The 'Ma Barker' of the Mafia, 'Ma Gotti' Philomena Gotti, Dies at 96

She was a figure reminiscent of the legendary American criminal matriarch Ma Barker of the 1930s, whose children were responsible for a series of infamous criminal sprees. Philomena Gotti, the mother and grandmother of some of the most notorious and violent purported gangsters of the modern era, died yesterday at the age of 96.

Philomena "Fannie" Gotti, died of natural causes Tuesday night in a Long Island, NY, nursing home.

Fannie Gotti gave birth to 13 children — five of whom grew up to become made members of the Gambino crime family.

Some of the infamous progeny:

"Dapper Don" John Gotti, Jr. - He became the boss of the Gambino family in 1985 after he reportedly assassinated the reigning boss, Paul Castellano, in front of a restaurant. John Gotti went to prison in 1992 after he was convicted of racketeering charges. He died at age 61 of throat cancer in 2002 in a federal prison.

Peter Gotti - At 68 years old, he’s currently in jail, sentenced until 2032 for attempting to murder Salvatore "Sammy The Bull" Gravano, the man responsible for helping to put brother Don behind bars.

Vincent Gotti - The 56-year-old is awaiting sentencing in a federal court since pleading guilty to attempted murder of Howard Beach bagel-shop owner Angelo Mugnolo in 2003.

John "Junior" Gotti - He is awaiting arraignment today and is reportedly expecting to plea not guilty. This case marks the latest federal prosecution of Junior Gotti, 44, whose last three New York trials, all on the same charges, ended in mistrial. According to the Daily News, Junior insists he quit the mob years ago, although the latest indictment includes crimes stemming to the 1980s.

"Dapper Don" John Gotti’s widow, Victoria, told the New York Post that Gotti was an iron woman.

"She was an amazing lady," Victoria Gotti said. "One of those strong, strong old-timers."

Fannie Gotti married her husband, John Joseph Gotti, around 1920 in Italy. They immigrated to New York and settled in an apartment in East New York. Her husband reportedly worked in a series of jobs, including construction and the motion picture industry. In later years, the Post reports that Fannie worked in the butcher department at a supermarket wrapping meat.

Much different from Ma Barker, no hint of criminality ever was suggested against Philomena Gotti.

"She was a good lady, an old-fashioned lady," Victoria Gotti told the Daily News. "My kids loved her."