Frankenstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Frankenstein - Essay Example He said, â€Å"the passion caused by the great and sublime in nature is astonishment, and astonishment is that state of the soul in which all its motions are suspended, with some degree of horror.† In other words, rather than being exclusively something that can be considered beautiful beyond description, Burke suggests that it is instead that element that fills the mind so compellingly with the object under consideration that the mind cannot consider any other ideas or thoughts, nor can it come to any adequate conclusions regarding the object that it the main subject of consideration. Working on Burke’s concepts of the sublime, one can quickly recognize it within Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, particularly in Chapter 10 where Shelley explores both the Romantic conception of the sublime as overwhelming beauty as seen in nature and Burke’s idea of the sublime as something so overwhelming to the mind that it results in a horror that cannot be overcome by rational thought. The chapter begins with Victor’s escape into nature as a means of attempting to overcome his depression and guilt regarding Justine’s death. In this escape, Shelley uses the Romantic conceptions of the sublime as an overwhelming sense of beauty and universal connection through the forces of nature. While this is still imbued with a sense of greatness beyond the understanding of the human mind, this is not necessarily the direct and immediate experience of horror depicted by Burke. Shelley describes the scene thus: â€Å"The abrupt sides of vast mountains were before me; the icy wall of the glacier overhung me; a few shattered pines were scattered around; and the solemn silence of this glorious presence-chamber of imperial Nature was broken only by the brawling waves, or the fall of some vast fragment, the thunder sound of the avalanche, or the cracking reverberated along the mountains of the accumulated ice, which, through the silent working of immutable

Emerson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Emerson - Essay Example Emerson, a former preacher forced from his church for preaching his own radical ideas on Christianity, uses strong arguments to try and get us to understand his individual philosophical perspective. Emerson tries to be the embodiment of every man not merely the writer/intellectual. He seeks affinity with all men striving for individuality, especially those disillusioned with society's constraints. Just because not conforming to the expectations of society was a compelling discovery for Emerson, one hundred and fifty years ago, today it is unlikely to rally the same enthusiasm Emerson had then. Especially when Emerson exhorts: "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world." (Emerson, pg. 876) Have we found that power to trust ourselves "And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort and advancing on Chaos and the Dark" (Emerson, pg. 875) "Self-Reliance" expressed the need for creative ... The quote "To be great is to be misunderstood" (Emerson, pg. 879) exemplified those who shunned ideas regarding new thought and theory during his time. Today's era echo's a different chord. We constantly thrive on the newest and latest in writing, music, television and video games. We are easily bored with things unimaginative, over used and over-romanticized. Entertainment has become very individualized. As for self-sufficiency, what kid attending his first day of school isn't already inundated with the prospect of being programmed to become self-reliant If a child appears too dependant early on, parent-teacher conferences are soon in order to correct the problem. Independence is revered; free spiritedness that creates chaos is frowned upon, in classrooms and in society. Emerson muses: "What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." (Emerson, pg. 877) Again, Emerson's romantic notion of the free thinker on his mountain top living by his own set of values and beliefs is not a new concept today. Our society freely condones creative thinking as long as it doesn't infringe upon the rights and freedoms of others. We've gone full-circle in terms of expressing individuality and freedom. Our freedom

Development of Self as Nurse

Development of Self as Nurse HH/NURS 4516 Development of Self as Nurse: Advanced Professional Issues – CAREER PLAN ASSIGNMENT – Scanning Your Environment Self-Assessment Reality Check Career Vision Career Goals -In my third year clinical placement, my nurse mentor was organized and possessed excellent communication skills when dealing with the interdisciplinary team and the families of the newborns within her care. -Environmental constraints when looking for a job includes: job availability, changes in the healthcare economy (e.g. budget), and being up against many competitors wanting the same job. -Environmental resources: Nursing school faculty and also the clinical setting. -The opportunities of learning in my school setting is very diverse and have contributed in my decision and focus on working with newborns and their families. -Important social and health issues in my community would be many older adults in the community are staying home. As more of these older adults stay home they are at increased risk for falls and possible burns due to