October 27, 1940 - John Joseph Gotti is born in the Bronx, New York. John had twelve brothers and sisters, two of whom passed away at birth. Gotti’s family had come to America from Naples, Italy. The Gotti family grew up very poor. John and his brothers saw their father struggling, all 5 of them would go on to become mobsters.
1954 - Fourteen year old John crushes his toes trying to steal a cement mixer. This incident gave John a permanent hopping style limp in his step. The limp appeared to be more of a strut, and actually added to Gotti’s persona.
1956 - John drops out of Franklin Lane High School and never pursues education again. John had barely attended school for many years. When he did show up to school, he was regularly in fights. John and his brothers all resented their father for not being able to provide for his family, and had no desire to go down a legitimate road.
March 6, 1962 - Gotti marries Victoria “Vicky” DiGiorgio. The couple would go on to have five kids. John makes attempts to hold legitimate jobs during this time, working in a coat factory and as a truck driver. Despites his attempts to go straight, Gotti is always lured back in and his criminal activity escalates over the next several years.
December 1, 1967 - The 27 year old hoodlum is arrested for hijacking a truck filled with goods. By this time, Gotti had graduated from a street gangster to a full fledged associate of the Gambino Family, as a part of capo Carmine Fatico’s crew.
February 1968 - The FBI arrests and charges John Gotti for truck hijacking again, which had become his new career in the 60s. That same year, he was arrested once more and sent to prison this time. In an embarrassment to Gotti, his wife was forced to collect welfare during his incarceration.
1972 - Gotti is paroled and resumes his criminal activities. Although he wasn’t even a made man, John Gotti was made acting capo after Carmine Fatico goes to prison for loan sharking. Gotti was now reporting directly to Gambino underboss Neil Dellacroce. Neil became Gotti’s full time mentor.
May 22, 1973 - James McBratney is killed inside of a Staten Island bar by Gotti and two associates. It was a sloppy hit by mafia standards and not one that he was going to get away with. McBratney’s crime was kidnapping and murdering the nephew of Carlo Gambino earlier that year.
June 3, 1974 - Gotti is arrested for the McBratney hit and ends up serving 4 years after pleading to a manslaughter charge. It was worth it for Gotti as he gained favor with Carlo Gambino and the family hierarchy.
1975 - Gotti was involved in the killing of Vito Borelli, a Gambino Family associate who was openly badmouthing Paul Castellano. Gotti’s involvement was not known until decades later when one of his accomplices, future Bonanno boss Joey Massino became a government witness.
October 15, 1976 - Carlo Gamino dies of natural causes. In an unpopular move, Gambino names his cousin Paul Castellano as the new boss, shunning his longtime underboss Neil Dellacroce. Dellacroce was far more respected by the soldiers and captains than Paul.
November 24 1976 - After a tense month with rumors of a war between the Dellacroce and Castellano factions, the two sides have a sit down. Castellano was confirmed as boss, and chose to keep Dellacroce as underboss. Gotti is furious but kept in line by Dellacroce, who was a stickler for mafia rules.
July 1977 - After quietly serving his prison sentence, Gotti is released. He is quickly inducted into the Gambinos as an officially made man. This despite the fact that him and Castellano seemed to have tension from the very beginning. Gotti was a big earner who had killed for the family and done his time with honor.
December 1978 - John Gotti is one of the mobsters who assisted on the infamous Lufthansa Heist. He only had a secondary role but Gotti walked away with $200,000. This is the same heist that Henry Hill and Jimmy Burke were involved in, and made famous in the movie Goodfellas.
March 8, 1980 - Frank Gotti, John’s 12 year old son is hit by a car and killed by neighbor John Favara. It was a tragic accident and likely one that Favara would have had a very difficult time avoiding, as Frank suddenly appeared from around the corner on a bike. Both John and Vicky blamed Favara, who for some reason didn’t immediately leave the neighborhood.
