1
00:00:07,257 --> 00:00:10,635
{\an8}[narrator] This playbook has shown you
how to harness your mob boss energy,
2
00:00:11,136 --> 00:00:12,721
grow your bottom line,
3
00:00:12,804 --> 00:00:16,141
and obliterate everyone
who threatens your rule.
4
00:00:16,224 --> 00:00:17,224
[guns firing]
5
00:00:18,768 --> 00:00:20,812
It's a classic for a reason,
6
00:00:21,521 --> 00:00:24,524
but not all mob bosses
pay attention to its lessons.
7
00:00:26,026 --> 00:00:29,112
I want to tell you about someone
who thought he knew better.
8
00:00:29,946 --> 00:00:32,866
{\an8}His name, John Gotti.
9
00:00:33,616 --> 00:00:35,994
John Gotti flipped
the playbook on its head.
10
00:00:36,619 --> 00:00:37,662
You don't talk.
11
00:00:37,746 --> 00:00:39,372
You don't strut yourself around.
12
00:00:40,165 --> 00:00:42,250
[narrator] During his tumultuous
six-year reign
13
00:00:42,333 --> 00:00:44,252
over New York's Gambino crime family,
14
00:00:44,335 --> 00:00:47,172
Gotti blew off the playbook at every turn,
15
00:00:47,797 --> 00:00:51,092
leading to an endless series
of arrests and betrayal
16
00:00:51,176 --> 00:00:55,305
that brought him
and his entire organization to ruin.
17
00:00:55,388 --> 00:00:57,098
John Gotti destroyed the Mafia.
18
00:00:58,183 --> 00:01:02,687
You can't operate like John
and expect to survive. You just can't.
19
00:01:02,771 --> 00:01:06,232
[narrator] Ready to learn what not to do
on your mob boss journey?
20
00:01:07,025 --> 00:01:09,486
The Dapper Don is at your service.
21
00:01:15,075 --> 00:01:17,077
[theme music playing]
22
00:01:19,537 --> 00:01:20,830
In his prime,
23
00:01:20,914 --> 00:01:24,751
John Gotti was the most recognizable
mob boss in the world.
24
00:01:25,376 --> 00:01:28,797
[Gotti] You'll never see another guy
like me if you live to be 5,000.
25
00:01:30,090 --> 00:01:32,509
[narrator] But by following
his own impulses
26
00:01:32,592 --> 00:01:34,344
instead of the playbook's wisdom,
27
00:01:35,095 --> 00:01:39,390
he blew his chance at greatness,
lost the respect of his peers,
28
00:01:39,474 --> 00:01:42,227
and ended up dying behind bars.
29
00:01:43,228 --> 00:01:45,814
{\an8}There's a lot of guys
who look up to John Gotti,
30
00:01:45,897 --> 00:01:49,526
{\an8}the way he dressed, the way he acted,
because they're not mob guys.
31
00:01:49,609 --> 00:01:53,613
The real story is
it's the worst thing you could ever do.
32
00:01:54,531 --> 00:01:57,909
[narrator] Before we get into
the bad choices Gotti made at the top,
33
00:01:58,618 --> 00:02:01,746
let's give him his due
for making it there in the first place.
34
00:02:02,247 --> 00:02:03,998
Here's how he pulled it off.
35
00:02:08,294 --> 00:02:09,879
[George] John Gotti was a thug.
36
00:02:10,380 --> 00:02:13,424
His attributes
only worked well in organized crime.
37
00:02:13,508 --> 00:02:16,136
{\an8}So he gravitated toward the one business
38
00:02:16,219 --> 00:02:18,805
{\an8}where what he was good at
would have a payoff,
39
00:02:18,888 --> 00:02:21,224
and then he started
to work his way up the ladder.
40
00:02:21,724 --> 00:02:24,352
[man] The leaders of the Gambino family
41
00:02:24,435 --> 00:02:26,563
were very much impressed
by the young John Gotti.
42
00:02:26,646 --> 00:02:28,106
He was making money for them.
43
00:02:28,189 --> 00:02:30,900
He had the reputation
for being violent because he was,
44
00:02:30,984 --> 00:02:33,736
{\an8}and, by all accounts,
Gotti was a raconteur.
45
00:02:33,820 --> 00:02:35,864
{\an8}He was somebody who had charisma.
46
00:02:35,947 --> 00:02:38,449
{\an8}He was somebody
that had leadership qualities.
47
00:02:41,703 --> 00:02:46,374
[George] Aniello Dellacroce, who was
the underboss of the Gambino family,
48
00:02:46,457 --> 00:02:48,293
became a mentor for Gotti.
49
00:02:48,376 --> 00:02:50,795
Dellacroce came up from the streets.
50
00:02:51,629 --> 00:02:54,174
It was somebody
that Gotti could look up to.
51
00:02:55,216 --> 00:02:59,679
Dellacroce taught Gotti
you got to be tough, you gotta be strong,
52
00:02:59,762 --> 00:03:01,848
and you don't take any guff from anybody.
53
00:03:01,931 --> 00:03:03,141
This is not about diplomacy.
54
00:03:03,224 --> 00:03:05,685
This is about an iron fist.
55
00:03:09,814 --> 00:03:11,691
[siren wailing]
56
00:03:11,774 --> 00:03:15,695
[narrator] In 1973,
boss Carlo Gambino's nephew is kidnapped.
57
00:03:16,654 --> 00:03:21,117
The main suspect,
Irish-American gangster Jimmy McBratney.
58
00:03:22,035 --> 00:03:24,162
[Ed] People in the Gambino
crime family decided
59
00:03:24,245 --> 00:03:27,749
that the people responsible
for the kidnapping should be dealt with.
60
00:03:27,832 --> 00:03:31,878
Gotti was given
the task of killing Jimmy McBratney.
61
00:03:31,961 --> 00:03:33,171
[gunshot]
62
00:03:35,215 --> 00:03:37,800
So Gotti ends up
pleading out the manslaughter,
63
00:03:37,884 --> 00:03:39,219
and I think doing four years.
64
00:03:40,637 --> 00:03:43,097
When he comes back,
you know, he's a stand-up guy.
65
00:03:43,181 --> 00:03:46,100
He's been involved in a murder,
and so now he can get made.
