John Gotti: It Was Kill or Be Killed Pt. 1

Nicknamed the "Dapper Don," on account of his expensive suits and swagger, John Gotti was one of the biggest celebrities of the 1980s. But the real John Gotti was a man to be feared—a ruthless gangster who ordered hits on enemies and friends alike, as well as anyone else who crossed him. In the 70s, Gotti worked his way up the ranks of the Gambino crime family as a solid earner and vicious capo determined to not let anything or anyone stand in his way. Gotti's big move came in 1985, when he organized the brutal murder of then Gambino boss Paul Castellano and took Castellano's throne as the new Gambino godfather, making him public enemy #1. Everyone from law enforcement to other goodfellas considered Gotti dangerous and unpredictable. And for years he seemed unstoppable. This episode explores how this common street thug became the godfather of one of the world's most powerful crime families, and how a secret FBI operation finally brought him down.