Editing John Gotti (section)

== Post-conviction ==
=== Incarceration ===
[[File:GottiPrison (mono restoration).jpg|thumb|left|Photo of John Gotti after he was beaten by a fellow inmate in July 1996]]
Gotti was incarcerated at the [[United States Penitentiary, Marion|United States Penitentiary]] at [[Marion, Illinois]]. He spent the majority of his sentence in effective [[solitary confinement]], allowed out of his cell for only one hour a day.<ref name="NYTobit"/><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 439</ref> His final appeal was rejected by the [[United States Supreme Court]] in 1994.<ref>Raab, p. 455</ref>

On July 18, 1996, a fellow inmate named Walter Johnson punched Gotti in the prison recreation room, leaving him bruised and bleeding because, according to New York's ''[[New York Daily News|Daily News]]'', Gotti had disrespected him with a racial slur. Gotti, desiring revenge, offered [[Aryan Brotherhood]] chieftains David Sahakian and Michael McElhiney somewhere between $40,000 and $400,000 to have Johnson killed. In August, McElhiney told two Brotherhood underlings to kill Johnson "if given the opportunity”, according to a federal indictment charging him and thirty-nine other gang members with murder, attempted murder, and racketeering. Johnson, however, was transferred to the [[ADX Florence|supermax prison]] in [[Florence, Colorado]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Kates|first=Brian|title=Gotti Used Brotherhood For Revenge on Attacker|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/gotti-brotherhood-revenge-attacker-article-1.505837|access-date=January 6, 2012|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=November 3, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010111507/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/gotti-brotherhood-revenge-attacker-article-1.505837|archive-date=October 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite his imprisonment and pressure from the Commission to step down,<ref name="StandDownJohn">{{cite news |title=Mafia Seeks To Oust Gotti, Officials Say|author=Selwyn Raab|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A12FB34540C758EDDA90994DE494D81|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 26, 1996|access-date=March 5, 2011}}</ref> Gotti asserted his prerogative to retain his title as boss until his death or retirement, with his brother Peter and his son John Jr. relaying orders on his behalf.<ref name="stillBoss">{{cite news |title=Gotti Is Still Crime Boss, U.S. Asserts|author=Arnold H. Lubasch|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10616FD355E0C758DDDA00894DA494D81|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 16, 1992|access-date=March 5, 2011}}</ref> By 1998, when he was indicted on racketeering, John Jr. was believed to be the acting boss of the family.<ref>{{cite news|title=U.S. Charges John Gotti Jr. With Extortion|author=Benjamin Weiser|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E7DD163BF931A15752C0A96E958260|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 22, 1998|access-date=March 5, 2011|archive-date=January 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104162342/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/22/nyregion/us-charges-john-gotti-jr-with-extortion.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Against his father's wishes, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years and five months' imprisonment in 1999.<ref name="Jr60"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Younger Gotti Is Sentenced To Six Years|author=David W. Chen|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/04/nyregion/younger-gotti-is-sentenced-to-six-years.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 4, 1999|access-date=March 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501185342/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/04/nyregion/younger-gotti-is-sentenced-to-six-years.html|archive-date=May 1, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> He maintains that he has since left the Gambino family.<ref name="jrout">{{cite news |title=John 'Junior' Gotti finds new calling – writing true crime stories|author=Alison Gendar|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-01-16/local/17944746_1_teflon-don-john-junior-gotti-dapper-don|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130033604/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-01-16/local/17944746_1_teflon-don-john-junior-gotti-dapper-don|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 30, 2013|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=January 16, 2010|access-date=March 5, 2011}}</ref> Peter subsequently became acting boss,<ref name="petedumbest">{{cite magazine|last=Lombardi|first=John|title=The Dumbest Don|url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/crimelaw/features/10869/|magazine=New York Magazine|access-date=January 8, 2012|date=May 21, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119022332/http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/crimelaw/features/10869/|archive-date=November 19, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and is believed to have formally succeeded his brother shortly before Gotti's death.<ref>{{cite news|last=Marzulli|first=John|title=Nab Newest Gambino Crime Boss |url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2002-06-05/news/18200241_1_peter-gotti-gambino-crime-family-john-gotti|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715031312/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2002-06-05/news/18200241_1_peter-gotti-gambino-crime-family-john-gotti|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2012|access-date=March 11, 2012|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=June 5, 2002}}</ref>

