Editing John Gotti (section)

=== Assault acquittal ===
On the evening of January 23, 1989, Gotti was arrested outside the Ravenite and charged with ordering the 1986 assault of [[Labor unions in the United States|labor union]] official John O'Connor.<ref name="oconnorindict">{{cite news|last=Raab|first=Selwyn|title=Gotti Is Seized In '86 Shooting of Union Chief|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/24/nyregion/gotti-is-seized-in-86-shooting-of-union-chief.html|access-date=February 14, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 24, 1989|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501161713/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/24/nyregion/gotti-is-seized-in-86-shooting-of-union-chief.html|archive-date=May 1, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/20/nyregion/after-2-trials-a-third-unfolds-for-john-gotti.html?src=pm|title=After 2 Trials, A Third Unfolds For John Gotti|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 20, 1990|access-date=February 22, 2021|archive-date=January 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109211645/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/20/nyregion/after-2-trials-a-third-unfolds-for-john-gotti.html?src=pm|url-status=live}}</ref> In the back of the police car, he remarked, "Three to one I beat this charge."<ref name=three/> O'Connor, a leader in the [[United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America]] (UBC) Local 608, who was later convicted of racketeering himself,<ref>{{cite news|last=Raab|first=Selwyn|title=Ex-Union Official Convicted of Racketeering|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/nyregion/ex-union-official-convicted-of-racketeering.html|access-date=February 16, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 6, 1990|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108000511/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/nyregion/ex-union-official-convicted-of-racketeering.html|archive-date=November 8, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> was believed to have ordered an attack on a Gambino-associated restaurant that had snubbed the union and was subsequently shot and wounded by the Westies.<ref name="oconnorindict"/> After one night in jail, Gotti was released on $100,000 bail.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/25/nyregion/gotti-free-on-bail-after-plea-in-shooting-of-union-leader.html|title=Gotti Free on Bail After Plea In Shooting of Union Leader|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 25, 1989|access-date=February 22, 2021|archive-date=December 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220015750/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/25/nyregion/gotti-free-on-bail-after-plea-in-shooting-of-union-leader.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He had his occupation listed as a salesman for a plumbing contracting company.<ref name="Gotti running"/>

By this time, the FBI had cultivated new informants, and learned part of the reason the Ravenite bug failed was because Gotti would hold sensitive conversations elsewhere, either in a rear hallway in the building the club occupied, or in an apartment in its upper floors where the friendly widow of a Gambino soldier lived; by November 1989, both locations were bugged.<ref name="raab 417"/><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 292-294</ref> The apartment bug was particularly fruitful due to Gotti's frankness as he discussed his position as boss in meetings there. In a December 12 conversation with Locascio, Gotti plainly acknowledged ordering the murders of DiBernardo and Liborio Milito — the latter being one of Gravano's partners killed for insubordination.<ref>Raab, pp. 421-422</ref> He also announced his intent to kill soldier Louis DiBono, who had ignored a summons to meet with Gotti to discuss his mismanagement of a drywall business he held with Gotti and Gravano. The FBI, however, misheard the namedrop and failed to warn DiBono, who was killed on October 4, 1990.<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 363-365</ref> In another taped meeting on January 4, 1990, Gotti promoted Gravano to underboss, preferring him to lead the family if Gotti was convicted in the assault case.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/15/nyregion/how-gotti-s-no-2-gangster-turned-his-coat.html|title=How Gotti's No. 2 Gangster Turned His Coat|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 15, 1991|access-date=February 22, 2021|archive-date=March 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190315200226/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/15/nyregion/how-gotti-s-no-2-gangster-turned-his-coat.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

State prosecutors linked Gotti to the case with a recording of him discussing O'Connor and announcing his intention to "bust him up", as well as the testimony of Westies gangster [[James McElroy]].<ref>Raab, pp. 410–412</ref> However, Gotti was acquitted of all six assault and [[conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] charges at trial on February 9, 1990.<ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 262</ref><ref name=three>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/10/nyregion/gotti-not-guilty-on-all-6-charges-in-assault-trial.html|title=Gotti Not Guilty On All 6 Charges In Assault Trial|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 10, 1990|access-date=March 7, 2021|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214004430/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/10/nyregion/gotti-not-guilty-on-all-6-charges-in-assault-trial.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After the trial, there were firework displays by locals. Jules J. Bonavolonta, director of the FBI's organized crime division in New York, stated, "With all this media coverage he's beginning to look like a [[folk hero]]... What the public should realize is that he is the boss of the largest ''Cosa Nostra'' family, that he surrounds himself with ruthless killers and that he is flat out a criminal."<ref name=ruthless>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/19/nyregion/gotti-dapper-celebrity-or-ruthless-mob-boss.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|title=Gotti: Dapper Celebrity Or Ruthless Mob Boss?|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 19, 1990|access-date=February 22, 2021|archive-date=January 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110234103/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/19/nyregion/gotti-dapper-celebrity-or-ruthless-mob-boss.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|url-status=live}}</ref>

It later emerged that FBI bugs had apparently caught Gotti discussing plans to fix the jury as he had in the 1986–87 racketeering case. To the outrage of Manhattan [[district attorney]] [[Robert Morgenthau]] and state organized crime taskforce chief [[Ronald Goldstock]], the FBI and federal prosecutors chose not to reveal this information to them. Morgenthau later said that had he known about these bugged conversations, he would have asked for a [[mistrial]].<ref>Raab, pp. 443–445</ref>