NEW YORK, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A retired firefighter whose picture of him with New York crime boss John Gotti has been plastered across the city, wants $1 million from National Geographic.
The New York Daily News reported Monday Robert Alfano is embarrassed, shamed and flabbergasted his image showed up all over the city to promote a National Geographic Channel miniseries, "Inside the Mafia."
Alfano's lawyer his filed a complaint in Brooklyn Federal Court where he's seeking $1 million in damages for the unauthorized use of his image. Alfano says the photos have hurt his budding real estate career.
Alfano, who is decked out in a fancy suit and tie in the photo, explains that he was simply attending Gotti's trial one day with a friend, who happens to be a criminal defense lawyer, and simply happened to be in the picture rather than part of the official Gotti entourage.
Gotti died June 10, 2002. He was convicted by in federal court in 1992 on 13 counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, loan-sharking, racketeering, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling and tax evasion.
