John plays famous mobster

LOS ANGELES (AP) — John Travolta (photo) will play legendary Gambino crime family leader “Dapper Don” John Gotti in an upcoming film about Gotti’s life.

A person with knowledge of the project who spoke on condition of anonymity because the project has not been officially announced said the film from independent production company Fiore Films will be produced by Marc Fiore and directed by Nick Cassavetes. Talent broker Marty Ingels is executive producer.

The official announcement will be made at an April 12 news conference in New York, where the film will be shot on a budget of about $15M later this year.

The casting follows months of speculation that the Travolta would play the famous mobster, who died in prison in 2002. Gotti’s son, 47-year-old John “Junior” Gotti, sold rights for the film to Fiore last year for an undisclosed amount.