July 28, 1980 - After months of death threats and even being attacked by Vicky once, John Favara disappeared never to be seen again. Gotti and wife were conveniently in Florida at the time. Gotti had gone through fellow Gambino member Sammy “The Bull” Gravano to arrange the hit. Rumors are that Gotti had Favara held until he came back, and then tortured and killed him personally.
January 10, 1983 - Gambino capo Roy DeMeo was found killed and stuffed in the trunk of his car. This was very significant because Roy was Paul’s top hitman, and leader of the only crew that Gotti would be afraid to go to war with. It was Castellano who ordered the hit, after getting tied to an international car theft and murder ring that DeMeo was running.
August 1983 - John’s brother Gene Gotti and Angelo Ruggiero are arrested for heroin trafficking. Ruggiero was caught on wiretaps and Paul Castellano demanded copies of these tapes. Gotti would buy time and luckily Castellano would become too distracted by his own legal battles to wage war on the Gotti crew.
September 1984 - A refrigerator mechanic named Romual Piecyk angrily confronts Gotti in Queens street about being double parked. Gotti proceeded to pummel Piecyk in the middle of a busy street. Piecyk presses charges and Gotti is charged with assault and robbery, having no idea who it was that just beat him up.
March 28, 1985 - Dellacroce, Gotti and several of his Bergin Hunt & Fish crew are charged with racketeering. One of the defendants was Gotti’s childhood friend Willie Boy Johnson, who was exposed as an FBI informant. Gotti made a vow to Willie Boy that if he didn’t testify all would be forgiven and he wouldn’t be killed.
December 2, 1985 - Gambino underboss and Gotti mentor Neil Dellacroce dies after battling brain cancer. Dellacroce was the only thing keeping the tension between Castellano and Gotti in check. Castellano angered many of his own family by not attending Neil’s services, a move that was the last straw for Gotti.
December 15, 1985 - Paul Castellano and his newly appointed underboss Tommy Billotti are gunned down and killed in front of Sparks’ Steakhouse in Manhattan. The hit becomes front page news and Gotti is the main suspect. Castellano may have been too distracted by his legal troubles, he was facing two trials for the DeMeo car theft ring and also the commission case at the time of his death.
December 24, 1985 - In a meeting of all Gambino captains and hierarchy, Gotti is officially made new boss. No one in the room questioned him about the death of Big Paul. He named Frank DeCicco, the man who set Castellano up, as his underboss. Longtime consigliere Joe “Piney” Armone retained his position as consigliere for the time being.
March 25, 1986 - After finding out who John Gotti was, Piecyk simply refused to identify Gotti in court, which he had done earlier. Piecyk was paralyzed with fear and took his chances with perjury. Gotti was acquitted of all charges and continues to make front page news. The headline on the front of the New York Post read “I Forgotti!”.
April 13, 1986 - Underboss Frank DeCicco was killed by a car bomb blast that was meant to kill Gotti as well. The bombing was set up by Lucchese Family boss Vic Amuso and underboss Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso. The reason was revenge for the unsanctioned hit on Castellano and Billotti.
June 5, 1986 - One of the highest earning members of the Gambinos, Robert “DB” DiBernardo is killed. It was reported that DB was talking “subversive” about Gotti. Gotti had Gravano carry out the hit, and later blamed Gravano for the incident on a FBI wiretap.
September 25, 1986 - John Gotti and the other Bergin crew members go on trial for racketeering. The tainted case was prosecuted by District Attorney Diane Giacolone. Gotti’s attorney Bruce Cutler railed against the prosecution and claimed there was a government plot in action to bring down Gotti.
March 13, 1987 - Gotti and crew are acquitted on all charges in his racketeering trial. It would later be revealed that juror George Pape had been bought off for $60,000. He would get a five year sentence for obstructing justice. The headlines were now referring to Gotti as “The Teflon Don”.
January 1988 - In a move that would later contribute to his downfall, Gotti sets up shop at the Ravenite Social Club on Mulberry Street. He would require his captains to pay tribute weekly at the Ravenite. Sammy Gravano advised Gotti against using the Ravenite, only to be dismissed by Gotti.
