Schnappt Gotti

Netflix's Get Gotti (2023) is a slickly produced docuseries that dives into the rise and fall of John Gotti, the Teflon Don with a flair for the dramatic. Equal parts history lesson and crime thriller, it walks the fine line between admiration and indictment, showing how Gotti's larger-than-life personality made him both a media darling and a federal headache.

The pacing is sharp, the interviews are juicy, and the archival footage reminds us why Gotti was the gangster who wouldn't quit-until he did. It's got all the mob lore, courtroom drama, and wiretap paranoia you'd expect, wrapped in a binge-worthy package.

Is it groundbreaking? Not exactly. But it's a polished, engaging watch that understands its subject's mythos. If you like your true crime with a dash of old-school swagger and a pinch of federal persistence, Get Gotti is a hit worth taking.

Paul Castellano, the infamous head of The Gambino family is killed, waiting in the wings is his protégé John Gotti, who's keen to climb to the top, and keen for a celebrity status.

This really is a no holds barred look at the incredible story of John Gotti, from his rise, his celebrity, becoming the Teflon Don, and his eventual demise.

It's a fascinating watch, there are some incredible interviews, jaw dropping insights, and several moments where you'll almost struggle to believe what you are watching.

I'm glad Netflix decided to make it a three part series, and no longer, it never feels over long or dull, it's very punchy.

What struck me most was the lack of cooperation between the various strands of The Authorities, it seemed they each wanted the glory, surely he'd have been convicted a lot sooner had they worked together.

8/10.

The whole Gotti story is completely overdone so I'm surprised this series even got commissioned, although it was a good watch in that it gave you the perspectives of people who'd also been there at the height of his power not just some grey FBI agents. Yes, that Mouw guy is still there, dining off his contribution, but a fair amount of the interviewees are from a range of backgrounds - his associates all still revel in the age of course, like it was the pinnacle of their lives - that Giovino woman especially almost can't get over her dalliance with fame and power.

The programme's main takeaway is that law enforcement seem idiotic as most of them were in direct competition to arrest the man himself instead of cooperating with each other. They overlook some of his more heinous crimes too, focusing mostly on the Castellano hit (not what he did to his poor neighbour John Favara). Also the prosecutor Giacalone comes out of this looking awful: she sent jurors home in limos (so they could be tailed and paid off) and later exposed an FBI informant who was then killed....totally incompetent and it's no wonder Gotti stayed free for so long.

It's mostly a nostalgic look back for a lot of these ex-wiseguys and agents, to a time when they were important, on both sides of the law. You almost can't believe this sort of criminal organisation was allowed to exist so brazenly back then now you look back at it. But overall RIP to all his victims, this guy was no hero.

The rise and fall of crime boss John Gotti is an interesting story. There's even a secondary story, that of different U. S. enforcement agencies that were competing to convict him, rather than cooperating. Unfortunately, this Netflix documentary spins the story out to a far greater length than it requires, with too many talking heads saying things like "this time, I really thought we'd got him" ad naseum, and endless details provided that add little insight to the overall narrative. I feel that with Netflix there's often a presumption that "more is more", and what could have been gripping if briefer becomes repetitivie and dull. The series also allows former gangsters to laugh about their crimes under interview without challenge as if it was all good fun, which leaves a sour taste.

Well made and perfectly watchable but little more than an overview of the main events and certainly doesn't contain anything that hasn't been covered before in multiple docs and books before, often with a lot more info and context. In particular no mention of the fact there was at least one credible mob attempt to kill him after the Castellano hit, nothing about his son being run over and killed in 1980 (and the subsequent 'disappearance' of the driver), and nothing about perhaps the most absurd/arrogant murder attributed to him and caught on the ravenite tapes; having an underling 'whacked' for missing a couple of meetings!!