John Jr.'s indictment brought further stress to Gotti's marriage. Victoria Gotti, up to that point unaware of her son's involvement in the Mafia, blamed her husband for ruining her son's life and threatened to leave him unless he allowed John Jr. to leave the mob.<ref name="Vic48"/>

=== Death and legacy ===
[[File:Image-Bureau of Prisons image - John Gotti.jpg|thumb|right|The last photo of John Gotti, age 60, taken by the [[Bureau of Prisons]] on October 17, 2001, eight months prior to his death]]
In 1998, Gotti was diagnosed with [[Head and neck cancer|throat cancer]] and sent to the [[United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners]] in [[Springfield, Missouri]] for surgery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Throat Cancer Surgery For Gotti|author=Greg B. Smith and Jerry Capeci|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/throat-cancer-surgery-gotti-article-1.804192|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=September 24, 1998|access-date=January 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515064152/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/throat-cancer-surgery-gotti-article-1.804192|archive-date=May 15, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Though the [[tumor]] was removed, the cancer was discovered to have returned two years later, and Gotti was transferred back to Springfield, where he spent the rest of his life.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thoart Cancer Hits Gotti Again Tumor Discovered In Prison Checkup|author=Mike Claffey and Greg B. Smith|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/throat-cancer-hits-gotti-tumor-discovered-prison-checkup-article-1.877885|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=September 29, 2000|access-date=January 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515064353/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/throat-cancer-hits-gotti-tumor-discovered-prison-checkup-article-1.877885|archive-date=May 15, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CNNobit">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/US/06/10/john.gotti/index.html|title='Dapper Don' John Gotti dead|date=June 11, 2002|work=CNN|access-date=March 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628201615/http://edition.cnn.com/2002/US/06/10/john.gotti/index.html|archive-date=June 28, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

Gotti's condition rapidly declined, and he died on June 10, 2002, at the age of 61.<ref name="NYTobit"/><ref>{{cite news |title=John Gotti Dies Of Cancer At 61 Mob boss last of the colorful old gangsters|author=Corky Siemaszko|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2002-06-11/news/18189190_1_bergin-hunt-gotti-family-john-gotti|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715172057/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2002-06-11/news/18189190_1_bergin-hunt-gotti-family-john-gotti|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2012|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=June 11, 2002|access-date=March 5, 2011}}</ref> The [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn|Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn]] announced that Gotti's family would not be permitted to have a [[Requiem|Requiem Mass]], but would be allowed to have a memorial Mass after the burial.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dobnik|first=Verena|title=Hundreds at John Gotti Wake|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hundreds-at-john-gotti-wake/|work=CBS News|agency=Associated Press|access-date=March 11, 2012|date=October 11, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504132648/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/10/11/national/main314468.shtml|archive-date=May 4, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Gotti's funeral was held in a non-church facility. After the funeral, an estimated 300 onlookers followed the procession, which passed Gotti's Bergin Hunt and Fish Club, to the gravesite. Gotti's body was interred in a crypt next to his son, Frank. Gotti's brother Peter was unable to attend because of his incarceration.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dakss|first=Brian|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/final-farewell-to-gotti/|title=Final Farewell To Gotti|date=June 15, 2002|work=CBS News|access-date=February 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903131921/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/14/national/main512202.shtml|archive-date=September 3, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

In an apparent repudiation of Gotti's leadership and legacy, the other New York City families sent no representatives to the funeral. Numerous prosecutions triggered by Gotti's tactics left the Gambino family in shambles; by the turn of the century, half of the family's made men were in prison.<ref name="ff467"/>