"The Teflon Don" and the head of the Gambino crime family, died of throat cancer on June 10, 2002, while serving a life sentence in prison. He had been diagnosed with advanced throat cancer in 1998 and underwent treatment while in prison. Despite his declining health, he continued to serve his sentence until his death at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. Gotti's death marked the end of an era in organized crime in the United States, as he was one of the most high-profile and notorious mob bosses of the 20th century.