[Article taken from CourtTv.com Headlines]
Former New York mob boss Gotti returned to Missouri prison after hospitalization


SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Former New York mob boss John Gotti was back in solitary confinement Monday despite an attempt by his attorneys to keep him hospitalized.

Lawyers for Gotti, who is in the advanced stages of throat cancer, went to court Monday to stop his return to the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield.

But Gotti was sent back to the prison before a hearing could be scheduled, said Lewis Kasman, a longtime family friend.

The reason for the move was not clear, although Gotti had been advised of his "imminent transfer" back to prison, Kasman said.

Prison officials referred calls to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Kansas City. Spokesman Chris Whitley said he had not seen the application from Gotti's lawyers and could not comment on it.

Gotti's attorneys referred calls to Kasman. 0 The hearing application they filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield said Gotti's health would be jeopardized if he was released because the treatment he was receiving from St. John's Regional Health Center's oncology department could not be duplicated at the prison.

"He needs medical attention, not solitary confinement," Kasman said.

Gotti, 60, was taken from his prison cell after his condition worsened Aug. 7. He was treated for complications from terminal cancer of the head, neck and throat.

Once known as the Teflon Don after a series of courtroom acquittals, Gotti was sentenced to life in prison by a federal jury in 1992. The conviction was due in part to recorded conversations and the testimony of mob turncoat Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano.

That takes the piss. Ok he still runs things but come on solitary confinment is going too far.

Couldn't he get a "presidential pardon"????

My big question is when he dies who will run the family and if there will be an internal war. Right now they are ranked as 2nd biggest family having been the biggest for over 30 years. Genovesse family is now arguably the biggest.

Actually, if Gambino is the second biggest, it's because the other three families (Bonanno, Colombo and Lucchese) are small and insignificant at this point, because Gambino has taken a thorough beating from the government and ny intelligence division. With acting boss John A. "Junior" Gotti arrested and in prison until 2004, and John Gotti Sr. about to die and terminally incarcerated, it's been reported that acting boss position has been passed over to Peter Gotti - the only brother not in prison (Gene Gotti was imprisoned for 25 years in 1989).
The profit Gambino was making in 1985 until Paul Castellano was estimated to be over $500m a year, while now it struggles to pull of 50$m. The size as decreased to 800-1000 made men to about 180-250. Carmine Agnello, husband to Victoria Gotti, was recently put in prison on RICO charges, he was a capo who made much of the family's money.

Moving this to Mafia/Real Life category...

I thought that since he knew he had cancer he would decide on a "next leader" himself, much like Don Vito did, and Don Carlo Gambino did when he appointed his cousin Big Paul.

ps: Is there a slight possibility that there might be any other bigger Family that we don't know about because it's not in the news?

Again, John Gotti is the boss, but the acting boss is Peter Gotti (It was junior gotti until 1999). The exact person to follow up after john dies in unclear but it's probably going to be Junior Gotti. Unless someone steps in to save the crumbling Gambino faction.

In our local news paper they wrote last saturday the next part:

Gotti was ruthless and out of fashion within negative way. He was not one strategist like Carlo Gambino who modest and remote the transactions standard. He was willing be a focus of interest. Gotti has the maffia more pity brought then the FBI, thus Nicholas Pileggi, co-writer with GoodFellas, one movie via the maffia-environmental with stage-manager Martin Scorcese.

He was talksick and coquettish. He shovel worn via the he mission until murder he gave ,whilst he themselves willingly wax with the risk who the FBI him tapped him.

[ August 22, 2001: Message edited by: Don_Michel ]

I agree with Don_Michel, Gotti was too young and unseasoned to be boss. The Chin is sorta like Barzini. He's old school. Although he's in jail also, he's smarter than Gotti. And there is no love loss. The chin tried to kill him in a botched car bomb attempt. The Genovesses are the 2nd largest and true its due to the Gambinos declining to 2nd. Everyone is declining since the commission trials.
I don't think some of the rank and file will respect Jr or Gene like they did John. Someone will challenge either of them, whoever gets the nod from John. John probably won't even name a successor, he's that insecure.
The other families may try to move in on some of their profit centers, with the Genovesses being the most likely.
Whomever becomes boss, the commission or what remains of it may even have to approve it.
Not much can happen though, the feds have everyone so scared and so many informants it would be difficult for any large scale wars to occur.

That's a very good obvservations. You're from LA, I read about mafiosi families in Los Angeles being under alot of heat in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Chin originally did the botched hit that failed to kill Frank Costello in the elevator in 1957, if you've seen the miniseries about the Bonnano family, he's the really fat guy who says "this is for you Frank". You wouldnt think its the same guy, because he lost alot of weight afterwards. He was considered sort of dumb, but his ability to evade conviction until 1996 by feigning insanity (or maybe he was nuts, he did run the family in his pajamas!) deserves credit. He's in his late 60s now, and awaits his death in prison unless he survives the 8 years he's got left of his 12 yr sentence.
I sortof feel sorry for Gene, going to prison at 45 for twenty+ years, that's really losing your freedom. He's due out when he'll be nearly 70 if not already so. His friend, Angelo Ruggerio, died of Cancer in 1989 and was therefor not tried for trafficking Babannia (heroin).

I live in LA for the moment but I'm from the east coast. In my opinion, the traditional Italian mafia will get pressured from the Russian mob. They have the money and the balls to take over some of the rackets. Right now, they have partnered with the families on some rackets because they don't know the lay of the land so to speak and out of 'respect'. They have far more money and international contacts also. Eventually, in time ("maybe not now but in ten years"--Hagan) they'll have the power to challenge.
I think the Chin will make a play. Maybe the Luchesse's will chip away at the unions. Tommy Gambino, had a mob marriage to a Luchesse and got the garment industry as a gift. Big Paulie was his 2nd cousin. No love loss for Gotti from him.
Either way, it doesn't look like there is any Gambino out there who has the respect or the brains to bring it back to power after Johnnie is gone. Plus, the smart ones don't want to be boss as you automatically become the fed's #1 target. The smart ones want to do what Tony Soprano did in the fictional series and put a puppet/figurehead (like Uncle Jr) in charge.
The Chin did this for years with Fat Tony Salserno still being seen as the head but in reality he ran everything.

Yeah I agree about putting someone to be in charge for a title. I havent watched the sopranos that much, is Tony the underboss or just a capo? I hear him saying "I run my crew, my way" so it would seem he's a captain. Other time I saw him strangle a snitch and do the dirty work himself. Seems a bit out of character for a high level mobster. Oh well