June 23: This Day in History - Teflon Don, Killer Tornadoes and Batman

On this day in history, some interesting things took place in the U.S. Here are the ones we chose to highlight.

Teflon Don Sentenced to Life

On this day in 1992, Mafia boss John Gotti, nicknamed “Teflon Don” after escaping untouched from several trials in the 1980s, was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty on 14 accounts of conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering.

After the sentence was read in the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, hundreds of Gotti’s supporters stormed the building and overturned and smashed cars before being forced back by police reinforcement.

Gotti was born and educated on the unkind streets of New York City, and he became head of the powerful Gambino family after Paul Castellano was murdered outside a steakhouse in Manhattan in December 1985.

“The Gambino family was known for its illegal narcotics operations, gambling activities, and car theft,” said History.com. “During the next five years, Gotti rapidly expanded his criminal empire, and his family grew into the nation’s most powerful Mafia family.”

Though Gotti’s family had wide publicity and he was known for his criminal activity, the mob boss managed to avoid several different convictions.

In 1990, however, he was indicted for the conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Paul Castellano.

On April 2, 1992, John Gotti was found guilty on all counts, and on June 23, he was sentenced to multiple life terms without the possibility of parole.

Gotti died in prison of throat cancer on June 10, 2002.

Disaster-Tornado Hits West Virginia and Pennsylvania

On this day in 1944, a wave of tornadoes across West Virginia and Pennsylvania killed more than 150 people. Most of the tornadoes that tore through the states were classified as F3s, but the most devastating tornado was an F4, with winds exceeding 207 mph.

“It was a very hot afternoon when atmospheric conditions suddenly changed and the tornadoes began in Maryland. At about 5:30 p.m., an F3 tornado struck in western Pennsylvania and killed two people,” said History.com. “Forty-five minutes later, a very large twister began in West Virginia, moved into Pennsylvania, and tracked back to West Virginia. By the time this F4 tornado ended, it had killed 151 people and leveled hundreds of homes.”

The extraordinary series of tornadoes came to an end around 10 p.m. All together, the tornadoes destroyed thousands of structures and caused millions of dollars worth of damages.

Batman is Released

On this day in 1989, Tim Burton’s spin on the well-known story of the DC Comics hero Batman was released in theaters.

Michael Keaton starred in the film as the multimillionaire Bruce Wayne, who transformed himself into the masked vigilante Batman after he witnessed his parents murder as a young boy.

As the film begins, mob henchman Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) is disfigured after Batman unintentionally drops him into a vat of acid.

After killing his boss, Napier, known as the Joker, goes on a rampage in Gotham, wreaking havoc and trying to turn its people against Batman. Batman’s love interest is captured to draw him in, and ends in dramatic results. 

Warner Brothers hyped Batman up as a summer event long before it was released, which resulted in $100 million in the first 10 days after its release. For his creation of the movie’s impressive Batmobile and the dark, cavernous Gotham City, Batman’s production designer, Anton Furst, won an Oscar for Best Art Direction and Set Decoration.