John Gotti’s wife, Kimberly, and daughter, Gianna, are seeking to have their assault case dropped after allegedly being involved in a brawl at a Long Island basketball game earlier this year. The incident occurred when the two got into a fight with another parent inside Locust Valley High School gym while their son was playing for Oyster Bay High School. They are being charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, after allegedly punching and pulling the hair of the victim during the altercation.
The victim in the case, Crystal Etienne, identified Kimberly and Gianna as her attackers based on what they were wearing, but the two defendants were not named until police arrested them. The defense lawyer for the Gottis, Gerard Marrone, claims that their notorious last name put them at a disadvantage during the incident. He believes that the victims only identified his clients after they were arrested and that their name being “Gotti” was a factor in the situation.
Marrone plans to request that both cases against the Gottis be dismissed by June 4th. The mother and daughter rejected a previous plea deal that would have dropped the case against Gianna if Kimberly pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. They also declined an earlier plea offer that would have required them to attend anger management classes. Despite this, the district attorney’s office is moving forward with the case and intends to proceed with legal actions against the Gottis.
Junior Gotti, the son of the late mafia boss “Dapper Don” John Gotti, does not blame their family’s notorious last name for the legal turmoil his wife and daughter are facing. He served a 6-year term in federal prison for racketeering but avoided further jail time after a series of mistrials between 2004 and 2009. John Gotti took over the Gambino crime family after ordering the hit on boss Paul Castellano in 1985, a crime for which he was ultimately imprisoned. He passed away from throat cancer while incarcerated.
The Gottis’ defense lawyer has denied claims that Kimberly and Gianna used a gay slur during the game and blamed the altercation on the alleged victim. The family is facing legal scrutiny due to their involvement in the brawl, and the case is generating attention due to their infamous last name. Junior Gotti hopes that the case will not impact the reputation of the Gotti family, emphasizing that he has never used their name as an excuse and will continue to face the legal proceedings without relying on their family legacy as a shield.
