How old was John Gotti when he went to prison? At the time of his first imprisonment, John Gotti, the notorious boss of the Gambino crime family, was 37 years old. This milestone in his life marked the beginning of his long and tumultuous journey through the American correctional system.
John Gotti, born on April 27, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York, rose to become one of the most powerful and feared mobsters in the United States. His criminal career began in the 1960s, and by the late 1970s, he had become the boss of the Gambino crime family. Gotti’s reign was marked by a series of high-profile crimes, including racketeering, murder, and extortion.
In 1985, after a long and intense investigation, Gotti was finally arrested and charged with multiple counts of racketeering, conspiracy, and murder. He was tried in federal court and, on April 2, 1992, he was found guilty on all counts. The judge, John G. Koeltl, sentenced Gotti to life in prison without the possibility of parole. At the time of his sentencing, Gotti was 52 years old, and this marked the beginning of his long imprisonment.
Gotti’s first imprisonment began at the United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg, in Pennsylvania. However, his time at Lewisburg was short-lived, as he was transferred to a federal medical center in Butner, North Carolina, in 1993 due to health issues. During his time at Butner, Gotti was allowed to live in a special housing unit, which gave him more freedom than most inmates.
Despite his prison sentence, Gotti’s influence on organized crime continued to be felt. He remained in contact with his underlings through letters and phone calls, and he even managed to influence events from behind bars. In 2002, Gotti was transferred to the Federal Medical Center, Springfield, in Missouri, where he spent the remaining years of his life. He passed away on June 10, 2002, at the age of 62, after suffering a heart attack.
Gotti’s life and career serve as a stark reminder of the power and influence that organized crime can have on society. His imprisonment at the age of 37 and the subsequent years he spent behind bars were a testament to the justice system’s ability to bring even the most powerful criminals to accountability. How old was John Gotti when he went to prison? The answer is 37, but his impact on American organized crime will forever be remembered.
