Editing John Gotti (section)

== 1992 conviction ==
[[File:John Gotti.jpg|thumb|Mugshots of Gotti during his 1990 arrest]]
Gotti, Gravano and Locascio were often recorded by the bugs placed throughout the Ravenite (concealed in the main room, the first-floor hallway, and the upstairs apartment) discussing incriminating events.<ref name=bugs>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/03/nyregion/words-from-gotti-s-mouth-secret-tapes-of-inner-circle.html|title=Words From Gotti's Mouth: Secret Tapes of Inner Circle|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 3, 1991|access-date=February 22, 2021|archive-date=April 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418210332/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/03/nyregion/words-from-gotti-s-mouth-secret-tapes-of-inner-circle.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 11, 1990, FBI agents and NYPD detectives raided the Ravenite, arresting Gotti, Gravano, and Locascio.<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 374–376</ref><ref name=arragn>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qEJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=i-oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6874%2C3094561 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=(New York Times) |title=Gotti arrested again on rackets charges |date=December 12, 1990 |page=7A}}</ref><ref name=reputd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ym5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YwgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4632%2C607936 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=wire reports |title=Reputed crime leader arrested |date=December 12, 1990 |page=A3}}</ref> Federal prosecutors charged Gotti in this new racketeering case with five murders (Castellano, Bilotti, DiBernardo, Milito and, after review of the apartment tapes, DiBono),<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 381-382</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Gotti's Orders for Hits Heard on FBI Tapes |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-03-mn-157-story.html |access-date=March 7, 2021 |agency=Associated Press |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 3, 1991 |archive-date=March 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307212626/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-03-mn-157-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> conspiracy to murder [[Gaetano Vastola (gangster)|Gaetano "Corky" Vastola]], loansharking, illegal gambling, obstruction of justice, [[bribery]], and tax evasion.<ref>Davis, pp. 370–371</ref><ref name="1992 trial appeal">{{cite web|title=United States Of America, Appellee, v. Frank Locascio, and John Gotti, Defendants-Appellants.|url=http://www.ipsn.org/court_cases/us_v_locascio-appeal-1993-10-08.htm|work=ispn.org|publisher=United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit|access-date=March 9, 2012|date=October 8, 1993|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315091008/http://www.ipsn.org/court_cases/us_v_locascio-appeal-1993-10-08.htm|archive-date=March 15, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> 

Based on tapes from FBI bugs played at pretrial hearings, the Gambino administration was denied bail. At the same time, attorneys Cutler and [[Gerald Shargel]] were disqualified from defending Gotti and Gravano after prosecutors successfully contended they were "part of the evidence" and thus liable to be called as witnesses. Prosecutors argued that Cutler and Shargel not only knew about potential criminal activity, but had worked as "[[General counsel|in-house counsel]]" for the Gambino family.<ref>Davis, pp. 372, 375–376</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 391, 397</ref> Gotti subsequently hired [[Albert Krieger]], a [[Miami]] attorney who had worked with [[Joseph Bonanno]], to replace Cutler.<ref>Davis, p. 384</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 400–401</ref>

The tapes also created a rift between Gotti and Gravano, where the Gambino boss described his newly appointed underboss as too greedy, and attempted to frame Gravano as the main force behind the murders of DiBernardo, Milito and DiBono.<ref>Davis, pp. 426–427</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 384–388</ref> Gotti's attempt at reconciliation failed,<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 389–390</ref> leaving Gravano disillusioned with the mob and doubtful on his chances of winning his case without Shargel, his former attorney.<ref>Davis, p. 399</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 393</ref> Gravano ultimately opted to turn state's evidence, formally agreeing to testify on November 13, 1991.<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 413</ref> He was the highest-ranking member of a New York crime family to turn informer until [[Joseph Massino]] in 2003.

