Who is Victoria Gotti? The daughter of famed Gambino Mafia crime family boss John Gotti is known for doing a lot of things, but her charity hasn’t been one of them… until now. When her celebrity friend Donald Trump tapped the former mafia daughter to appear on season 5 of Celebrity Apprentice everyone expected fireworks. Sparks of anger were flying between she and all the other female contestants who were on her team during the episode that aired February 19th. Surprisingly enough the NBC reality television show season premiere aired on the 12th. What drama unfolded so early in the show with the Mob daughter around? Actually, controversy erupted when it was announced she’d be a contestant on the reality TV show at all.
Famous crime family boss John Gotti was known for being a streetwise character in his own right. A great deal of his moxie rubbed off on his daughter Victoria Gotti, and since he went to jail, she was smart enough to make a name for herself. Appearing as the star of her own reality show Growing Up Gotti, the woman known for her trademark hair worn in long bleach blonde locks captivated a fascinated viewing audience. For anyone into Mafia folklore or history, watching her raise her children as a single mom gave a glimpse into the everyday lifestyle of someone with deep familial ties to the Italian-American Northeastern regional branch of the mob. Now, she’s a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice 2012 — and while playing for charity, this girl does not seem to be fooling around.
Gotti has chosen to play for the Association to Benefit Children as her recipient should she win this season, according to website RealityShowBuzz. “ABC”, as the charity organization is called [nicknamed after the charity name call letters, not NBC’s rival TV network], is dedicated to providing a little warmth and caring for disadvantaged inner-city children through comprehensive and sustainable programs to combat violence, abuse, hunger, and homelessness.
In addition to early childhood education programs, ABC also offers recreation programs (like the December 2011 skating party at Rockefeller Center), housing assistance, and mental health services. The site goes on to say:
In New York City, well over 14,000 children sleep in shelters every night and every day over 600,000 children go hungry because they live in households in which parents must regularly choose between paying the rent and buying food
But many skeptics claim the mafia daughter is generally a selfish person looking out only for herself. [We’re not saying that but others are…]
Answers to BestCharity.info regarding the question of whether Victoria Gotti ever has donated time or funds to charity are unclear, but the consensus is there is no record of her giving to any humanitarian or charitable effort. One reader commented, “Never have I heard, seen or read of her doing anything for a charity. You need to take off the rose painted glasses. She raised 3 selfish egotistical boys and has not anything to be proud of.”
But others, like us, disagree. A reported New Jersey musician, Tyler C. Picone, claims that she cares for pets and that Victoria Gotti is a pet friendly celebrity. An argument can also be made that an overprotective mother who indulges her children far too much is a better parent than one (mom or dad) who abandons their children or gives them very little of their time or attention at all.
Whether that report she’s not really playing Celebrity Apprentice for the benefit of her charity now because of her past history of staying behind the scenes of the charitable front lines whenever she donated is up for debate. StarPulse.com shows Victoria Gotti on the red carpet at the Pelle Pelles Celebrity Catwalk for Charity Fashion Show at the Hollywood Palladium back in 2004, but there is very little to no word about other more specific charity benefits she has openly attended the past or charities she’s supported by openly donating.
Whatever the case, we hope an appearance on Celebrity Appearance can help improve Gotti’s image from a mafia maven to that of a star celeb humanitarian. Certainly she has the connections and the cash to do some good in her community and the nation at large. Let’s hope a little attention this season will do more than prompt her to write another best-selling book.
Furthermore, she and Donald Trump seem to be long time friends. As a matter of fact, he counts her as one of the women who regularly runs in his same social circles. To that end (knowing how much work he does for charity), it is likely that the Gotti family have contributed significant donations and help organize volunteer labor for charity benefit functions over the years discretely — giving back their community in a quieter variety of ways.
For that reason, folks really should give Victoria Gotti a friendly nod for taking the time to come on Donald Trump’s reality television show. While she may appear a bit too involved in the lives of her children and seems to act like a Prima Donna at times, she only knows the world she grew up in — one that (thanks to Growing Up Gotti) we’ve all had the opportunity to glimpse.
Cheers for playing the game, Victoria!Even if you do keep a lot of your charity benefit activism on the down low…
You see, folks — even though the relationships between Gotti and the other contestants are bound to get rocky, one always hopes the tough as nails Mob daughter will remember that in the end (because of the free publicity each of the star celebs gives to their charity of choice), everyone ultimately wins.