 147 00:09:36,730 --> 00:09:41,664 this almost nobody in Queens, now is a big figure. 148 00:09:41,730 --> 00:09:43,728 He's the head of the Gambino family. 149 00:09:43,729 --> 00:09:45,563 The refrigerator repairman, 150 00:09:45,629 --> 00:09:49,929 suddenly realizing who he got into a scuffle with, 151 00:09:49,930 --> 00:09:52,529 got this case of amnesia. 152 00:09:52,530 --> 00:09:54,963 Papa: He realized who he was dealing with 153 00:09:55,030 --> 00:09:57,563 and he didn't want to deal with the consequences. 154 00:09:57,629 --> 00:10:00,563 He testified that he didn't know who that man was. 155 00:10:00,663 --> 00:10:02,663 He didn't know who John Gotti was. 156 00:10:02,729 --> 00:10:05,229 He didn't remember anything that happened to him. 157 00:10:05,329 --> 00:10:08,728 And so that whole case just went up in smoke. 158 00:10:11,329 --> 00:10:14,028 Raab: Of course, Gotti walked. 159 00:10:14,029 --> 00:10:17,362 To him, it was an example of how invincible he was. 160 00:10:17,429 --> 00:10:25,028 ♪♪ 161 00:10:25,128 --> 00:10:27,727 Man: John Gotti was in Brooklyn federal court on Monday. 162 00:10:27,827 --> 00:10:31,228 Gotti and six co-defendants were charged under the Rico Act, 163 00:10:31,328 --> 00:10:35,626 which stands for racketeer influenced corrupt organization. 164 00:10:35,627 --> 00:10:39,127 Gabriel: He's indicted in the early '80s. 165 00:10:39,228 --> 00:10:42,361 It's street-level criminal activity. 166 00:10:42,427 --> 00:10:43,960 It's a loan-sharking case. 167 00:10:44,027 --> 00:10:47,326 It's gambling. It's some hijackings. 168 00:10:47,327 --> 00:10:49,660 It's been lingering for a while, so in '86, 169 00:10:49,726 --> 00:10:51,725 when that case finally comes to trial, 170 00:10:51,726 --> 00:10:55,825 this is a another shot to take him off the street. 171 00:10:55,826 --> 00:11:00,126 Man: John Gotti had been free on $1 million bail, pending trial. 172 00:11:00,226 --> 00:11:02,460 Officials say they confiscated several cigars 173 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,724 and locked Gotti up. 174 00:11:04,725 --> 00:11:08,159 The alleged godfather is a man with considerable charisma. 175 00:11:08,226 --> 00:11:11,459 But prosecutors hope to put that charisma behind bars 176 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:13,359 for the next 40 years. 177 00:11:13,426 --> 00:11:16,859 The prosecutors were not particularly experienced, 178 00:11:16,925 --> 00:11:18,758 but they were optimistic that they could 179 00:11:18,824 --> 00:11:20,325 somehow pull this off. 180 00:11:20,426 --> 00:11:22,824 This case went on and on. 181 00:11:22,925 --> 00:11:25,025 It went on for months. 182 00:11:25,125 --> 00:11:28,224 We would ask him, "How's it going in the trial?" 183 00:11:28,225 --> 00:11:29,558 And he would say, "Oh, we're going to 184 00:11:29,624 --> 00:11:30,925 win this case no problem." 185 00:11:31,025 --> 00:11:32,925 Man: None of the people on trial looked nervous, 186 00:11:33,025 --> 00:11:34,823 even though they could have faced 40 years 187 00:11:34,824 --> 00:11:36,757 in prison if convicted. 188 00:11:39,424 --> 00:11:45,924 Ultimately, the jury in march of 1987, declared Gotti not guilty. 189 00:11:46,024 --> 00:11:49,657 Papa: He was acquitted in that case, as well. 190 00:11:49,723 --> 00:11:53,124 Raab: The truth is, it was a fixed trial. 191 00:11:53,223 --> 00:11:54,857 Gotti had no way of losing. 192 00:11:54,924 --> 00:11:57,456 DeStefano: His underlings had learned about 193 00:11:57,556 --> 00:11:59,556 the identity of a juror 194 00:11:59,622 --> 00:12:02,023 and approached the juror with an offer -- 195 00:12:02,123 --> 00:12:04,656 $60,000, give or take. 196 00:12:04,722 --> 00:12:10,156 And the juror was essentially agreeing to hang the jury. 197 00:12:10,223 --> 00:12:13,156 Schumacher: In Gotti's world, Sammy Gravano was his underboss. 198 00:12:13,223 --> 00:12:18,155 He was his right-hand man on all the important endeavors. 199 00:12:18,222 --> 00:12:19,655 Sammy Gravano was actually the guy 200 00:12:19,721 --> 00:12:22,721 that delivered the money to pay this juror off. 201 00:12:22,821 --> 00:12:29,022 Gravano: I worked out a deal with him for $60,000 to find him not guilty. 202 00:12:30,454 --> 00:12:31,755 DeStefano: It wasn't a case of good defense 203 00:12:31,821 --> 00:12:34,222 in that case for Gotti. 204 00:12:34,321 --> 00:12:36,220 Simply a classic corruption case. 205 00:12:36,221 --> 00:12:43,254 ♪♪ 206 00:12:43,321 --> 00:12:46,454 Announcer: Welcome to "Larry King Live." 207 00:12:46,554 --> 00:12:50,853 Tonight, will they finally get the godfather? 208 00:12:50,921 --> 00:12:52,554 King: Reputed to be the boss of the nation's 209 00:12:52,653 --> 00:12:54,354 most powerful Mafia crime family, 210 00:12:54,420 --> 00:12:56,718 Gotti is charged with ordering the shooting 211 00:12:56,719 --> 00:12:59,420 of a union official. 212 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:01,320 Feldman: During the late '80s, John O'Connor 213 00:13:01,420 --> 00:13:03,919 was a union leader in New York City. 214 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,719 And he ended up having a confrontation 215 00:13:06,819 --> 00:13:08,852 with the Gambino crime family. 216 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:13,817 And in retribution, John Gotti and the Gambino family allegedly 217 00:13:13,818 --> 00:13:15,652 went after John O'Connor. 218 00:13:15,718 --> 00:13:18,818 And O'Connor was shot multiple times, 219 00:13:18,919 --> 00:13:21,617 although he did survive the shooting. 220 00:13:21,618 --> 00:13:24,152 A lot of people who observed the trial at the time 221 00:13:24,219 --> 00:13:26,652 thought the evidence was pretty strong. 