During Johns peak years, just how powerful was he? Did he have enough influence that if any organized crime group who was not approved to do business in his territory would try to do so, he would have made sure they ended up with a death sentence? Im talking about everyone from the United States, Mexico, Russia or South America as examples.

Gambino family was arguably the biggest influence on commission, and then Gotti instantly began to deteriorate that when he became boss

He didn't even have influence over the commission for it to be a guaranteed death sentence for another NY family to do business on his territory or even trying to kill Gotti himself, so it damn sure wasn't one for Mexico, Russia, or South America

I never understand the Sicilian faction never rebelled against Gotti, although that would be a bloodbath.

in 1959 Carlo Gambino took over the Commission until his death from a heart attack on October 15, 1976. The family was on par with the Genoveses as 'boss of bosses' Carlo had the final say.

What boss in the modern 20th century had that power in your opinion?

John Gotti didn't control a borough, no less a city, and that goes for most "godfathers". Maybe Brooklyn at a point in time, but unless you control wholesale drugs with a tax or if not, the gangs distributing with a tax: you control nothing. Also, John Gotti didn't control the Latin Bolita rackets still in place in Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn.

LOL this is the same guy that whacked the Boss of the Gambino crime family to get what he wanted.

If someone invaded his territory and pissed him off, no matter who the fuck they were, they would have been a dead man. That is guaranteed.

Gotti was the most powerful boss in the country for the 5 years he was boss. His guys also loved him and thats a fact.

Gotti inherited an already extremely powerful LCN family. He didn't make
The Gambino Family any stronger than what they were.Love or hate Big Paul
He understood that in order for LCN to continue it had to be operated like
A Fortune 500 company in many ways.

Here's a hypothetical
Let's say Gotti was put in charge of a family on life support like St.Louis or Cleveland in 1985
How well would he have done as boss?
Not too good. Gotti all he knew was how to break heads and gamble till no end
He had no idea how to cultivate a family.
All this horse manure about Gotti being old school and traditional
Yet he broke the number 1 rule or principle about LCN
It's a secret society

Gotti brought unwanted attention and was a easy target for
Surveillance etc etc

You do realize every single mob boss of that era got life in prison? Chin Gigante didnt bring attention walking ariund in a bath robe?
How about Casso and Amuso? How about the Colombo’s ? They all got life and brought attention in their own way.
Gotti may have inherited a strong family but so did Castellano, so did Gigante, so did casso and amuso.

To be fair, Gigante lasted decades before he was finally brought down. And he didn't even get life, he got a mere 12 years If he wasn't already so old, he wouldn't have died in prison. Amuso and Casso caused their own problems, they basically handed themselves to the government, just like Gotti. Gigante's downfall was brought about by a single rat, Peter Savino. If Savino had died sooner, they wouldn't have gotten him when they did.

Gotti was made a public figure by the feds and media, he did not bring it on himself. He never had that much power compared to other bosses, Castellano had more until his last few years.

He wasn’t the most powerful but he certainly was the most high profile. Most of it was his own doing

Gotti was old school Neapolitan, if there wasn't RICO he would have been boss much longer. He ordered the death of many people, but all those guys did that.

It was the media chasing him, not the other way ariound. It was also the FBI, prosecutors, and the police leaking things about him on a daily basis. That was not Gotti's own doing. Maybe you think he was supposed to hide in his home all day and night with the shades drawn.

That's the price of being king of mountain sometimes.
Which is staying in the shadows and ruling things from afar
Buts Gottis ego would never let him do that.
Gotti wanted adulation and acceptance. He enjoyed
His legion of fans. From Anthony Quinn to Anthony the
Cab Driver.
Look at all your great mob bosses in history
Many of them DID NOT WANT TO BE IN THE PUBLIC EYE
They understood the meaning of Omerta

Gotti was influential enough with the Commission to get the Bonannos seated at the table after decades of exile. But, he didn't make the Gambinos any stronger than they were under Big Paul. He was tough and cunning about his own survival and advancement, but he lacked the disclpline and restraint to keep a low profile and focus on building the borgata's wealth and influence in the safer white collar areas. Unlike Castellano, Gotti was a street guy and had the common touch that most of his men liked. But, he wasn't as savvy a businessman as Castellano. As Gravano bragged in "Underboss," "Paul was a racketeer--me and John were gangsters."

