John A. Gotti
PER
Peter Gotti John A. Gotti John Gotti John J. Gotti Gotti
Standing Mafia tradition on its head, John A. Gotti's lawyer declared in open court yesterday that Mr. Gotti was the heir apparent to the Gambino organized crime family in 1992, after his father, then the boss of the family, was sentenced to life in prison. Violating, on his client's behalf, what has been described at the trial as a sacred code of silence about even admitting the existence of the Mafia, Mr. Gotti's lawyer, Charles Carnesi, said he was not trying to be sarcastic or facetious. He only wanted to be clear about a past that his client had renounced, he said. He was the person who his father wanted to take over that family. That blunt assertion came yesterday before the racketeering conspiracy case against Mr. Gotti went to the jury in Federal District Court in Manhattan at 4:45 p.m. John A. Gotti's lawyer declared in open court that he was the ''heir apparent'' to the Gambino organized crime family, after his father, then after the boss of the family, was sentenced to life in prison. Violating, on his client's behalf, what has been described at the trial as a holy code of silence about even admitting the existence of the Mafia, Charles Carnesi, who is the lawyer of Mr. Gotti, said that he was not trying to be ''sarcastic or facetious.'' He only wanted to be clear about a past that his client had renounced, he said. Mr. Carnesi said in his closing argument that John Gotti was involved in the Gambino organized crime family.