A&E Network Presents the Two-Night Definitive 'Biography' Special Event GOTTI: GODFATHER & SON

A&E Network will premiere the original two-night 'Biography' documentary "GOTTI: Godfather & Son," which serves as the complete and definitive father and son story of two men who were raised in the mob and became the reigning king and heir apparent with John Gotti Jr. providing his most extensive on-camera interview to-date. The narrative spine of the documentary is never-before-seen segments from a 90-minute video of the last visit between a dying John Gotti Sr. and his son at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, MO. It was during this meeting that John Gotti Jr., asked his father for his blessing to take the unprecedented steps of quitting what might have been one of the last of the major mafia dynasties. This first-hand emotional account is provided by John Gotti Jr. himself and supported through unprecedented access to the people who lived it as well as through rare, personal photos from the Gotti family archive. The four-hour, two-part 'Biography' special "GOTTI: Godfather & Son" will premiere on Saturday, June 9 at 10PM ET/PT and Sunday, June 10 at 9PM ET/PT on A&E.

"The newly relaunched 'Biography' franchise continues to be the premium brand for high-quality biographical storytelling," said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E Network. "'Biography' aims to break the mold of traditional documentaries by bringing our viewers the definitive stories of some of the biggest names and moments in our culture, through exclusive content and interviews. The never-before-seen video segments of the final words spoken between a son and his terminally ill father, along with John Gotti Jr.'s in-depth, raw dialogue will give viewers a unique look at the complex relationship between one of the MOST INFAMOUS father-son duos of our time."

This four-hour, two-night docuseries event tells the story of the legendary Gambino crime family through the intimate and complicated relationship between John Gotti Sr. and his son, John Gotti Jr., who rose up through the ranks of the Gambino crime family and allegedly replaced his father as boss when the "Dapper Don" was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1992. Filmmaker and writer Richard Stratton has secured unprecedented access to the Gotti family to tell, for the first time, the complete story of what it was like to grow up a part of THE FIRST FAMILY of organized crime including unprecedented access to John Gotti Jr.

"GOTTI: Godfather & Son" features exclusive footage from the last visit between John Gotti Sr. and his son, at the federal prison medical facility in Springfield, MO. Gotti Jr. sits down to ask his father, who is dying of cancer, for his blessing to plead guilty to racketeering charges and bring "closure" to his legal troubles, a coded reference to what father and son both understand means taking the unprecedented step of quitting the mafia. Interview participants include John Gotti Sr.'s children John A. Gotti Jr., Peter Gotti and Angel Gotti; retired U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin; Colombo family "soldier" and author of "The Life" Larry Mazza; former F.B.I. agents Bruce Mouw, Louis Digregorio and Jim Abbott; former chief of the federal Organized Crime Strike Force Ed McDonald; criminal defense lawyers Bruce Cutler, Jeffrey Lichtman and Charlie Carnesi and criminal defense and civil rights lawyer Ron Kuby.

"GOTTI: Godfather & Son" is produced by Kaufman Films for A&E. Richard Stratton serves as executive producer and director. Additionally, executive producer for Kaufman Films is Kevin Kaufman. Executive producers for A&E are Elaine Frontain Bryant, Molly Thompson and Brad Abramson. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for "GOTTI: Godfather & Son."

About A&E Network

A&E leads the cultural conversation through high-quality, thought provoking original programming with a unique point of view. Whether it's the network's distinctive brand of award-winning disruptive reality or groundbreaking documentary, A&E always makes entertainment an art. The A&E website is located at aetv.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/aetv and Facebook at facebook.com/AETV.

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