Not one human being on account of me ever went to prisonever, he says. Nor did he ask for specifics about his crimesand Alite volunteered none, other than saying he was having severe problems with gangsters in New York and Florida. ET TV: MSNBC Live stream Leguizamo Does America on Fubo: Start with your free trial today! "Junior" Gotti which allegedly distributed eight kilograms of cocaine per month. I had a John Wayne mentality. But if it was truly just an innocent friendship, he argues, any agent would (or should) have memorialized it on paper. Johnny hasnt mentioned what led him to turn over a new leaf, but now, by focusing on his family, wife, Claudia DiPippa, 4 kids, and grandkids his private spiritual journey, and his mission to deter anyone from a life in crime, he lives a life that he is proud of. [8] "Junior" Gotti allegedly ordered Grosso's murder because he had told people he was selling drugs on behalf of Gotti and his father, Gambino boss John J. Gotti Sr. ordered it from prison and was also convicted of the hit. I know theyre murdered, but technically by their [law enforcement] standards, you know, they need a body. Alite once phoned Gentile late at night to tell him he was on the verge of beating someone up. Louie DiBono [Gambino soldier found in his car trunk], Im part of that murder team. He belongs in the same environment where his father spent the remainder of his life. Our kids are friends. (It was declared a mistrial.) That year, Alite pleaded guilty to racketeering charges, including two murders and a variety of other crimes, and in 2011, was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison. His history speaks for itself. (On its face, it was a bizarre idea, as it suggested the Gambino clan could profit from a scheme to imprison mob guys and others.). [17][1], In January 2008, Alite pleaded guilty to racketeering charges that included two murders, four murder conspiracies, at least eight shootings, and two attempted shootings as well as armed home invasions and armed robberies in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, stemming from his alleged involvement in a Gambino crew in Tampa, Florida. I'd be right now in Colorado ADX [supermax prison] dying like my father., Junior says he typically hosts his extended family for Christmas dinners, where Alite is remembered. I was a gangster killing people. Gotti. He was released from prison in 2013, with a solemn oath never to return to one again. Hes not intelligent enough to be in the same room with me.. But this time he was in no position to kill anyone. But the health Icouldcontroleat right, exercise, see a doctor.. Despite his history, despite what people want to say about him, I would trust him with with my life. But Junior liked Alite, he didnt want to kill him, said Scars. Post-FBI, he rooted out wrongdoing as the inspector general for a port authority that was mired in corruption; the chief compliance officer for a national turnpike commission; and head of labor operations for Philadelphias mobbed-up convention center. They love each other, they kiss each otherbrother brother brotherturn your back and someone just picked your pocket. For the songs, Alite was asked questions about his past, and then fired away without a script, says David Nash, whose London-based company (Fat Pigeon Music Publishing) is producing the album. Joseph Rejent | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. The one in Brazil in jail. Jimmy the Gent also played a behind-the scenes role in the first homicide that Alite was directly involved in. It took 10 months before the authorities caught up, but then, he served two years behind bars in Brazil before being extradited in 2006 to be put on trial. a legal online gambling venture in South America. I could have said, Please come up onto the deck, youre under arrest. Another suspect let his dog loose on Dave, prompting the agent to toss the man, who weighed perhaps 300 pounds, down a steep flight of stairs. I always believed I could take care of myself and those close to me, he explains. Their remarkable bond developed slowly and by chance 20 years ago (when Alite was still a hitman and Gentile still a G-Man). Paul Forgione in front of Gotti Seniors mother's house. But I have to allocute to them when I'm in those [FBI] rooms. Its like an alcoholic or drug addict. He was in the witness protection program with a $1 million bounty on his head ($2 million in todays money), which explained why Gentile sat near us with a loaded gun. (For example:Papa Johns pizza, whose chairman resigned in 2019 after using a racial slur.) A One-In-A-Million