I surmise that the reason he didn't take the plea was because John was on trial at the time (when wasn't he when he was boss) and any kind of a plea would be construed as an admission of guilt which woul d then splash onto John, thereby making him look guilty also since there association was so close. I wouldn't be surprised if Bruce Cutler told this to John and John already was against anyone in the family taking any kind of a plea but his attorney was also solidifying this position by telling John that the prosecutor in John's trial would possibly, somehow use Gene's plea as ammunition to put John away. Just a thought.