John GottiFrom the group's headquarters at the Ravenite Social Club, Gotti plotted against Castellano. Dellacroce demanded that his followers remain loyal to the boss, but Gotti's hands were untied when Dellacroce died on Dec. 2, 1985.
Gotti organized the successful hit on Castellano and his driver Thomas Bilotti outside of Sparks Steak House in Manhattan on Dec. 16, 1985. The murder has been explained as a revenge for the injustice suffered by Dellacroce, as a preemptive strike against the boss who allegedly planned to break up Gotti's crew, and as a disciplinary measure for Castellano's incautious remarks in a home bugged by federal agents.
Gotti became boss of the Gambino Family and a publicity-seeking celebrity. He was constantly in trouble with the law. But he earned his "Teflon Don" nickname because early charges would not stick.
The early 1990s betrayal of a figure high in the Gambino Family helped prosecutors finally put Gotti behind bars. Prosecutors were also aided by Gotti's own incautious remarks in a bugged apartment over the Ravenite Social Club. He was convicted of murder, racketeering and numerous other charges in 1992.
While serving his life sentence, Gotti was diagnosed with cancer of the throat in 1998. He underwent surgery and treatment, but the cancer returned. He died in a prison hospital in Springfield, Missouri, in 2002.
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