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Victoria Gotti (born November 27, 1962, in Brooklyn, New York) is a writer, reality television participant and daughter of the late Gambino crime family Mafia boss, John Gotti((a.k.a. "The Dapper Don" or "The Teflon Don"))
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Early Life and Family
Victoria was born in Brooklyn, New York to convicted mob-boss, John Gotti, and his wife, Victoria DiGiorgio. Victoria was raised in Howard Beach, New York with her siblings, (Angela Gotti, John A. Gotti, Peter Gotti and Frank Gotti [deceased]). Victoria was so quiet as a child, her parents thought she was autistic.
Victoria was an eager reader and a straight-A student. She skipped two grades in high school, entering St. Johns University in 1977, at the age of 15.[1] While she was still attending St. Johns, Victoria was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse, a condition that makes the heart race, causing dizziness and palpitations. Her condition meant that Gotti needed to watch her health carefully, take regular medication, and occasionally wear a heart monitor.[2]
In 1984, shortly after leaving school, she married her high school sweetheart and "first real boyfriend," scrap-metal dealer, Carmine Agnello. Together, the couple had three sons, Carmine, Frank and John, as well as a daughter, Justine, who was stillborn.
As of May, 2009, she was facing foreclosure on the mansion she was awarded as part of her divorce from Agnello.[1]
Books, TV Appearances, Etc...
Victoria Gotti was a columnist at the New York Post and US tabloid Star, and has written: Senator's Daughter (1997), I'll Be Watching You (1998), Superstar (2000), Hot Italian Dish (2006), and her newest book, This Family of Mine: What It Was Like Growing Up Gotti (2009).
From August 2004 until December 2005, she was the star of Growing Up Gotti, an American reality television on the A&E Network. The show, which was short lived, also featured her three sons. The Smoking Gun launched a parody of sorts entitled Blowing Up Gotti, which consisted of family visits to John Gotti while he was in prison that prison officials routinely taped. A&E faced exceptional criticism for the show. Some viewers complained that A&E was showcasing a family living in luxury that was purchased by blood money made by her father, John Gotti. They felt the network was glorifying organized crime. Many have also complained about the foul language used on the show, as well as the dysfunctional relationship between Victoria Gotti and her sons. Film.com said about the show: "Victoria Gotti has the warmth of an ice pick and her sons the charm of, well, thugs." [2]
In August 2005, she claimed she had breast cancer, which was believed to only have been publicity. However, after being accused of feigning her illness by some media outlets, she admitted soon after her initial announcement that she did not have full-blown cancer but rather had "precancerous cells" present in her breast. The bad media she received from her breast cancer claim is also believed to have caused the cancellation of Growing Up Gotti. Her publicist, Matt Rich, quit in disgust [3].
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