The Gotti Wars by John Gleeson

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

Extended Synopsis

The Gotti Wars delivers the definitive, firsthand account of the monumental legal battle that brought an end to the reign of John Gotti, the head of the Gambino crime family. Written by John Gleeson, the former Assistant U.S. Attorney who squared off against Gotti in two historic federal trials, this narrative reconstructs the dramatic collision between law enforcement and America's most media-conscious mob boss. Gotti's ascent to power began with the public execution of Paul Castellano outside Sparks Steakhouse in 1985, cementing his status as a feared figure and earning him the cultural moniker of "The Dapper Don" and "The Teflon Don" due to his early evasions of justice.

Gleeson provides an insider perspective on the immense strategic, physical, and ethical pressures involved in dismantling organized crime networks. After a bruising initial trial marred by defense-side witness tampering and perjury resulted in Gotti's acquittal, Gleeson orchestrated a meticulous five-year investigation. Leveraging clandestine FBI wiretaps from Little Italy and securing the cooperation of high-ranking turncoat Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Gleeson systematically built the racketeering case that finally broken the back of the Gambino syndicate. The resulting courtroom drama stands as a foundational event in modern American jurisprudence, marking the institutional decline of traditional La Cosa Nostra operations.

Intended Audience

This volume is tailored for readers of investigative true crime, legal history, and criminal justice operations. It offers highly substantive material for legal practitioners, historians studying 20th-century institutional law enforcement, and anyone interested in the tactical mechanics of federal racketeering prosecutions and anti-mafia operations.

Author Biography

John Gleeson is a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, having previously served as a federal prosecutor, a United States District Judge in Brooklyn for over two decades, and a practicing defense attorney. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he acted as lead counsel in the successful racketeering prosecutions of both John Gotti and Vic Orena, receiving the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award for his work. Gleeson has presided over more than two hundred civil and criminal jury trials and currently teaches on the faculties of New York University School of Law, Harvard Law School, and Yale Law School.

Accolades & Critical Praise

• "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
• "Tells us in electrifying detail how the good guys finally won, how justice triumphed over evil..." — Nelson DeMille

Related Titles

• Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti by Gene Mustain & Jerry Capeci
• Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia by Peter Maas
• Carlo Gambino: Boss of Bosses by Frank DiMatteo & Michael Benson

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