Former mobster John Gotti Jr. showed up Tuesday in a Queens courtroom to support a mixed martial arts fighter on trial for bank robbery.
Sporting a white-and-black Adidas tracksuit with matching white Adidas shoes, Gotti Jr. said his son John Gotti III trained with the accused fighter Sergio da Silva.
“My son’s an MMA fighter. Sergio is an MMA fighter. I believe the kid is innocent,” Gotti Jr. told reporters.
Gotti Jr.’s son, John Gotti III, 26, is preparing for an April fight, Gotti Jr. said.
Da Silva is on trial for the Aug. 24 robbery of a Citibank in Astoria in which he allegedly said he had a gun and threatened to shoot a teller if they didn’t turn over cash. He fled with about $50,000 in cash. The jury started deliberations Tuesday.
Da Silva may have a chance at acquittal or a hung jury. The jurors sent out a note just a few hours into their deliberations Tuesday saying they had reached an impasse. “We could not come to a unanimous decision,” jurors said.
Judge Leslie Leach ordered the jurors to keep deliberating. “They haven’t even deliberated a day yet,” Leach said.
Gotti Jr. called da Silva a “magnificent father” who brings his son to the gym on a regular basis.
“I’ve fought cases in this courthouse,” Gotti Jr. said. “My first trial was in this building in 1987. I was acquitted in an assault case.”
Gotti Jr. has said in recent interviews that he left the gangster life years ago. On Tuesday, he said he is currently “working on projects, writing, keeping busy, managing real estate.”
The day ended with no verdict. Deliberations will continue tomorrow.
