Gotti was born in the Bronx, New York, on October 15, 1939. He was one of 13 children (two had died at birth) of John Joseph Gotti Sr. and Philomena "Fannie" DeCarlo. Gotti's brothers included John J. Gotti, Gene Gotti, Richard V. Gotti, and Vincent Gotti, all of whom joined the Gambino crime family. The brothers grew up in East New York, Brooklyn.[2] Gotti married Catherine in 1960 and fathered one child, Peter Gotti Jr. Gotti's nickname "One Eye" derives from blindness from glaucoma in one eye.[3]
Criminal career
Around 1960, at age 21, Gotti started working as an associate for the Gambino family. In 1988, at age 49, the family inducted Gotti as a made man.[4] John J. Gotti designated Peter as caretaker of the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club, and as a driver for John and Gene. By 1989, Peter was promoted to capo.[5] John J. Gotti did not believe Peter had the ability to lead the crime family, which led to Peter's reputation as "the Dumbest Don".[1]
Like his father, Gotti had a legitimate job as a sanitation worker for the New York City Department of Sanitation. Gotti eventually retired from the Sanitation Department with a disability pension after injuring his head against the back end of a garbage truck.[1]
Rise to leadership
In April 1992, his brother, John J. Gotti (Jr.), received a life sentence for racketeering and related offenses.[6][7] His brother asserted his prerogative to retain his title as boss until his death or retirement, with John's son John A. Gotti and Peter relaying orders on his behalf.[8] Federal prosecutors say Peter became head of the Gambino organization after Gotti Jr. was sent to prison in 1999,[1][9] and is believed to have formally succeeded his brother John J. Gotti shortly before the latter's death in June 2002.[10]
Conviction and imprisonment
Gotti upon his arrest
In June 2002, a few days before his brother John's death, Gotti was indicted on federal racketeering charges. During Gotti's trial, federal prosecutors released information revealing that Gotti was having an affair with Marjorie Alexander, a longtime girlfriend. Alexander then publicly acknowledged the liaison and declared her love for Gotti. In response, Gotti berated Alexander for causing the publicity and broke off all contact with her.[1] Alexander later committed suicide in 2004.[11] During this time, Gotti's wife Catherine filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2006.[11]
On December 22, 2004, Gotti was convicted in a separate trial of racketeering charges related to extortion in the construction industry and conspiring to murder government informant and former Gambino underboss Sammy Gravano.[14] On July 27, 2005, Judge Richard C. Casey sentenced Gotti to 25 years in prison for the charges.[15] Gotti was imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Complex, Butner.[16] His projected release date was September 10, 2031.[17]
During the early and mid 2000s, Gotti held onto power through old Gotti loyalists who ran the family while he was imprisoned these loyalists included Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri and John D'Amico. However after multiple indictments and weakening of the Gotti faction by law enforcement efforts that by the late 2000s following D'Amico’s imprisonment that the Sicilian faction took de facto control of the family and that Gotti was kept in his place as boss in name only. However in July 2011, Domenico Cefalù reportedly replaced Gotti as Gambino boss ending his reign as boss and virtually his career as a mobster since he wouldn’t be released before passing away in 2021.[18]
Death
Gotti's requests for compassionate release under the First Step Act, citing his failing health, were both denied: that of July 2019 in September, and that of December 2019[19][20] in January 2020.[21]
