Kriti Mehrotra
‘Fear City: New York vs the Mafia’ is a new Netflix limited series documentary that examines the issue of organized crime in New York City. From what the five major mob families were doing to how the FBI worked to get them dismantled by having the top bosses arrested, it covered everything. For insight, it even had various interviews with everyone involved, including attorneys, special agents, and mob figures. One such individual, who belonged in the latter category, was John Alite. And, we bet, like us, you’re curious to know more about him.
Who Is John Alite?
John Edward Alite, more commonly known as Johnny Alletto, was associated with the Gambino crime family. Born on September 30, 1962, in Queens, New York City, he grew up in Woodhaven, Queens, in the same neighborhood as John Gotti, the former boss of the Gambino family. Living there, it was no surprise that Johnny became friends with his son, John A. Gotti. After graduating high school, Johnny received a baseball scholarship to the University of Tampa, but he dropped out after just three years and completely immersed himself into the world of Mafia.
What the docuseries didn’t mention, though, is that Johnny was based more in Tampa, Florida, than in New York. He was associated with the Gambino family there and led a crew in the city that extorted rival valet businesses. Even though he and John A. Gotti were friends, in 1995, he was arrested for being involved in a conspiracy to murder him. Later that year, he was arrested again for the illegal possession of a firearm and spent three years in prison.
Then, in 2004, as federal racketeering charges were being handed out near his crew in Tampa, he fled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It took 10 months before the authorities caught up, but then, he served two years behind bars in Brazil before being extradited in 2006 to be put on trial. Stemming from the racketeering charges in Florida, the authorities found Johnny to be involved in a lot of other crimes as well. Thus, to avoid a lengthy stay in prison, in 2008, he pleaded guilty to two murders, four murder conspiracies, at least eight shootings, two attempted shootings, armed home invasions, and armed robberies around New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
Where Is John Alite Now?
As a part of his plea deal, Johnny had agreed to turn into an informant against the family and against John A. Gotti. He agreed to testify against John in court during his racketeering trial, but his statements were largely undermined during cross-examination, which made the jury see him as an unreliable source and excusing John. Over the years, Johnny Alite has been in and out of prison. In 2011, he was sentenced to 10 years but was discharged a year later after agreeing to a five-year supervised release. And, in 2015, he spent went back in for three months for breaking his probation rules.
Now, Johnny has become a youth motivational speaker and author. Since his very first incarceration was at the age of 17, he aims to guide the younger generation in a way that would enable them to avoid crimes altogether. He has three books that he has co-written: ‘Gotti’s Rules: The Story of John Alite’ (2015), ‘Darkest Hour’ (2018), and ‘Prison Rules’ (2019), and ‘Mafia International’ (2021). As for his public appearances, apart from giving televised interviews time and again, he has his own sit-down interview show by the name of ‘The Johnny and Gene Show.’
Johnny hasn’t ever mentioned what led him to turn over a new leaf, but now, by focusing on his family – wife, Claudia DiPippa, 4 kids, and a few grandkids – his private spiritual journey, and his mission to deter anyone from a life in crime, he lives a life that he is proud of. This ‘Mafia Truths with John Alite’ podcast host, Youth Advocate, as well as Policy Advocate refers to himself a re-made man these days, and it seems like he genuinely is.
Read More: Where Is Michael Franzese Now?
