For those of you who have met him - what was about John Gotti, that made him so likeable as people describe it, even though some say he was a monster. What is the fascination with him? I recently watched the movie with Travolta, and I actually couldn't see nothing so special about him if he was portrayed right.

Lol? Someones met him? On the boards? Maybe only Bronx....

I'll say this, I dont personally know anyone who met him, and people talk shit about John, but every mobster who's come in contact with the guy and told his story, .......like they ALL pretty much respected him.

I'm pretty sure there were PLENTY that hated his guts, but I think John was widely respected. At least, before all the publicity...

Also, I read somewhere, that Gotti was expected because he always kept his word..

I wouldnt say everyone liked him lol. I mean even his own crew would get fed up sometimes.

I didn't knowed him but I can say that the elegant and expensive clothes, the fact that he made a lot of money besides of course the charm of the criminal was the reasons because more think that Gotti was irresistible.

There is no doubt the guy had charm and the ladies love him. I mean the guy had Sandy Grillo and Lisa Gastieau as mistresses so in that regard he did pretty well. But i think the negatives outweigh the positives. I mean to me he was just a egotistical murderer/criminal. Within mob circles im sure many respected him as a tough guy gangster. But many also saw his flaws. He was a degenerate gambler which is part of the reason his crew had to resort to drug dealing. Whether he dealt drugs is up for debate but he clearly knew about which meant he couldnt control his crew. Obviously he didnt know how to do any other racket besides loansharking and hijacking. Most of all his flash really made them a easy target.

he kept his word alright, not his oath ,fucking and giving a baby to a made guys wife, killing the boss among some of the minor things gotti did,

Mother of christ do we really need another thread about john gotti.... idk what on earth anyone could wanna know that isnt already out there about him... i loved this board when i joined but fuck me i cant take the john gotti/ castellano questions anymore... it may be time to take up basket weaving as a hobby..

Ok end of rant, havent had my morning coffee, carry on discussing Gottis fav pasta sauce or if he wore boxers or briefs

oh i agree with you. Originally i was gonna rant too. But i tried to keep my composure. There are so many more interesting figures that are never discussed

No wonder ur not around anymore...ur ab-so- motherf-ckin'-lutley correct though..good 2 see u post again ,also ..true about the board..its not the same as when I started ..& I'm only a few yrs. old here....

We lost a lot of great old school posters too.

I figured ud agree w me pal, youre one of the good ones... hope youre doin well... im trying to get on here more just been crazy busy

It's important to separate what the public thought about Gotti vs. fellow Mobsters. The public was fascinated by him because of his ultra-high profile: the suits, the shoes, the cars, the comments to the media--exactly what they were hoping for iin their idealized view of a Mafia boss. He was so different from the elderly, reclusive bosses like Gambino--Gotti satisfied their need to see the Mafia as some mystical society. They also like it that he "beat the system" with his acquittals. What his fellow Mobsters thought of him is probably another story. They probably hated his high profile because it brought unwanted attention to the working stiffs in the Mob. His own people probably disliked having to wait on him hand and foot, showing up at his beck and call, putting up with his bragging, etc.

I don't think it was the likable part..More Mystic and Security he gave to his community..Older people would feel very safe around his club. As long as you had no dealings with him, You were fine..lol. They loved his 4th of July Parties. They loved the way he thumbed his nose at law enforcement not so much the beat cop but the Feds..I think now we can say it's "The Trump mentality" to a point. I'm the Boss,Ya have a problem with that...?

I'm sure Gotti regretted not getting around to taking advantage of all his fan boys in the civilian world. There just wasn't enough time.

Im sure he did. Listening to his prison tapes is good for a laugh. First he says "i dont need fans" then the next minute he says "Its a honor for people to say hello to a person like me" lol

LMFAO





AGREE



RIGHT,, because if anyone had something to offer of substance there was a bunch of raptors who chewed them up and harassed to no end resulting in exits.



LMFAO, FUNNY AND TRUE.

For guys to say he was a future boss his charisma and alpha male persona must’ve been insane. The sit down with franZese sums the guy up, could never look bad. But then again I think one drunken night bobby glasses once slapped him in an argument if i remember correctly and he didn’t whack him.. must’ve been close probably

And then years later when gotti is long gone his niece testified against bobby glasses re a 30 year old murder in some bar. Crazy story that, bet he weren’t expecting to be lifed off on some stupid murder he done when he was drunk and young! After all the other murders and Mafia stuff he must’ve done over the years he gets life on some BS young crap

I think Gotti must have had a lot of charisma to people who met him in person, a thing none of us has experienced. He was well respected in prison and seems to have been a leader there, going by what we see in old photos. In Howard Beach, a middle-class area he was liked and loved by many neighbors. In Ozone park, more working class and poor he was well liked, and in all these examples we have to include his days before becoming boss. He had to have been liked by other mafia members to get made, and to stick around so long and though everything. Him and Joe Merlino have that in common. The mention of either one of their names also seems to trigger anger in a handful of people. A photo posted of Merlino is often enough to set people off.

Its not anger people are just being brutally honest. Its a good thing that many didnt buy into their bullshit. Charisma and flash doesnt make you respected. Both were idiots in the way they handled being a boss. Gotti obviously had a high opinion for himself. I dont think Joey was that bad in that regard although he didnt blabber as much as gotti.

The people who liked him were honest too, there is a reason they liked and in many cases admired him. This includes people from all walks of life. It can't be without him being charismatic and likable.

Well to fair be many others "from all walks of life" didnt like him for the reasons i stated. Só yeah some did like him and some didnt.

The 4th of July parties weren't out of benevolence for the "neighborhood", it was part of a perfectly orchestrated PR campaign to get people on his side against the Feds. It's common knowledge that nothing came out of his own pocket, it came out of the proceeds of organised crime and drug dealing and extortion from his own "people".

He was never caught dealing drugs, and the parties dated back years before he was known to the public, so it was not a PR gimmick. He never extorted his own people, whatever you mean by that.

I would've thought it was common knowledge to anybody with a cursory interest in the mob that Gotti's crew were heavy into drug deals and financing drug deals. Gene Gotti, Junior, his grandsons all deal/dealt drugs.

It's also being confirmed that the 4th of July parties, again financed with drug money and not out of Gotti's pocket, were done not out of benevolence, but to influence criminal elements against the government and Feds.

Just like it's being confirmed in myriad sources that Gotti had people orchestrating the riots outside the courthouse after his sentence.

I mean, if you have proof to the contrary I would love to hear it and will retract what I said.

I don't think any of them are truly likeable. If I had to call any of them likeable, it would be lower key gangsters like the Chin or Frank Costello. Men who didn't flaunt their power, but people who needed to know knew it was real.

Well he damn well knew his crew was dealing drugs and he was profiting from it. Plus the main reason the crew had to resort to drug dealing was because gotti pissed away their profits because he was a degenerate gambler. Also the 4th of July parties were for HIS benefit. Having the neighborhood on your side to give you info on cops/fbi watching him was his goal. So lets not proclaim him a saint just yet lol

Yup.