66
00:03:46,601 --> 00:03:51,231
[narrator] Gotti was now a made man,
a fully initiated member of the Mafia,
67
00:03:51,314 --> 00:03:55,485
but he wanted to be a boss,
and his plan for getting there
68
00:03:56,527 --> 00:03:59,739
had him run afoul
of the playbook from the opening gun.
69
00:04:05,495 --> 00:04:08,081
No matter what organization
you're looking to lead,
70
00:04:08,164 --> 00:04:10,375
you have to respect its structure.
71
00:04:11,542 --> 00:04:14,254
That's especially true
with the Italian Mafia,
72
00:04:14,337 --> 00:04:16,923
also known as Cosa Nostra.
73
00:04:17,006 --> 00:04:19,259
[Sammy] You live by Cosa Nostra's rules.
74
00:04:19,342 --> 00:04:20,677
It's not your thing.
75
00:04:21,177 --> 00:04:22,345
It's not my thing.
76
00:04:22,929 --> 00:04:25,431
It's our thing, as a family.
77
00:04:26,349 --> 00:04:30,395
[narrator] And in this family,
everybody needs to know their place.
78
00:04:30,478 --> 00:04:32,689
In Cosa Nostra, there's a pecking order.
79
00:04:34,232 --> 00:04:36,150
[man] At the top, you have your boss.
80
00:04:36,234 --> 00:04:39,487
{\an8}Under the boss, you have your underboss.
Then you have your consigliere,
81
00:04:39,570 --> 00:04:42,115
{\an8}which is basically the advisor
or the counselor.
82
00:04:42,198 --> 00:04:43,533
Then you have your captains.
83
00:04:43,616 --> 00:04:45,785
{\an8}That's sort of your mid-level managers.
84
00:04:45,868 --> 00:04:48,162
And then you have your soldiers.
Those are the made guys.
85
00:04:48,246 --> 00:04:51,249
Beyond that, you have associates.
They're not made members of the group,
86
00:04:51,332 --> 00:04:54,252
{\an8}but they're people
who work with and contribute to the mob.
87
00:04:54,335 --> 00:04:56,462
[George] And if everybody buys into that,
88
00:04:56,546 --> 00:04:59,590
the organization
will probably function fairly smoothly.
89
00:04:59,674 --> 00:05:02,719
[narrator] But when you're
a street fighter like John Gotti,
90
00:05:02,802 --> 00:05:07,307
working your way into upper management,
it can be hard to just blend in.
91
00:05:08,266 --> 00:05:10,852
{\an8}He just wanted it the way he wanted it.
92
00:05:10,935 --> 00:05:14,397
{\an8}By his rules only,
and nobody else's rules mattered to him.
93
00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,566
{\an8}- [siren wailing]
- [gun firing]
94
00:05:17,483 --> 00:05:19,110
{\an8}[Ed] In the mid-1980s,
95
00:05:19,193 --> 00:05:21,571
Paul Castellano
was the boss of the Gambino family.
96
00:05:21,654 --> 00:05:24,490
His faction was sort of
the white-collar faction of the family.
97
00:05:24,574 --> 00:05:27,660
{\an8}They made their money
through committing fraud crimes.
98
00:05:27,744 --> 00:05:31,331
{\an8}They used labor unions,
and they used sophisticated means,
99
00:05:31,414 --> 00:05:32,707
less violent means.
100
00:05:33,583 --> 00:05:36,461
[narrator] Gotti's relationship
with the top boss was complicated
101
00:05:36,544 --> 00:05:39,422
by more than just artistic differences.
102
00:05:40,465 --> 00:05:43,301
Castellano put out an edict, "No drugs."
103
00:05:44,218 --> 00:05:46,429
Anybody deals drugs is gonna get killed.
104
00:05:46,512 --> 00:05:48,222
[gunshot, guns firing]
105
00:05:48,723 --> 00:05:49,923
[narrator] As a loyal captain,
106
00:05:49,974 --> 00:05:53,686
you should always make sure
your boss's commands are followed.
107
00:05:54,854 --> 00:05:56,814
But Gotti wasn't that loyal.
108
00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,943
[George] Gotti's brother Gene
and Angelo Ruggiero, Gotti's good friend,
109
00:06:01,027 --> 00:06:02,612
get jammed up in a heroin case.
110
00:06:05,406 --> 00:06:06,783
[narrator] Not a good look.
111
00:06:08,242 --> 00:06:10,953
[George] Gotti decides,
"I got to do a preemptive strike."
112
00:06:11,037 --> 00:06:14,290
"If I don't take this guy out, he'll take
my brother and my best friend out."
113
00:06:14,374 --> 00:06:15,750
"Maybe he's gonna take me out."
114
00:06:16,834 --> 00:06:18,920
[narrator] When it comes
to targeting mob royalty,
115
00:06:19,504 --> 00:06:21,255
you can't just act alone,
116
00:06:21,339 --> 00:06:25,259
and Cosa Nostra
has some particularly strict rules.
117
00:06:26,928 --> 00:06:28,304
In the American Mafia,
118
00:06:28,388 --> 00:06:32,350
you can't kill a fully initiated
or made guy in your family
119
00:06:32,934 --> 00:06:35,228
without getting permission from your boss.
120
00:06:36,020 --> 00:06:38,731
You can't whack
a made guy in another family
121
00:06:39,232 --> 00:06:43,444
without getting permission from your boss
and the boss of the other family.
122
00:06:44,153 --> 00:06:47,490
And if you want to clip
your own boss, good luck.
123
00:06:47,990 --> 00:06:50,243
You need approval from the Commission.
124
00:06:50,785 --> 00:06:53,246
Basically, the Mafia board of directors.
125
00:06:54,288 --> 00:06:55,373
The rules were clear.
126
00:06:55,957 --> 00:06:59,085
John Gotti needed to make his case
through the proper channels,
127
00:06:59,585 --> 00:07:02,338
but he decided otherwise.
128
00:07:02,422 --> 00:07:04,549
He said, "Do it. Fuck it."
129
00:07:07,427 --> 00:07:09,720
We knew we couldn't get permission
from this thing.
130
00:07:09,804 --> 00:07:12,432
Bosses want to protect each other
in the Commission,
131
00:07:12,515 --> 00:07:17,061
so we formed this alliance
which we called The Fist.