their declining motor skills and sensory senses. Current nursing issues affecting my local area would be a decrease in nursing jobs for new graduates. Older nurses are slowing turnover by taking longer to retire, and new graduates are flooding the market. -Many nurses use technology to document patient care and also to communicate with others in the interdisciplinary team. -Interventions to prevent stress and burnout and to retain nurses are critically necessary to ensure efficient and quality client care. -Global Health issues such as the Ebola virus disease in West Africa is currently now traveling all over the world. It is vital for nurses and nursing students to stay well informed about this severe illness in order to educate clients and the public to help prevent spread. -Horizontal violence is a global nursing issue affecting many nurses and their practice. -Practicing in the clinical setting as a nursing student has allowed me the opportunity to spend additional time with my clients and learn more about who they are as a person as oppose to viewing them as walking diagnosis and room number. -It is essential that I Maintain balance and values in all aspects of my life because nursing can be quite stressful at times and a good support system is needed to help cope with stress. -In the clinical setting, I am able to therapeutically support my clients and tend to their needs while still maintaining my professional boundaries. My most significant accomplishments while in the nursing program would be receiving an invitation to join York University’s honor society for being the top 15% student in the faculty of health. -As a result of an increased self-awareness and increased knowledge base in my forth year, I feel that I am much more interactive and confident with members of the multidisciplinary team and with the patients. -New knowledge and skills that I have acquired since my last self-assessment would be there is an increase in my ability to perform technical skills such as monitoring, setting up and administrating IV medications and also inserting a urinary catheter using sterile technique to my clients. In the beginning, I had some time management issues due to saving my charting until towards the end of the shift, which then resulted in me leaving clinical late. Now, I ensure that I document as I go; thus improving my time management in the clinical setting. I am known as a hard worker and focused individual which has been evidenced by the numerous academic recognition awards I have received. I have been told that my strengths in the clinical setting include patient education, patient advocacy, and meeting the client’s basic needs. The key areas for development that I need to improve upon would be memorization of lab values. Often times, people describe me as a good listener and very patient and caring. -My assessment of my accomplishments compared with others assessments of me are quite accurate when being compared together as I feel I am a hard worker that prides in giving quality patient care and producing work of the same caliber in the classroom. I am hopeful that I will receive my request for the NICU as my final practicum as I have met the additional requirements needed for this specialized area; by going this route, I may be able to take part in the new grad initiative and hopefully secure a job if available. I have been able to identify my strengths and weaknesses with the help of my preceptor and my own reflection in clinical and theory practice. I am optimistic about what my nursing career holds in the future and also gaining the ability to grow and learn as a person and a nurse in my clinical experiences. -I am an expert practice neonatal intensive care nurse that works with a diverse group of young clients and their families in a large teaching hospital in the downtown region of Toronto. In the clinical setting I have been recognized for my extensive knowledge base, my ability to work effectively and efficiently under high levels of stress and also collaborate effectively with the interdisciplinary team. In accordance with the College of Nurses (CNO) standards of practice, I ensure that my nursing practice is always being guided and supported by current research; In addition I have been diligent in taking continuing education certificate courses at available colleges and universities online and locally. Through years of experience I have perfected the craft of building the nurse-client relationship by utilizing therapeutic techniques which will enable me to provide comfort and support to families in my care. Short term Network with other nurses in the NICU through a professional organization and related interest groups. Use nursing practice placement experiences gained in my previous semesters and final integrated practicum to develop necessary competencies in this area of practice. Connect with nurse mentors in the NICU clinical setting that I have worked with previously and use them as a resource. Get a staff nurse position in a Neonatal intensive care unit upon graduation and passing the NCLEX Long term 1. Take additional courses in order to become more knowledgeable in providing client and family centered care when attending to neonates. 