Friendship: The G-Man and the Mob Hitman. He single-handedly hunted down that New England crew. Alite and Gotti are mortal enemies who dispute one anothers accounts of almost everything. Alite has claimed he had an affair with her, which shes vehemently denied. Thats what made me exceed in my business, he once conceded in court. How to Watch Leguizamo Does America Today: Date: April 16, 2023 Time: 9:00 p.m. John was a tough guy on the streets of Queens, he had a reputation. The family is livid about a Page Six story on a wedding Sliwa and John Gotti Jr. attended over the weekend. Current and former law enforcement officials vouched for Alites credibility and transformation. And I would beg anyone to try and come up with any piece of paper, any 302 [an FBI summary of an interview], or any other thing that would show there was information gleaned from John Alite by me. He felt Alite would never cooperate.Alite says he was once given a machine gun by Gambino members to kill Junior, but that this hit was also called off. John is trying to connect with street kids. Some jurors believed him, some did not, says John Meringolo, one of Gottis two trial lawyers. SHOP John Alite Custom Baseball Bats - JOHN ALITE $200.00 USD Shipping calculated at checkout. The men attended Yankee games, a Tyson fight, and meals together. It was now the hitmans turn to help the agent. He says Gentile was Johns contact point since the 90s.Responds Dave:That is absolutely and categorically false. Donald Trump photo posted by John Alite on open Facebook personality page on 9 November 2022, Palm Beach, FL, United States (John Alite/Facebook) Merlino spent more than a decade in federal. But he refused to aid a fugitive, and kept telling Alite (heatedly at times) that he had to come in and face the music of what you did and change your life. Moreover, she adds, American culture loves a comeback, and with people suffering from the pandemic, this whole marketing tool of the aspirational lifestylewealthy celebrities lecturing people from their mansions andsuperficial influencersisnt resonating anymore. By being an open book about the details of his violence, perhaps no skeletons can leap forward to bite him. He just had to lose those demons he was dealing with. The past is the past, you know what I mean? But some find that hard to swallow, given that Alite was the star witness, and that the jurywhich deliberated for 11 days until deadlocked ended up pretty evenly split on the counts. Scene: Alite's house in South Jersey, 1991. One member of Alite's crew, Keith Pellegrino, was a drug supplier to the 10th & Oregon gang. Were not looking to kill each other. Newell laughs. "It's up the river for you John," read the frosting on the cake. Since Alites ancestors hail from Albania, points out Gravano, he could never be more than an associate of the family. Hes been been working with a therapist for 15 years to understand and control his temper. He invited the kids to call or visit him anytime they felt a need. (Facebook). From what the five major mob families were doing to how the FBI worked to get them dismantled by having the top bosses arrested, it covered everything. The message: I tell them, after you hurt or kill somebody, look in the mirror and just shoot yourself in the head, because that's what youre doing.. Later he featured in a Gamology react video on Hitman 3 where he provided commentary on the game and how it compared to his exploits as a former hitman.[33]. Alite says he once beat up Genie Gotti, Juniors uncle, in prison. One juror told the press that the jury was unanimous in finding Alite the least credible of the witnesses. (sitting beside him) threw a party in his honor. It took courage on Dave's part not to report the friendship initially. Because I know better., While Gentile was his prime role model, Alite credits others with lending a hand. He began associating with "made" members and associates of the Philadelphia crime family, as well as the independent 10th & Oregon Crew. Yes. We have some video of John Alite and his new love interest Michael Dowd. Government witness and racketeering convictions, "A dirty, rotten, double crossing (true) story of what happened to the Italian American mob", "From the archives: From a Brazilian prison, John Alite talks Gotti and fights extradition", "John Alite n Kosov: Do formoja ushtrin time, sikur ta dija q shqiptart jan kaq trima", "Rrfehet mafiozi shqiptar me origjin nga Gjirokastra: Si e rrzova perandorin e krimit t 'Cosa Nostra-s', "John A. #johnalite When the definitive history of the American mafia gets written, it should include