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Book Cover for: The Gotti Wars: Taking Down America's Most Notorious Mobster, John Gleeson

The Gotti Wars: Taking Down America's Most Notorious Mobster

John Gleeson

Critic Reviews

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"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).

Book Details

  • Publisher: Scribner Book Company
  • Publish Date: May 9th, 2023
  • Pages: 368
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.90in - 5.90in - 1.00in - 0.80lb
  • EAN: 9781982186937
  • Categories: Organized CrimeUnited States - 20th Century

About the Author

Gleeson, John: - John Gleeson, currently a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, has had distinguished careers as a federal prosecutor, federal judge, and practicing defense attorney. He was lead counsel in the successful racketeering-murder trials of John Gotti and Vic Orena, respectively the bosses of the Gambino and Colombo crime families, for which he received the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award. As a United States District Judge in Brooklyn, he presided over more than 200 civil and criminal jury trials. Gleeson currently teaches at New York University School of Law, Harvard Law School, and Yale Law School. He lives in New York City with his family.

Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

"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