2. Become a specialized Nurse Practitioner- (Need to complete the Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner certificate program at Ryerson University, subsequent to obtaining my Master’s Degree in Nursing.) Career Plan Action Steps Resources Timeline (When to accomplish) Indicators of Success (How will I know I have succeeded?) Next Steps (How will you market yourself?) 1) Speak to up to three faculty staff members who could possibly become mentors in the area of neonatal intensive care or pediatrics. 2)Through my environmental scan, identify the professional skills and nursing practice competencies that are essential to working competently in the NICU 3) Speak to past nursing students and current nursing staff who have experience working on the neonatal intensive care unit. 4) Meet with the placement coordinator to discuss and understand placement requirements for forth year students entering into specialized integrated practicum areas (e.g. NICU). -Faculty members with a pediatrics and neonatal intensive care background Utilize contact information obtained from the Nurse manager on the NICU. -The College of Nurses website -Registered nurses association of Ontario Canadian Nursing Students Association -Nurse manager and staff on the NICU at Trillium health center. -Colleagues that just finished the nursing program in previous year. -Nursing practice placement coordinator -Faculty members with related neonatal intensive care background June 2015 April 2015 March 2015 November 2014 1) Make appointments with selected faculty members who have a neonatal and pediatric background to discuss the possibility of becoming my mentor. 2)- Ensuring that environmental scan is continually updated as my self-assessment or career vision may change. These updates indicate that significant changes may have occurred around me as I move forward in my job or education. -I will also attend professional association meetings. 3)-Connect with former colleagues who have graduated in the previous year via telephone or social media nursing groups to get feedback. Contact nurse manager via email to let her know of my interest in obtaining a new grad initiative position 4)-Contact the placement coordinator and related persons to establish a meeting time and place to discuss questions that I may have in regards to integrated Practicum. As a new graduate nurse, I am aware that I may not have much experience when compared to a more â€Å"seasoned† nurse when applying for the same job position; but I am confident in my abilities and know that I am able to learn and adapt to my environment with much quickness and efficiency. I am able to be my own best marketer when in a setting that requires selling of self by ensuring that I am being represented in the best possible way and utilizing all available resources. I am a member of The Golden Key International Honor Society in which I am able to attend conferences and workshops locally, provincially and nationally. This will allow me the opportunity to connect and network with colleagues who I may be able to call upon for advice and direction if needed. This will further aid in my success of being employed as new graduate nurse in my dream job the NICU.

Hamlet Plot :: essays research papers

HAMLET PLOT The play opens during the evening watch at the castle of Elsinore in Denmark. The last two nights, a ghost dressed in the dead King Hamlet’s armor has appeared as the clock strikes one. Three men, Horatio (Hamlet’s friend), Marcellus, and Bernardo, are talking, when the ghost appears once more. Horatio tries to talk to the ghost, but the ghost is silent and then disappears. The men try to figure out why the ghost has returned and decide that Hamlet should speak to his father’s ghost. Meanwhile, Prince Hamlet is at the castle with his mother, Queen Gertude, and her new husband, King Claudius, who is also Hamlet’s uncle. Claudius tells Hamlet that prolonged grieving for his dead father is not right. When they leave the room, Hamlet is alone to lament and think. "O God, God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world!" Horatio then comes to greet Hamlet, who is delighted at his friend’s arrival. Horatio tells Hamlet about the ghost and Hamlet agrees to meet them. Laertes, the son of Lord Chamberlain Polonius, is getting ready to leave for France. He leaves his sister, Ophelia, with a warning not to pay much attention to Hamlet, who is trying to court her. Polonius also gives advice to Laertes. At night, Hamlet joins Horatio and Marcellus to wait for the ghost. The ghost calls Hamlet and Hamlet follows him, even though his friends plead against it. The ghost tells Hamlet the horrible secret--- his father did not die from a serpent’s bite but from poison. His father was murdered by Hamlet’s uncle, who has now married Hamlet’s mother! Hamlet is told to revenge his father’s death, but to leave his mother alone. As the ghost leaves, Hamlet becomes enraged at his uncle. From his intelligent, civilized self, Hamlet changes into an enraged person determined to kill his uncle. He decides to act insane so that no one will suspect him. Hamlet makes Horatio and Marcellus swear to tell no one what happened here. Later on, Ophelia tells her father in a fright that Hamlet appeared to her, his face white as if he had been to hell. Polonius believes that this madness is due to the fact that Ophelia doesn’t love Hamlet back. He goes to tell the King this. The King and Queen agree that Hamlet has gone insane.

