John F. Kennedy Jr., declared the 1988 People Magazine Hunk of the Year and a trendsetter on the 1989 International Best Dressed List, now assumes a new title - assistant Manhattan district attorney.

The only son of the late President John F. Kennedy was among the new crop of 64 "rookie" prosecutors to be sworn in, photographed and fingerprinted Monday at the office of Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.Morgenthau, the son of Roosevelt administration Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr., likes hiring famous sons. In the past he brought on Andrew Cuomo and Cyrus Vance Jr. Dan Rather, son of the CBS anchorman, also is on Morgenthau's staff.

One other celebrity hire, John Jr.'s cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., wound up resigning under a cloud of suspected drug abuse. After being sworn in in 1982, RFK Jr. failed the bar exam and resigned in July 1983, saying he needed a rest.

This year's new recruits were chosen from 1,000 applicants, and each will earn $30,000 annually during their three-year stint.

As an assistant prosecutor, John Kennedy Jr., a 1989 graduate of New York University School of Law, will research legal issues and, once he passes the New York State bar exam, bring criminal cases to trial.

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To prepare for his new job, Kennedy paid off $2,000 in fines for outstanding parking tickets.

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