John “Junior” Gotti’s wife and daughter want their assault case dropped as the pair’s lawyer claimed in court Wednesday that the mob family’s name was used against them following a brawl at a Long Island basketball game earlier this year.
Kimberly, 56, and Gianna Gotti, 24, are each facing a third-degree assault charge, a misdemeanor, after they allegedly got into a fight with another parent inside Locust Valley High School gym on Feb. 8 while the Gotti’s son was playing for visiting team Oyster Bay High School.
The mother-daughter duo are accused of punching and pulling the hair of the victim during the melee, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office has said.
The alleged victim, Crystal Etienne, identified her attackers from what they were wearing, but in depositions recited in court the two defendants were not named until police slapped handcuffs on them, Newsday reported.
Nassau County District Court Judge David Goodsell asked during a bench conference why the supporting depositions are sufficient because “there is no identification,” the newspaper reported.
The Gottis’ defense lawyer, Gerard Marrone, claimed in court Wednesday his clients’ infamous last name put them at a disadvantage.
“It was pointed out by the athletic director, that was John Gotti, and the victim was saying she was attacked by two females,” he said, per Newsday.
“So, the name Gotti was thrown around. The Gotti girls, the mom and the daughter, were arrested. The victim only identified my clients once they were arrested walking out of the gym in handcuffs.”
Marrone reportedly said he planned on requesting both cases be dismissed. He has until June 4 to file the motion.
The Gottis also rejected a second plea deal on Wednesday that would have led to the case being dropped against Gianna if Kimberly pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, News 12 reported.
The mother and daughter were also offered a plea deal in March that would have required them to only attend anger management classes, but the two turned that down.
Meanwhile, the district attorney’s office told Newsday on Wednesday prosecutors intended to move ahead with the case.
Marrone previously blamed the blowup on the alleged victim, telling The Post back in February the other parent threw the first punch and was badgering Kimberly’s youngest son.
It’s alleged Kimberly and Gianna used a gay slur during the game, but Marrone also denied that.
While Marrone pointed to Kimberly and Gianna’s last name during the hearing, Junior Gotti said outside the courtroom he didn’t want to lay blame on his notorious last name for the turmoil.
“I don’t want it to do that. It’s a crutch and I never used it as a crutch before and I won’t use it now,” he said, according to Newsday. “However, pay attention to this case.”
Gotti 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 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 outside Sparks Steak House in 1985.
He died of throat cancer in prison.