Analysis of Amazon.Com

Ans: From the traditional bricks and mortar industry, Amazon. com is the first company to evolve â€Å"book retailing† by going online on a large-scale. To date, Amazon. com provides an online retail store which constitutes of numerous products across a common platform. The company's retail website includes established web portals spanning across all leading economies as depicted in the case. In revolutionizing the e-commerce industry, Amazon. com is able to leverage information by making use of existing and new technology effectively in order to gain a competitive advantage. In attaining a competitive advantage, Porter's five competitive forces can be used to analyze Amazon. com. These forces include threat of new entrants within the market, bargaining power of suppliers, substitution of products and services, bargaining power of buyers and industry competition. The Internet has changed the nature of doing business, so has the competition that surrounds it. By supplying a wide range of products to the consumer, Amazon. com shares a market space with the likes of Wal-Mart and eBay. Rivalries amongst existing firms are strong as the industry is growing and the products that are being sold to the consumer are not so differentiated. Amazon's business strategy â€Å"to become the best place to buy, find and discover any product or services available online†, has allowed for further competition within online and offline retailers. An example of online retailers would be eBay and offline retailers being Exclusive Books. Since the industry is increasingly attractive, it gives way to new entrants in the market as the Internet facilitates in reducing barriers to entries. Offline competitors such Wal-Mart which traditionally followed the brick and mortar approach is using technology such as the Internet to increase buyer awareness, capture a wider market of customers to increase its revenue. As the numbers of offline competitors that adapt their business strategy towards becoming online competitors are increasing, they pose a threat to existing online businesses such as Amazon. com by broadening the consumer's choice of vendors. By broadening the consumer's choice of vendors, the Internet offers customers an opportunity to compare product prices in the industry across various mediums. These mediums range from high-street book shops, online web portals such as Kalahari. net and online book databases such as Google books. These factors play an important role as high bargaining power is given to the consumer allowing them to easily switch to a competitor within the industry based on price where there is minimal product differentiation. Amazon. com offers several services such as loyalty discounts thereby making consumer switching to a competitor difficult. There is minimal loyalty to a brand as consumers are provided with numerous options in the industry. In general, Amazon's supplier bargaining power is low because the products existing in this industry are sold by numerous online and offline firms. Products such as books, CD's, DVD's and electronics provide a lower supplier bargaining power, caused by an existence of many suppliers in the industry. Amazon's diversified product portfolio range allows them to gain greater control in terms of price, delivery schedule and quality. Bargaining power of suppliers within the retail industry is limited as market dynamics dictate power to the retailers such as Amazon. om who have built the necessary infrastructure and scale required for the online retail industry. Information based industries such as Amazon. com can easily sell products to consumers over the internet which bring upon threats of substitute products or services within the industry. Substitute products or services that are priced lower such as books, DVD's and reduced online delivery charges can be a threat to Amazon. com as the consumer will be drawn to a lower price. Amazon’s Value Chain: Primary Activities and Support Activities. Primary activities are those needed to produce a product or services for the end customers. These activities typically include: ?Inbound Logistics: receiving goods from suppliers, and storing and moving those good ?Operations: Manufacturing or assembling the product ?Outbound Logistics: Sending the goods to wholesalers, retailers or directly to the end customer ?Marketing and Sales: Marketing involves understanding customer needs, communicating those needs, and promoting the end products. ?Service: Involves after-sales support (e. g. handling, complaints, installation, training) Support activities help to facilitate or assist the primary activities of producing product. Examples include: ?Procurement: purchasing raw material and other items used in operations ?Human Resource Management: recruiting, hiring, firing, training, developing, compensating ?Technological Development: research and development, process aut omation, software, hardware, equipment, etc. , to support operations ?Infrastructure: May include accounting, legal, finance, planning, public affairs, government relations, quality assurance and general management.

John Gotti: The Teflon Don Essay

