Are Mobsters Monsters?

John Gotti

John Gotti is an Italian- American from New York City who became the head of the Gambino crime family in 1986 by conducting the assassination of the prior family boss, Paul Castellano. Gotti was a mobster so greedy for power that he plotted to kill his own boss and break family trust and loyalty to achieve it. Not only was Gotti greedy, but he was manipulative. Gotti understood how to train the men beneath him, so that they would be willing to do any task he asks, like assassinate their head, family boss. The power that Gotti gained from greed and manipulation made him dangerous. After, Gotti gave out his orders to kill Castellano, "Gotti, who’d been watching from a car at a safe distance, had one of his men drive him by the scene to make sure his deadly orders had been carried out." In all, Gotti was capable of conducting any task he wished via another person due to his unmatched power. A power to have anyone killed at anytime. 

As a mobster, John Gotti believed he lived above the law and organized numerous illegal activities that were threatening to society. Gotti was arrested multiple times for his these activities once by the "(FBI) on charges of truck hijacking and cargo theft in 1968" and another time by the "NYPD detectives and he was charged with multiple counts of racketeering, extortion, jury tampering, and other crimes."  After all of these arrests, John Gotti was named "Teflon Don" because whether it was bribery or manipulation, the powerful Gotti managed to escape the charge. Also, by acknowledging his actions in court, Gotti would be recognizing that his actions were harmful and wrong. Yet, by avoiding the charges, Gotti illustrates his lack of remorse for his actions. As Gotti's lack of morality deepened with time and he became a greater threat to society, the FBI was more aggressive in stopping him.  "In 1992, after a lengthy and widely publicized trial in which Gravano, in violation of a fundamental rule of Mafia behaviour, testified against him, Gotti was convicted on 13 criminal counts, including the murder of Castellano and others, racketeering, and obstruction of justice."  The FBI found success in charging Gotti because Gotti became even too monstrous to be protected by Gravano- a member of his very own family. 

In the end, Gotti was a leader of organized crime that repeatedly inflicted harm on society without showing remorse.

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