The wife and daughter of former mob boss John Gotti Jr. have again pleaded not guilty to inciting a brawl at a youth basketball game.
Kimberly Gotti, 56, and her daughter Gianna Gotti, 25, were handcuffed after the fight at Locust Valley High School on Long Island on Feb. 2. They were both charged with third-degree assault.
They allegedly punched a woman in the face and ripped off her wig after she asked them to stop swearing, while they sat and watched Gotti Jr.’s son Joseph play for Oyster Bay.
When the expectant mother and daughter appeared in court on Long Island in March after declining a settlement, Gotti Jr. joined them in questioning. He reportedly got into an altercation with a Newsday reporter.
The Teflon Don’s son and replacement accused him of false reporting and reportedly told the journalist: “I’ve always gotten along well with the press, but I can’t get along with you.”
Kimberly Gotti and daughter Gianna Gotti, the wife and daughter of former mob boss John Gotti Jr., have pleaded not guilty to starting a brawl during a youth basketball game on Long Island Tuesday
Gotti Jr. was also present at the meeting and reportedly got into an altercation with a Newsday reporter
During the hearing that took place just before, the mob boss’s wife and daughter both pleaded not guilty, after having previously appeared in court in Nassau in Hempstead in February and April.
The first hearing took place on February 3, the day after the skirmish in question.
There they were accused of punching, kicking and pulling the wig off the parent of a player from Locust Valley, where the game was taking place.
About an hour later, the 48-year-old victim, Crystal Etienne,There she was approached by two women, believed to be the Gottis, who allegedly told them to stop swearing.
‘I asked the two subjects to stop calling the children ‘fa**ots and p***ies’. At that moment, the unknown woman in gray ran towards me. The woman hit me and tried to grab my hat.
“An unknown younger woman with a red jacket also started hitting me. Both unknown women continued hitting me,” she said.
‘At that moment I felt my hair being pulled and then I felt the wig, which was held in place with three clips and velcro, come loose.
‘I threw my head back and I felt like my scalp was going to be ripped off.’
The mobster’s wife and daughter both pleaded not guilty after appearing in Nassau County Court in Hempstead in February and April. Kimberly, 56, is seen here leaving the latest hearing
They allegedly punched a woman in the face and ripped off her wig after she asked them to stop shouting profanities while they were watching Gotti Jr.’s son Joseph play for Oyster Bay
When they appeared in court on Long Island in March after rejecting a plea agreement, the expectant mother and daughter were accompanied by Gotti Jr., who replaced his father as Gambino crime boss after he was sent to prison in 1992.
The Teflon Don’s son and deputy accused a journalist of false reporting, reportedly saying: ‘I’ve always gotten along with the press, but I can’t get along with you guys’
The woman said the women kept blasting her with gusts of wind from above, and she was in severe pain as her wig was ripped off. She also had scratches on her face, she said — but she did not identify the Gottis by name.
She said it was the confrontation that arose because the two men had hurled homophobic, sexist and racist insults at the other party that, she said, prompted her intervention.
A day later, Kimberly and Gianna appeared in court, presided over by Judge David Goodsell.
Both were charged with third-degree assault with intent to cause physical harm to another person. They pleaded not guilty and were released.
In April they appeared in court again, where their Attorney Steven Christiansen alleged that Kimberly’s son was abused by the woman while playing the game.
Weeks later, Judge Goodsell questioned the credibility of the charges against the Gottis, because Etienne’s statement identified them only by their clothing, not by name.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office subsequently updated the charges against the duo, using Nassau Police Department body camera footage, witness statements and clips from footage filmed during the fight to bolster their case.
This led to a second summons, which was held on Tuesday.
The case was heard before 11 a.m. on Tuesday and adjourned shortly afterwards, clearing the way for a potential final hearing scheduled for September 10.
Outside, Gianna’s attorney Gerard Mattone continued to insist the victim had credibility issues, citing a previous arrest
Her attorney, Frederick K. Brewington, countered that citing the conviction was an attempt to “intimidate” his client, who Christiansen then claimed only wants to file a lawsuit after the trial. Their next hearing is scheduled for September 10.
There Christiansen criticized the day’s proceedings as “the prosecution’s third attempt to draft a legally sufficient indictment,” while the prosecution was accused of trying to “force a guilty plea” from Kimberly.
He claimed they had offered her the opportunity to drop the charges against her daughter after six months, a year after the girl herself signed a contract to play professional basketball in Portugal.
Despite the alleged interrogation, neither turned around. They had previously rejected a plea deal that would have placed them in an anger management program in exchange for a settlement.
The case was heard before 11am on Tuesday and adjourned shortly afterwards, clearing the way for a possible final hearing on September 10.
Outside, Gianna’s attorney, Gerard Mattone, continued to insist the victim had credibility issues and had been arrested in the past.
Etienne pleaded guilty in 2017 to a felony charge of embezzling $50,000 from a car dealership where she worked as an accountant. She herself denied any wrongdoing.
Pictured: Mafia boss John Gotti – Gotti Jr.’s father and predecessor – outside court before he was sent to prison in 1991. He died in 2002
Her attorney, Frederick K. Brewington, countered that bringing up the conviction was an attempt to “intimidate” his client. Christiansen then claimed that he only wanted to charge him after the trial.
“We’ll see what happens, but I think the case will most likely be dismissed,” Brewington said. The New York Post.
“If the suspects’ last name hadn’t been Gotti, this wouldn’t have gotten to this point,” Christiansen said.
The 60-year-old Gotti Jr. replaced his infamous father as Gambino mob boss after he was sent to prison in 1991.
He served as acting boss until 1999, when he was arrested on suspicion of extortion.
In a plea deal, he pleaded guilty and served nearly seven years in prison. His father died in prison in 2002.