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Some of you may know a little bit about the Gotti family. And when I say family, I don't necessarily mean "family". Sure, the "Dapper Don" was probably among the most infamous gangsters of all time. But that doesn't mean we have to talk about his mafia family. I think it would be fun to talk about his personal family. His blood family...though that still sounds a lot like mafia anyway.

Either way, John Gotti was pretty prominent in the media for a long time. Even when he was in jail. He always made sure to give a good show to the media. It gave them better headlines, and they respected him more. But that doesn't mean that he didn't also have some pretty interesting, or juicy, or staggeringly stupid secrets kicking around. There was a lot that people didn't know about Gotti until after his death.

I'm sure his wife knew about his affair. But did many people know about his nickname for his wife? Or how he spent his leisure time with the boys? Or even how he would treat his bar staff? What about the fact that his boys were robbing him blind? There's plenty to learn about John Gotti and his very interesting and spoiled family.

"Pee-Pee Brain"

"The Dapper Don could be ruthless, but he was also a hopeless gambler who, rather than relying on the tough language of Goodfellas, used childish put-downs like 'pee-pee brain.'" Yup. That's the kind of nutbar the mafia world had to deal with. He loved soaking in the press. He went out of his way to kill people (including bartenders who didn't get his order right). And he loved calling people by immature nicknames. I guess when you're that powerful you can do whatever you want. And it turned that “If he didn’t have a nickname for you, you were in trouble.” So I guess it's a good thing for his wife Victoria that he called her "Butch". It's still kind of extra terrifying to know that the head of a mafia family is not only nuts but also childishly nuts.

The Gotti Family Fortune

This is such a well-kept secret that no one member of the Gotti family can even say where it is, or who has it. And if one of the Gotti members does actually have it, they are purposely keeping quiet about it. Which makes sense since they are all notoriously greedy and terrible people. But given that each and every one of them is constantly scrambling for whatever money they can get their hands on it seems unlikely that John Gotti left them a fortune of any kind. Instead, it just seems like they all spend money as crazily as their father did before he went to prison and died. "Daughter Angela suspected Lewis Kasman had stolen millions from her father. Other family members were jealous of Kasman’s cozy relationship with the godfather." Basically, Gotti's adopted son and consigliere, Kasman would probably be the only one to know about the supposed money. But he says nothing.

Bartender Kill Count

“Bombay Sapphire, straight up, ice cold. If it didn’t have shaved ice, the bartender got whacked.” No, this isn't just some passing mention about Joe Pesci's character in Goodfellas. John Gotti would actually have his bartenders murdered. He racked up quite a number in fact. Which is kind of crazy because you think it wouldn't be too hard to get the guy's drink right. I mean, all you need is one type of booze and some shaved ice. But it seems like a good number of bartenders figured that the type of ice wouldn't matter. Even though they knew who they were making drinks for. And they knew what he asked for. I am not saying that they deserved it, but how could they possibly think that it would be a good idea to disobey the don?

Making Monopoly Money

"They played Monopoly with real money instead of the fake cash which comes with the game and players had to spend $3,000 to buy in. The mobsters were also such sticklers for the rules that they would actually phone up the hotline set up by U.S. manufacturers Parker Brothers if they had a dispute." Imagine how high-end those games ended up. $3,000 to buy in is no small amount of cash to drop on a Monopoly game. And that wasn't the only game that Gotti dropped tons of money on. It's actually a good thing he did spend on his games. Because he was awful when it came to gambling. I'm pretty sure the only way he made enough money back from his gambling losses was by playing Scrabble, Monopoly, and chess, with tons of money on each game.

The Hole

There's a bleak-looking place in New York that has housed a number of mafia corpses over the years. Gotti loved to use it. It's called the Hole. "When, exactly, the Mafia started using the Hole as its informal graveyard is yet another of the neighbourhood's mysteries. However, the two decomposed corpses found in 2004 weren't the first to be unearthed there. In 1981, children playing in a lot in the Hole stumbled on what turned out to be the body of Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, a member of the Bonanno organized crime family. The Hole was certainly convenient for John Gotti, who took over the Gambino family after the Castellano hit in 1985: his favoured hangout, the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club in Ozone Park, Queens, was a 10-minute drive from the Hole."

All The Boys Still Live At Home

"First, 27-year-old John Gotti kept the crew waiting two hours as he arrived late looking flustered and just claiming he had ‘something he had to do’. Then Frankie Gotti, 24, refused to show up for filming at all - and threw the most astonishing childish hissy fit while claiming to feel sick." Victoria Gotti's sons, who you might remember from the ridiculous show Growing Up Gotti, haven't really changed all that much. Even though one of them is married now, all the boys live at home with mom. And are still like little kids. "Growing Up Gotti: 10 Years Later was supposed to show how they had matured into handsome men set to settle down and start families of their own - but instead highlighted how there has been far less growing up than mother Victoria Gotti must have hoped for"

The Family Snitch

It's funny to think that Gotti's own consigliere is also the very person who informed on both him and the rest of his family. Lewis Kasman worked with Gotti for years before finally deciding to cooperate with the feds. And in spite of becoming an informant, he still thinks he was a better part of the family than any of the Gotti children. Kasman was "a garment executive the don considered his “Matzo Boy” son" Because, of course, it wouldn't be a true mafia family without some racism. Gotti's brother hated Kasman. “Look at the dirty f*cking Jew,” he yelled as Kasman was lowering Gotti's body into the ground at the funeral. “I ain’t paying for the funeral,” Richie continued. “You pay for it — you’re his f*cking pet.” He was only loved by Gotti, but he still became a rat either way.

"Hey, Butch!"