â€Å"There was nothing that my father loved more than being a gangster. Not money, not even us. He felt that anybody that really lived this life like he did, at the end of the day you have to die or go to jail.† – John Gotti Jr. Who is John Gotti? Depending upon who you ask this question to, your answer could vary. Growing up in my neighborhood in Far Rockaway, Queens John Gotti is a legend and someone people look up to. At the same time you can ask other people about John Gotti and they will tell you that he was a ruthless thug and a menace to society. Either way you look at it John Gotti made his mark here in America and he was known all across the country for being the boss of the largest and most powerful of the five families in New York, the Gambino crime family. I will not talk about my opinions on John Gotti in this paper but I will give you his life story from his birth in the Bronx to his death in prison and let you be the judge. John Joseph Gotti was born on October 27, 1940 in the Bronx, New York. John was the fifth child of Philomena (Fannie) and Joseph Gotti, who were Italian Immigrants. Joseph and Fannie Gotti also had twelve other children; four of which who would also become made men, or members of the Mafia. John’s younger brother Gene Gotti was actually initiated before John was due to John’s incarceration at that time. During John’s time as boss of the Gambino crime family he had his brother Peter Gotti initiated despite John’s belief (and that of many others) that Peter did not have what it takes to be La Cosa Nostra. Peter earned himself the nickname â€Å"the dumbest don† after the incarceration of John Gotti, Gene Gotti, and John Gotti Jr. when he assumed the position of Boss of the Gambino crime family. The other two brothers were Richard Gotti, who would be revealed as capo in 2002, and Vincent Gotti. John Gotti spent his early years growing up in poverty. John Gotti’s father Joseph Gotti was a day laborer who never had regular work or a steady source of income. On top of Joseph Gotti’s problems with findin g decent work so he would be able to provide for his family, he also had a gambling problem. This was a huge problem because he was the only earning member of the large family. John Gotti came to resent his father for not being able to provide the family. By the time Gotti reached the age of twelve, he was already an errand boy working for an underground club. This club was headed by Carmine Fatico, a capo in the Gambino crime family. Fatico was an early mentor Gotti until John was introduced to Aniello Dellacroce, who became his mentor for life. Gotti had his first run in with the law in 1954 when he was caught with friends attempting to steal a portable cement mixer that tipped over and crushed the toes of his feet. He had to be hospitalized for a while and as a result he is supposedly missing a toe or two. By 1956, Gotti had dropped out of Franklin K. Lane High School and was named the leader of the Fulton-Rockaway Boys. This gang is where he meets and befriends Angelo Ruggiero and Wilfred Johnson, who also become Made Men in the Gambino crime family. When Gotti moved with his family to Ozone Park in Queens, New York, Gotti became a key member of the Gambino hijacking crew. Along with his brother Gene and Ruggiero, Gotti began hija cking trucks at what would come to be known as John F Kennedy International Airport. This is where he was introduced to and befriended future Bonanno crime family boss Joseph Massino. It was here that they were given the nicknames of â€Å"Black John† and â€Å"Crazy Horse†. In 1968, Gotti was arrested for the hijackings. While out on bail, Gotti was arrested again for a hijacking on the New Jersey Turnpike. Gotti pleaded guilty to the Northwest Airlines hijackings but the charges were dropped on the New Jersey Turnpike cigarette hijackings. Gotti served three years in Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary for the hijackings. After his release in 1972, Gotti returned to the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club to work with Carmine Fatico until later that year when Fatico was indicted on loansharking charges. Despite Gotti not yet being a Made Man, Fatico named him the acting capo of the Bergin crew. It was at this time that Gotti and Dellacroce grew closer because Gotti would frequently come to the Ravenite Social Club to brief Dellacroce on his crew’s activities. In May of 1973, Emanuel Gambino, nephew of Carlo Gambino who was the current head of the family, was kidnapped and murdered despite the payment of a $100,000 ransom. Gotti was tasked to take out the man responsible along with Ruggiero and Ralph Galione. The primary suspect was an Irish gangster by the name of James McBrantley. Gotti and his boys found McBrantly in a bar in Staten Island. While Gotti and Ruggiero go over and try to take him somewhere, Galione comes over and shoots McBrantley in the middle of the club for everyone to see. Gotti would be arrested for this murder one year later after being fingered by many eyewitnesses, one of which was his friend Wilfred â€Å"Willie Boy† Johnson. Gotti was able to strike a plea bargain so he would only serve four years in prison for attempted manslaughter. After the Death of Carlo Gambino in 1976, Paul â€Å"Big Paul† Castellano became the boss of the Gambino crime family. Upon his release in 1977, John Gotti was immediat ely initiated into the Gambino crime family. Gotti was immediately promoted to capo of the Bergin crew, replacing Carmine Fatico. Castellano kept Dellacroce as his underboss and gave him control over 10 of the 23 crews, including Gotti’s Bergin crew. Gotti’s Bergin crew was the largest earners of all of