Gotti Crime Development and Gang Types

There are many theories that explain why an individual such as John Gotti would turn to a life of crime. Gotti's life of crime started at a young age when his family moved to New York. The differential theory suggests that Gotti turned to a life of crime due to his association with individuals involved in criminal activity. The strain theory explains that Gotti turned to a life of crime due to the environment that he was living in. The routine activity theory explains that Gotti turned to a life of crime due to the lack of social control. The Gangster Disciples have been around for many years. They are still present today even after being dispersed and the leaders were sent to prison. The theories explain reasons to why criminals turn to a life of crime.

Gotti Crime Development and Gang Types

John Gotti was born into a large Italian family and was the fifth child out of thirteen children. Gotti's father worked as a day laborer. Gotti's family struggled to make ends meet. Gotti and his family constantly moved around until Gotti was 12. At the age of 12 the family settled in East New York in an area filled with youth gangs. After settling into this East New York area Gotti soon became an errand boy for Carmine Fatico, a captain for the Gambino family. Gotti joined and became the leader of a youth gang known as the Fulton-Rockaway boys shortly after becoming an errand boy and dropped out of school. The Differential Association theory, Strain theory, and Routine Activities are criminological theories that could explain why John Gotti turned to a life of crime.

By the age of eighteen, Gotti had racked up a large criminal record and had become a well-known figure to the police. Gotti married and moved to Ozone park in Queens where he joined the Gambino hijacking crew and made a name for himself in the crime family (May, 2010). He spent several years in jail when he was caught stealing cargo. Once he was release he became the temporary leader of the Fatico branch of the Gambino family. Gotti was then arrested for attempting to kill a rival gang member in broad daylight. He attempted to kill the rival gang member in front of witnesses and was sentenced to four years in jail.

Gotti was made captain of the Bergin crew after his release and the death of Carlos Gambino. By the 1980's Gambino was the crime boss of the Gambino family. He became the target of the F.B.I. Due to Gotti's celebrity in the neighborhood any charges that were launched resulted in acquittals hence the name Teflon Don. The F.B.I. convinced underboss Sammy Gravanao to testify against Gotti. Gotti was then arrested and found guilty of the charges of racketeering. Gotti received a life sentence and he stayed in prison until he died in 2002.

There are many different criminological theories that could be used to explain the criminal development of John Gotti. The Differential Association theory, Strain theory, and Routine Activities are criminological theories that could explain why John Gotti pursued a life of crime instead of legitimate forms of income. Criminological theories provide a framework in which criminal behavior can be explained.

According to Sutherlands differential association theory crime is learned through associations with criminal definitions (Abadinsky, 2010). In other words through Gotti's interactions as a youth with criminal environment lead the way to his development into a mafia crime boss. Due to Gotti engaging in criminal behavior as a youth and repeated this behavior in adulthood it became reinforced and the criminal subculture in which Gotti grew up is where he learned the criminal behavior he displayed.

Another criminological theory that could apply to Gotti's crime development is Robert Merton's Strain Theory. According Merton's Strain Theory is caused by the environment and causes the individual to turn to crime (Siegel, 2008). The environment in which the offender or Gotti in this case, did not provide an equal opportunity for success as in other environments and the result was strain. The strain led Gotti to choose to join the deviant criminal subculture instead of pursuing a legitimate lifestyle.

The Routine Activity Theory is another criminological theory that could apply to the criminal development of John Gotti. According to this theory crime is committed when there is a lack of social control, an attractive target, and opportunity. The daily routine