222 00:13:26,718 --> 00:13:30,352 There were tapes where he said, "I'm going to bust them up. 223 00:13:41,617 --> 00:13:43,917 Man: But O'Connor, the man with the white hair, 224 00:13:43,918 --> 00:13:47,516 was subpoenaed by Gotti to testify for the defense. 225 00:13:47,517 --> 00:13:50,050 He dealt the government a major blow. 226 00:13:50,118 --> 00:13:51,417 Raab: He testified, in effect, 227 00:13:51,517 --> 00:13:54,216 that he never heard anything from John Gotti. 228 00:13:54,217 --> 00:13:55,917 He didn't know who shot him. 229 00:13:56,017 --> 00:13:58,516 Man: The Gotti case will go to the jury early next week. 230 00:13:58,517 --> 00:13:59,916 If he is found not guilty, 231 00:13:59,917 --> 00:14:01,816 it would be the third time in a row 232 00:14:01,917 --> 00:14:04,016 that the government would have failed to convict Gotti, 233 00:14:04,117 --> 00:14:07,115 and that, said one longtime courtroom observer, 234 00:14:07,116 --> 00:14:11,614 would make the government look "pretty stupid." 235 00:14:11,615 --> 00:14:15,015 Man: We find him not guilty. 236 00:14:15,016 --> 00:14:16,849 He was acquitted in that case 237 00:14:16,916 --> 00:14:20,814 and he walked out of there scot-free. 238 00:14:20,815 --> 00:14:24,316 What was unknown until later, that this jury 239 00:14:24,415 --> 00:14:26,713 also might have been fixed. 240 00:14:26,714 --> 00:14:29,648 Gravano: He knew that, at bare minimum, 241 00:14:29,714 --> 00:14:30,915 he had a hung jury. 242 00:14:31,015 --> 00:14:32,748 He wasn't going to get found guilty. 243 00:14:32,814 --> 00:14:34,548 I got it. 244 00:14:34,648 --> 00:14:37,048 Woman: A shake and a kiss from his lawyer, and with that, 245 00:14:37,115 --> 00:14:40,148 he was off and running, Gotti looking more like Rocky, 246 00:14:40,215 --> 00:14:42,948 pumped up with the victory of his latest legal bought. 247 00:14:43,014 --> 00:14:45,214 [ People cheering ] 248 00:14:45,315 --> 00:14:46,747 When he left the courthouse that day, 249 00:14:46,813 --> 00:14:48,747 there were thousands of people 250 00:14:48,813 --> 00:14:51,114 waiting outside, cheering for him. 251 00:14:51,214 --> 00:14:52,413 Man: It was his third acquittal 252 00:14:52,414 --> 00:14:55,647 in three separate cases since 1986. 253 00:14:55,713 --> 00:14:58,547 DeStefano: That gave him the reputation as the Teflon Don, 254 00:14:58,647 --> 00:15:00,612 when no charges could stick, it seemed. 255 00:15:00,613 --> 00:15:02,712 Man: Legal experts say the bumbling of state 256 00:15:02,713 --> 00:15:05,546 and federal prosecutors in the past four years 257 00:15:05,646 --> 00:15:08,046 has given Gotti an aura of invincibility. 258 00:15:08,113 --> 00:15:11,946 Here, we have this guy that just keeps thumbing his nose 259 00:15:12,013 --> 00:15:14,412 at law enforcement, keeps winning 260 00:15:14,413 --> 00:15:17,012 these criminal cases in the public's eye, 261 00:15:17,013 --> 00:15:19,811 and we got to find a way to put him in jail. 262 00:15:19,812 --> 00:15:22,645 The feds were getting pretty frustrated 263 00:15:22,711 --> 00:15:26,711 and really wanted to take this guy down. 264 00:15:26,811 --> 00:15:32,212 Subsequent to that, the FBI made Gotti a priority. 265 00:15:32,312 --> 00:15:33,845 Woman: The way things have been going, though, 266 00:15:33,912 --> 00:15:37,411 no one's betting on who gets the last laugh. 267 00:15:37,412 --> 00:15:43,644 ♪♪ 268 00:15:45,744 --> 00:15:47,844 What did you think when you would read your father's name 269 00:15:47,911 --> 00:15:49,809 and the word "gangster"? 270 00:15:49,810 --> 00:15:50,911 What did you feel, think? 271 00:15:51,011 --> 00:15:52,709 Well, it was never about that. 272 00:15:52,710 --> 00:15:54,211 It was always about the exposure. 273 00:15:54,311 --> 00:15:58,009 It was always about dealing with the publicity. 274 00:15:58,010 --> 00:15:59,708 It was overwhelming. 275 00:15:59,709 --> 00:16:01,110 It's something that you really have to get used to, 276 00:16:01,211 --> 00:16:04,543 and I think you really never fully do. 277 00:16:04,609 --> 00:16:09,010 Mob bosses normally like to be as low-key 278 00:16:09,110 --> 00:16:10,709 as they possibly can be 279 00:16:10,809 --> 00:16:13,943 so as not to attract the attention of law enforcement. 280 00:16:14,010 --> 00:16:15,709 Gotti was a different kind of guy. 281 00:16:15,808 --> 00:16:17,542 He was not low-key. 282 00:16:17,608 --> 00:16:21,043 Schumacher: He was not afraid of public attention. 283 00:16:21,109 --> 00:16:23,108 He was a little bit like Al Capone 284 00:16:23,109 --> 00:16:27,542 in that he really reveled in becoming a celebrity. 285 00:16:27,642 --> 00:16:31,909 And the New York tabloids in particular just loved him. 286 00:16:32,009 --> 00:16:35,942 John took on this persona. "I'm John Gotti, world. 287 00:16:36,009 --> 00:16:37,707 Come see me and know me." 288 00:16:37,807 --> 00:16:40,107 Raab: He decided that he was so important 289 00:16:40,108 --> 00:16:41,441 that nobody could touch him. 290 00:16:41,541 --> 00:16:44,541 He commanded large print headlines 291 00:16:44,607 --> 00:16:46,141 in all the local tabloids. 292 00:16:46,208 --> 00:16:49,841 He wanted the attention. He loved the attention. 293 00:16:49,908 --> 00:16:51,307 How do you feel, Mr. Gotti? 294 00:16:51,308 --> 00:16:52,441 Pretty good. 295 00:16:52,541 --> 00:16:56,506 A real collaborator of John Gotti 296 00:16:56,507 --> 00:16:59,440 and his image was the media. 297 00:16:59,540 --> 00:17:03,740 Feldman: John Gotti and the press had this interesting relationship, 298 00:17:03,806 --> 00:17:06,206 because both parties benefited. 299 00:17:06,207 --> 00:17:07,706 John Gotti felt, I think, 300 00:17:07,806 --> 00:17:12,006 that the press coverage enhanced his bona fides 301 00:17:12,007 --> 00:17:15,804 for the mob family that he was in control off. 302 00:17:15,805 --> 00:17:18,439 The press, in turn, knew he made good headlines, 303 00:17:18,539 --> 00:17:21,106 he made good footage for the evening news. 304 00:17:21,206 --> 00:17:23,939 And Gotti was very good at manipulating the press. 