August 29, 1988 - Willie Boy Johnson is shot 19 times in front of his home as he was about to leave for work. Johnson had made the tragic mistake of trusting Gotti’s word that he wouldn’t seek revenge for being an informant. The hit was done by notorious Bonanno hitman Tommy “Karate” Pitera.
December 24, 1988 - John Gotti Jr. is officially inducted as a made man in the Gambino Family. In less than two years he was made a capo. Most of the old Gambino members felt like Gotti Jr. was not worthy of the lofty status, but they weren’t about to approach Gotti Sr. with such an observation.
January 23, 1989 - Gotti is arrested right outside the Ravenite and charged for ordering the shooting of labor union official John O’Connor. O’Connor had been causing lot of trouble for a Gambino backed restaurant. Gotti then hired the notorious Westies to pay him a visit and “bust him up”.
October 4, 1990 - Gambino soldier Louis DiBono is shot three times and killed in the underground parking garage of The World Trade Center. DiBono had big problems with Sammy Gravano, but what got him killed was not reporting to a meeting with Gotti. Gotti admitted this on wiretap.
December 11, 1990 - Gotti tells agents “bet you 3 to 1 odds I beat this” after being arrested and charged with five murders, racketeering and a host of other charges including jury tampering. Also charged were Sammy “The Bull” Gravano and Frank Locascio.
November 13, 1991 - In a shocking development, Gotti’s underboss Sammy The Bull makes a deal with the FBI to testify as a government witness. Gravano felt betrayed by Gotti disparaging him on the undercover FBI tapes. Gotti also blamed him for the murders of DiBernardo and DiBono. At this time, it was the highest ranking mafiosi to ever cooperate.
March 2, 1992 - Gravano is called to the stand to begin several days of testimony. He gives detailed recounts of the Castellano hit along with others. Gravano shocked spectators by confessing to his involvement in 19 murders. This would be only the beginning of Gravano’s time as a witness. He went on to many other trials including testifying against Vincent “The Chin” Gigante.
April 2, 1992 - Gotti and family consigliere Locascio are found guilty on all but one lesser charge. Both were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Both men received a $250,000 fine.
September 26, 1994 - For his cooperation, Sammy Gravano was only sentenced to 5 years in prison. He was released later that year for time served and went into the Witness Protection Program with his family. The families of Sammy’s 19 victims were rightfully appalled by and protested his release.
1996 - The imprisoned boss is beaten up by another inmate, Walter Johnson. Gotti unsuccessfully puts out a contract on Johnson’s life. Johnson was transferred to another prison shortly afterwards, but it may have been doubtful that his life was actually in danger. Gotti tried, but no one was taking the contract. The beating must have been a rude wakeup call to the aging gangster.
1997 - An FBI raid on the home of John Gotti Jr. produces a typed list he had made of all Gambino Family members. Gotti Sr. was furious with his son but took no disciplinary action. The other families and the media ridiculed Gotti Jr. for his amateur behavior. This incident killed what little respect Gotti Jr. had within the mafia.
1998 - John Gotti is diagnosed with throat cancer. He would have surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, only to see the cancer return later. He spent a good portion of his last few years in the prison hospital.
1999 - John Gotti Jr., the acting boss of the Gambino Family is sent to prison for a six year prison sentence. Jr. had taken a plea much to the dismay of his father. Gotti Sr. reacted by putting his brother Peter Gotti in charge. It was widely known in the Gambino Family that Peter was less talented, but the move was only to keep John’s power intact.
February 2000 - Gravano, his wife Debra, son Gerard and daughter Karen are all arrested on charges related to running an ecstacy ring in Arizona. Sammy is given a 20 year sentence. Gerard got 9 years, Debra and Karen got probation.
October 17, 2001 - The last photo taken of John Gotti show the physical deterioration he was experiencing.
June 10, 2002 - The infamous Teflon Don loses his battle against cancer. He died in a prison hospital in Springfield, Missouri where had quietly spent the last of his days. Gotti was buried right next to his son Frank.