TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 29) - The ghosts of Tampa's old-time wiseguys awakened this summer when Mafia scion John "Junior" Gotti came to town in handcuffs, accused of pulling the strings in a bunch of classic mobster crimes.
The federal indictment against him reads like a plot summary for "The Sopranos." The 44-year-old Gotti — son of the late "Dapper Don" of the notorious Gambino crime family — allegedly had his fingers in everything: whacking rivals, trafficking cocaine, bribery, kidnapping and money-laundering.
Earlier convictions show Gambino crews have worked for years to get a foothold in the Tampa area's criminal underworld.
Gotti Arrest Recalls Florida Mob History