132
00:07:17,145 --> 00:07:20,898
So, there was five of us,
and there was nobody saying no.
133
00:07:21,399 --> 00:07:23,317
It was just a time and a place.
134
00:07:25,403 --> 00:07:29,282
[narrator] It's the height of the holiday
shopping season in Midtown Manhattan.
135
00:07:29,782 --> 00:07:33,494
And John Gotti and Sammy Gravano
are awaiting their prey,
136
00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,123
Paul Castellano
and his underboss, Tommy Bilotti.
137
00:07:38,249 --> 00:07:39,876
Sammy scored a tip
138
00:07:39,959 --> 00:07:42,378
that Gambino higher-ups
were meeting at five o'clock
139
00:07:42,462 --> 00:07:44,046
{\an8}at Sparks Steakhouse.
140
00:07:45,256 --> 00:07:47,008
And I said, "This is perfect."
141
00:07:48,759 --> 00:07:50,011
We know the restaurant.
142
00:07:50,094 --> 00:07:51,512
We know what time.
143
00:07:52,180 --> 00:07:53,890
We can make it happen.
144
00:07:58,686 --> 00:08:02,273
I had told John, "They're a little late."
145
00:08:03,107 --> 00:08:04,484
"I wonder what's going on."
146
00:08:04,984 --> 00:08:08,613
As I said that,
four feet, five feet away from me,
147
00:08:09,363 --> 00:08:11,365
was their car stopped at the light.
148
00:08:12,867 --> 00:08:15,870
I told John they're right next to us.
149
00:08:20,082 --> 00:08:23,211
[narrator] But luckily,
their targets are distracted.
150
00:08:28,090 --> 00:08:31,677
They give Gotti's
conspicuously-dressed hitmen the word.
151
00:08:32,887 --> 00:08:34,472
Castellano is approaching.
152
00:08:37,433 --> 00:08:40,102
And as the boss's car
pulls up to the valet,
153
00:08:41,270 --> 00:08:43,940
the assassins execute Gotti's plan.
154
00:08:44,023 --> 00:08:46,025
[ominous music playing]
155
00:08:48,069 --> 00:08:50,363
[music crescendos]
156
00:08:52,573 --> 00:08:53,658
[gunshot]
157
00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,202
And it couldn't have been a better plan.
158
00:08:57,912 --> 00:08:59,413
[crowd screaming]
159
00:08:59,497 --> 00:09:01,332
No legitimate people were hurt.
160
00:09:02,375 --> 00:09:05,753
There was hundreds of people
who saw this, was witnesses.
161
00:09:06,337 --> 00:09:10,508
[screaming continues]
162
00:09:11,092 --> 00:09:12,969
"What did they look like?"
They didn't know.
163
00:09:13,553 --> 00:09:17,682
All they saw was those hats,
the jackets, and people getting shot.
164
00:09:17,765 --> 00:09:19,642
[siren wailing]
165
00:09:19,725 --> 00:09:23,104
[narrator] Within days,
John Gotti's power play bears fruit.
166
00:09:23,604 --> 00:09:26,274
He's named the new boss
of the Gambino family.
167
00:09:27,441 --> 00:09:29,068
So, what's the problem?
168
00:09:29,694 --> 00:09:33,948
{\an8}He absolutely knew
what he was doing was against the rules.
169
00:09:34,031 --> 00:09:35,071
{\an8}There's no doubt about it.
170
00:09:35,741 --> 00:09:40,246
[narrator] And this unsanctioned hit
puts a huge target on John Gotti's back.
171
00:09:40,871 --> 00:09:44,750
The very next day, he's out there.
He's just, "I'm the king now."
172
00:09:46,460 --> 00:09:48,020
[Michael] You know, murder brings heat.
173
00:09:49,297 --> 00:09:51,882
{\an8}Doesn't only bring heat to you.
It brings heat to everybody.
174
00:09:51,966 --> 00:09:54,010
[narrator] When the temperature
gets too hot,
175
00:09:54,093 --> 00:09:57,638
our trusty playbook
has just the trick to cool things down,
176
00:09:58,639 --> 00:10:00,850
which, naturally, Gotti would ignore
177
00:10:01,517 --> 00:10:02,517
big time.
178
00:10:09,233 --> 00:10:13,279
As a mob boss,
the spotlight is not your friend.
179
00:10:13,362 --> 00:10:16,407
[Elie] Smart mobsters
don't want attention on themselves
180
00:10:16,490 --> 00:10:18,951
from law enforcement,
from the media, from the public.
181
00:10:19,035 --> 00:10:21,037
They know
that what they're doing is illegal,
182
00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,956
and attention can only hurt
their bottom-line goal,
183
00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:25,499
which is to make money.
184
00:10:25,583 --> 00:10:27,460
[narrator] Let me show you how it's done.
185
00:10:29,879 --> 00:10:32,715
Florida mob boss Santo Trafficante Junior
186
00:10:32,798 --> 00:10:37,219
earned the nickname "The Silent Don"
for his low-key lifestyle,
187
00:10:37,303 --> 00:10:40,514
despite being a big enough player
in both the US and Cuba
188
00:10:41,182 --> 00:10:44,769
that he was allegedly enlisted by the CIA
to kill Fidel Castro.
189
00:10:45,561 --> 00:10:48,731
Sicilian mob boss Bernardo Provenzano
190
00:10:48,814 --> 00:10:51,901
managed to evade capture
for nearly 40 years
191
00:10:51,984 --> 00:10:55,279
by avoiding phone calls
and all electronic communication.
192
00:10:55,905 --> 00:10:57,281
He would task his lieutenants
193
00:10:57,365 --> 00:11:01,410
by sending messages on small
folded pieces of paper called pizzini.
194
00:11:02,244 --> 00:11:05,665
While Genovese crime boss
Vincent "the Chin" Gigante
195
00:11:05,748 --> 00:11:10,836
deflected attention from his activities
by feigning dementia for 30 years,
196
00:11:11,462 --> 00:11:14,131
shuffling around Greenwich Village
in a bathrobe
197
00:11:14,215 --> 00:11:17,718
while muttering to himself
and nearby parking meters.
198
00:11:20,763 --> 00:11:25,726
After the Castellano murder,
Gotti had good reason to lay low.
