I think Gotti must have had a lot of charisma to people who met him in person, a thing none of us has experienced. He was well respected in prison and seems to have been a leader there, going by what we see in old photos. In Howard Beach, a middle-class area he was liked and loved by many neighbors. In Ozone park, more working class and poor he was well liked, and in all these examples we have to include his days before becoming boss. He had to have been liked by other mafia members to get made, and to stick around so long and though everything. Him and Joe Merlino have that in common. The mention of either one of their names also seems to trigger anger in a handful of people. A photo posted of Merlino is often enough to set people off.