Gotti (1996)

John Gotti rises to head the powerful Gambino crime family before being convicted in 1992 of racketeering and murder.

Director:

Robert Harmon

Writers:

Jerry Capeci (book), Gene Mustain (book)

Stars:

Armand Assante, Anthony Quinn, William Forsythe

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Armand Assante	...	John Gotti
William Forsythe	...	Sammy Gravano
Richard C. Sarafian	...	Paul Castellano
Frank Vincent	...	Robert DiBernardo
Anthony Quinn	...	Neil Dellacroce
Dominic Chianese	...	Joe Armone
Robert Miranda	...	Frank DeCicco
Scott Cohen	...	Gene Gotti
Raymond Serra	...	Frank LoCascio
Vincent Pastore	...	Angelo Ruggiero
Marc Lawrence	...	Carlo Gambino
Tony Sirico	...	Joe Dimiglia
Alberta Watson	...	Victoria Gotti
Al Waxman	...	Bruce Cutler
Yank Azman	...	Judge Nickerson

Storyline

John Gotti, the head of a small New York mafia crew breaks a few of the old family rules. He rises to become the head of the Gambino family and the most well-known mafia boss in America. He is known as the Dapper Don for his expensive taste in suits, and the Teflon Don because none of the FBI charges against him will stick. Life is good, but suspicion creeps in, and greed, rule-breaking and his high public profile all threaten to topple him.

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Plot Keywords:

car bomb | prison | court | exploding car | mafia | 

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic violence, strong language and some drug content

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gotti: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Mafia Don

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie features two actors with real life associations to real New York mobsters: Marc Lawrence, who portrays Carlo Gambino, was friends with Charles "Lucky" Luciano. He would visit him in Italy where Lucky was deported to after his release from prison. And Anthony Quinn, who portrays Neil Dellacroce, was friends with Frank Costello (Lucky's former under boss) after Costello had retired from the mob.

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Goofs

The audio played back in the courtroom is not the same as the conversation that took place earlier in the film. Notably, John Gotti used the phrase "physically sick" during the earlier conversation, but it does not appear when the tape is played back. Also when Gotti asks who "did the work?" Frankie says "Sammy," but on the tape, Frankie says "Fucking Sammy" which Gotti repeats.

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Quotes

Neil Dellacroce: I've been negotiating all night.
John Gotti: [to his crew] Just take a walk, all right?
[to Niel]
John Gotti: Negotiatin' what?
Neil Dellacroce: Your fuckin' life!
John Gotti: For takin' out a fuckin' coke head?
Neil Dellacroce: Be quiet! Sit down. I said, sit down! You know, I've clipped a lot of guys in my life. Close friends. Guys I didn't know. I didn't always agree that the guy should be clipped. But I never questioned the orders and I never went off half-cocked and clipped somebody I wasn't supposed to!
John Gotti: Niel
Neil Dellacroce: Now, you shut up! You just listen. Big Paul went ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Cruise (1998)

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Soundtracks

Soul Makossa
(uncredited)
Written by Manu Dibango

User Reviews

A Stunning Achievement

A classic in its own right. Yes it wasn't 100% factual (if you have ever seen a COMPLETELY true movie from Hollywood please let me know what it is) but it is truly mesmerizing. I still have difficulty believing this was an HBO movie but they do surprise me sometimes. Armand Assante hit the nail squarely on the head with his depiction of Gotti. Its like looking into a portal of the past. He has the talk down, the walk down, and the character down pat. My favorite Gotti depiction of all time. Forsythe, Quinn, Vincent, and Pastore all turned in memorable performances. And this movie doesn't make you fond of the FBI contrary to another review mentioned beforehand. They do things in this film that would make a decent man sick and want to support the other side; the underdog that doesn't have a chance against the Department of Justice and the "B". Gotti was indeed remarkable and is a great buy. A window into the workings of the mob and a cautionary tale about excessive greed and ambition. It's something you'll watch regularly and will be praised by future generations in the years to come.