A 3rd Jury Deadlocks in Case Against ‘Junior’ Gotti

A judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the mob-related racketeering case against John A. “Junior” Gotti, the third time in a year a jury deadlocked over his claim that he quit the Gambino family business.

“It’s enough now. They got to let go,” Gotti told reporters, in hopes that prosecutors would drop the case so he could move to the Midwest with his family. “If they let us alone, I’ll leave. I’ll take my family, and I’ll go.”

Prosecutors did not immediately ask for a fourth trial for Gotti, 42, a fixture in federal court in the last year as the government has tried repeatedly to prove he followed in father John Gotti’s footsteps as a mobster.

In declaring the mistrial, U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin told jurors it was “not your failure” and acknowledged that “the case has its difficulties.”

A relieved Gotti hugged his brother Peter and other supporters, then wiped his eyes. “It was a tough one,” he said. “This one drained the life from me.”

If convicted, Gotti could have received up to 30 years in prison. He is free on $7 million bail.

In a statement Wednesday, U.S. Atty. Michael J. Garcia said, “We are disappointed by today’s outcome.”