An imprisoned mobster is trying to avoid dying in prison like his notorious younger brother, the late Gambino crime family boss John Gotti.

Lawyers for Peter Gotti have filed court papers saying that his poor health and his rejection of the gangster life should earn him an early release from a North Carolina prison.

The request was filed last week in federal court in New York City. Prosecutors declined comment on Friday.

The 79-year-old Gotti is serving a 25-year term for a 2003 conviction on racketeering and other charges.

John Gotti was known as the Dapper Don because of his expensive suits and silvery swept-back hair. He was sentenced in 1992 to life in prison and died of cancer behind bars in 2002.