Gotti family fight breaks out at burial
It was mob mayhem at its most macabre.
The Queens funeral of John Gotti’s favorite nephew devolved into a shocking scene of family dysfunction as the dead man’s mom chased her ex with a tree branch — furious her son was being buried with strangers, the Daily News has learned.
Joseph Gotti, who beat brain cancer and always served as an upbeat inspiration to the Dapper Don, shot himself in the stomach Aug. 19 in an apparent suicide, sources said. The 42-year-old son of reputed Gambino captain Richard V. Gotti was found by the landlord of his Long Island home, sources said. He did not leave a note.
His burial at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside (below) was marred by a nasty fight between his divorced parents.
Joseph’s dad had decided to lay his son to rest in a family plot owned by a woman believed to be his current wife — not in the Gotti crypt at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.
Joseph’s mother Mary was at first unaware that her boy was being buried with the woman’s relatives because the tombstone was obscured by a floral arrangement.
But when the flowers were moved — and she saw another family name, not Gotti — Mary went ballistic.
Former mob prince John "Junior" Gotti had to restrain her as she chased Richard with a broken tree branch, according to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“Some people were so upset that he was being buried there they wanted to have everything moved to St. John’s right away,” the source said. “The family is in total shock.”
The suicide was apparently tied to Joseph’s declining health, sources said. Joseph Gotti had suffered from seizures with increasing frequency after undergoing surgery as a teenager to remove a brain tumor.
Although his father and brother, Richard G. Gotti, are made members of the Gambino family, Joseph was not affiliated with organized crime, law enforcement officials said. Still, the Dapper Don held a special place in his heart for Joseph.
“(John Sr.) thought (Joseph) had gotten over so many hurdles,” said a source. “He (John Gotti) would say, ‘Look at that kid, what he’s been through, and he’s always got a smile.’ ”
Sources said Joseph Gotti also suffered from depression, which may have been exacerbated by the medications he was prescribed. On the day he died, he reportedly suffered a seizure while talking to his jailed brother Richard on the phone.
Richard G. Gotti is serving an 87-month sentence for the shooting of the owner of a Howard Beach bagel shop. He was so concerned about his brother’s condition that day, he called another relative to check on Joseph, sources said.
It’s unclear why Richard V. Gotti chose to bury his son in a plot already occupied by his new love’s parents, but he does have a reputation for being tight with cash. The late John Gotti’s so-called adopted son, Lewis Kasman, claimed Richard V. Gotti had even tried to grab $4,900 designated to pay for limousines at the crime boss’ funeral.
Last week, Richard V. Gotti was arrested for assaulting the woman who owned the burial plot, according to law enforcement sources. He could not be reached Monday and his lawyer did not return a call for comment.
John Gotti is buried in a crypt at the Middle Village cemetery along with his 12-year-old son Frankie.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/gotti-burial-step-mom-family-crypt-sparks-fight-funeral-article-1.1172417
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