John Gotti Bought Bob Costas A Drink

September 15, 2016

When the Don of Dons offers to buy you a drink, just don’t say no.

TranscriptCONAN: YOU'VE MET SO MANY FAMOUS PEOPLE BY THIS POINT. ARE YOU EVER SURPRISED TO FIND OUT SOMEONE'S A FAN WHO YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT TO BE A FAN? BOB: YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO BIG SPORTS EVENTS, IN A WORLD OF KIND OF NICHE TELEVISION NOW AND NICHE ENTERTAINMENT, ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT DRAWS A GIGANTIC AUDIENCE IS STUFF LIKE THE WORLD SERIES, THE SUPER BOWL, THE OLYMPICS. AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING. THIS GOES BACK SOME 20 YEARS. THIS MUST BE MOBSTER NIGHT FOR ME. I MENTIONED AL CAPONE AND THIS INVOLVES JOHN GOTTI AND I'M HAVING DINNER WITH FRIENDS OF MINE FROM ST. LOUIS IN LITTLE ITALY ON A WINTER NIGHT IN NEW YORK AND IT'S ABOUT MIDNIGHT TOWARD THE END OF OUR DINNER AND I LOOK UP AND WHO'S WALKING IN BUT THE DAPPER DON, JOHN GOTTI. CONAN: THE MOST FEARED GUY IN NEW YORK CITY. BOB: THE REAL LIFE DON CORLEONE. AND HE COMES WALKING IN AND THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A REGULAR HAUNTS FOR HIM BECAUSE THE WAITER PRACTICALLY DROPPED THE RIGATONI IN MY LAP AND THE MAITRE D' GREETED HIM AS IF HE WAS A PRINCE AND HE WAS DAPPER, PERFECTLY COIFED, CASHMERE OVERCOAT AND THEY LED HIM TO A TABLE NOT FAR AWAY AND A COUPLE OF PEOPLE FROM ST. LOUIS ARE LIKE, SHOULD WE LEAVE? AND I WAS LIKE, NO, NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. UNLESS YOU'VE DONE BUSINESS WITH MR. GOTTI AND CROSSED HIM, YOU'RE NOW IN THE SAFEST PLACE IN ALL OF NEW YORK SO ENJOY THE REST OF THE DINNER. SO A COUPLE OF MINUTES GO BY AND MAITRE D' COMES UP AND HE SAYS, MR. COSTAS, MR. GOTTI WOULD LIKE TO BUY YOU A DRINK AND I'M THINKING AT THIS POINT WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH TO DRINK BUT I PUT THIS IN THE CATEGORY OF AN OFFER YOU CANNOT REFUSE SO I SAID ALL RIGHT, WE'LL HAVE MORE CHIANTI AND WHEN HE POURS ME MY WINE, I LOOK OVER AT GOTTI AND I SAY, MR. GOTTI, THANK YOU. AND HE GOES, BOB, I LIKE YOUR WORK. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY? I LIKE YOUR WORK, TOO? [LAUGHTER] I THOUGHT THE HIT ON PAUL CASTELLANO WAS TEXTBOOK, VERY EFFICIENT. SO I JUST SAY, THANK YOU, MR. GOTTI, HAVE A NICE NIGHT AND HE TURNS TO HIS GUY NEXT TO HIM AND HE GOES, BOB COSTAS, SPORTSCASTER, SO I GO NEXT TO ME, JOHN GOTTI, MURDERER. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] CONAN: IT'S ON HIS RESUME. BOB: I TELL THE STORY ONLY WELL AFTER HIS DEATH. CONAN: GOOD MOVE. YOU WAITED A LONG TIME.

Bob Costas

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