Gene Gotti, the brother of legendary New York mob boss John Gotti, was released from prison yesterday after serving a 29-year sentence.

Let’s put things in perspective before we continue.

On May 24, 1989, after two mistrials, Gene was convicted of running a multimillion-dollar heroin smuggling ring.

In 1989: President Ronald Reagan delivered his farewell address to the nation, The Soviet Union pulled its last troops out of Afghanistan, the late NFL star Aaron Hernandez was born.

That’s how long Gene has been locked up.

The now 71-year-old lived, ate, and breathed “the life” for several decades and is a wiseguy through and through.

Gene did his time like a man.

He rejected a plea deal that would have likely only called for him to spend 7 years behind bars.

Unlike all the others who were flipping, Gene kept his mouth shut.

That’s one of the reasons Mob enthusiasts respect the Gotti’s, they all stayed true to omertà, the Mafia’s code of silence.

Some wiseguys like Salvatore Gravano and Joseph Massino did horrendous crimes, and on top of that brought down all of their friends.

Gene took the risks of doing the crime and he took the consequences that came with it.

Bruce Mouw, a former FBI agent tasked with monitoring the mafia, wondered about Gotti’s future.

“He was a bonafide wiseguy,” said Mouw. “Are you going to retire and enjoy your grandchildren? Or are you going to get active, and return to jail?”

The Gambino crime family, once run by his late brother who died in prison in 2002, is now headed by Frank Cali.

“The Gambinos are running smoothly — gambling, pills, construction unions, etc.,” one law-enforcement told the New York Post.

Cali is said to be well supported by other Gambino capos because of his old-school approach to running a massive crime family, his adherence to traditional Mafia values, and his insistence that members maintain a low profile.

According to law-enforcement, Cali practically runs New York City’s food industry and is worth an estimated $30 million from those businesses, real estate holdings and cafés he owns.

He has deep family ties back in Sicily and has been a rising star in the New York mafia for a number of years now.

71-year-old Domenico “Italian Dom” Cefalù is still the “official boss” but it’s clear that Cali is the man in the driver’s seat.

This article was originally posted here