199
00:11:25,810 --> 00:11:28,979
[John] It blasted John Gotti
all over the media
200
00:11:29,063 --> 00:11:33,025
that the people that didn't know him
outside the local areas of New York,
201
00:11:33,109 --> 00:11:34,985
they all knew who John Gotti was now.
202
00:11:36,445 --> 00:11:39,949
[narrator] But instead of following
the playbook and going underground,
203
00:11:40,032 --> 00:11:42,743
Gotti decided to do the opposite.
204
00:11:43,953 --> 00:11:47,832
[Sammy] But John Gotti decided,
"I have to present myself as a boss now."
205
00:11:47,915 --> 00:11:49,333
So his whole demeanor changed.
206
00:11:49,417 --> 00:11:52,545
His wardrobe changed,
and his attitude changed.
207
00:11:58,676 --> 00:12:02,763
[narrator] Within months, Gotti's profile
was going to be raised even higher
208
00:12:02,847 --> 00:12:05,349
by his first of three public trials.
209
00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,311
This one was a blast from the past.
210
00:12:10,771 --> 00:12:12,898
A year before he becomes the boss,
211
00:12:12,982 --> 00:12:16,485
John Gotti is just another Gambino captain
looking to blow off steam
212
00:12:16,569 --> 00:12:18,320
at the family's favorite bar
213
00:12:19,196 --> 00:12:21,699
when his good time is interrupted.
214
00:12:21,782 --> 00:12:23,492
- [indistinct chatter]
- [horn honks]
215
00:12:25,161 --> 00:12:26,162
[honking]
216
00:12:26,245 --> 00:12:31,876
Refrigerator repairman Romual Piecyk
is boxed in and livid.
217
00:12:34,754 --> 00:12:36,547
Not knowing who he's dealing with,
218
00:12:36,630 --> 00:12:39,467
he asks the wise guys
to get out of his way.
219
00:12:41,010 --> 00:12:42,303
They decline...
220
00:12:43,220 --> 00:12:45,389
[grunts, screams]
221
00:12:45,973 --> 00:12:49,602
...and make sure
the fridge guy knows that he got off easy.
222
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,858
Piecyk runs off straight to the police.
223
00:12:56,734 --> 00:13:00,988
This was a nonsense assault.
It was almost street thuggery.
224
00:13:01,572 --> 00:13:05,785
[narrator] But with Gotti
publicly flaunting his mob boss status,
225
00:13:05,868 --> 00:13:08,871
the authorities were eager
to take him down
226
00:13:09,538 --> 00:13:12,291
whether Mr. Piecyk likes it or not.
227
00:13:12,374 --> 00:13:15,002
[Ed] All he had to do
was open up the paper and see
228
00:13:15,085 --> 00:13:17,046
that the leader of the most notorious
229
00:13:17,129 --> 00:13:20,090
and violent organized crime family
in the country
230
00:13:20,174 --> 00:13:23,427
was the subject of his complaint.
231
00:13:24,094 --> 00:13:25,971
[narrator] As prosecutors
refine their case,
232
00:13:26,055 --> 00:13:27,640
the new mob boss makes sure
233
00:13:27,723 --> 00:13:31,477
Piecyk and his family
also get some extra attention.
234
00:13:33,103 --> 00:13:35,815
[John] Gotti wasn't sending out
orders to hurt this guy.
235
00:13:35,898 --> 00:13:38,108
He was just trying to make him go away.
236
00:13:39,735 --> 00:13:41,529
[narrator] Inside the packed courtroom,
237
00:13:41,612 --> 00:13:44,657
Gotti and his attorneys
wait for the proceedings to begin,
238
00:13:45,282 --> 00:13:47,076
but Piecyk doesn't show.
239
00:13:47,701 --> 00:13:49,995
He has scheduled elective surgery.
240
00:13:50,496 --> 00:13:52,498
It only delays the inevitable.
241
00:13:52,581 --> 00:13:53,581
[gavel knocking]
242
00:13:54,583 --> 00:13:59,380
But when Piecyk finally takes the stand,
he can't seem to remember a thing.
243
00:14:01,549 --> 00:14:04,260
If I did go stand there and say
that this is Mr. Gotti
244
00:14:04,343 --> 00:14:07,513
and this is Mr. Colletta,
they assaulted me and robbed me...
245
00:14:08,347 --> 00:14:09,347
I'm not sure.
246
00:14:09,849 --> 00:14:11,559
[narrator] The judge throws out the case,
247
00:14:12,309 --> 00:14:15,688
leading to even more headlines
about Gotti's great escape.
248
00:14:20,234 --> 00:14:21,360
True to form,
249
00:14:21,443 --> 00:14:24,905
Gotti took all the wrong lessons
from his brush with justice.
250
00:14:26,282 --> 00:14:27,658
[George] That was an example of,
251
00:14:27,741 --> 00:14:30,703
"Hey, this celebrity stuff
can really work to my advantage."
252
00:14:31,495 --> 00:14:32,495
"Look at this guy."
253
00:14:32,955 --> 00:14:35,457
"I didn't even have to do anything."
He forgot.
254
00:14:36,166 --> 00:14:39,503
[narrator] But when you continue
setting the playbook on fire,
255
00:14:40,296 --> 00:14:42,298
don't expect to get off that easy.
256
00:14:43,090 --> 00:14:45,593
[Lou] If you're gonna be out there
and be flashy,
257
00:14:45,676 --> 00:14:48,178
you're going to embarrass law enforcement.
258
00:14:48,846 --> 00:14:50,264
So now we're gonna double down.
259
00:14:51,390 --> 00:14:54,101
[narrator] Even so,
you can still get back on side
260
00:14:54,184 --> 00:14:56,020
with the playbook by using your head
261
00:14:56,103 --> 00:14:59,023
and making sure it doesn't get too big.
262
00:15:06,488 --> 00:15:09,783
{\an8}Throughout history,
excessive pride or hubris
263
00:15:10,367 --> 00:15:13,370
{\an8}has been the downfall
of many powerful figures.
264
00:15:15,456 --> 00:15:16,776
[woman] One thing that can happen
265
00:15:16,832 --> 00:15:21,211
{\an8}when somebody develops
this hubris is they make mistakes.
266
00:15:22,379 --> 00:15:24,131
Because they are operating
267
00:15:24,214 --> 00:15:27,718
under this false belief
that nothing can touch me.