Dellacroce’s crews. Gotti also ran a loansharking business on the side on top of taking his cut from all the money that his subordinates made. Gotti had many people working for him and he made them all make regular appearances at the Bergin and would get irritated if someone didn’t check in within 48 hours, he kept this routine when he moved to the Ravenite Social Club. In 1980, Gotti’s son Frank Gotti was killed in a traffic accident by their neighbor, John Favara. Favara was abducted and never to be heard from again, many believe him to be dead. Despite the belief of some people that Gotti killed Favara himself, the Gotti’s were on vacation in Florida at the time of his abduction. John Gotti Jr., future head of the Gambino crime family, still believes that his father m ost definitely had something to do with his disappearance though. In his remaining years as capo of the Bergin crew, Gotti was indicted on two separate occasions. He would not go to trial for either of these cases until he was crowned boss of the Gambino crime family. One of these cases came in September of 1984; Gotti was arrested for the assault and robbery of a refrigerator repairman named Romual Piecyk. Piecyk found his car blocked by a double parked vehicle outside of the Cozy Corner Bar in Queens. Piecyk laid on his car horn until Frank Colletta, the owner of the double parked car and Gambino family associate, came out, smacked him across the face and took his weekly paycheck out of his shirt pocket. When Piecyk began to fight back, Gotti came running out and smacked him across the face and reached into his waistband and told him â€Å"you better get the f*** out of here!† Piecyk went and got the police and they returned to the bar and arrested Gotti and Colletta. The second indictment came in 1985 when Gotti along with Dellacroce and other Bergin crew members were the targets of a racketeering case, headed by US Attorney Diane Gi acalone. It was the latter case that revealed Gotti’s close friend, Willie Boy Johnson, to be an FBI informant. When Gotti found out all he had to say to Johnson was â€Å"I’m gonna give you a pass, and I give you my word no one will bother you, Gotti told Willie Boy. After we win this case, you won’t be able to be in the life again. But you’ll get a job, you’ll have your family, and you’ll be all right.† As the boss of the family, Paul Castellano had banned Made Men from the Gambino family in dealing with drugs under the threat of death. In 1983, Angelo Ruggiero and Gene Gotti along with a few others were all indicted on heroin charges. The indictment came about through bugs placed in the home of Angelo Ruggiero, using evidence given to the FBI by Willie Boy Johnson. Along with the talks of heroin deals on these tapes there were also some remarks made about Castellano from Ruggiero on there. Castellano’s pursuit to hear what was on these tapes would be the beginning of the end for him. Although John Gotti was not on any of the tapes and they co uld make no connection to him, Castellano was still looking to hold Gotti accountable. In fear for his life, Ruggiero went to Dellacroce to see if he could plead his case to Castellano that they were only sorting out the affairs of his brother Salvatore Ruggiero, a big time heroin dealer who had no ties to the family. The story was enough to hold Castellano off until he received the tapes. In the spring of 1985 Castellano began pressing for the tapes again but backed off when he found out that his underboss, Dellacroce, was dying of cancer. He figured that if he waited for Dellacroce to die, there would be nobody he had to worry about stopping him from getting the tapes. Castellano was able to hear the tapes that summer and began formulating a plan of action but would hold off on putting that plan in motion until Dellacroce died. Gotti knew Castellano, who was never a fan of Gotti and wanted him out of the family, would have him killed so he began a plot of his own along with Frank DeCicco, Sammy Gravano, Joseph Armone, and Robert DiBernardo. When Dellacroce died on December 2, 1985, it was time for one of the sides to make their move. Castellano did not show up at the services for his former underboss and that infuriated Gotti and other members of the family and also members of the other four fam ilies. For Gotti to have the head of his family killed, he would first have to go to the heads of the other families in New York for permission. Gotti got the necessary votes from the Bonanno, Colombo, and Luchesse families for the hit. â€Å"The Fist†, which is what the five men went by, had the perfect set up. They figured that a little over a week before Christmas, around rush hour, between 5pm and 6pm that the streets would be flooded with probably over a thousand people doing there holiday errands. They figured the hit would only last a few seconds and the confusion from the panic after the gunshots went off would make for the perfect escape. The four designated shooters were Vincent Artuso, John Carneglia, Eddie Lino and Salvatore Scala. The designated back-up shooter, Anthony Tony Roach Rampino, would be standing across the street from Sparks Steak House, while Angelo Ruggiero, Joseph Watts and Iggy Alogna would be stationed at 46th Street and Second Avenue to help with the escape. Frank DeCicco would be inside the restaurant where a meeting was to take place. He would be joined there by capos James Failla and Daniel Marino, who