Kimberly and Gianna Gotti, the wife and daughter of John “Junior” Gotti, are facing a third-degree assault charge after getting into a fight with another parent at a Long Island basketball game. The alleged victim, Crystal Etienne, identified the attackers from what they were wearing but did not name the defendants until they were arrested. Their lawyer claimed that the Gotti name was used against them and plans to request that the cases be dismissed, with a deadline of June 4 to file the motion. The Gottis have also rejected plea deals that would have led to the case being dropped against Gianna if Kimberly pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.
Despite the defense lawyer pointing out the disadvantage the last name brings to Kimberly and Gianna Gotti, Junior Gotti himself said he does not want to use his notorious name as a crutch for the current turmoil. Junior Gotti is the son of the late mafia boss “Dapper Don” John Gotti, who took over the Gambino crime family by ordering the mob hit of boss Paul Castellano in 1985. Junior Gotti himself served a 6-year term in federal prison for racketeering but evaded further jail time when four other trials ended in mistrials between 2004 and 2009. Junior Gotti stated that he has never used his name as a crutch before and will not start now, but that people should pay attention to the case.
The Gottis’ defense lawyer, Gerard Marrone, highlighted that the athletic director mentioned Gotti’s name during the incident, linking it to the alleged victim’s claims. However, he denied that Kimberly and Gianna used a gay slur during the game, as was alleged. The district attorney’s office stated they intend to move forward with the case against the mother-daughter duo. The Gottis had previously been given a plea deal in March which would have only required them to attend anger management classes, but they turned it down. Another plea deal offered in court on Wednesday was also rejected.
Kimberly and Gianna Gotti were arrested after the incident at the Locust Valley High School gym on February 8, where their son was playing for Oyster Bay High School. The mother-daughter duo were accused of punching and pulling the hair of the victim during the brawl. The alleged victim, Crystal Etienne, did not name the Gotti’s as her attackers until they were arrested. The defense lawyer, Gerard Marrone, argued that their last name was used against them and plans to file a motion to dismiss the case. Despite the turmoil surrounding the case, Junior Gotti expressed that he does not want to use his name as a crutch for this situation.
In court on Wednesday, Gerard Marrone claimed that the victim identified the alleged attackers as “the Gotti girls” only after they were placed under arrest and handcuffed. He suggested that the use of their last name put the mother-daughter duo at a disadvantage, leading to their arrest. Marrone stated his intention to file a motion requesting the dismissal of both cases, with a deadline to do so by June 4. The district attorney’s office has said they plan to continue with the case against Kimberly and Gianna Gotti. Despite the challenges brought on by their last name, Junior Gotti emphasized that he has never used it as a crutch and does not intend to start now, urging people to pay attention to the case.
