Part 8/9:
John Gotti's legacy is complex. He symbolized both the peak of the Italian-American mafia's influence and its decline. His rise marked a shift in organized crime dynamics, as his open defiance of traditional mob protocols attracted the scrutiny of law enforcement. Many attribute the subsequent crackdown on the mafia to Gotti's brazen behavior and the attention it attracted.
After his imprisonment, the Italian-American mafia saw a steady decline as new crime groups emerged and law enforcement strategies evolved. The power vacuum left in the wake of Gotti’s downfall allowed rival organizations to encroach on territories historically controlled by the Cosa Nostra.