Growing Up Gotti was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 reality television

Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

 series that appeared on A&E

A&E Network

The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...

. It featured the life of Victoria Gotti

Victoria Gotti

Victoria Gotti is a writer, reality television participant and daughter of the Gambino crime family Mafia boss, John Gotti.-Early life:...

, daughter of Mafia

Mafia

The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...

 boss John Gotti

John Gotti

John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...

, and her three sons; Carmine Agnello, Jr., John Gotti Agnello, and Frank Gotti Agnello.

Cancellation

Due to declining ratings, A&E canceled Growing Up Gotti at the end of 2005. The Smoking Gun

The Smoking Gun

The Smoking Gun is a website that posts legal documents, arrest records, and police mugshots on a daily basis. The intent is to bring to the public light information that is damning, shocking, outrageous, or amazing, yet also somewhat obscure or unreported by more mainstream media sources...

 launched a parody of sorts entitled Blowing Up Gotti, which consisted of family visits to John Gotti

John Gotti

John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...

while he was in prison that prison officials routinely taped.

Criticism

A&E faced criticism for this show. Some felt that A&E was showcasing a family living in luxury that was purchased by 'blood money' made by John Gotti. They felt the network glorified the fruits of organized crime. Many have also complained about the foul language used on the show, as well as the dysfunctional relationship between Victoria Gotti and her sons. Film.com says about the show "Victoria Gotti has the warmth of an ice pick and her sons the charm of, well, thugs."