American Notes NEW YORK

As he rose to become the reputed boss of New York City's Gambino crime family, John (Big John) Gotti survived a planned rubout by rival mobsters, a four-year prison term for attempted manslaughter, and a sensational eight-month trial in 1987 that led to his acquittal on racketeering charges. Last week he confronted what prosecutors claim to be the most formidable charges brought against the dapper reputed gangster since a murder indictment 15 years ago. Gotti claims he makes his living as a salesman for a plumbing company.

Gotti was a few blocks from a club he had left in Little Italy, when more than 25 New York City police arrested him. Another phalanx of FBI agents and officers stood by, just in case. He was charged with arranging for a Hell's Kitchen gang called the Westies to gun down John O'Connor, an official of a carpenters' union local in Manhattan, in 1986. The alleged motive: O'Connor had trashed a nonunion construction job at a restaurant that the Gambino $ family controlled. "I give you 3-to-1 odds I beat this case," vowed Gotti, before posting a $100,000 bond the next day.

But the state is confident of its case. In addition to evidence obtained by wiretaps, prosecutors are counting on the testimony of Francis ("Mickey") Featherstone and James ("Studs") McElroy, two members of the Westies who reportedly took part in the shooting.