Mob boss John Gotti is serving a life term - without parole - in a cell four stories beneath ground level.
But if by chance he gets to see the made-for-HBO movie "Gotti" (tonight at 10), chances are he'll be pleased. This murderous thug is portrayed in heroic fashion - the poor guy is just misunderstood.And, perhaps even more shockingly, the executive producer as well as a couple of the movie's stars, Armand Assante and Anthony Quinn, all but sing the praises of the man.
At the very least, they defend Gotti by insisting that there are people far worse out there.
Quinn compares him favorably to politicians. Assante went on a tear on the issue, even blaming the media for Gotti's downfall - as if that was something the media should be ashamed of.
"Has anyone ever contrasted the crimes of John Gotti with those of Paul Castellano?" he asked. (Cas-tellano was Gotti's predecessor as boss of the Gambino family. Gotti had him murdered.)
"Has anyone contrasted the crimes of other people that have not been villified by the media and turned into mob stars?" Assante continued. "And I'm talking about tycoons who have desecrated the environment. I'm talking about Wall Street people who bilked hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars off elderly people who had saved their whole lives. And these people walk out of court, scott free. . . . Has anyone contrasted the crimes of the S&L scandal?
"What I'm saying is that characters like Gotti emerge because the media attaches tremendous importance to them."
What the misguided actor fails to note is that Gotti was out murdering people long before anyone in the media knew who he was. And that bringing up the crimes of others fails to lessen the grotesque nature of Gotti's own crimes.
And the telemovie "Gotti" actually makes the case that we were better off when the title character was running the Gambino family.
"The film poses the question that, OK, you take down (the) Cosa Nostra, but did they maybe serve some purpose in that they kept in alignment other criminal factions?" Assante said. "And they always cooperated with the government to some degree."
"Gotti" goes so far as to say that law enforcement officials are "going to miss John Gotti." Never mind that he's a criminal and a murderer, the Asian and Russian and South American gangs are even worse.
Quinn said he had some personal acquaintance with Gotti and visited him during the trial that sent him to prison. Astoundingly, he blames Gotti's underboss, Sammy Gravano (played in the film by William Forsythe) for testifying against Gotti.
"What he had gone through with Gravano was very painful. And I could identify with that because when I was a kid growing up on the east side of Los Angeles, we never had snitches. . . . So, I mean, he was a victim of Gravano."
A victim? Never mind that authorities had Gotti on tape discussing his various crimes and killings.
Never mind that "Gotti" graphically portrays several gruesome murders. (It's also full of foul, R-rated language.)
Quinn appeared more than a bit carried away by his role as a crime boss and Gotti's mentor.
And while executive producer Gary Lucchesi insisted he was not apologizing for Gotti, at the same time he expressed clear sympathy for the mobster.
"This is a guy who was clearly an intelligent man. A man that understood power," Lucchesi said. "And for whatever reason, his lot in life and what he chose to do has now subjected him to the rest of his life without seeing his family."
And Lucchesi's sympathies - not to mention those of Assante and Quinn - clearly come through in "Gotti." This is a movie that glorifies a murderous mobster, plain and simple.
Imagine. John Gotti as a victim.
VOTE FOR TV LAND: Set those VCRs, all you fans of classic TV politics. Nick at Night is presenting a six-hour marathon Sunday beginning at 6 p.m. MDT.
The evening features politically themed episodes of shows currently airing on Nick's sister channel, TV Land. A lineup featuring "The Addams Family," "Green Acres," "Mister Ed," "That Girl," "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour," "Ed Sullivan," "Petticoat Junction," "The Phil Silvers Show" and "Hill Street Blues."
And, as a particular treat, there's the 1960 documentary "Primary" at 9 p.m. This Museum of Television & Radio Showcase presentation brings back a half-hour about the Wisconsin primary battle between John F. Kennedy and Hubert H. Humphrey that hasn't been seen on TV in 26 years.
The politically themed evening was originally scheduled to be hosted by Congressman Sonny Bono, who backed out because of scheduling conflicts. (Or so he says.) He's been replaced by perpetual presidential candidate Pat Paulsen. And the 1968 half-hour "Pat Paulsen for President" - narrated by Henry Fonda, of all people - airs at 9:30 p.m.
It's less important than the conventions - but far more entertaining.