Gossett was born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, to Hellen, a nurse, and Louis Cameron Gossett, a porter. He was an alumnus of Mark Twain Intermediate School 239 and Abraham Lincoln High School. … See more

Gossett was married three times; he fathered one son and adopted another. His first marriage was to Hattie Glascoe; it was annulled. His second, to Christina Mangosing, took place on August 21, 1973. Their son S… See more

Gossett struggled with a debilitating illness during the 1990s and early 2000s, having been given a prognosis of six months to live from a doctor at one stage. In 2001, he learned much of his illness was due to toxic mold in … See more