"The most shocking nickname was the one Gotti picked for his wife: “Butch.” Her toughness was legend, he says, after Victoria hounded her husband on Favara, and once brazenly insulted Gotti’s top deputy, “Sammy Bull” Gravano, a cold-blooded hit man with 19 murders to his credit." That's right. John Gotti called his own wife "Butch". To look at her, it might seem pretty obvious just why he did that. But that's just rude. I think it cannot only be that. After all, he did marry the woman. But as said above, Victoria Gotti was pretty brazen. Oh, and Favara mentioned above? That was someone she basically forced John to kill. So John may have worn the physical pants...but it was pretty clear that, when she wanted to, Victoria Gotti really wore the pants.

Gotti's Second Family...

It probably doesn't surprise anyone that John Gotti had a side chick or two. Especially since he called his wife "Butch". It makes me wonder why he married her in the first place if he felt that way about her. I guess he liked her better when she used to be scandalized about his work in the mob. After she started calling for hits, things must have changed. "John Gotti's secret family would be welcomed to the Gambino clan if DNA tests verify the lineage to the Dapper Don, his widow said yesterday. "I hope they are blessed with his good looks," Victoria Gotti told the Daily News. "If they turn up after a DNA test, I would welcome them. Any part of John Gotti has got to be a class act." I think Butch really thinks that there's no chance...but everyone else thinks otherwise.

Gotti Killed Joe Pesci!

Ok, so this is a little misleading. Especially for anyone who knows that Pesci is obviously still alive. All you have to do is look at a Snickers commercial to know that he's still sort of alive. But it turns out that Gotti personally whacked the character Pesci played in Goodfellas. “Welcome, Tommy. Congratulations!” Gotti said. “Pull a chair up to the table and sit comfortably. This is not an ordinary day in your life, I want you to know.” Tommy D sat down and then, “Gotti pulled out a silencer-equipped .38 Colt Magnum from his inner breast pocket and drilled three bullets into DeSimone’s cranium. PAH . . . PAH . . . PAH." So the very brief affair was a little different in the film. And this little secret almost went with Henry Hill (Ray Liotta's character) to the grave because he was so afraid of Gotti coming after him too.

Stealing From Daddy 

For the longest time, John Gotti Jr. talked about how he was never involved in the "family business". He apparently had nothing to do with ordering the murders of anyone. He never extorted others. And he certainly never stole from his own family. That would just be too much. Well, of course, he eventually came out to say that he was "done with the life". And it turns out his favourite person to steal from was his father. Which is crazy since John Gotti Sr. gave so much to everyone already. "...And ya know what I say it all the time, he hadda hate his father. Because for him to act and behave the way he act ... You robbed all the money ... You disrespected your father. Spinning, he's doing spins [in his grave]." Gotti Sr's consigliere says that "Gotti Jr. misappropriated millions of dollars of the late John Gotti's illicit stash that should have gone to the entire Gotti family"

Keeping The Feds Caffeinated 

John Gotti always had a good relationship with the public. He always made a good impression on people. You know, unless he was gunning for those people. But with the feds, he was always a pleasant guy. "Gotti maintained a genial public image in an attempt to play down press releases that depicted him as a ruthless mobster. He reportedly would offer coffee to FBI agents assigned to tail him." Now that's class. I'm sure, somewhere deep down, he must have hated the agents who followed him everywhere. But offering them coffee, in addition to the bribes and the gunfire, is a pretty good way to show off just how nice a guy he is. Everyone knew that he was a killer underneath. But serving coffee to the very guys trying to put him behind bars was his little secret to being liked by the public and the law.

John Gotti Jr. Was A Whimp

John Gotti Jr. was hated by his father. But when he was a kid, I guess the don thought there was something in him still. "Once, when brother John “Junior” Gotti was attacked by a street gang, their father leapt to the rescue, beating up the assailants, making them beg for their lives, and then forcing Junior to fight each one, mano-a-mano. She describes the secretive blood ceremony that turned Junior into a made man" It's pretty sad when your father has to beat the pulp out of each kid before then sending you to fight each one separately. They were already begging for their lives, and you think they can keep fighting? That makes Gotti Sr. a pretty horrible person. And that makes Gotti Jr. a pretty wimpy person. And that's the event that sealed John Gotti Jr.'s fate as a made man. Pathetic.

Victoria Gotti And Jack Scalia

Now that Victoria Gotti is somewhat of a washed up not-quite-celebrity, she's expanded her dating pool. Now she can get her hands on hunky soap-opera actors. And she decided to bring Jack Scalia as her date to her son John's wedding. And this one act almost started a gang war at the reception! "A mob war erupted this weekend at the Long Island wedding of late Gambino family boss John Gotti’s namesake grandson. Father-of-the-groom/made man Carmine Agnello and Mafia princess/ex-wife Victoria Gotti traded barbs Friday night over her date for the evening — hunky soap opera star Jack Scalia, attendees said. “If you think it’s over between us, you’re dead wrong!” Agnello was heard shouting at Gotti." They've been divorced for years, but it seems there's still a love connection in there...

They're Watching Victoria

Ok, so it's not the actual book cover, but did you know that Victoria Gotti is actually a successful thriller writer? I guess it can't be too surprising since her whole life has been one big thriller. I imagine so anyway. One of the titles of one of her books is called I'll Be Watching You. Which is very interesting because it turns out that the feds are still watching her. I guess they must think that she's still heavily involved in the "family business". They raided both her home and the shop that her three kids run. And since they all live together, and one of the kids is currently serving time for drug offenses, it's not surprising that the feds are still watching them. I wonder what the next Gotti secret to surface will be!