John "Junior" Gotti-son of the late Gambino family crime boss John Sr. and brother to Growing Up Gotti star Victoria-was arrested this morning on murder conspiracy charges, reportedly "in connection with a drug smuggling ring and 3 prior mob-hits." Gotti was tried twice before for the 1992 attempted murder of talk show host Curtis Sliwa, but got off both times, and had seemed to be poised for a quiet retirement in his Long Island home. Junior's only previous stint in prison-from 1999 to 2005-came after he was convicted of shaking down Scores, the favorite strip club of New York's celebrity and media elite:

In January of 1998 Junior was arrested and charged with extorting the owners and employees of the Scores nightclub; armed robbery of a drug dealer; telephone calling card fraud; loansharking and gambling. In April 1999 he pleaded guilty in a deal carrying a maximum of seven years and three months in prison, $1.5 million in fines, forfeitures, restitution and court costs to charges that include bribery, labor racketeering, gambling, loansharking, tax evasion and lying on a mortgage application... "I know my father loved me, but I got to question how much, to put me with all these wolves." "This is the world you put your kid in? So much treachery. ... My father couldn't have loved me, to push me into this life." – John "Junior" Gotti

Sad quote. Less than sympathetic figure. The fact that Junior Gotti is perhaps New York's most famous gangster despite being, at the same time, best known for whining about how he doesn't want to be a gangster, does not bode well for the future of New York gangsterdom. [via Gangsters Inc.]