were not part of the plot. On December 16 Big Paul had arranged to meet Dellacroce’s son Buddy Dellacroce at Sparks Steak House on East 46th Street. Frank DeCicco set it up. Castellano was going to pay homage, to explain why he had not come to the wake and offered condolences, to make amends. It wouldn’t be until the afternoon of the planned murders that the actual hit team knew who their targets were. Huddled in a park on Manhattans Lower East Side, the group went over the final details of the murder plot. The four shooters were dressed alike long light colored trench coats and black fur Russian style hats. The reasoning for this was to draw attention to the outfits, not the men wearing them. Gotti and Gravano parked a Lincoln, driven by John himself, up the block in sight of the front of Sparks Steak House. Moments later Thomas Bilotti, Big Paul’s new underboss, pulled up next to Gottiâ€℠¢s car at an intersection and waited for the light to change. Using a walkie-talkie Gravano notified the others that Castellano was approaching. Bilotti steered the Lincoln into an open space in front of Sparks and got out. As Castellano stepped out of the vehicle, the hit men moved in. Big Paul was hit six times in the head and killed instantly. When the shooting began, the unarmed Bilotti ducked and looked through the driver’s side window only to see his boss’s execution, unaware that killers were now aiming at him. As the shooters assigned to Bilotti opened fire, Artuso’s gun jammed. However, the gunfire from the second assassin dropped the newly crowned underboss. Carneglia, who had finished blasting away at Castellano, ran over to the other side of the car and put the finishing touches on Bilotti. After the very public killing of Castellano and underboss Bilotti, Gotti found himself in the media spotlight a lot and was widely suspected to be responsible for the murders. Gotti became known as the â€Å"Dapper Don† for his expensive suits, hand painted ties, and meticulously groomed silver hair. At the time of Gotti’s takeover, the Gambino family was regarded as the most powerful American mafia family, which is why during this time he was regarded as a boss of bosses. The Gambino crime family’s estimated annual income was around five hundred million dollars. According to Sammy â€Å"The Bull† Gravano, Gotti was bringing in about ten to twelve million dollars per year. In an attempt to protect himself and his underlings legally, he banned any Made Man from taking a plea agreement that acknowledges the existence of the family. Gotti’s fame came to affect the outcome of his previous indictments from 1984 and 1985. By the mid to late 1980s, John Gotti had gone from the â€Å"Dapper Don† to the â€Å"Teflon Don† because of the failure to make any charges stick to him. When Gotti went to trial for the 1984 assault and robbery of Romual Piecyk, Gotti benefited from his new fame. Piecyk received many phone calls and the breaks to his work van were cut. Fearing for the worst, Piecyk went into hiding, hoping he would not have to testify. When Piecyk was forced to testify he said he could not remember who his attackers were . Because of his random loss of memory, the New York Daily News came out with a headline that read â€Å"I Forgotti!† On April 7, 1986 the jury selection for Gotti’s RICO case began. With the success Gotti had in intimidating Piecyk in his prior case, he decided to use the same tactics to beat this case. Dennis Quirk was the first witness to be approached by Gotti’s men and was murdered right before he had to testify against Gotti’s co-defendant, Charles Carnaglia. The events to happen in the next few days would lead Judge Nickerson to postpone the trial. On the morning of April 9, a bomb threat was called into the courthouse, clearing it immediately. On April 13, 1986, underboss Frank DeCicco was killed when his car was bombed following a visit to James Failla. The bombing was carried out by Lucchese capos Victor Amuso and Anthony Casso, under orders of bosses Anthony Corallo and Vincent Gigante, to avenge Castellano and Bilotti. Gotti also planned to visit Failla that day, but canceled, and the bomb was detonated after a soldier who rode with DeCicco was mistaken for the boss. While Gotti’s trial had been postponed, he remained in jail beca use his bail had been revoked for evidence of intimidation in the Piecyk case. Pretrial motions were handled on August 18, 1986. Judge Nickerson had ruled that there would be an anonymous jury to protect jurors from intimidation and the jury would not be sequestered, or isolated. Cutler claimed that such a jury creates fear that is misplaced and deprives the defendants of a fair trial. Bruce Cutler, John Gotti’s lawyer, went at the credibility of the prosecution’s witnesses like Edward Maloney and Mathew Traynor, calling them low lives and scum. This would come to be known as â€Å"Brucifying†, it was a tag that Cutler would gladly wear. Along with stripping the credibility of some of the prosecutor’s witnesses, Gravano was reached out to in order to offer his vote of not guilty to ensure a hung jury. This man’s name was George Pape; he offered his vote for sixty thousand dollars. On March 13, 1987, they acquitted Gotti and his codefendants of all charges. In February 1986, the Bankers and Brokers Restaurant in Battery Park City was under construction. The restaurant was under the management of Philip Modica, whom police described