The Gotti Wars - by John Gleeson (Paperback)

About the Book

"John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion--with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steak House in Midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement's radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. ... From Gotti's first days as self-declared boss of the Gambino Crime Family, John Gleeson, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, was watching. When Gotti finally faced two federal racketeering prosecutions, Gleeson prosecuted both. As the junior lawyer in the first case, ... Gleeson found himself in the mob boss's crosshairs. Five years later, Gleeson was in charge of the second racketeering investigation and trial. Armed with the FBI's secret recordings of Gotti's conversations with his underboss and consigliere, Gleeson indicted all three. He subsequently 'flipped' underboss Sammy 'the Bull' Gravano, killer of nineteen men, who became history's highest-ranking mob turncoat"--

Book Synopsis

"Riveting...an electrifying true crime story of the Mafia-smitten eighties and nineties. Suspenseful and multifaceted, The Gotti Wars can't be missed." --Esquire, "The Best Nonfiction Books of the Year"

A "meticulous chronicle of good triumphing over evil" (The Washington Post) from the determined young prosecutor who, in two of America's most celebrated racketeering trials, managed to convict famed mob boss John Gotti, leader of the Gambino crime family, and ultimately helped dismantle La Cosa Nostra.

John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared mafioso in American history. He seized control of the Gambino family with the brazen, very public murder of Paul Castellano outside Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay under law enforcement's radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss--earning the nicknames "The Dapper Don" and "The Teflon Don."

This is the captivating story of Gotti's meteoric rise and equally dramatic downfall. Watching every move was his legal adversary--Assistant US Attorney John Gleeson in Brooklyn--who prosecuted both of the high-profile trials. The first case, a seven-month battle ending in acquittal, saw Gleeson falsely accused under Gotti's intimidation tactics and perjury by a manipulated witness.

Five years later, he led the second racketeering prosecution, using FBI wiretap evidence and turning Gotti's underboss, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, into a federal witness. Gravano's flip--making him the highest-ranking mafia turncoat ever--helped secure Gotti's conviction and dealt a blow to the entire Italian mob structure.

A spellbinding, page-turning courtroom drama, The Gotti Wars "tells us in electrifying detail how the good guys finally won, how justice triumphed over evil, and how Gleeson himself was transformed by his long war" (Nelson DeMille).

Review Quotes

"A useful reminder, especially for Mafia romanticizers, that we're dealing with sociopathic knuckle scrapers who settle scores with casual brutality...Gleeson, a lawyer in private practice these days, is an able storyteller [and his book displays] keen insights and neat turns of phrase." -New York Times