Omertà means not being a rat or speaking of the mob. Gotti met both of those criteria. He was chased around by reporters, but never gave an interview. He tried to stay in the shadows most of the time, The FBI or DA's would tip off the media where to find him.

. True

You can't possibly really believe this....

Are you kidding. The media chased him, and they had info from the feds. If you are too ignorant to be aware of it, then do research on it. Start with the time an NBC reporter named John Miller ambushed Gotti and Gravano coming out of what they thought was a secret meeting. Miller had several camera crews outside, every way Gotti and Gravano turned to walk away they had a camera in their faces. There were many other instances. If you can show me a single time Gotti did a newspaper, magazine, or tv interview, show it. Gotti would make one brief remark and keep walling anytime he was approached.

Gotti brought himself down, not RICO. He would've ended up in prison for life even if RICO didn't exist, that's just how lousy of a mobster he was. The current leaders of the Gambino and Genovese Families are going on decades now without being brought down, Crea actually sat in the Lucchese administration for many years before they finally got him, lots of bosses/administration members who came after Gotti outlasted Gotti. Even Massino lasted almost a decade and a half, yet Gotti with his little puny ass 5-year reign somehow remains the most notorious.

. Can’t argue with that

Exactly JCrusher, when it comes to mob bosses, tenure on the streets is what counts with me.

No SILLY

LA EME controlled the boroughs
We all know this.

Gotti- Made ALOT of mistakes.

However, the Feds spent more money on “ GETTING GOTTI” than probably all the other families combined.

Every other boss from that era got life in prison or died in prison.
Every other family fared worse offf than the Gambino’s except for the Westside.

1) Bonanno’s when their time came Massino and their whole admin caved and that was that.
2) Colombo’s snake should have given up the reins that family is a shell of what it was, and barely has any wealth among their made member’s.
3) Luke’s -CASO and Amuso reduced that family to next to nothing, they destroyed themselves from within. Their internal back stabbing seems to be still a thing, as of recently from within they drove a made member to flip for no good reason, now there is more known about that family than any other family. Except for now Ferrara flipping and telling the feds about the Colombo’s.


The only family that has not been decimated is the west side.

Out of the 5 they are the most successful.
I put the Gambino’s as #2

Can’t really even rank the rest.
Mancuso is going to destroy what’s left of the Bonanno’s if they let him.

But it took them 4 or 5 trials he was the Teflon Don.

He broke a cardinal rule
He spoke about killing someone after it was done.

Mind you it was done in an apartment that was probably used as a safe place to hold important meetings for many decades.

So he had a false sense of security.
Never the less it was his mistake.

Talk about influence:

1) He took over the colombo Borgata by way of Vic Amuso and Joey Scopo being his puppets.

2) He had Massino in his pocket he owned the Bonanno’s.

3) He took over the DeCalvcante family.

4) He took over what remained of the Trafficante family.

5) He had major influence over the Patricia family.

6) I am pretty sure he backed the Philly Borgata after Scarfo.

No family or families directly came after him
Chin and Casso were so fierce thy together they not dare take him head on, so the picked off his guys behind their back.

Oh I fortgot the Gambino family as well.

I think he was the most influential of his time as a matter of fact no one even came close.

Manna wanted to kill him because he was taking over their rackets in NJ.
Even Manna never took a shot at him.

It could almost seem like they were afraid to take him on directly.
Otherwise why wouldn’t they.

The Genovese went right after the Philly Borgata when they took out a boss without permission, why didn’t the Westside instead of pulling a “JAP” move, just make a move against him?

Well said. Also if you think about it he could've walked into any cities social club in his prime years as boss around mobsters and they would all would've kissed his ring. He was the real Godfather.