Gangland: 4/7/16

[Dellacroce]

April 7, 2016 This Week in Gang Land
By Jerry Capeci

A Proud Gotti Grandson Claims The Family Brand Name

His daughter used the family name to become a newspaper columnist, a successful author and the star of her own reality TV show. His son rode the name to the top of the Gambino crime family, then sold his life story for $500,000 to a movie producer. So why shouldn't his grandson use his granddad's famous name to help promote his spanking new tattoo parlor in Ozone Park?

Meet John Gotti, 22, a namesake grandson of the famed Mafioso who now operates Rebel Ink Tattoo out of a storefront on Cross Bay Boulevard in Ozone Park. John is the son of Peter. (For those who are keeping track, Peter is the younger son of the late Dapper Don, the one who has never been charged with a crime.)

To promote his new enterprise, the youngest John Gotti has created a stunning T-shirt with a color picture of the late Mafia boss framed by the slogans NEVER PRAYED TO GOD and PRAYED TO GOTTI. Across the handsome Don's eyes the word REBEL is stenciled in a blood red ribbon. In the photo, Gotti's pinky-ringed left hand clutches the lapel of his double-breasted suit jacket. The back of the T-shirt is covered with the name, address and phone number of the tattoo parlor in large bold black lettering.

Gang Land readers who also follow rap music should recognize the shirt's prayerful words as those sung by Jay-Z on D'evils, a tune released in 1996, four years after Gotti was sentenced to life behind bars. The song is one of 15 by Jay-Z on Reasonable Doubt, the first album by the smooth-talking hustler from Brooklyn, an album that New York Times writer Kalefa Sanneh called "a hip-hop classic."

Young Gotti stuck to his granddad's custom by not talking to Gang Land about Growing Up Gotti, or any of the various Gotti-name-related ventures that his aunt Victoria, and her three sons — cousins Frank, Carmine and John Agnello — have been involved in over the years. He also was mum about his uncle John (Junior) Gotti, the former acting Gambino family boss who has declared that he has since quit the mob.

But young John said he had been proud to put his grandfather's name and image on a T-shirt, and using it to promote his business.

And while he said he hasn't mentioned his promotional idea yet to his father or his grandmother, he was sure they would be okay with it.

"I'm sure my family will have no problem with me using my family name," he said. "I am his namesake you know. I'm John Gotti too. I'm not him. But I'm John Gotti too. It's my name, and my family should have the right to use it. And it's a nice T-shirt."

"We got the words from the song, and we put the word 'Rebel' across his face. It's a nice T-shirt. I'm ordering them in a day or two, and they'll be here next week," he said. He's still working out the exact price tag on the duds, the entrepreneur said, but he's not looking to gouge people. It won't go for more than twenty-five bucks, he assured us.

And while the T-shirt is a promotional device, the young businessman told Gang Land he plans to donate a portion of the profits from the sale of the shirts to charity. He hasn't worked out those numbers yet either, but he will once he determines his expenses.

"We're trying to do right over here," he said. "I want people to see that the name Gotti doesn't mean bad people."

He was nine when his grandfather died of cancer in 2002. But by that time he had made several visits to the prison hospital to see the ailing family leader with his father and other relatives, he said.

"We would visit him in the conference room. He was very sick at the time. I would go with my father. It was very sad," he said, his voice cracking. "He was my grandfather. I loved him for being my grandfather. I can't speak about what he was or what he did. I love him for being my grandfather."

He said he couldn't remember details of any conversations he had with his ailing grandfather. "As far as remembering specifics," he said, "it's hard because I was so young, but he sure did care about us. He loved being a grandfather. He loved seeing us."

That wasn't always the case. In late January of 1998, before the throat cancer that would claim his life four years later caused the imprisoned Mafia boss to lose his ability to speak, Gotti was caught on prison video tapes railing about what he saw as implied slights by his loved ones.

"I don't want to hurt you," he railed angrily at daughter Vicki, complaining that he hadn't received a family group photo for Christmas. "I want to die before you have a toothache," he told her. "But I got nothing! I got no group picture."

When Vicki left the cubicle, Gotti turned to his brother Peter, who succeeded him as boss of the crime family: "What, am I wrong?" he bellowed. "I gotta beg them for a group picture of my grandchildren? When you come (to see me again), come the fuck alone!"

He had other gripes: Daughter Angel hadn't told him she moved into a new house; son Peter hadn't written him in two years. And Junior, whose indictment a few days earlier was most likely a major cause of Gotti's ire, had foolishly left incriminating evidence in a basement hideout of a known associate.

"I don't know absolutely nothing about none of them," the father railed. "I don't know if they're home, who's living together no more, who ain't living together no more, who's talking. And I don't want to know. They choose that route, ahhh, let them take that route."

But those outbursts are ancient history in the Gotti clan which regularly hails his name. The new tattoo parlor owner was asked if he thought his grandfather would like the T-shirt, or whether he would mind young Gotti's decision to use it.

"I can't speak for him (on that). He's not here any more," he said.