305 00:17:24,006 --> 00:17:27,805 He occasionally would flip cash to homeless people 306 00:17:27,906 --> 00:17:29,238 who might have been camped out in front 307 00:17:29,306 --> 00:17:30,803 of some of the courthouses. 308 00:17:30,804 --> 00:17:33,803 And, of course, he was savvy enough to know that, 309 00:17:33,804 --> 00:17:35,638 what footage made the news that night? 310 00:17:35,704 --> 00:17:38,104 It was John Gotti giving money to the homeless. 311 00:17:38,105 --> 00:17:40,538 He's going to give you some money. 312 00:17:40,638 --> 00:17:41,838 Here's some money. 313 00:17:41,905 --> 00:17:44,205 Man: The head of the Gambino crime family, 314 00:17:44,305 --> 00:17:46,304 a real-life godfather. 315 00:17:46,305 --> 00:17:47,803 There's a two-edged sword kind of here, though, 316 00:17:47,804 --> 00:17:51,004 because the press liked him, didn't they? 317 00:17:51,005 --> 00:17:53,703 Wasn't John Gotti a figure they liked to cover? 318 00:17:53,804 --> 00:17:56,637 Well, he was very likable, just his personality. 319 00:17:56,703 --> 00:17:58,337 He responded to them, he talked to them when he walked, right? 320 00:17:58,404 --> 00:18:02,803 Yeah. I think that without having to respond, he responded. 321 00:18:02,904 --> 00:18:06,903 It was just that kind of a seduction. 322 00:18:06,904 --> 00:18:11,437 The press romanticized him, glorified him, glamorized him. 323 00:18:11,536 --> 00:18:14,936 Woman: Gotti oozes mobster mystique from his silver hair 324 00:18:15,003 --> 00:18:17,903 to his supposedly monogrammed socks. 325 00:18:18,003 --> 00:18:21,403 "Dressed to kill" is how the tabloids describe him. 326 00:18:21,503 --> 00:18:26,402 He was a celebrity, plain and simple. 327 00:18:26,403 --> 00:18:30,102 Raab: Gotti was not only popular with the press in New York, 328 00:18:30,202 --> 00:18:32,302 he was popular in his neighborhood. 329 00:18:32,402 --> 00:18:35,401 Woman: Hundreds of people gathered for an all-day block party 330 00:18:35,402 --> 00:18:37,535 with free hot dogs and hamburgers, 331 00:18:37,601 --> 00:18:39,335 all apparently courtesy of the man 332 00:18:39,402 --> 00:18:41,035 they call the "Dapper Don," 333 00:18:41,102 --> 00:18:43,302 reputed New York crime boss John Gotti. 334 00:18:43,402 --> 00:18:46,334 John Gotti seemed to be the Robin Hood 335 00:18:46,402 --> 00:18:48,002 in his neighborhood. 336 00:18:48,101 --> 00:18:51,100 He would have a fourth of July party 337 00:18:51,101 --> 00:18:54,800 and he would fund the party and the fireworks. 338 00:18:58,101 --> 00:19:02,833 I know him as a lovely person who always says hello. 339 00:19:02,901 --> 00:19:07,200 People really regarded him, in a way, as a folk hero 340 00:19:07,201 --> 00:19:10,598 and as somebody who brought joy to their neighborhood. 341 00:19:10,599 --> 00:19:12,633 They looked at him as a leader, 342 00:19:12,699 --> 00:19:15,199 as someone who was protecting them. 343 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,698 There's always been this aura in this country with the Mafia. 344 00:19:18,699 --> 00:19:23,299 DeStefano: It was part of the myth at that mafiosi or the Mafia 345 00:19:23,300 --> 00:19:26,133 was really a benevolent association. 346 00:19:26,199 --> 00:19:29,332 What they didn't appreciate, of course, 347 00:19:29,399 --> 00:19:31,498 is what that was hiding, 348 00:19:31,499 --> 00:19:37,398 and what was hiding was somebody who was a ruthless killer. 349 00:19:37,399 --> 00:19:40,532 Schumacher: We know for sure that John Gotti was involved, 350 00:19:40,598 --> 00:19:42,632 in one way or another, with five murders, 351 00:19:42,698 --> 00:19:45,632 but being the boss of the Gambino crime family 352 00:19:45,698 --> 00:19:47,631 and being a capo before that, 353 00:19:47,697 --> 00:19:51,298 it's almost certain that the number is higher. 354 00:19:51,398 --> 00:19:53,831 There was never really a lot of coverage 355 00:19:53,898 --> 00:19:57,696 about what a murderous criminal he was. 356 00:19:57,697 --> 00:19:59,696 This is not some Robin Hood. 357 00:19:59,697 --> 00:20:02,897 This is a person who is a plain hood. 358 00:20:02,998 --> 00:20:08,197 ♪♪ 359 00:20:09,230 --> 00:20:14,696 ♪♪ 360 00:20:14,796 --> 00:20:17,529 Welcome back to "Very Scary People." 361 00:20:17,630 --> 00:20:21,429 In public, John Gotti was known for his swagger, coiffed hair 362 00:20:21,529 --> 00:20:23,295 and brash personality. 363 00:20:23,296 --> 00:20:24,996 Many in his neighborhood of Howard Beach 364 00:20:25,096 --> 00:20:28,594 considered him generous, a modern-day Robin Hood. 365 00:20:28,595 --> 00:20:31,229 But behind the scenes, gangster Gotti was running 366 00:20:31,296 --> 00:20:34,029 the violent Gambino crime family. 367 00:20:34,096 --> 00:20:35,929 Time and time again, he proved 368 00:20:35,996 --> 00:20:38,329 he would let no one stand in his way. 369 00:20:38,396 --> 00:20:41,795 ♪♪ 370 00:20:41,895 --> 00:20:44,528 DeStefano: Gotti was a guy who wanted to be a gangster, 371 00:20:44,594 --> 00:20:46,095 and in his mind, to be a gangster, 372 00:20:46,195 --> 00:20:47,395 you had to be tough. 373 00:20:47,495 --> 00:20:48,694 You had to want to kill. 374 00:20:48,794 --> 00:20:52,694 The Robert DiBernardo case was key in point. 375 00:20:52,794 --> 00:20:55,927 DiBernardo was a very well-known 376 00:20:55,995 --> 00:20:58,828 and respected member of the Gambino family. 377 00:20:58,894 --> 00:21:02,527 Papa: DiBernardo was sort of an independent operator 378 00:21:02,627 --> 00:21:07,294 but made a lot of money in the porn business. 379 00:21:07,394 --> 00:21:11,427 Gabriel: Word gets sent to John that Robert DiBernardo 380 00:21:11,527 --> 00:21:16,326 was talking behind John's back, he's being disloyal. 