Gotti Jr. To Stand Trial Again
Posted: Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
New York N.Y.—For the fourth time in as many years, John “Junior” Gotti is getting ready to stand trial on federal charges of racketeering and murder. The previous three all ended in mistrials.
The defense claims the prosecution is simply pressing forward in an attempt to retry past failures. “The prosecution charges the same conspiracy, albeit with new garnishments,” stated filings submitted in July.
New court documents presented by the prosecution, however, say that they have learned new information since the previous trial, including evidence “that Gotti had participated in three murders, that Gotti had run a multi-million dollar cocaine trafficking network, that Gotti had overseen a systematic effort to tamper with trial juries, grand juries and witnesses, and that Gotti had participated in various other violent crimes.”
The indictments state that Gotti was “an associate, soldier, captain and de facto boss” of the Gambino family of New York. The purpose of the family, “to generate money… for the Gambino Crime Family Entreprise members,” was carried out “through various criminal activities, including criminal acts involving the felonious manufacturing, importing, receiving, concealing, buying, selling and otherwise dealing in narcotics and other dangerous drugs, extortion, armed and unarmed robbery, armed home invasions, illegal gambling, extortionate credit transactions, theft and bribery,” the indictment went on to say.
Gotti is being charged in connection with two drug-related murders. George Grosso was killed in Queens in 1988, and Bruce John Gotterup was murdered in 1991, also in Queens. The third murder charge did not involve drugs. Louis DiBono was killed in the parking garage of the former World Trade Center in 1990.
The indictment was originally filed in Florida, but the case has been moved to New York. Gotti’s lawyer, Charles Carnesi, argued against moving the trial, saying, “after having received frustrating results in three separate trials, the case was hijacked to the Middle District of Florida in a shameful attempt to forum shop or judge shop or both.”
The defense is expected to rely on the same defense it used in the previous trials, claiming that Gotti cut his ties with the mob in 1999. Because he is no longer involved in the crime family, and the statute of limitations has passed on the racketeering charges, he cannot be sentenced, they argue. However, new charges in the most recent indictment, including murder and allegations of recent mob activity, are not subject to a statute of limitations.
Gotti is the son of famed boss John Gotti Sr., who was nicknamed the “Teflon Don” because of his ability to slip away from charges. The elder Gotti died in prison in 2002.
If convicted, Gotti could face life in prison.
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