as a Gambino crime-family soldier. Modica was not using union carpenters in the construction, which upset John F. O’Connor, The business agent and chief operating officer of Manhattan-based Local 608 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners. O’Connor responded by having the restaurant trashed one February night, causing some thirty thousand dollars’ worth of damage. When Modica took his complaint to Gotti, he ordered that O’Connor be busted up and the assignment was given to members of the Westies, a gang of Irish thugs from the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan. At 6:40 in the morning on May 7, O’Connor was waiting to enter an elevator in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan building that housed his union offices. Westies gang member Kevin Kelly at O’Connor shot four times, wounding him in the butt, left leg and hip. The union official was rushed to St. Clare’s Hospital, where he soon recovered. On the evening of January 23, 1989, John Gotti was arrested outside the Ravenite Social Club and charged with ordering the 1986 assault of union official John O’Connor. There were bugs planted in the Ravenite Social Club and in an apartment above the club in which Gotti had frequent meetings where he spoke freely about Gambino family business. They used these tapes in trial when they heard what they thought to be Gotti telling someone to â€Å"Bust him up!† in reference to O’Connor. Although they had these tapes for a while, nobody warned John O’Connor about what might happen to him. Gotti’s defense attorney’s, Cutler and Shargel used this in trial stating that If the tapes weren’t clear enough to warn O’Connor, then they are not clear enough to convict Gotti. Along with the bad sound quality of the tapes and some Brucifying, Gotti was eventually acquitted on all counts due in part to the testimony of O’Connor himself. O’Connor testified that he was never told his life was in danger or that anyone was going to â€Å"bust him up†. The defense was attempting to prove that since the investigators had not warned O’Connor, they had no evidence that named him as the target of Gotti’s â€Å"bust him up† comment. O’Connor also testified that there were internal conflicts within the union at the time he was wounded and that he had many enemies. On December 11, 1990, FBI Agents arrested John Gotti, Sammy Gravano, and Frank Locasio. This was the fourth indictment for Gotti since he came to power after ordering the killings of Paul Castellano and his underboss Thomas Bilotti. However, this was the first time that Gotti would be indicted for the latter murders. He would also be indicted for the murders of Robert DiBernardo, Liborio Milito and Louis Dibono. Along with those murders, Gotti would also be charged with the conspiracy to murder Gaetano â€Å"Corky† Vastola, loansharking, illegal gambling, obstruction of justice, bribery and tax evasion. Gotti and his co-defendants were once again denied bail. Along with Gotti being denied bail, Bruce Cutler and Gerald Shargel, were disqualified from being able to represent any of the defendants in this trial due to some recordings that proved them to be working as â€Å"in house counsel† for the Gambino crime family. The tapes also created tensions between Gotti and Gravano. The tapes showed Gotti describing Gravano as too greedy and attempted to frame Sam my as the main force behind the murders of DiBernardo, Milito and Dibono. Gravano decided to turn state’s evidence in 1991 and testify against Gotti. The case was tried in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The presiding judge was US District Judge Israel Leo Glasser. For the first time ever the jury was kept anonymous and totally sequestered in a Brooklyn Federal case. The prosecutors, Andrew Maloney and John Gleeson, opening statements were given on February 12, 1992. They played tapes from bugs planted in the Ravenite Social Club and the apartment above the club that had Gotti discussing Gambino family business, killings that he ordered, and showed the animosity he had towards Big Paul which also gave him a motive for the killing of the former head of the family. On March 2, 1992, Sammy â€Å"The Bull† Gravano began his testimony. Gravano told the court about Gotti’s ranking as the head of the family. He also told the court about Gotti’s role in the Castellano and Bilotti hit and gave them every detail of the hit. Gotti’s defense provided no real help. All of Albert Krieger’s, Gotti’s new defense attorney, witnesses’ testimonies were d ismissed except for one and that was the testimony of Gotti’s tax attorney. The prosecution rested its case on March 24 and John Gotti was convicted on all accounts on April 2. John Gotti was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on June 23, 1992. James Fox, the director of the New York City FBI, announced at a press conference, â€Å"The Teflon is gone. The don is covered with Velcro, and all the charges stuck.† Gotti was sent to serve his sentence at the US Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois. Gotti eventually died of throat cancer in June of 2002. John Gotti would not be able to have his funeral in the church due to the request of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. After the funeral, hundreds of people followed the hearse which drove through Gotti’s old neighborhood and past the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club.