Peter Gotti

Peter Gotti
Born	October 15, 1939 (1939-10-15) (age 72) The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States
Charge(s)	Attempted extortion, conspiracy, extortion, money laundering
Penalty	Life imprisonment
Status	Incarcerated
Occupation	Caretaker of the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club, Crime boss, Criminal, Gangster, Mafioso, Mobster, Racketeer, Sanitation worker
Spouse	Catherine Gotti (1960-2002, divorced)

Peter Gotti, also known as "One Eyed Pete", "Petey Boy", "One Eye" (born November 15, 1939), is a New York mobster who is the former boss of the Gambino crime family and the older brother of deceased Gambino boss John Gotti.

Background

Peter Gotti was born to John and Fannie Gotti. Peter's brothers included Gambino boss John Gotti, capo Gene Gotti, capo Richard V. Gotti, and soldier Vincent Gotti. Peter is the father of Peter Gotti Jr.. Peter Gotti has a wife Catherine; they live in Howard Beach, Queens. Peter's nickname "One Eye" derives from blindness from glaucoma in one eye.^[1]

Around 1960, at age 21, Peter Gotti started working as an associate for the Gambino family. In 1988, at age 49, the family inducted Peter Gotti as a full member, or made man. John Gotti did not believe his brother Peter had the ability to belong to Cosa Nostra, which may have led to Peter's reputation as "the Dumbest Don." John Gotti designated Peter as caretaker of the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club, and as a driver for John and Gene. In 1989, Peter was promoted to capo.

Like his father, Peter Gotti had a legitimate job as a sanitation worker for the New York City Department of Sanitation. Peter eventually retired from the Sanitation Department with a disability pension after injuring his head against the back end of a garbage truck.^[2] This accident generated many jokes at the Bergin about how the accident occurred to the one part of Peter's anatomy certain to sustain no lasting damage.^{[citation needed]}

Rise to leadership

Despite everyone's low expectations for Peter Gotti, he was soon fulfilling a more important role in the family. When John and Gene Gotti went to prison, Peter started relaying messages from the two leaders to the rest of the family. In 1999, Gambino acting boss John A. Gotti, Peter's nephew was sent to prison and Peter became the new acting boss, with assistance from capos Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo, a former rival of John Gotti and John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico, a longtime Gotti associate. The three mobsters formed a "Committee" which ran the day-to-day operations of the Family. Sometime in late 2001 or early 2002, with official boss John Gotti dying in prison, Peter became the new sitting or official boss.

Conviction and Prison

In June 2002, a few days before his brother John's death, Peter Gotti was indicted on federal racketeering charges. During Peter Gotti's trial, federal prosecutors released information revealing that Peter was having an affair with Marjorie Alexander, a longtime girlfriend. Alexander then publicly acknowledged the liaison and declared her love for Peter. In response, Peter berated Alexander for causing the publicity and broke off all contact with her.^[2] Alexander later committed suicide. During this time Catherine Gotti, Peter's wife of 42 years, filed for divorce.

In 2003, Peter Gotti was convicted of extortion and money laundering activities centered on the Brooklyn and Staten Island waterfronts, and for the attempted extortion of film actor Steven Seagal. Judge Frederic Block of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York also sentenced Gotti to 9 years and 4 months in prison on April 15, 2004 for the money laundering and racketeering charges.^[3] Peter received over 20 years in prison. On December 22, 2004, Peter was convicted of extortion in the construction industry and for plotting to murder government informant and former Gambino underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano.^[4] Judge Richard C. Casey on July 27, 2005 sentenced Gotti to 25 years in prison regarding those charges.^[5]

Peter Gotti is imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Terre Haute, Indiana. His projected release date, if he survives, is May 5, 2032.^[6] During his last trial, lawyers stated that Peter Gotti was blind in one eye and suffered from thyroid goiter, sciatica, emphysema, rheumatoid arthritis, postconcussion syndrome, and depression.^[3]

In July 2011 Gangland writer Jerry Capeci reported that Domenico Cefalu had formally replaced Gotti as official Gambino boss.^[7]

References

1. ^ "NAB NEWEST GAMBINO CRIME BOSS" By JOHN MARZULLI New York Daily News June 5th 2002
2. ^ ^{a b} "The Dumbest Don" by By John Lombardi New York Magazine May 21, 2005
3. ^ ^{a b} Newman, Andy (April 16, 2004). "Gambino Crime Boss or Not, Peter Gotti Gets 9-Year Term". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/16/nyregion/gambino-crime-boss-or-not-peter-gotti-gets-9-year-term.html. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
4. ^ McFadden, Robert D.; Lueck, Thomas J. (December 23, 2004). "Peter Gotti Is Found Guilty In Murder and Racket Case". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E7DC1130F930A15751C1A9629C8B63. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
5. ^ "Mafia boss Peter Gotti sentenced to 25 years". Mail & Guardian. Agence France-Presse. July 28, 2005. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2005-07-28-mafia-boss-peter-gotti-sentenced-to-25-years. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
6. ^ Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
7. ^ John Marzulli (2011-07-29). "Wiseguy Sicilian Domenico Cefalu takes reins of Gambino crime family, once ruled by Gottis". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/the_mob/2011/07/29/2011-07-29_wiseguy_sicilian_the_capo_of_the_gambinos.html. Retrieved July 29, 2011. 

Further reading

• Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti by Gene Mustain & Jerry Capeci in 2002, ISBN 0-02-864416-6.
• Gotti: The Rise & Fall by Jerry Capeci in 1996, ISBN 0-451-40681-8.
• Mafia Dynasty: The Rise & Fall of the Gambino Crime Family by John H. Davis in 1994, ISBN 0-06-109184-7.

Business positions
Preceded by John "Junior" Gotti	Gambino crime family Acting boss 1999–2002	Succeeded by Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri
Preceded by John Gotti	Gambino crime family Boss 2002–2011	Succeeded by Domenico Cefalu

Persondata
Name	Gotti, Peter
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 15, 1939
Place of birth	The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States
Date of death
Place of death