268
00:15:28,385 --> 00:15:29,887
[narrator] And by the mid-1980s,
269
00:15:30,471 --> 00:15:33,140
John Gotti was getting
ever closer to the sun
270
00:15:33,682 --> 00:15:35,267
whether he knew it or not.
271
00:15:37,770 --> 00:15:40,272
[Ed] John Gotti was
an egotistical narcissist
272
00:15:40,356 --> 00:15:45,402
who appeared to revel in the attention
that he was getting from the press
273
00:15:45,486 --> 00:15:46,528
and from the public.
274
00:15:46,612 --> 00:15:48,656
And the more he got, the more he wanted.
275
00:15:48,739 --> 00:15:50,449
[newscaster] He's called the Dapper Don.
276
00:15:50,532 --> 00:15:51,742
[newscaster 2] The Dapper Don.
277
00:15:51,825 --> 00:15:54,078
[newscaster 3]
The so-called Dapper Don, John Gotti.
278
00:15:55,579 --> 00:16:00,542
Whoever named him the Dapper Don
should have came down and talked to him.
279
00:16:00,626 --> 00:16:04,880
The reporter. He would've paid
that guy $100,000 for that label.
280
00:16:04,964 --> 00:16:06,382
He loved those labels.
281
00:16:06,465 --> 00:16:09,510
I mean, you couldn't make that stuff up.
282
00:16:10,844 --> 00:16:12,764
[John] He'd get his hair done
on a regular basis,
283
00:16:12,846 --> 00:16:15,307
so he'd have
one of the barbers come over to the club,
284
00:16:15,391 --> 00:16:18,310
and they'd cut his hair
and shake as they're cutting.
285
00:16:18,936 --> 00:16:22,398
He's got very good taste.
286
00:16:22,898 --> 00:16:26,026
He likes his hair extremely perfect.
287
00:16:26,110 --> 00:16:28,779
[Ellie] He operated
in front of the cameras.
288
00:16:28,862 --> 00:16:33,951
He made himself into a celebrity,
into a "front page of the tabloid" figure.
289
00:16:36,620 --> 00:16:40,624
[narrator] But Gotti's uncontrolled ego
quickly got him into even worse trouble.
290
00:16:41,208 --> 00:16:43,669
[Ed] Gotti moved his headquarters
291
00:16:43,752 --> 00:16:47,881
from the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club
in Queens to the Ravenite,
292
00:16:47,965 --> 00:16:52,886
and this was the ancestral home
of the Gambino crime family
293
00:16:52,970 --> 00:16:54,763
in Little Italy, in Lower Manhattan.
294
00:16:54,847 --> 00:16:57,975
It was a move up the ladder, clearly.
You know, it's Manhattan now.
295
00:16:58,058 --> 00:17:00,269
You're not out in Queens.
Now you're in the city.
296
00:17:02,312 --> 00:17:05,315
Guys had to come there
to meet with Gotti on a regular basis.
297
00:17:05,399 --> 00:17:07,109
The FBI's outside taking pictures.
298
00:17:07,192 --> 00:17:08,277
[camera shutters clicking]
299
00:17:08,360 --> 00:17:09,862
Is that good? That's not good.
300
00:17:10,654 --> 00:17:14,408
He put the whole Mafia on Front Street.
301
00:17:15,075 --> 00:17:17,077
{\an8}A secret brotherhood.
302
00:17:19,371 --> 00:17:21,498
[narrator] How do you think
that went with the heads
303
00:17:21,582 --> 00:17:23,459
of the other Mafia families?
304
00:17:24,209 --> 00:17:28,088
They were appalled that Gotti was
carrying himself in this flamboyant way,
305
00:17:28,172 --> 00:17:31,425
bringing all this attention
upon himself and the family.
306
00:17:32,217 --> 00:17:34,928
[narrator] And they were going
to do something about it
307
00:17:35,971 --> 00:17:37,181
by borrowing a technique
308
00:17:37,264 --> 00:17:39,850
from their criminal cousins
across the pond.
309
00:17:40,684 --> 00:17:45,105
The Commission hired
Sicilian mobsters to have Gotti killed.
310
00:17:47,274 --> 00:17:48,817
A car bomb exploded today
311
00:17:48,901 --> 00:17:51,820
not in the Middle East,
but in a quiet neighborhood of Brooklyn.
312
00:17:52,488 --> 00:17:54,948
[narrator] But things didn't go
according to plan.
313
00:17:56,283 --> 00:17:59,536
The Sicilian mobsters botched it.
314
00:18:00,204 --> 00:18:02,915
[newscaster] One man was killed,
the 58-year-old Frank DeCicco
315
00:18:02,998 --> 00:18:05,250
described as a lieutenant to John Gotti.
316
00:18:06,085 --> 00:18:07,961
They put a bomb in the wrong car.
317
00:18:09,004 --> 00:18:11,965
[narrator] Were it not
for a little operator error,
318
00:18:12,049 --> 00:18:14,676
Gotti's ego would have cost him his life.
319
00:18:15,219 --> 00:18:17,262
You may not be so lucky.
320
00:18:20,599 --> 00:18:24,269
But the Dapper Don's string
of good fortune was about to hit a snag.
321
00:18:29,566 --> 00:18:31,443
For a studious mob boss,
322
00:18:31,527 --> 00:18:35,697
a stay in the big house
can be just a temporary inconvenience.
323
00:18:36,365 --> 00:18:38,867
But then you'll have to do better
324
00:18:38,951 --> 00:18:41,703
at adhering to the playbook
than John Gotti.
325
00:18:46,917 --> 00:18:49,545
There comes a time
in every mob boss's career
326
00:18:49,628 --> 00:18:52,214
when you will have to work remotely.
327
00:18:52,881 --> 00:18:56,051
To be in this life,
you have to be willing to go to prison,
328
00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:58,846
because at some point,
you're gonna get caught.
329
00:18:59,847 --> 00:19:04,309
[narrator] So make sure your time
in government custody is productive.
330
00:19:04,393 --> 00:19:06,186
[Elie] Whenever a mob boss goes to prison,
331
00:19:06,270 --> 00:19:09,481
they do their best to continue running
the show from behind bars.
