As John Gotti rose from street hoodlum to leader of New York City's Gambino crime family he left behind a bloody trail of bodies, as well as an assortment of embarrassed law enforcement agencies.

Gotti was known as a violent thug who worked his way up the mob's ranks, gaining expertise in contract murder, airport theft, hijacking, heroin trafficking, illegal gambling and extortion. Putting him away became an obsession that would cause the government to go after him with no holds barred.

Then in 1992 the man who had gone from the Dapper Don to the Teflon Don was convicted of RICO charges in Brooklyn's federal district court. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and died from throat cancer on June 10th, 2002.

Looking back at Gotti's reign one can see that his only true achievement as a Mafia chieftain was to captivate the public's attention. At this, Gotti had few equals. But as a leader he was quite lacked the ability that characterized the careers of such mob luminaries as Luciano, Lansky, and Gambino. In the end it was Gotti's ego and carelessness that led to his downfall.

Known as ``The Dapper Don'' for his expensive clothes and his flamboyant high profile. Gotti will always be remembered as a Mafia superstar.

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