One criticism I've heard about Castellano was that he was too easy on satellite OC that dropped his name, I'm thinking specifically of the Westies. Anyone care to weigh in on it? is it a fair assessment?

dom does have a point about Gotti - the media sought him out, made him an icon. That said, he certainly didn't do anything to discourage it, which he most certainly could have. In the end, Gotti was a stand up guy. Certainly, he was not a good boss by any measure, but Gotti was a true gangster until the end. For whatever that is worth.