332
00:19:09,565 --> 00:19:12,693
But the struggle is to keep the money
coming in to keep control of this family
333
00:19:12,776 --> 00:19:15,154
when you don't have
your individual liberty.
334
00:19:16,405 --> 00:19:19,199
[narrator] These jailhouse operators
didn't miss a step.
335
00:19:22,619 --> 00:19:24,246
During his time in prison,
336
00:19:24,329 --> 00:19:28,125
Pablo Escobar continued running
all aspects of his criminal operation.
337
00:19:28,959 --> 00:19:32,171
And when he discovered
that his phone calls were being monitored,
338
00:19:32,254 --> 00:19:34,840
he started using carrier pigeons instead.
339
00:19:36,675 --> 00:19:39,344
While serving 26 life sentences,
340
00:19:39,428 --> 00:19:43,891
Salvatore Riina successfully ordered
the kidnapping of a 13-year-old boy
341
00:19:44,474 --> 00:19:47,644
to prevent his father
from revealing Mafia secrets.
342
00:19:47,728 --> 00:19:50,898
When the plan failed,
he had the boy killed
343
00:19:50,981 --> 00:19:53,025
and his body dissolved in acid.
344
00:19:54,318 --> 00:19:57,446
And to continue
running his operation behind bars,
345
00:19:57,529 --> 00:20:00,741
Sinaloa Cartel leader,
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman,
346
00:20:00,824 --> 00:20:03,619
put most of the prison system
on his payroll.
347
00:20:04,494 --> 00:20:07,372
Friendly guards
also helped him smuggle in cash,
348
00:20:07,456 --> 00:20:08,624
prostitutes,
349
00:20:08,707 --> 00:20:09,707
Viagra,
350
00:20:10,209 --> 00:20:13,337
and the latest movies
to make his stay more pleasant.
351
00:20:17,174 --> 00:20:19,760
The Piecyk assault case
was in the rearview mirror,
352
00:20:20,427 --> 00:20:23,931
but John Gotti was now in jail
awaiting his second trial.
353
00:20:24,473 --> 00:20:26,683
This time on federal RICO charges.
354
00:20:27,184 --> 00:20:30,020
RICO is the worst law
they ever put on the books.
355
00:20:30,103 --> 00:20:33,690
It's Racketeering Influenced
and Corrupt Organizations Act,
356
00:20:33,774 --> 00:20:35,484
and it's an all-encompassing law.
357
00:20:35,567 --> 00:20:37,152
It's very hard to defend.
358
00:20:37,736 --> 00:20:39,696
[narrator] Excuses are for losers.
359
00:20:39,780 --> 00:20:41,740
You still have a business to run.
360
00:20:42,449 --> 00:20:45,661
That will take a firm hand
and impeccable judgment.
361
00:20:46,328 --> 00:20:48,455
{\an8}Wise guys
aren't the best people in the world.
362
00:20:49,081 --> 00:20:51,041
A lot of people have their own agendas.
363
00:20:51,667 --> 00:20:54,836
When someone has the boss's ear,
they could bring them anything,
364
00:20:55,504 --> 00:20:56,588
and that's a problem.
365
00:20:58,507 --> 00:21:00,509
[narrator] To stay connected in prison,
366
00:21:00,592 --> 00:21:03,387
Gotti relies
on a small group of lieutenants.
367
00:21:03,971 --> 00:21:07,808
His most trusted messenger
is Angelo "Quack Quack" Ruggiero,
368
00:21:08,475 --> 00:21:11,186
known for his duck-like waddle
and big mouth.
369
00:21:12,479 --> 00:21:14,898
Angelo comes to Gotti with urgent news
370
00:21:15,941 --> 00:21:18,944
that another capo,
Robert "DiB" DiBernardo,
371
00:21:19,027 --> 00:21:22,322
the undisputed porn king
of the underworld,
372
00:21:22,406 --> 00:21:25,284
has been talking smack about the boss.
373
00:21:25,367 --> 00:21:27,160
[Sammy] You'd have to be
a complete imbecile
374
00:21:27,244 --> 00:21:29,871
to be talking about a boss
behind his back.
375
00:21:30,497 --> 00:21:34,918
He's got the ultimate power
over your life, whether you live or die.
376
00:21:35,502 --> 00:21:39,589
[narrator] Gotti has heard enough.
DiB needs to be rubbed out.
377
00:21:41,508 --> 00:21:46,471
Back at home, Quack Quack calls
Sammy Gravano to relay the order.
378
00:21:48,682 --> 00:21:52,894
Sammy invites DiB to his office
to discuss construction projects.
379
00:21:54,271 --> 00:21:59,192
Once DiB arrives, Sammy asks an associate
to get their guest a cup of coffee.
380
00:22:01,028 --> 00:22:02,154
It's a signal.
381
00:22:03,405 --> 00:22:07,868
And thus, the demise
of the porn king comes prematurely.
382
00:22:11,496 --> 00:22:14,041
While normally mob hits
are taken in stride,
383
00:22:14,750 --> 00:22:15,959
this one is different.
384
00:22:16,460 --> 00:22:19,463
[Michael] It's a hit that shouldn't
have been ordered. DiB's a good guy.
385
00:22:19,546 --> 00:22:21,882
He made a lot of money,
and he was doing well,
386
00:22:21,965 --> 00:22:23,425
and he was well-liked.
387
00:22:24,259 --> 00:22:26,678
Why's this guy getting killed?
What did he do?
388
00:22:27,512 --> 00:22:30,932
[narrator] Later, Sammy Gravano
would find the likely answer.
389
00:22:31,433 --> 00:22:36,688
Angelo, before he makes up this story
about DiB talking behind John's back,
390
00:22:36,772 --> 00:22:39,191
had borrowed 250,000 from him.
391
00:22:39,775 --> 00:22:42,069
When he gets hit,
he just wipes that debt out.
392
00:22:42,903 --> 00:22:44,905
He never talked behind John's back.
393
00:22:46,698 --> 00:22:50,285
The whole hit completely turned me off.
He was a good friend.
394
00:22:51,203 --> 00:22:53,003
[Michael] You know,
that's a treacherous life.
395
00:22:53,038 --> 00:22:56,333
Dissension is created, uh,
396
00:22:56,416 --> 00:22:59,461
and mistrust is created
when something like that happens.
397
00:22:59,544 --> 00:23:03,340
Now, your own men are questioning that
and worried about themselves.
