Thread by @grantstern

*** THREAD ***

Commendators say @realDonaldTrump a mob boss for saying that, "it's called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal."

So I thought I'd make a thread of the Teflon Don John Gotti's actual quotations about rats so we can make a fair comparison based on his peer.

John Gotti came to the railing that separates the well of the courtroom from the spectators' section and told reporters, referring to Mr. Cardinali, ''Not one thing he said was the truth - except his rat name.''

The New York Times

Dec. 2, 1986

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During the same discussion, Gotti is heard telling alleged Gambino consigliere Salvatore Gravano: "You know these are rats, Sam. And I gotta say, they all want their money up front." (He's calling his own lawyers rats this time!)

Newsday

Aug. 2, 1991

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''I'm still the boss. If I get 50 years I know what I got to do, but when I'm in the can, Sammy's in charge,'' Gotti said as the FBI bug also picked up background music of ''O Sole Mio,'' and ''Sunrise, Sunset.''

Gotti now calls Gravano ''the chief rat.''

UPI

Feb. 17, 1992

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Whack in the mouth: What Gotti said Castellano deserved, as in: "Rat c---------. Yellow dog! All this guy needed was a little whack in the f------ mouth."

Chicago Tribune

Mar. 11, 1992

[I'll let you fill in the dashes]

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Mr. Gotti spoke to Mr. Gravano of the danger of informers -- rats as he called them...

"I think everybody in the city's got rats near them," Mr. Gotti said to his future betrayer. "But we ain't got 'em near us, these rats."

The New York Times

Mar. 17, 1992

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". . . The FBI knows, we're cousins, we're like the Kennedys. We're like the Kennedys and the Bushes. We help each other, and then rats like you come along and challenge us."

"Rats like you don't challenge the Bushes."

Newsday

Jul. 3, 1999

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Mr. GOTTI: It took them $80 million in three lying cases and seven rats that killed a hundred people in the witness protection program to finally frame me. You understand?

ABC News

Jun. 11, 2002

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*** BONUS Material 1***

Sammy "the Bull" Gravano said that Gotti had a plan to buy a pardon from former President George H.W. Bush!

Obviously, that didn't work out.

The Sunday Times of London

Mar. 10, 1996

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*** BONUS Material 2***

This amazing comparison of John Gotti to Richard Nixon.

Newsday

Jun. 16, 1992

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