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 | character name as title | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was the highest rated original telefilm in HBO history at that time. The success of the film convinced HBO to cast film costars, Dominic Chianese, Vincent Pastore and Tony Sirico in a series in development at the time called The Sopranos (1999).

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Goofs

When Castellano's driver gets shot the blood appears on the outside of his coat but when the coat flies open, there is no blood or bullet holes.

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Quotes

Neil Dellacroce: If Don Carlo had said you gotta go, I woulda come here today with these two "zips" and you would go... John, you cannot whack a made man on somebody else's crew! There rules... you break the rules and this whole god damn thing of ours crack and crumbles... CAPICHE?

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Connections

Referenced in Dinner for Five: Episode #1.10 (2002)

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Soundtracks

Dance Hall Days
(uncredited)
Written by Jack Hues, Darren Costin, Nick Feldman

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.

Details

Country:

Canada USA

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:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1