John Gotti was an American gangster and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He was involved in various crimes, including hijacking, attempted manslaughter, murder, conspiracy, loansharking, racketeering, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling, and tax evasion. Gotti ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambino boss Paul Castellano in December 1985 and took over the family shortly thereafter, becoming boss of what was described as Americas most powerful crime syndicate.

Gotti was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1992 after being convicted of racketeering and five murders, including the murder of Castellano, conspiracy to murder, illegal gambling, loan sharking, bribery, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion. He died of throat cancer on June 10, 2002, at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.