Ok I'd like to point out that the sole reason Gotti didn't want anyone taking a plea- wasn't because of arrogance or some LCN rule. Yes he did use LCN as an excuse but the true reason is that he figured-

1. You take a plea & go jail for x amount of years. But that's the problem, once u admit guilt & your in the system, he figured they'd never let u get out. And who can blame him, the Feds are notorious for letting u come to within a few months of finishing up a sentence, then they'll slap on new charges. So by taking a plea, your effectiveny risking giving away your life

2. Take a risk & plead not guilty- which is what he advised. So in gotti's view, accepting a plea potentially means a life sentence therefore u might as well give yourself the option of beating the case

My personal opinion is take a plea and pray they don't slap on additional charges later on. We know that now, but at the time I can see why he made the decisions he made