381 00:21:16,394 --> 00:21:19,392 So John says, "Alright, if that's true, kill him. 382 00:21:19,393 --> 00:21:20,526 He's got to go." 383 00:21:20,626 --> 00:21:23,792 John is that quick to turn on him. 384 00:21:23,893 --> 00:21:26,092 DeStefano: Gravano said he tried to talk him out of it. 385 00:21:26,093 --> 00:21:27,926 "That's no real reason to kill him. 386 00:21:27,993 --> 00:21:29,526 For insults?" 387 00:21:29,592 --> 00:21:30,792 Gravano: When he ordered a hit, 388 00:21:30,893 --> 00:21:33,826 he wanted it done yesterday. 389 00:21:33,893 --> 00:21:36,125 He would send me to supervise or control it 390 00:21:36,192 --> 00:21:40,491 or make sure the job got done. 391 00:21:40,492 --> 00:21:42,325 And I obviously did. 392 00:21:44,225 --> 00:21:45,791 DeStefano: So, they had DiBernardo come 393 00:21:45,892 --> 00:21:47,225 to a meeting in Brooklyn to -- 394 00:21:47,292 --> 00:21:48,991 I think it was Sammy's office. 395 00:21:48,992 --> 00:21:52,425 And while they were making coffee and DiBernardo 396 00:21:52,525 --> 00:21:55,790 was distracted by talking to Gravano, 397 00:21:55,891 --> 00:21:58,524 an old man, "Old Man Paruta," 398 00:21:58,624 --> 00:22:02,024 I think was the name, came up behind DiBernardo 399 00:22:02,091 --> 00:22:07,790 and shot him in the head and killed him right there. 400 00:22:07,891 --> 00:22:09,890 Papa: Robert DiBernardo was never seen 401 00:22:09,891 --> 00:22:13,090 or heard from again, and they never found his body. 402 00:22:13,191 --> 00:22:22,689 ♪♪ 403 00:22:22,789 --> 00:22:27,989 Feldman: John Gotti was the number-one target for the government, 404 00:22:28,090 --> 00:22:31,189 partly because he was rubbing it in their faces, 405 00:22:31,190 --> 00:22:33,290 and government officials at the time 406 00:22:33,389 --> 00:22:35,622 were very open about saying that. 407 00:22:35,688 --> 00:22:38,687 He was somebody they could not permit 408 00:22:38,688 --> 00:22:41,988 to have that kind of power, if you will. 409 00:22:41,989 --> 00:22:45,889 The feds were going to have to make a better case. 410 00:22:45,989 --> 00:22:46,989 How do you do that? 411 00:22:47,089 --> 00:22:49,222 They needed quality evidence. 412 00:22:49,288 --> 00:22:53,621 ♪♪ 413 00:22:53,687 --> 00:22:56,621 Papa: John Gotti inherited the Ravenite Social Club 414 00:22:56,687 --> 00:22:59,586 in Mulberry Street in little Italy. 415 00:22:59,587 --> 00:23:03,921 And this is where he had his meetings with his colleagues 416 00:23:03,988 --> 00:23:07,388 and with his crew members. 417 00:23:07,488 --> 00:23:10,386 The feds actually rented a location 418 00:23:10,387 --> 00:23:13,386 about a block or two north. 419 00:23:13,387 --> 00:23:16,620 And they started video surveillance 420 00:23:16,686 --> 00:23:21,186 of Gotti along that street. 421 00:23:21,187 --> 00:23:22,720 They would see his habits 422 00:23:22,786 --> 00:23:25,120 and they would see who was showing up. 423 00:23:25,187 --> 00:23:28,085 But that wasn't quite enough, 424 00:23:28,086 --> 00:23:29,619 and so what they needed to do is, 425 00:23:29,685 --> 00:23:31,885 they needed to have recordings 426 00:23:31,886 --> 00:23:35,085 of John Gotti having conversations. 427 00:23:35,086 --> 00:23:38,619 He would come out and do what we dubbed "walk talks." 428 00:23:38,685 --> 00:23:41,919 So they would walk down the street -- 429 00:23:41,986 --> 00:23:43,385 sometimes, it's whispering -- 430 00:23:43,386 --> 00:23:45,784 so they can have a good criminal conversation, 431 00:23:45,886 --> 00:23:47,618 where it's very tough to bug. 432 00:23:47,684 --> 00:23:50,985 So I started experimenting with parabolic mics. 433 00:23:51,085 --> 00:23:53,285 I'm putting them in roof racks of vehicles, 434 00:23:53,385 --> 00:23:57,218 trying to cover as much of the street as I can. 435 00:23:57,285 --> 00:24:00,618 But it didn't lead to very much evidence. 436 00:24:03,018 --> 00:24:05,517 We eventually put a bug in the Ravenite. 437 00:24:05,583 --> 00:24:08,917 And those bugs go on for several, several months. 438 00:24:08,984 --> 00:24:12,517 We get snippets of criminal conversation, 439 00:24:12,617 --> 00:24:14,917 but the clubs are very noisy. 440 00:24:14,984 --> 00:24:17,782 The conversations are broken up. 441 00:24:17,783 --> 00:24:19,117 DeStefano: They realized, at certain points, 442 00:24:19,184 --> 00:24:20,983 that Gotti would be absent 443 00:24:20,984 --> 00:24:23,017 from the conversations. 444 00:24:23,084 --> 00:24:25,983 And they were watching the club and they said, 445 00:24:26,084 --> 00:24:27,482 "He never left the building. 446 00:24:27,483 --> 00:24:29,082 Where did he go?" 447 00:24:29,083 --> 00:24:30,781 Gabriel: I'm hearing he's disappearing 448 00:24:30,782 --> 00:24:33,382 for like 45 minutes or an hour. 449 00:24:33,383 --> 00:24:35,916 And, again, I'm checking my surveillance tapes, 450 00:24:35,983 --> 00:24:38,182 and he's still in the building. 451 00:24:38,183 --> 00:24:39,982 He hasn't left. 452 00:24:40,083 --> 00:24:42,382 Where is he? 453 00:24:42,482 --> 00:24:45,580 Papa: Then they realized that John Gotti 454 00:24:45,581 --> 00:24:50,681 was using an apartment over the Ravenite Social Club. 455 00:24:50,781 --> 00:24:53,215 This belonged to an older woman. 456 00:24:53,282 --> 00:24:54,882 And they would go up there, 457 00:24:54,982 --> 00:24:56,815 and they would sit in the living room, 458 00:24:56,882 --> 00:24:59,181 having a conversation. 459 00:24:59,282 --> 00:25:01,281 That was crucial. 460 00:25:03,681 --> 00:25:06,180 Feldman: They needed to plant listening devices 461 00:25:06,181 --> 00:25:08,881 in the old lady's apartment. 462 00:25:08,981 --> 00:25:10,814 But how do you do that? 463 00:25:10,881 --> 00:25:14,514 Because she was almost always there. 