a chapter about Alite and Gentile [pronounced AY-lite and Gen-TEEL]. Infighting in the Philadelphia Mafia between rival factions led by John Stanfa and Joey Merlino left the organization in disarray and allowed Alite to take control of the lucrative valet parking business on Delaware Avenue, as well as in South Jersey and Atlantic City, within a year of moving to the area. Ive heard Alites stories hundreds of times,says Scala, the retired FBI Gambino expert. I guess those guys today dont have any heart.. You could say were friends, Newell confirms to Forbes. He lived. He agreed to testify against John in court during his racketeering trial, but his statements were largely undermined during cross-examination, which made the jury see him as an unreliable source and excusing John. That moment at the funeral underscored what I always felt about him, says Gentile. Other competing criminals werereallyafraid of him.Even so, he had a warm side in his dealings. Living there, it was no surprise that Johnny became friends with his son, John A. Gotti. Ill never forget him calling and crying like a baby into the phone, recalls Gentile. Alite says he was one of three partners with Gotti Sr. in a sports betting operation. Thus, to avoid a lengthy stay in prison, in 2008, he pleaded guilty to two murders, four murder conspiracies, at least eight shootings, two attempted shootings, armed home invasions, and armed robberies around New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida. From politics to music . But two for sure. Junior sat secretly for whats known as a proffer, a negotiation in which a target shares information that cannot be used against him. ET: Sheesh. BOTTOM: Junior leaving the courthouse, with Alite to his left (behind), and attorney Gerald Shargel to his right. He was a bad person many years ago, said Gentile, putting it mildly. Jack Teixeira was taken at about 1:30 p.m. and a . I first met Dave in 1990, when he was a Philadelphia-based FBI agent specializing in labor racketeering cases. Stabbing and baseballbatting I got a ton of guys, I mean nonstop. 128. rickyv419 1 yr. ago. John Alite, the star prosecution witness in John "Junior" Gotti's racketeering and murder trial, said Victoria was wearing dark glasses when she showed up at a Queens social club he owned. I believed in something that dont exist. The people who are writing the music for Johns album are in their early 20s, early 30s, and the people who buy their music are kids who have been affected directly or indirectly by the gang culture, says Nash, who is also Alites co-manager on entertainment ventures. Alite has estimated that he shot between 30 and 40 people, beat about 100 people with a baseball bat, and murdered six people. Finally, Alite may be the only former mafia hitman to launch a music career. In 2015, veteran mob reporter George Anastasia wrote a book called Gottis Rules: The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti and the Demise of the American Mafia. When Gotti caught wind of the project, he rushed to self-publish his own memoir, Shadow of My Father, in which he mercilessly attacked Alite. Gentile says that had he done so, his bosses would have pressured him to get Alite to inform, and hed have refused their orders. We stabbed Joe OKane. In 2008, Alite pled guilty to involvement in the 1996 murder of Gebert. I didnt keep fucking rosters. So I can keep going with story after story. Nervous and anxious, he flees to Venezuela, then travels to Cuba, Colombia, Jamaica, Argentina - the list goes on and on. You got something to say to me? said Alite, after walking off the witness stand during a break. 4 interest-free installments or from $18.05/mo with View sample plans Quantity Add to cart View full details Autographed Photos 1,271 Followers. John Alite is telling his truth, But it's his version of the truth. And I told my therapist that. He is now no longer friends with him. This is why the kid [Junior] didnt belong in the life. He's given me the confidence to do things that I'm afraid of. I try and stay out of peoples divorces.The Bull may not have a choice, however. Aside from being a source of legitimate income, Alite used his valet parking businesses as a means of laundering money he was making from drug dealing, gambling and loansharking. Normally, a law enforcement agent would inform a superior, and start working the relationship to gain a foothold into a crime family. Alite is in bottom row, fifth from the right. But he actually speaks highly of me; were friends now. #Positivity 9,193 views 1 month ago PART I John. Gentile, who has spent long hours