Gotti and Locascio were tried in the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York|U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York]] before District Judge [[I. Leo Glasser]]. Jury selection began in January 1992 with an [[anonymous jury]] that was, for the first time in a Brooklyn federal case, fully [[Jury sequestration|sequestered]] during the trial, due to Gotti's reputation for jury tampering.<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 417</ref><ref name="NYT Jury 1992">{{cite news |title= Deliberations Set to Start in Gotti's Rackets Trial|author= Arnold H. Lubasch|url= http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F1061EFC3D5D0C728CDDAD0894DA494D81|newspaper= The New York Times|date= April 1, 1992|access-date=March 30, 2011}}</ref> The trial commenced with the prosecution's opening statements on February 12;<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 422</ref><ref name="NYT Opening 1992">{{cite news |title= Prosecution in Gotti Trial To Stress Secret Tapes|author= Arnold H. Lubasch|url= http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10613FF39540C708DDDAB0894DA494D81|newspaper= The New York Times|date= February 13, 1992|access-date=March 30, 2011}}</ref> prosecutors Andrew Maloney and [[John Gleeson (judge)|John Gleeson]] began their case by playing tapes showing Gotti discussing Gambino family business, including murders he approved, and confirming the animosity between Gotti and Castellano to establish the former's motive to kill his boss.<ref>Davis, pp. 412–421</ref> After calling an eyewitness of the Castellano hit who identified Carneglia as one of the men who shot Bilotti, they then brought Gravano to testify on March 2.<ref>Davis, pp. 421–422, 428</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 425–426</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= Witness Describes Scene at Murder of Castellano|author= Arnold H. Lubasch|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/27/nyregion/witness-describes-scene-at-murder-of-castellano.html|newspaper= The New York Times|date= February 27, 1992|access-date= March 30, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100504224348/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/27/nyregion/witness-describes-scene-at-murder-of-castellano.html|archive-date= May 4, 2010|url-status= live}}</ref>

On the stand, Gravano confirmed Gotti's place in the structure of the Gambino family and described in detail the conspiracy to assassinate Castellano, giving a full description of the hit and its aftermath.<ref>Davis, pp. 428–444</ref> Gravano confessed to nineteen murders, implicating Gotti in four of them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/03/05/gotti-associate-testifies-to-role-in-19-slayings/e0b56d2f-20de-4cfb-ba1b-823d80ed5e72/|title=Gotti Associate Testifies To Role In 19 Slayings|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 5, 1992|access-date=December 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230023708/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/03/05/gotti-associate-testifies-to-role-in-19-slayings/e0b56d2f-20de-4cfb-ba1b-823d80ed5e72/|archive-date=December 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Krieger, and Locascio's attorney Anthony Cardinale, proved unable to shake Gravano during [[cross-examination]].<ref>Davis, pp. 444–454</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 427–431</ref> After additional testimony and tapes, the government rested its case on March 24.<ref name="RnF 432-433">Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 432–433.</ref>

Five of Krieger and Cardinale's intended six witnesses were ruled irrelevant or extraneous, leaving only Gotti's tax attorney Murray Appleman to testify on his behalf.<ref name="RnF 432-433"/><ref>Davis, pp. 461–462</ref> The defense also attempted unsuccessfully to have a mistrial declared based on Maloney's closing remarks.<ref name="Davis 468-470">Davis, pp. 468–470</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 434–435</ref> Gotti himself became increasingly hostile during the trial,<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 421–423</ref> and at one point, Glasser threatened to remove him from the courtroom.<ref name="RnF 432-433"/><ref>Davis, pp. 457–458</ref> Among other outbursts, Gotti called Gravano a junkie, while his attorneys sought to discuss his past [[steroid]] use,<ref>Davis, p. 453</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 431</ref> and equated the dismissal of a juror to [[Black Sox Scandal|the fixing]] of the [[1919 World Series]].<ref name="NYT Jury 1992"/><ref name="Davis 468-470"/>

On April 2, 1992, after only fourteen hours of deliberation, the jury found Gotti guilty on all charges of the indictment (Locascio was found guilty on all but one). James Fox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office, announced at a press conference, "The Teflon is gone. The don is covered with [[Velcro]], and all the charges stuck".<ref>Davis, p. 475</ref><ref name="RnF 435-437">Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 435–437</ref> On June 23, 1992, Glasser sentenced both defendants to [[life imprisonment in the United States|life imprisonment]] without the possibility of parole, and fined them both $250,000 each.<ref name="1992 trial appeal"/><ref name="RnF 435-437"/><ref>Davis, pp. 486–487</ref>{{refn|group=note|For his cooperation, Gravano was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, in 1994. However, since Gravano had already served four years, the sentence amounted to less than one year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/27/nyregion/ex-mob-underboss-given-lenient-term-for-help-as-witness.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105124318/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/27/nyregion/ex-mob-underboss-given-lenient-term-for-help-as-witness.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 5, 2019|title=Ex-Mob Underboss Given Lenient Term For Help as Witness|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 27, 1994}}</ref> After his release, he entered the [[United States Federal Witness Protection Program|Witness Protection Program]], but left voluntarily in 1995.<ref>{{cite news|last=Newman|first=Andy|title=Mafia Turncoat Gets 20 Years for Running Ecstasy Ring|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/07/nyregion/mafia-turncoat-gets-20-years-for-running-ecstasy-ring.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 7, 2002|access-date=April 24, 2012|archive-date=May 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527203823/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/07/nyregion/mafia-turncoat-gets-20-years-for-running-ecstasy-ring.html|url-status=live}}</ref>}}