398
00:23:03,423 --> 00:23:05,300
You know? What, am I next?
399
00:23:06,426 --> 00:23:09,346
[narrator] That's what happens
when you take your eye off the ball.
400
00:23:10,097 --> 00:23:13,475
You get a crew full of killers
doubting your leadership.
401
00:23:13,558 --> 00:23:16,978
And yet,
Gotti's worst mistake is still to come,
402
00:23:17,604 --> 00:23:21,191
failing to follow the playbook's
most basic commandment of all.
403
00:23:27,906 --> 00:23:30,575
The code in the American Mafia is silence.
404
00:23:30,659 --> 00:23:32,452
Don't talk about
a murder that's committed.
405
00:23:32,536 --> 00:23:34,746
Don't talk on your phones.
Don't talk indoors.
406
00:23:34,830 --> 00:23:36,373
Don't talk in your car.
407
00:23:36,456 --> 00:23:38,583
Everything's about
keeping your mouth shut.
408
00:23:38,667 --> 00:23:39,918
[shushes]
409
00:23:40,001 --> 00:23:43,588
[narrator] The Mafia calls
this code Omerta.
410
00:23:45,882 --> 00:23:47,843
{\an8}[Micheal] When you take
the oath of Omerta,
411
00:23:47,926 --> 00:23:51,096
{\an8}you're taking an oath to never admit
that the life ever exists
412
00:23:51,179 --> 00:23:52,339
and to never betray the life.
413
00:23:52,389 --> 00:23:53,473
That's the oath.
414
00:23:53,557 --> 00:23:55,600
I tell ya I don't know anything about...
415
00:23:56,393 --> 00:24:02,399
{\an8}For a mafioso to break Omerta
is tantamount to betraying your family,
416
00:24:02,482 --> 00:24:04,122
{\an8}everything you know, everything you love.
417
00:24:05,193 --> 00:24:06,945
[narrator] But as for John Gotti,
418
00:24:07,028 --> 00:24:10,157
he was never great
at keeping his thoughts to himself,
419
00:24:10,824 --> 00:24:13,493
even while standing trial
on his RICO case.
420
00:24:13,994 --> 00:24:18,748
He goes into the court the next day.
He's smug. He's smiling. He's waving.
421
00:24:19,583 --> 00:24:21,418
He knows he ain't going to jail
on this case.
422
00:24:22,002 --> 00:24:23,795
[John] He starts setting odds.
423
00:24:23,879 --> 00:24:26,840
"I'll bet you three to one,
I beat this case or that case,"
424
00:24:26,923 --> 00:24:28,758
knowing we're getting to the jurors.
425
00:24:29,551 --> 00:24:30,760
[narrator] Well, he was right.
426
00:24:31,636 --> 00:24:35,932
[newscaster] The man they say is the boss
of the nation's most powerful Mafia family
427
00:24:36,016 --> 00:24:39,311
was today found not guilty
of racketeering and conspiracy.
428
00:24:39,394 --> 00:24:43,940
[narrator] With each acquittal,
the Teflon Don's legend grew even larger.
429
00:24:44,649 --> 00:24:49,404
He starts inviting people
to come to his trials. Movie stars.
430
00:24:54,367 --> 00:24:57,078
It brings more notoriety to him.
It legitimizes him.
431
00:24:57,996 --> 00:25:00,081
And it's getting turned around
on the government
432
00:25:00,165 --> 00:25:04,294
that John Gotti is an innocent guy
that works for a plumbing company.
433
00:25:04,377 --> 00:25:07,464
And they don't like him
because he's in the public's eye.
434
00:25:08,757 --> 00:25:13,178
[Renee] The government was jealous of him
because he was winning.
435
00:25:13,887 --> 00:25:15,305
{\an8}A vendetta's a vendetta.
436
00:25:15,805 --> 00:25:17,557
{\an8}Doesn't matter where it comes from.
437
00:25:17,641 --> 00:25:19,851
It comes from the good side,
it comes from the bad side,
438
00:25:19,935 --> 00:25:22,187
at the end of the day,
they're gonna get your ass.
439
00:25:22,771 --> 00:25:25,440
[narrator] Sounds like a great time
to quiet things down,
440
00:25:25,941 --> 00:25:29,694
but then he wouldn't be John Gotti,
would he?
441
00:25:32,113 --> 00:25:36,660
[Ed] Gotti was talking very freely
with countless members,
442
00:25:36,743 --> 00:25:40,247
leaders of the Gambino crime family,
about their criminal activities.
443
00:25:41,498 --> 00:25:44,918
He was talking about the structure
of Cosa Nostra, past hits,
444
00:25:45,001 --> 00:25:47,003
guys that he was contemplating hitting.
445
00:25:47,796 --> 00:25:51,383
The FBI is able to bug an apartment
where Gotti would have meetings.
446
00:25:52,342 --> 00:25:54,553
He assumed the apartment was safe,
447
00:25:55,387 --> 00:25:56,513
and it wasn't.
448
00:25:58,139 --> 00:26:00,725
[Ed] If he just stopped
and used common sense,
449
00:26:00,809 --> 00:26:03,311
he would say,
"I'm running a real risk here."
450
00:26:04,813 --> 00:26:06,398
"I am gonna bring myself down."
451
00:26:07,315 --> 00:26:09,693
"And I'm going to bring
the entire family down."
452
00:26:10,735 --> 00:26:13,822
[Gotti] Anytime you got a partner
who don't agree with us, we kill him.
453
00:26:14,322 --> 00:26:16,449
You go to the boss,
and the boss kills 'em.
454
00:26:16,533 --> 00:26:21,663
You tell this punk, I, me, John Gotti,
will sever your... [bleep] ...head off.
455
00:26:21,746 --> 00:26:22,831
You... [bleep].
456
00:26:24,207 --> 00:26:27,335
[narrator] Thanks to extensive wiretaps
and other surveillance,
457
00:26:27,419 --> 00:26:30,338
the FBI and federal prosecutors
gather enough evidence
458
00:26:30,422 --> 00:26:35,135
to indict John Gotti, Sammy the Bull,
and consigliere Frank LoCascio
459
00:26:35,218 --> 00:26:36,511
on RICO charges.
460
00:26:36,595 --> 00:26:39,264
Now, they just need to wrap them up.