It's doubtful he would object. While the prevailing wiseguy wisdom is to stay under the radar, the late Mafia boss always smiled for the camera, and was intensely proud of his game, and the family name. In a wide ranging talk with Vicki about the possibility of using her married name on her books instead of the larger-than-life Gotti name, he made it clear that like his daughter, he preferred her maiden name.

"These are my feelings," said Gotti Sr. at one point. "I'm entitled to have feelings, too. If someone feels because they are related to me, that it is detrimental, they shouldn't be related to me."

Young Gotti did give Gang Land a "No comment," response about his subpoena to testify last month before a federal grand jury in Brooklyn that is investigating the burning of a Mercedes Benz belonging to the owner of a Queens pizzeria. Gotti dates the sister of a waiter at a rival pizza parlor who was indicted for arson in the case, according to the Daily News.

Gotti said the same thing to the newspaper. But his father Peter, who accompanied him to the court house, told newsman John Marzulli: "My only comment is that my son knows absolutely nothing about that case."

Gentleman Gangster Jerry Brancato Cashes In His Chips

Jerome (Jerry) Brancato Jr., a longtime Gang Land reader, and a former semi-pro baseball player who coached his son's little league baseball team while booking bets and earning his stripes on the Brooklyn and Staten Island docks for the Gambino crime family, has cashed in his chips. He was 88.

Brancato, who was semi-retired and living in Boca Raton when he died two weeks ago, was featured in a Gang Land contest dubbed Name The Wiseguys 16 years ago. The wiseguys in question included Brancato and three other Gambinos enjoying a New York Mets game at the old Shea Stadium.

The mob quartet was seated squarely in the frame of a large photo in the Daily News. The fotog captured the mighty swing of Atlanta slugger Andres Galarraga as he blasted a three run home run that sent the Mets to a 6-4 loss to the Braves on June 29, 2000. But the familiar mugs in the background proved almost as interesting, at least to Gang Land observers.

As it happened, only one reader correctly named Jerry and Lou Vallerio as the two mobsters. (No one tabbed mob associates Primo Cassarino and Richard (The Lump) Bondi.) The eagle-eyed reader was too shy to claim his or her prize. But the column was a keeper for Brancato. (He's #2 in the photo below.)

The following year, detectives with the Waterfront Commission who were then-probing the Gambino family's rackets on the New York piers collared Jerry after he left a meeting with a Staten Island bookmaker. During the stop, they spotted a printout of the contest column that included the picture of Brancato and the others sitting behind the Braves' dugout in his car.

"You know Jerry Capeci?" asked one.

"No," replied Brancato. "I think he knows me."

Over the years, Gang Land certainly knew who Brancato was. The former soldier in the U.S. Army was a Gambino soldier in the crew of the crime family's man on the waterfront, Anthony (Sonny) Ciccone. Brancato was not an enforcer or legbreaker. He was known as "an earner."

Gang Land did run into him at Brooklyn Federal Court after he and Ciccone were indicted on labor racketeering charges along with Gambino boss Peter Gotti in 2002. And we saw him again when he was hit with extortion charges along with 61 other defendants in a monstrous racketeering indictment in 2008. But that's a far cry from knowing someone.

We never had a real discussion, but he gave me a half-grin, half-grimace 'hello'-nod the few times we ran into each other. And he never complained that I had poked fun at him with the contest, or the time I wrote that he was heard telling Cassarino that a bunch of wires they found in a social club ceiling looked like a motion detector when it really was a listening device.

"Of all the defendants in organized crime cases that I have covered," said Daily News reporter John Marzulli, "he was probably the most cordial that I have ever encountered. He was always a gentleman with the press."

Convicted at trial with Gotti, Ciccone and four others in the waterfront racketeering case, Brancato got two years. He did his time, pleaded guilty to extortion in 2009, and was sentenced to another 15 months, which he completed in 2010.

A few years ago, after completing his last prison term, he relocated to Boca Raton, where his daughter Karen resides with her husband.

In a touching plea for leniency to his sentencing judge in 2009, Karen wrote: "Anytime I meet someone who knew my Dad, even as far back as high school or college days, they would always say to me what a great guy, true friend and a fabulous baseball player my Dad was — the best they have ever seen! They would say to me if 'Junior' didn't go to the army he would surely be in the major leagues. Well Judge, he will always be a Major Leaguer to me!"

Following a one day wake last week at Scarpaci Funeral Home in Staten Island, and a funeral mass at St. Thomas Apostle Church, Brancato was buried at Resurrection Cemetery.

In addition to daughter Karen, Brancato is survived by Regina, his wife of 59 years, his son Jerome III, three grandchildren, Kirk, Jerome IV, and Kyle, and a brother George.

'Workaday' Gangster's Lawyer To Judge: Please Remember to Forget

Genovese gangster Michael (Mikey P) Palazzolo wants a federal judge to recall the 27 month prison term she gave powerful mob capo Daniel Pagano for racketeering last year. And he also wants her to forget all about the far stiffer 41 to 51 months that the feds are recommending when Palazzolo is sentenced next week for racketeering.

