Victoria Gotti is the traditional mob wife. She takes care of the house, raises the kids, cooks the meals and doesn’t ask questions. She doesn’t want to know her husband’s business or where the money comes from. She strikes me as being an older version of Carmela Soprano. She continues part two of her interview with Pablo Guzman by discussing her reaction to learning the news that her son, John Gotti Jr., had a contract out on him
She was confused. It was her understanding that mobsters don’t hurt each other’s sons, so she could not grasp why her son would be in this kind of danger. It just made absolutely no sense to her. She could not imagine that a person, who had some kind of vendetta against her husband, would be taking it out on her son…unless her son was in the mob! The pieces started to fall in place. After questioning her husband and son, and getting so many denials, the truth finally came out. She was extremely upset and she says she “tortured” her son to get out of the mob. They had many arguments over it. She didn’t want to have to bury her son one day. She lived that “life” with her husband and she didn’t want it for her son. John Gotti, Jr. didn’t listen to his mother, but one day realized she was right, he didn’t want that lifestyle any more.
She explains that when a person is in prison, they are helpless. There are things going on at home that they can’t be there for. She, herself, had to deal with the children’s illnesses, some of them life threatening, while her husband was in prison. One of her children had spinal meningitis and her daughter Victoria had a heart condition. She was flying all over with Victoria to see doctors, alone. And she says, when the husband isn’t there, it becomes a very hard burden on mother. Her husband, John, who is a very good father, would panic at the thought of anything being wrong with the children. And that is what finally made her son agree to give up the mob life. He wants to be there for his kids and walk his daughters down the aisle.
John Gotti, Jr. was released from prison the day before this interview. People were out on the street cheering his release like it was a victory. She says they didn’t “win” anything, “we just survived brokenly.” She said she had a year of hell. All of the family has been affected by this lifestyle. She always feels apprehensive.
At the end of her interview they discuss her art. Victoria Gotti has quite a big collection of work that she has created. Art is like therapy for her and there are canvases all over her house. She laughs. She loves it. It helps her to get out her aggression and frustration and she finds it calming. She shares that every painting she has made has meaning behind it. There is something or someone behind it.
I am going to study some of Victoria’s art work and blog about it soon. Based on what she says, it is sure to reveal more about this very interesting woman.
Video credit: CBS Broadcasting Co.