461
00:26:40,432 --> 00:26:42,684
On December 11th, 1990,
462
00:26:42,767 --> 00:26:44,519
agents spot Gotti, Gravano,
463
00:26:44,603 --> 00:26:48,440
and other Gambino soldiers
arriving for a meeting at the Ravenite.
464
00:26:49,608 --> 00:26:51,776
They swarm in expecting a fight,
465
00:26:52,819 --> 00:26:55,614
but instead receive a cordial welcome.
466
00:26:56,906 --> 00:26:58,867
Gotti's not worried.
467
00:26:58,950 --> 00:27:01,161
He's the Teflon Don after all.
468
00:27:02,621 --> 00:27:06,625
After enjoying a delightful beverage,
Gotti takes his leave.
469
00:27:07,250 --> 00:27:09,252
He's sure he'll be back soon,
470
00:27:10,295 --> 00:27:11,963
until an agent tells him,
471
00:27:12,505 --> 00:27:15,342
"You shouldn't have talked so much
in that woman's apartment."
472
00:27:18,178 --> 00:27:21,514
[Sammy] It must have dawned on him
he was in deep shit.
473
00:27:22,140 --> 00:27:26,102
He knew he fucked up big time.
474
00:27:26,186 --> 00:27:30,315
[narrator] Having now defied
the Mafia's most sacred code,
475
00:27:30,398 --> 00:27:34,402
Gotti's loose lips
will lead to one last karmic twist.
476
00:27:35,612 --> 00:27:38,990
[Ed] John Gotti was being critical
of Gravano on wiretaps.
477
00:27:39,532 --> 00:27:43,370
He was concerned Gravano was taking up
too much power for himself,
478
00:27:43,453 --> 00:27:45,330
too much authority, asserting himself
479
00:27:45,413 --> 00:27:48,083
in a way that was more substantial
than Gotti liked.
480
00:27:48,166 --> 00:27:51,753
Gravano saw this
as Gotti being a dry snitch.
481
00:27:51,836 --> 00:27:53,004
He wasn't ratting on him,
482
00:27:53,088 --> 00:27:55,590
but in case somebody was listening,
he was ratting on him.
483
00:27:57,050 --> 00:28:01,262
You don't have to call John Gotti a rat,
but that's a fucking rat move.
484
00:28:02,013 --> 00:28:03,348
I was brokenhearted.
485
00:28:03,431 --> 00:28:05,892
We were attached at the hip.
486
00:28:05,975 --> 00:28:08,937
We went into a war, took over a family.
487
00:28:09,020 --> 00:28:10,355
People were killed.
488
00:28:10,939 --> 00:28:12,399
I killed people for you.
489
00:28:13,441 --> 00:28:15,610
I rigged cases for you.
490
00:28:15,694 --> 00:28:19,197
I said, "Fuck the Mafia. Fuck John Gotti."
491
00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:23,993
And I reached out
to the government to change sides.
492
00:28:24,077 --> 00:28:27,122
My allegiance
wasn't going to be to him or the Mafia.
493
00:28:27,205 --> 00:28:29,332
To me, the code was gone.
494
00:28:29,916 --> 00:28:31,710
It was gone. It was over.
495
00:28:33,837 --> 00:28:35,588
[narrator] Thanks to Sammy's testimony,
496
00:28:36,464 --> 00:28:40,051
John Gotti finally paid the price
for rejecting the playbook
497
00:28:40,135 --> 00:28:41,386
and going rogue.
498
00:28:42,804 --> 00:28:44,472
[newscaster] The feds finally did it.
499
00:28:44,556 --> 00:28:48,768
They took down America's
most notorious Mafia boss since Al Capone.
500
00:28:48,852 --> 00:28:52,605
Charges of murder, gambling,
and racketeering finally stuck
501
00:28:52,689 --> 00:28:55,316
to the flashy, flamboyant John Gotti.
502
00:28:56,025 --> 00:28:59,863
[narrator] In the end, Gotti did achieve
the attention he always wanted.
503
00:28:59,946 --> 00:29:02,073
He was the best guy around.
504
00:29:02,157 --> 00:29:03,837
[woman] What about the people he murdered?
505
00:29:03,867 --> 00:29:05,427
- What murder?
- They say he murdered...
506
00:29:05,452 --> 00:29:09,372
[Lou] I think John Gotti represented
people's frustrations with the government.
507
00:29:09,873 --> 00:29:12,333
How the government's
always nickel-and-diming you,
508
00:29:13,042 --> 00:29:15,503
and John Gotti's fighting the government.
509
00:29:16,463 --> 00:29:19,716
[narrator] But the Dapper Don's reward
for doing things his way
510
00:29:19,799 --> 00:29:22,343
was a reign that lasted just six years
511
00:29:22,844 --> 00:29:25,638
and a lonely death
in prison from throat cancer.
512
00:29:26,181 --> 00:29:30,143
Basically, Gotti was an example
of how not to be a mob boss.
513
00:29:31,895 --> 00:29:33,188
[Sammy] If you want fame,
514
00:29:33,271 --> 00:29:36,065
go become a fucking actor
or whatever you want to be,
515
00:29:36,775 --> 00:29:38,485
but don't be a mob boss.
516
00:29:38,568 --> 00:29:41,529
[siren wailing]
517
00:29:42,697 --> 00:29:44,978
[narrator] Now that you've seen
the wrong path to building
518
00:29:45,033 --> 00:29:46,659
an enduring criminal career,
519
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,412
let's refocus
our attention on the right one.
520
00:29:52,081 --> 00:29:55,001
Our next chapter will show
how with unfailing discipline
521
00:29:55,084 --> 00:29:56,336
and the right priorities,
522
00:29:56,419 --> 00:30:00,965
you can preserve your power
and your freedom for the long haul.
523
00:30:02,300 --> 00:30:05,261
Nobody tackled
this challenge as creatively
524
00:30:05,345 --> 00:30:08,848
as Boston's most legendary mob boss,
Whitey Bulger,
525
00:30:09,557 --> 00:30:13,686
whose ruthless attention to detail
charted his path to infamy
526
00:30:13,770 --> 00:30:17,899
and then pulled
a disappearing act for the ages.
527
00:30:19,526 --> 00:30:21,528
[theme music playing]