That's because, unlike mob bigshot Pagano, Palazzolo is just a lowly grunt in the mob's ranks, according to the lowly grunt's attorney.

"Palazzolo's sentence should be less than Pagano's," attorney Lloyd Epstein declared in a sentencing memo to the judge.

After all, wrote Epstein, Pagano is a "leader" and a "captain" who settles "disputes among Genovese family associates" and whose "involvement in crime appears to be full-time." Mikey P, on the other hand, was a "minor participant" in the racketeering scheme and is employed full-time as a truck driver for a tree-cutting service in Pomona, NY, the lawyer wrote.

Epstein noted that while the men were indicted together, "the government forcefully argued (in its court filings) that Pagano occupied a powerful leadership position in organized crime." At the same time, the feds described Palazzolo's chores as collecting debts for Pagano's gambling ring and paying tribute to his mob superior, wrote Epstein. He added that while "Pagano profited significantly" from his crimes his client's "profit was minimal."

In one shakedown effort, wrote Epstein, government prosecutors reported that Mikey P was paid "approximately $200 for the job, the equivalent of the salary Palazzolo lost by missing a day of work to participate in the extortion scheme."

All in all, wrote Epstein, "there is no rationale consistent with the sentencing scheme which justifies sentencing Palazzolo to a term of imprisonment at least 14 month greater than (and as much as two years more than) that imposed on Pagano."

The problem with this argument is that Judge Abrams will also have to forget that Palazzolo rejected the same deal that Pagano accepted when he pleaded guilty more than a year ago. And she'll also have to disremember that Mikey P insisted on going to trial and didn't cop his plea deal until after the feds had added several more extortion charges to his indictment.

That's something that Gang Land expects prosecutors to mention when they file their sentencing memo which is sure to ask Abrams to forget about Pagano's 27-month sentence and impose the recommended prison term between 41 and 51 that is called for in Palazzolo's plea agreement.

[Cheech]

That pray to gotti thing is an old jay z line

[Pogo The Clown]

Man the Gotti's are such sleazebags.


Pogo

[Cheech]

didnt even realize Jerry put the jay z part in. when i posted i only read the cover

[TommyGambino]

John Sr must be spinning, look at the state of his kids, grandkids etc, all weasels, embarrassing.

[SonnyBlackstein]

1. Who gives a flying fuck if the grandkid of JG is selling t-shirts. Honestly.

2. Anyone have a copy of the Brancato Mets game photo?

3. Palazzo sure is keen about dropping Pagano's name and rank around to get leniency. Might want to be a little careful there.

4. WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK IF THE GRANDKID OF JG IS SELLING T-SHIRTS. HONESTLY!
Jeezus Jerry. You're not writing for the Daily anymore. Know your audience.

Another Thursday another bitch n whinge from this poster

[AG777]

1. Who gives a flying fuck if the grandkid of JG is selling t-shirts. Honestly.

2. Anyone have a copy of the Brancato Mets game photo?

3. Palazzo sure is keen about dropping Pagano's name and rank around to get leniency. Might want to be a little careful there.

4. WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK IF THE GRANDKID OF JG IS SELLING T-SHIRTS. HONESTLY!
Jeezus Jerry. You're not writing for the Daily anymore. Know your audience.

Another Thursday another bitch n whinge from this poster

Looks like we're both on our period.

[Pogo The Clown]

Looks like we're both on our period.

I didn't know women your age still had those. Maybe my presense has increased your vitality and got your biological clock kickstarted again.


Pogo

[B.]

Capeci has always focused on all aspects of the Gottis. John Gotti is what put him on the map and he's always written about the family members, including the ones who aren't mob members/associates.

[willychichi]

In a touching plea for leniency to his sentencing judge in 2009, Karen wrote: "Anytime I meet someone who knew my Dad, even as far back as high school or college days, they would always say to me what a great guy, true friend and a fabulous baseball player my Dad was — the best they have ever seen! They would say to me if 'Junior' didn't go to the army he would surely be in the major leagues. Well Judge, he will always be a Major Leaguer to me!"

Anyone know how good of ball player Brancato was, did he get drafted?

[AG777]

Looks like we're both on our period.

I didn't know women your age still had those. Maybe my presense has increased your vitality and got your biological clock kickstarted again.


Pogo

The only thing you got kickstarted is me wanting to put my foot up your ass. And not in a good way either.

[DonnieB]

The whole shirt thing reminds me around 91/92 they first came out with the "FREE JOHN GOTTI" t-shirt, sad to say I did own one of these shirts lol.

[AG777]

Ha ha my friend from Queens gave me one of those hats. He's a Gotti Sr. lover, looked up to him when he was a kid/teen cuz Gotti used to do a lot for his neighborhood, kept it in check and says now it's gone to shit.

[Wiseguy]

That hat...the hell? What do equal rights have to do with a mob boss deserving to go to prison?

[AG777]

Wiseguy

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/24/nyreg ... anger.html