I WASN’T A MAFIA PRINCESS
Mob boss John Gotti’s daughter sets the record straight about her unconventional life
Victoria Gotti wants to clear a few things up. For starters, despite her two appearances on The Real Housewives of New Jersey and her close friendship with cast member Teresa Giudice, the daughter of infamous mob boss John Gotti is not joining the series. “I don’t even live in New Jersey!” laughs the 56-year-old mom of three, who resides on Long Island, N.Y., near sons Carmine Jr., 32, John, 31, and Frank, 28. And the executive producer of the upcoming Lifetime movie Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter would also like people to know she didn’t grow up spoiled or entitled, even though her dad was the flashy head of the Gambino crime family until he was convicted on murder and racketeering charges in 1992 ( he died in prison in 2002). “Everyone thinks I was this princess, but I was born into poverty,” says Victoria, who insists her father didn’t earn his “Dapper Don” nickname “until I was much older.” Here, the former reality star (Growing Up Gotti aired for three seasons on A&E in the mid-2000s) and author (she’s written novels, a memoir and even a cookbook) talks to In Touch’s Diana Cooper about her painful past, regrets and the meanest celeb she’s ever met.
So you really grew up poor?
VG: Yes. We had a whole different childhood than what is perceived. We were not comfortable by any means.
Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter is your life story. Why put it out now?
VG: It’s actually been about six or seven years in the making. It was put on the back burner for a few years, and then we met again in 2016 and spent the last two years working hard on it.
Was it difficult to revisit certain parts of your history?
VG: It was hard to go through everything again, especially my brother’s death [Frank Gotti was hit by a car in 1980 at age 12], the stillbirth of my daughter and my father’s death.
John Travolta played your dad in the 2018 movie Gotti. How’d he do?
VG: He was great. When it came out, we had dinner, and John was excited because the movie had an 87 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But the next day it went down, and John thought there was a conspiracy.
You’re close with Teresa Giudice. Do you think she’ll leave her husband, Joe, if he’s deported?
VG: Joe’s her first love. I don’t think it will break them up, but I don’t know what she’s thinking. Time has a way of changing things for all of us.
You’re not joining RHONJ. What about another reality show?
VG: We’re coming back to TV, yes. It will be different from Growing Up Gotti. It’s about running our family business.
Are you dating? VG: I am single and dating, yes. [She divorced Carmine Agnello in 2002.] But right now I’m focused on my kids and my grandson [John’s son, also named John], who is the love of my life!
Looking back, do you have any regrets? VG: No. I have my children, my grandson, my family. So I’d do it all over and over and over again. ◼