with him on the project, has some gaming experience to make sure it stays kosher:he once worked as an executive for a gaming group, responsible for background checks on vendors. Indeed, Ronnie-One-Arm, the Gambino captain, gave his own opening statement in 2006 before a jury without his lawyer present (hardly the smartest move in mafia history), in which he ratted out Alite as a rogue and thug who stole all these businesses from every person.Alite had had enough. They didnt charge me with the murder. But I do know he dressed well, had nice cars and was trouble if you messed with him. And he knows the only way anybody would even believe anything about him is use the name Gotti. Hes cashed in on my name., Alite on the Gottis:Junior and his father built their names off the violence from people like me. Subscribe i need a spell caster urgently goodreads. By then, he was starting to soften up. [2], As federal racketeering indictments were handed down for his group's activities in the Tampa area, Alite fled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in January 2004, and lived and worked in the Copacabana neighborhood, according to the Brazilian Federal Police. (Ohhe sometimes used a blackjack, which is a short, weighted and concealable bludgeoning device.) Their deeply-personal blood feud has gone virtual, having bled out into social media. Meanwhile, Alite has helpedGentile cope with devastating personal tragedies in his own lifeincluding one that struck in October, a month after the Camden event, with the sudden death of his young grandson, Nicky, who his grandparents raised since childhood. Alites former defense lawyer,Caroline Tesche Arkin (now a civil court judge), recalls philosophical conversations with him about how he could change his life. Did Alite overreach in the trial? The series is hosted by American actor John . In fact, IknowI wasnt ready., On the subject of Gentiles chance meeting and the evolution of his friendship with Alite, Gotti isnt buying it. @johnalite. [7] On December 20, 1988, Alite lured cocaine dealer George Grosso to the White Horse Tavern in Queens, persuaded him to get into a car under the pretence of driving to another bar, and then shot him three times in the head. I always toast my fatherthis is to the chief.And then I say, Oh, here's to Johnny Alite.I always toast him. Now, a lot of people don't get killed. (Arillottahimself, in fact, since he became a cooperator a decade ago. Contributing Editor of Investigations, Forbes magazine. In late 2006, he was flown in chains in an FBI jet to Florida, where he pled guilty to a long list of crimes ranging from murder, racketeering, kidnapping and drug trafficking, to armed invasions of homes and businesses. Picture aMiracle on 34thStreet Christmas drama, only this one tagged Escape from 79thand Jamaica Avenue, Alites former crime hub. THAT WAS THEN: John "Junior" Gotti (left), with John Alite holding his baby son, Jimmy. In 2011, he was sentenced to 10 years, but was discharged a year later after agreeing to a five year supervised release. Alite says that while still in prison in Brazil he assisted fellow mobsters to fight cases. One at Mike's Pub in front. I didnt care what I have to do to get the job done to bring an indictment. The Oddest Couple podcast features two individuals from polar opposite walks of life, who have lived completely different lives, who yet understand each other extremely well. [16] Later that year, Alite was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm in violation of a parole agreement and spent three years in prison. Certain self-important colleagues could never understand the relationship I forged with Alite and the reasons for it, he says. Nowwillhe debate me? Stemming from the racketeering charges in Florida, the authorities found Johnny to be involved in a lot of other crimes as well. He was associated with the Gambino family there and led a crew in the city which extorted rival valet businesses. The next time he feels it necessary to celebrate his freedom because of John Alite, tell him I said he will never be able to truly claim the law of innocence.. You always were a dog. The judge admonished them. I always appealed to his greater good.. But hes more of a man than probably 90% of the people Ive interfaced with. Event sponsor: Men Empowering Nations, a faith-based local non-profit. