John Gotti would have appreciated his ornate send-off. On June 15, 20 flower cars led a 100-vehicle procession through his old stomping grounds in Queens on the way to St. John's Cemetery, resting place of Lucky Luciano. Daughter Victoria (near left) joined hundreds of mourners who bade farewell to the Mafia chieftain, carried in a customized bronze casket.
Saying it with flowers—lotsa flowers—seemed to be the theme of John Gotti's funeral. Outsize floral tributes memorializing a few of the tough guy's favorite things—Cohiba cigars, martinis, the New York Yankees, racehorses and a royal flush-were fashioned by local artisans out of pompon flowers and spray paint and cost around $600 apiece. "Anybody that called for Mr. Gotti wanted the best—any price," says florist Dennis Rigas, who created more traditional but no less extravagant arrangements for the Gotti funeral. "I put my heart and soul into it, because we know him a lot of years in the neighborhood."
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