464 00:25:14,614 --> 00:25:18,181 Gabriel: I put a device known as a pen register on her phone -- 465 00:25:18,281 --> 00:25:21,679 it monitors activity -- figuring that would give me some clues 466 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:25,380 as to when she was around or wasn't around. 467 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,913 I have a deal with my tech guys that if I can assure them that 468 00:25:28,980 --> 00:25:34,080 she's not in on any given night, that they'd be ready to go. 469 00:25:34,180 --> 00:25:36,778 So they waited and they waited. 470 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:38,079 There were one or two weekends 471 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,079 where I was reasonably confident, 472 00:25:40,180 --> 00:25:42,677 from the lack of any activity, 473 00:25:42,678 --> 00:25:45,178 that she was probably not around. 474 00:25:45,179 --> 00:25:46,379 And I'd wait till about midnight 475 00:25:46,479 --> 00:25:49,412 and I'd call the number to confirm. 476 00:25:49,512 --> 00:25:51,112 And I'd wind up waking her up. 477 00:25:51,179 --> 00:25:53,212 She'd answer the phone, and I'd feel terrible 478 00:25:53,279 --> 00:25:56,379 and, you know, get myself off the line. 479 00:25:56,478 --> 00:25:58,512 But the third or fourth time, 480 00:25:58,578 --> 00:26:00,911 I had like two days of no activity on the phone. 481 00:26:00,978 --> 00:26:02,511 [ Telephone ringing ] 482 00:26:02,577 --> 00:26:03,878 She doesn't answer the phone. 483 00:26:03,978 --> 00:26:05,178 So that night, those guys -- 484 00:26:05,278 --> 00:26:07,011 I call them up and said, "Hey, she's gone." 485 00:26:07,078 --> 00:26:09,377 And they go in and they put the bugs in. 486 00:26:09,378 --> 00:26:12,410 The FBI broke into her apartment, 487 00:26:12,511 --> 00:26:16,377 put bugs in in the lamp, got out and waited. 488 00:26:16,478 --> 00:26:21,977 ♪♪ 489 00:26:22,077 --> 00:26:27,510 Papa: On November 30th, the feds were finally able to get very clear, 490 00:26:27,576 --> 00:26:33,477 damaging tapes of John Gotti's own voice and in his own words. 491 00:26:53,175 --> 00:26:58,208 When you heard him speak, he was very gruff. 492 00:26:58,275 --> 00:27:00,608 He was very street. 493 00:27:06,375 --> 00:27:09,608 He had a real thick New York accent. 494 00:27:09,674 --> 00:27:12,073 I believe he never really gave interviews 495 00:27:12,074 --> 00:27:15,873 because he didn't want to be heard like that. 496 00:27:15,874 --> 00:27:19,207 Otherwise, he looked pretty slick and sophisticated 497 00:27:19,274 --> 00:27:21,673 and pretty put together on the outside. 498 00:27:26,874 --> 00:27:28,671 Feldman: John Gotti -- he was very comfortable 499 00:27:28,672 --> 00:27:32,973 talking in the confines of that little apartment. 500 00:27:32,974 --> 00:27:35,771 Conversations are turning from different topics, 501 00:27:35,772 --> 00:27:38,273 and it goes into the Paul Castellano hit 502 00:27:38,373 --> 00:27:39,873 and why they killed him. 503 00:27:45,672 --> 00:27:47,505 They were also able to capture him 504 00:27:47,606 --> 00:27:52,506 talking about the murders of members of his family. 505 00:28:02,372 --> 00:28:04,271 Cardinale: Those were the most important tapes 506 00:28:04,372 --> 00:28:06,769 that they got against John. 507 00:28:06,770 --> 00:28:09,605 Raab: It gave them a mountain of evidence, 508 00:28:09,671 --> 00:28:13,270 and that was the key to finally indicting him. 509 00:28:13,271 --> 00:28:16,770 ♪♪ 510 00:28:16,871 --> 00:28:21,071 John Gotti was arrested on December 11, 1990. 511 00:28:21,171 --> 00:28:22,869 Gabriel: I go barging into the club, 512 00:28:22,870 --> 00:28:25,370 and there's John and Sammy sitting at their table. 513 00:28:25,371 --> 00:28:26,869 And, you know, John looks at me. 514 00:28:26,870 --> 00:28:29,169 He goes, "Oh, we were expecting you. 515 00:28:29,170 --> 00:28:31,303 I know why you're here." 516 00:28:31,370 --> 00:28:33,503 I said, "Well, that's good. That makes this easy." 517 00:28:33,603 --> 00:28:34,969 And he said, "Well, you know, can we at least 518 00:28:34,970 --> 00:28:36,169 finish our coffee?" 519 00:28:36,170 --> 00:28:37,769 I said, "Yeah, enjoy your coffee. 520 00:28:37,870 --> 00:28:39,803 We're not in a rush. 521 00:28:39,870 --> 00:28:43,268 We'll be going home later. You won't be." 522 00:28:43,269 --> 00:28:46,702 There's a classic photo of the table in the Ravenite 523 00:28:46,768 --> 00:28:48,668 with three cups of espresso, 524 00:28:48,669 --> 00:28:51,767 which was the last espresso Gotti ever had, 525 00:28:51,768 --> 00:28:54,868 I believe, as a free man. 526 00:28:54,869 --> 00:28:57,968 Man: John Gotti wore his customary look of nonchalance 527 00:28:57,969 --> 00:29:02,269 as FBI agents led him away from a federal processing center. 528 00:29:02,369 --> 00:29:04,802 They've said they are determined to put him in prison 529 00:29:04,868 --> 00:29:06,501 for the rest of his life. 530 00:29:06,567 --> 00:29:12,268 ♪♪ 531 00:29:14,368 --> 00:29:18,501 ♪♪ 532 00:29:18,567 --> 00:29:21,100 Man: Gotti and three associates in the Gambino family 533 00:29:21,168 --> 00:29:22,867 have been indicted on federal charges 534 00:29:22,967 --> 00:29:27,066 that include murder and racketeering. 535 00:29:27,067 --> 00:29:28,967 Raab: Shortly before Christmas, 536 00:29:29,067 --> 00:29:31,866 the FBI and the justice department 537 00:29:31,867 --> 00:29:35,366 indicted him on a whole bevy of charges 538 00:29:35,367 --> 00:29:37,967 that could lead to a life sentence. 539 00:29:38,067 --> 00:29:41,400 And they also indicted Sammy "The Bull" Gravano. 540 00:29:41,499 --> 00:29:43,866 Man: One charge includes the killing of former mob boss 541 00:29:43,966 --> 00:29:46,499 Paul Castellano, allegedly rubbed out 542 00:29:46,565 --> 00:29:48,599 so Gotti could take over. 543 00:29:48,665 --> 00:29:50,899 He's a murderer. He's not a folk hero. 544 00:29:50,966 --> 00:29:53,665 He's charged with four murders in this indictment. 