The Gotti Wars

Taking Down America's Most Notorious Mobster

By: John Gleeson

Narrated by: Adam Grupper

“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) from the determined young prosecutor who, in two of America’s most celebrated trials, managed to convict famed mob boss John Gotti—and ultimately took down the Mafia altogether.

John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion—with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement’s radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. His penchant for eye-catching apparel earned him the nickname “The Dapper Don;” his ability to beat criminal charges led to another: “The Teflon Don.”

This is the captivating story of Gotti’s meteoric rise to power and his equally dramatic downfall. Every step of the way, Gotti’s legal adversary—John Gleeson, an Assistant US Attorney in Brooklyn—was watching. When Gotti finally faced two federal racketeering prosecutions, Gleeson prosecuted both. As the junior lawyer in the first case—a bitter seven-month battle that ended in Gotti’s acquittal—Gleeson found himself in Gotti’s crosshairs, falsely accused of serious crimes by a defense witness Gotti intimidated into committing perjury.

Five years later, Gleeson was in charge of the second racketeering investigation and trial. Armed with the FBI’s secret recordings of Gotti’s conversations with his underboss and consigliere in the apartment above Gotti’s Little Italy hangout, Gleeson indicted all three. He “flipped” underboss Sammy the Bull Gravano, killer of nineteen men, who became history’s highest-ranking mob turncoat—resulting in Gotti’s murder conviction. Gleeson ended not just Gotti’s reign, but eventually that of the entire mob.

A spellbinding, gripping courtroom drama, The Gotti Wars “tells us in electrifying detail how the good guys finally won, how justice triumphed over evil, and how Gleeson himself was transformed by his long war” (Nelson DeMille).

©2022 John Gleeson. All rights reserved. (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Riveting from Beginning to End!

If you love Mafia or crime, this book is for you. I remember i was a Senior in H.S. when the major Gotti stuff, the trial, Sammy flipping...and if you remember it, too...this book is even BETTER!! It took me months to listen to this, but I would look forward to my morning commute excited to find out what happens next in the story! Incredible writing and narration. Highly Recommend!

Great book

In depth look at the prosecutors role in the Gotti story. Well written and a great listen.

Highly recommend audiobook

Highly recommend audiobook. Well written with excellent narration. The story moves quickly from chapter to chapter and is very entertaining.

I spoke to soon.

I’d foolishly reviewed this after only hearing the first 4-5 chapters. That was unfair and a mistake. Out of boredom I gave it another listen & found it quite interesting & entertaining.

Fantastic crime story

A great look from the prosecution side, must read for mafia buffs. Well written, read, and paced it provides an inside look into the mafia, US Attorneys, the FBI, and trials.

Artfully crafted biographical courtroom drama

John Gleason blends the meticulous details of the procedural intricacies of building the case of the century with the thrill of a mafia crime story. Superb storytelling with great depth of characters and satisfying complexity in his recounting of the strategies to build his case.

Quite Riveting!!!

I’ve lost a lot of sleep I should have been getting listening to this book. Remembering who’s who with the many names is a bit overwhelming but doable and worth it. Great book, great lawyer, great author!

Amazing book!

The book is well written and well narrated! I’m really glad I got the audible as the narrator was great with voice inflection‘s! I looked forward to my commute to and from work because I got to listen to this book. Traffic no longer bothered me! I highly recommend this

Riveting twists & turns to take Gotti down

Loved this book. Kept me engaged the whole time. Author does a great job telling the personal and professional aspects of the Gotti saga.

Solid

Really interesting book from the perspective of the prosecution. Usually these books are written by rats; and even when the story is good, their personalities shine through. This was written from the perspective of the prosecutor; who comes off as driven, brilliant, and in possession of a robust ego. That added credibility to his story and he comes off as honest. Definitely recommend this book.