HarperCollins go after mafia girl

Victoria Gotti (pictured), daughter of the late Gambino Family crime boss John Gotti, is in trouble with New York publishers HarperCollins. Three years ago she was commissioned to write a memoir about her life, but the book, originally due in November 2005, never appeared, and now HarperCollins have filed a lawsuit to claim back the $70,000 advance.

Gotti, 45, is no stranger to the headlines. A former New York Post columnist, she has dabbled in everything from reality television (Growing up Gotti) to recipe books (Hot Italian Dish). In 2005 her publicist quit after she admitted that an earlier claim that she had breast cancer was untrue.

The book she was contracted to write for HarperCollins would have been a record of her extraordinary life as the daughter of the so-called 'Teflon Don'. The flamboyant John Gotti, who died of throat cancer while serving a life-sentence in 2002, was one of the best known mobsters in America. His reputation for being able to escape jail sentences came to an end in 1992 when he was convicted for multiple counts, including 13 murders.