John Gotti’s Grandson Given Ultimatum: Donate Kidney to Mom or Go to Prison

John Gotti's grandson has until Monday (August 10) to make a decision that sounds almost too bizarre to be real: donate a kidney to his ailing mother or report to federal prison.

Carmine Agnello, 39, was given a two-month reprieve from his 15-month prison sentence so he could donate a kidney to his mother, Victoria Gotti.

But after the planned Aug. 3 transplant was postponed because Victoria developed a serious infection, a federal judge has now drawn a hard line.

If the transplant happens by Monday, Agnello can remain free until Sept. 18. If it doesn't, he's expected to surrender to prison by 2 p.m. Monday, according to court records.

The Kidney Deadline

Agnello was originally scheduled to begin his sentence June 20 after pleading guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $1 million in COVID-relief loans from the Small Business Administration.

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He was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution.

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The prison date was pushed back so Agnello could undergo the transplant for his mother. But when the Aug. 3 surgery was called off because Victoria was battling a severe infection and taking a battery of antibiotics, Agnello asked the court for another extension, proposing a Sept. 18 surrender date instead.

This time, Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury wasn't willing to leave the door quite so wide open.

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The judge ruled that Agnello can remain out of prison until Sept. 18 only if the transplant takes place by Monday. Otherwise, he must surrender to begin his sentence by 2 p.m. Monday.

Why Is Carmine Going to Jail?

Federal prosecutors have repeatedly argued that Agnello's circumstances don't warrant additional leniency, noting that he could potentially donate his kidney while serving his sentence.

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Agnello's case stems from his guilty plea to defrauding the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, which was created to help businesses survive the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. He admitted to using the money improperly and was ordered to repay $1.2 million.

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Victoria Gotti, the daughter of late Gambino crime boss John Gotti and star of the reality series Growing Up Gotti, previously praised her son for agreeing to donate his kidney.

"He is giving me the GIFT OF LIFE," she wrote in a letter to the judge ahead of his April sentencing.

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Now, her son's next move comes down to an unusually high-stakes deadline: kidney donation first, prison second — but only if the surgery actually happens by Monday.