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. But that wasthen. [7] In the 1980s and '90s, he was an enforcer and hitman for a Queens-based drug gang headed by John A. Id love to see some forgiveness and humility play out in the media for once., Michaels suggests brands that need redemption and understand a fall from grace might benefit from a John Alite. Then, in 2004, as federal racketeering charges were being handed out near his crew in Tampa, he fled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "Junior" Gotti in 2008. Um, Mike Livigni in Port O Call. Junior Gottis enforcer, as well as business partner. In July 2020, he appeared in the Fear City: New York vs The Mafia Netflix docuseries. [10][11][12], In the mid-1990s, Alite relocated to the Philadelphia area, where he owned homes in the suburbs of Cherry Hill and Voorhees Township. #11 - John Alite & Gene Borrello Talk to Hootie, Former Gambino Associate John Alite 59.8K subscribers Join Subscribe 1.9K Share Save 173K views 2 years ago The Johnny & Gene Show Full. The Crow, betrayed by his own mob boss, testified in 11 trials, resulting in 52 convictions. But hes agoodman., What followed was an hour of bloodcurdling revelations, regrets and warnings. Exhibit 301D and 301E, U.S. v. John Gotti Jr. TOP: Junior and Alite in 1990 were ordered out of a car and frisked by police responding to a report [+] of a gun in a vehicle outside a Manhattan courthouse where jurors were deliberating in a trial of John Sr. (No gun found.) Live Playlists Community Channels About 0:00 / 0:00 John Alite Talks About His Professional BASEBALL Career/// "Mo' $$$$$ in MY Pocket! Nobody believed John Alite, and thats why Im home, says Gotti. is Gambino family soldier Frank Radice. Gentile, who had retired from the FBI in 2003, says he was then under no obligation to report the calls to the Bureau. He has three books that he has co-written: Gottis Rules: The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia. And, he is the sole author of Prison Rules. As for his public appearances, apart from giving televised interviews time and again, he has his own sit-down interview show by the name of The Johnny and Gene Show. You fag! Gotti exploded Youre a punk. Maybe someone like this actuallycancelscancel culture, she says. I mean, it's insane. Two skillsets, a hybrid gangster an exception to the rule,says Ted Otto, a current FBI agent who debriefed Alite for years starting in 2007 (and to an extent still does). New York, USA linktr.ee/johnalite Joined December 2009. It's very easy to Sense Alite's BS there was a time him and his brother Jimmy were fighting and they were suing each other. Dave sometimes brought little Nicky over to watch Alite and pro boxers spar, so thatI could show a young boy that learning how to defend yourself is something that can be very, very good. Gentile once visited Alite in prison. You have a great deal of talents to make an honest living. He didnt know what to do. Two songs have been completed for a pending spoken-word album (Its Not Just Gotti and I Left My Family) that are actually quite compelling and can be heard here. Run by: @Kasparoza. He says he came away at times feeling that Alite was embellishing. More than one crew member explained that John was always really fair with how he divvied up the criminal proceeds, something rare in that world, says Trezevant. FB/IG: @JohnAliteFacts. After almost a year of hopping across the globe, John's past would ultimately catch up with him in Brazil. It led to his being tagged Tefflon Jr. by the press, just as his dad had been called the Tefflon Don.(Note:This excludes a 1999 case, in which Junior pled guilty on the eve of trial to bribery, extortion and the threat of violence.). Its best summed up with bullet points (pun intended): At the heart of their conflict is this:Alite says Gotti wont admit and accept thathe became a rat while Alite was still holed up in a Brazilian prison fighting extradition and remaining loyal to the clan. (He got his nickname due to a deformed arm from a car accident.) They don't charge me with the murder. Gentile also co-formed a private investigative company that in 2013 sought a contract to provide guards at a New York airport. Today, Alite is developing a venture inlegalonline gambling in South America, with Gentile serving as an advisor conducting the due diligence to make sure Alites partners are cleanand wont take advantage ofhimthe way he used to take advantage of others. Another photo taken years earlier, in 1984, shows Gotti Jr, Alite and Gambino associate/drug dealer John Gebert standing together on a beach pier. The show sells online goodies such as John Alite coffee mugs, face masks and tote bags. Alite today is making ends meetby building houses to flip in Pennsylvania, co-owning an auto repair and sales shop, and until last year owning a pizzeria.