Nickname given to John Gotti because he was charged with different crimes multiple times but he was never convicted (before he was finaly convicted). The charges would never stick, hence the name.
The teflon don was responsible for the begining of the end of the gambino crime family because of his big mouth.
by alec81484 March 13, 2005
john gotti. one the worst members of the la costra nostra. f.b.i. got more information about the mafia and self incriminating evidence than another non-informant mafia member in history. even sammy "the bull" gravano kept his mouth shut about the crime family and anything self incriminating when he was surveillanced. amazingly enough sammy turned himself in and ratted gotti out. john was charged with RICO and was to serve a life sentence until his death in prison, the 61-year-old Gotti died on June 10, 2002 from complications of head and neck cancer.
john gotti went from the dapper don to the telfon don to an embassament of the gambino crime family.
by x January 16, 2004
by Pimpster June 24, 2003
by chris paul March 20, 2005
The biggest rat in the history of the mafia also known as Jhon Gotti. The police an F.B.I got more information out of him than any other mafia or non mafia member.
by Lefty Luggerrio July 1, 2005
by Miias November 25, 2011
Contrary to one poster's comment, Teflon Don (John Gotti) would not have been convicted without the testimony of Sammy "the Bull" Gravino who flipped once he was arrested and agreed to testify against his "partner" in exchange for a lighter sentence. The big difference between Sammy and John is the fact that John did not ask for or receive a shorter sentence for ratting. Before you think otherwise, do some legitimate research. The History channel site or Biography website are two credible places to begin. I hate that this site will not allow me to contest an entry simply because "it's too popular" - that was the exact reason I was given when I tried to correct or comment on that particular post. That tanks the credibility of this site immensely in my opinion.
The term "Teflon Don" refers to a former Don of the mafia named John Gotti. John Gotti ran a major crime organization for years before he was sentenced to prison because all his previous charges fell off him like food from a Teflon coated pan. Had his partner, Sammy "The Bull" Gravino not ratted him out in exchange for a lighter sentence, Teflon Don might have lived the rest of his life as a free man.
by HistoryGirl August 28, 2018