545 00:29:53,765 --> 00:29:55,199 He's charged with conspiring to murder 546 00:29:55,266 --> 00:29:58,664 another member of organized crime in the indictment. 547 00:29:58,765 --> 00:30:00,764 He's a criminal, in our judgement. 548 00:30:00,866 --> 00:30:02,898 Feldman: Certainly, the press at the time were at the point 549 00:30:02,966 --> 00:30:05,898 where it was another John Gotti bust. 550 00:30:05,965 --> 00:30:08,365 Let's see how he gets out of this one. 551 00:30:10,798 --> 00:30:14,663 So, before the trial began, various recordings were played, 552 00:30:14,664 --> 00:30:18,063 and John Gotti and his other defendants, 553 00:30:18,064 --> 00:30:20,197 including Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, 554 00:30:20,264 --> 00:30:22,497 were present to hear that. 555 00:30:22,597 --> 00:30:26,497 There was a sense that Gotti and Gravano were in this together, 556 00:30:26,563 --> 00:30:30,597 they were partners in everything they were doing. 557 00:30:30,663 --> 00:30:34,463 The apartment bug, where Gotti was picked up, 558 00:30:34,464 --> 00:30:37,996 ultimately had another twist to it. 559 00:30:38,064 --> 00:30:42,362 Gravano was not always present for these conversations. 560 00:30:42,363 --> 00:30:47,196 And on some of the tapes, Gotti was not, to put it mildly, 561 00:30:47,263 --> 00:30:50,662 charitable in his comments about Gravano. 562 00:30:50,762 --> 00:30:54,262 DeStefano: Gotti is heard complaining about Gravano. 563 00:30:54,263 --> 00:30:55,561 He ruminated about 564 00:30:55,562 --> 00:31:00,461 Sammy "The Bull" Gravano's earning power. 565 00:31:00,462 --> 00:31:04,062 But, more importantly, he implicates Sammy 566 00:31:04,162 --> 00:31:05,761 in like three murders. 567 00:31:14,095 --> 00:31:15,862 Papa: The tapes were being played. 568 00:31:15,961 --> 00:31:18,794 Gravano and Gotti were sitting there. 569 00:31:18,861 --> 00:31:21,961 And it isn't pretty. 570 00:31:22,061 --> 00:31:24,894 You can only imagine what's going on in their minds. 571 00:31:24,961 --> 00:31:27,660 That was going to be a problem. 572 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:32,594 Gravano: When I heard this tape, I was devastated. 573 00:31:32,660 --> 00:31:36,359 He's betraying me behind my back. 574 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:40,493 Cardinale: Sammy started to see that he was in deep, deep trouble. 575 00:31:40,593 --> 00:31:42,993 He saw the writing on the wall. 576 00:31:43,060 --> 00:31:45,160 Raab: A major weakness in Gotti 577 00:31:45,260 --> 00:31:47,759 was this misjudgment of characters. 578 00:31:47,860 --> 00:31:50,593 What he really didn't understand about Sammy 579 00:31:50,659 --> 00:31:51,859 is that, very simply, 580 00:31:51,860 --> 00:31:54,259 Sammy had never served any jail time. 581 00:31:54,260 --> 00:31:57,959 Nobody knew what his character would be if he got into trouble. 582 00:32:01,059 --> 00:32:05,992 Sammy "The Bull" Gravano notified the FBI 583 00:32:06,059 --> 00:32:08,959 that he was willing to defect. 584 00:32:09,058 --> 00:32:10,557 Cardinale: One day, all of a sudden, 585 00:32:10,558 --> 00:32:13,492 he is supposedly taken out for medical reasons, 586 00:32:13,591 --> 00:32:15,491 and he never comes back. 587 00:32:15,591 --> 00:32:18,358 And it becomes clear to everyone that the reason he's gone 588 00:32:18,458 --> 00:32:22,257 is because he's decided to become a government witness. 589 00:32:22,258 --> 00:32:26,891 He is actually now working with the FBI. 590 00:32:26,958 --> 00:32:30,891 Feldman: That was a monumental decision for him, 591 00:32:30,957 --> 00:32:34,857 and it was a major win for the government. 592 00:32:34,957 --> 00:32:37,290 Cardinale: It was shocking. There's no question about it. 593 00:32:37,357 --> 00:32:40,257 No one ever expected that to happen. 594 00:32:40,357 --> 00:32:43,256 Gravano knew where all the skeletons 595 00:32:43,257 --> 00:32:46,856 were buried, literally. 596 00:32:46,957 --> 00:32:48,890 John's a double-crosser. 597 00:32:48,956 --> 00:32:50,990 I'm a master double-crosser. 598 00:32:51,056 --> 00:32:53,689 We played chess, and he lost. 599 00:32:53,755 --> 00:32:58,956 ♪♪ 600 00:33:01,456 --> 00:33:02,655 Man: No tickets are being sold, 601 00:33:02,755 --> 00:33:04,854 but the January trial of John Gotti 602 00:33:04,855 --> 00:33:08,356 promises to be a bout of major proportions. 603 00:33:10,788 --> 00:33:13,088 Feldman: The trial, if you will, of John Gotti started 604 00:33:13,155 --> 00:33:16,255 on the 21st of January in 1992. 605 00:33:16,355 --> 00:33:18,588 Papa: The charges were sensational. 606 00:33:18,654 --> 00:33:21,055 The murders were sensational. 607 00:33:21,155 --> 00:33:23,588 And here's John Gotti. 608 00:33:23,654 --> 00:33:25,355 Will he beat this rap? 609 00:33:25,455 --> 00:33:27,787 That was really the question. 610 00:33:29,454 --> 00:33:32,253 Miller: Entering the fourth trial, it did appear 611 00:33:32,254 --> 00:33:35,753 that the government pulled out all stops. 612 00:33:35,854 --> 00:33:38,187 Papa: This was almost about reputations, 613 00:33:38,254 --> 00:33:40,954 that the prosecutors needed this conviction 614 00:33:41,054 --> 00:33:44,886 because John Gotti was getting away with murder. 615 00:33:44,954 --> 00:33:47,054 Feldman: This case against John Gotti was executed 616 00:33:47,153 --> 00:33:48,651 in a very different way. 617 00:33:48,652 --> 00:33:50,686 So, let's take the jury, for example. 618 00:33:50,752 --> 00:33:53,886 The jury was sequestered throughout the entire trial, 619 00:33:53,953 --> 00:33:58,786 and that was something that was not the norm at all at the time. 620 00:33:58,853 --> 00:34:00,186 There was a genuine concern, 621 00:34:00,253 --> 00:34:03,485 because of the prior jury-fixing incidents, 622 00:34:03,586 --> 00:34:05,885 that, somehow, Gotti or his henchmen 623 00:34:05,953 --> 00:34:08,051 would try to reach out to one or more 624 00:34:08,052 --> 00:34:12,550 jury members to fix the trial. 625 00:34:12,551 --> 00:34:13,952 Unlike previous attempts, 626 00:34:14,052 --> 00:34:16,252 this time, the federal government 627 00:34:16,352 --> 00:34:19,884 had two things going for its case against John Gotti. 628 00:34:19,952 --> 00:34:23,250 The first thing, of course, is it had those recordings, 629 00:34:23,251 --> 00:34:26,484 the recordings that were made where you can hear 630 00:34:26,550 --> 00:34:27,851 John Gotti discussing 631 00:34:27,951 --> 00:34:32,784 all sorts of nefarious operations of his family. 632 00:34:32,851 --> 00:34:34,984 The tapes were very compelling. 633 00:34:35,051 --> 00:34:37,283 Gabriel: What's he going to say? "I didn't say that"? 634 00:34:37,351 --> 00:34:41,583 The evidence was very strong. 635 00:34:41,649 --> 00:34:43,849 Feldman: And the most important thing they had 636 00:34:43,850 --> 00:34:46,483 was Sammy "The Bull" Gravano. 637 00:34:49,450 --> 00:34:51,749 Man: Sammy "The Bull" Gravano took the witness stand 638 00:34:51,850 --> 00:34:54,183 in Brooklyn Federal Court Monday. 639 00:34:54,250 --> 00:34:56,250 Feldman: The case has been unfolding now 640 00:34:56,350 --> 00:34:58,582 for a little more than a month or so. 641 00:34:58,648 --> 00:35:01,183 The moment that everybody was now waiting for -- 642 00:35:01,249 --> 00:35:05,748 the testimony in court of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano. 643 00:35:05,849 --> 00:35:09,782 That was a big deal, because it had never happened 644 00:35:09,849 --> 00:35:14,147 before in any Mafia case anywhere in the world, really, 645 00:35:14,148 --> 00:35:17,949 that you would have someone that powerful come and testify 646 00:35:18,048 --> 00:35:22,381 in court against his former boss, John Gotti. 647 00:35:22,481 --> 00:35:26,848 Gravano: I knew at that point my life was over 648 00:35:26,948 --> 00:35:29,746 as Salvatore "Sammy The Bull" Gravano. 649 00:35:29,747 --> 00:35:32,281 I would be called a rat, a traitor, an informer. 650 00:35:32,348 --> 00:35:35,347 I would be called a million different names. 651 00:35:35,348 --> 00:35:39,247 My family would have to live through this horror, 652 00:35:39,248 --> 00:35:41,147 but I was done. 653 00:35:43,347 --> 00:35:46,780 Papa: Gravano came onto that witness stand, 654 00:35:46,847 --> 00:35:49,246 into the seat so quietly. 655 00:35:49,247 --> 00:35:53,347 Everybody really held their collective breath. 656 00:35:53,446 --> 00:35:58,279 It was a very dramatic experience. 657 00:35:58,346 --> 00:36:02,779 Gotti had a kind of smirk on his face. 658 00:36:02,846 --> 00:36:04,279 Gotti might have been thinking, 659 00:36:04,346 --> 00:36:11,745 "If I walk out of this one, good luck, Mr. Gravano." 660 00:36:11,846 --> 00:36:14,578 Man: Gravano admitted that he was the underboss, 661 00:36:14,644 --> 00:36:15,945 the second-in-command, 662 00:36:16,045 --> 00:36:18,245 of the nation's most powerful Mafia family, 663 00:36:18,345 --> 00:36:22,478 the Gambinos, at the time he and Gotti were arrested. 664 00:36:22,544 --> 00:36:25,478 Gravano testified that John Gotti helped plan 665 00:36:25,544 --> 00:36:30,478 the 1985 rub-out of godfather Paul Castellano. 666 00:36:30,544 --> 00:36:32,577 In one of the most significant mob defections 667 00:36:32,643 --> 00:36:35,277 in U.S. history, Gravano described, 668 00:36:35,345 --> 00:36:36,944 in blood-curdling detail, 669 00:36:37,044 --> 00:36:39,843 the plot to kill Paul Castellano. 670 00:36:39,844 --> 00:36:42,743 He testified, I think, for nine days. 671 00:36:42,844 --> 00:36:45,977 Thornburgh: He had intimate knowledge that was corroborated 672 00:36:46,044 --> 00:36:50,977 by the actual tapes that were taken of conversations. 673 00:36:51,043 --> 00:36:54,042 Papa: Sammy Gravano knew what was going on. 674 00:36:54,043 --> 00:36:56,076 He knew the people involved. 675 00:36:56,143 --> 00:36:58,642 He knew the people that were murdered. 676 00:36:58,742 --> 00:37:02,641 Man: Gravano also testified about how he was inducted into the Mafia, 677 00:37:02,642 --> 00:37:05,476 how then-godfather Paul Castellano told him that 678 00:37:05,576 --> 00:37:08,441 if he should ever break the Mafia's code of silence, 679 00:37:08,442 --> 00:37:10,341 his soul would burn. 680 00:37:10,342 --> 00:37:12,242 As Gravano testified to this, 681 00:37:12,243 --> 00:37:15,540 John Gotti looked at him and smiled. 682 00:37:15,541 --> 00:37:18,242 Papa: Gravano was not going to be unnerved, 683 00:37:18,342 --> 00:37:19,475 and he wasn't. 684 00:37:19,541 --> 00:37:22,241 He was an excellent witness. 685 00:37:22,242 --> 00:37:25,874 Gravano really was the cement for the case. 686 00:37:25,942 --> 00:37:30,074 ♪♪ 687 00:37:30,141 --> 00:37:32,374 Man: The jury surprised just about everyone 688 00:37:32,474 --> 00:37:34,141 with the speed of its deliberation -- 689 00:37:34,241 --> 00:37:35,574 about a day and a half. 690 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:37,241 John Gotti has been found guilty 691 00:37:37,341 --> 00:37:40,340 and will face life in prison. 692 00:37:40,341 --> 00:37:45,039 Papa: He was found guilty of everything, and it was over. 693 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:48,040 Feldman: This was the first time in his career 694 00:37:48,140 --> 00:37:52,639 as a Mafia boss that Gotti had been found guilty. 695 00:37:52,739 --> 00:37:56,040 Cardinale: Five of those counts were murder and aid of racketeering 696 00:37:56,140 --> 00:38:00,140 that carried mandatory life-imprisonment sentences. 697 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,073 The Teflon is gone. 698 00:38:02,140 --> 00:38:03,839 The don is covered with Velcro, 699 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:08,438 and every charge in the indictment stuck. 700 00:38:08,439 --> 00:38:10,838 Schumacher: Gotti was sent to a maximum-security 701 00:38:10,839 --> 00:38:13,938 federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois. 702 00:38:13,939 --> 00:38:18,172 And not only that, he was placed in, essentially -- 703 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:23,839 23 hours a day, he was in solitary confinement. 704 00:38:23,939 --> 00:38:26,138 Papa: It was over for John Gotti. 705 00:38:26,238 --> 00:38:31,938 He was in one of the most punitive prisons in the country. 706 00:38:32,038 --> 00:38:34,937 The "New York Daily News" said, in August, 707 00:38:34,938 --> 00:38:37,636 believes John Gotti is still leading a crime family 708 00:38:37,637 --> 00:38:38,937 from prison. 709 00:38:38,938 --> 00:38:41,137 Under his conditions, that's quite a feat. 710 00:38:41,238 --> 00:38:42,937 Which is what? He's in behind -- 711 00:38:43,038 --> 00:38:46,337 He is in 23-1/2-hour lockup in Marion, 712 00:38:46,438 --> 00:38:49,470 which is a super-maximum-security facility, 713 00:38:49,536 --> 00:38:52,970 and there's no communication other than 714 00:38:53,037 --> 00:38:56,370 with an immediate family member once or twice a month. 715 00:38:56,470 --> 00:39:00,270 ♪♪ 716 00:39:00,336 --> 00:39:02,235 Feldman: For a long period of time, 717 00:39:02,236 --> 00:39:04,734 the name John Gotti actually kind of disappeared 718 00:39:04,735 --> 00:39:09,136 from the public's consciousness because he was behind bars. 719 00:39:09,236 --> 00:39:10,635 But it was known that he was ill. 720 00:39:10,735 --> 00:39:14,669 It was known that he was suffering from throat cancer. 721 00:39:14,735 --> 00:39:18,934 And then, ultimately, on June 10, 2002, 722 00:39:18,935 --> 00:39:21,968 he succumbed to the cancer. 723 00:39:22,035 --> 00:39:26,034 Man: Family, friends, and associates gathered to give John Gotti, 724 00:39:26,035 --> 00:39:28,835 a man convicted of murder and racketeering, 725 00:39:28,935 --> 00:39:30,334 a hero's send-off. 726 00:39:30,335 --> 00:39:32,935 The procession of vehicles, led by limousines 727 00:39:33,035 --> 00:39:35,468 bearing elaborate flower arrangements, 728 00:39:35,534 --> 00:39:36,967 stopped at Gotti's home, 729 00:39:37,035 --> 00:39:39,467 where more people gathered for a glimpse 730 00:39:39,533 --> 00:39:40,768 and to pay respect. 731 00:39:40,834 --> 00:39:46,667 ♪♪ 732 00:39:46,733 --> 00:39:48,632 Gabriel: For all the fanfare with John Gotti, 733 00:39:48,633 --> 00:39:51,367 he was the least-effective boss that ever existed. 734 00:39:51,467 --> 00:39:56,067 Raab: The truth about Gotti was, he was an incompetent, 735 00:39:56,133 --> 00:39:59,233 almost imbecilic mob leader. 736 00:39:59,334 --> 00:40:04,731 He came in deciding that he was going to remake the Mafia. 737 00:40:04,732 --> 00:40:09,466 Instead, he became a whirlwind for disaster. 738 00:40:09,532 --> 00:40:11,631 Papa: The Gambino crime family continued on 739 00:40:11,632 --> 00:40:13,766 but, I would say, in a more crippled state. 740 00:40:13,832 --> 00:40:16,531 We took the unions away because of his conviction, 741 00:40:16,532 --> 00:40:18,833 which weakened all the other families. 742 00:40:18,932 --> 00:40:21,331 Feldman: And after John Gotti's conviction 743 00:40:21,332 --> 00:40:24,265 and after the turning of Gravano, 744 00:40:24,332 --> 00:40:26,932 more mob members started turning 745 00:40:27,032 --> 00:40:30,731 and became witnesses in various cases 746 00:40:30,832 --> 00:40:33,730 for the federal government. 747 00:40:33,832 --> 00:40:35,365 Gabriel: John Gotti is the boss 748 00:40:35,464 --> 00:40:37,964 that brought the whole Mafia down. 749 00:40:38,032 --> 00:40:39,331 He brought the attention to it, 750 00:40:39,431 --> 00:40:41,231 thinking that he was untouchable. 751 00:40:41,331 --> 00:40:44,529 It's that kind of arrogance that ruins empires. 752 00:40:44,530 --> 00:40:47,831 John Gotti wasn't Robin Hood. 753 00:40:47,931 --> 00:40:49,730 He was a murderer. 754 00:40:52,863 --> 00:40:56,964 Raab: Perhaps what sums him up best, in some respects, 755 00:40:57,030 --> 00:41:00,229 he was talking to one of his daughters, Victoria, 756 00:41:00,230 --> 00:41:03,963 about his life and how wonderful he was and how, 757 00:41:04,030 --> 00:41:07,829 because of him, the Gambino family would be so strong. 758 00:41:07,830 --> 00:41:09,229 And he tells his daughter, 759 00:41:09,230 --> 00:41:13,828 "You will never see another guy like me 760 00:41:13,829 --> 00:41:18,428 if you live to be 5,000 years old." 761 00:41:18,429 --> 00:41:19,662 Can you believe this? 762 00:41:19,728 --> 00:41:22,262 This is what he tells his daughter, 763 00:41:22,329 --> 00:41:24,562 while he's almost rotting in prison. 764 00:41:24,628 --> 00:41:36,128 ♪♪ 765 00:41:36,228 --> 00:41:40,261 John Gotti, inmate 182-053, 766 00:41:40,328 --> 00:41:43,727 lived nearly a decade in prison before passing away. 767 00:41:43,828 --> 00:41:45,961 The Brooklyn Catholic diocese denied him 768 00:41:46,028 --> 00:41:48,027 the honor of a funeral mass, 769 00:41:48,128 --> 00:41:50,626 but his family went forward with a burial, 770 00:41:50,727 --> 00:41:52,960 laying him to rest in a gold casket. 771 00:41:53,028 --> 00:41:56,160 He is entombed in a mausoleum in Queens, New York, 772 00:41:56,227 --> 00:41:59,460 directly beside his beloved son, Frankie. 773 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:02,460 I'm Donnie Wahlberg. Thanks for watching. 774 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:04,027 Good night.