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"Do it," he barked on the tape "When I wake up to, or you o back to bed"

Corrado ran his hands down his face in frustration Hoould his lawyer explain that one away?

Tape after tape, threat after threat Little in the way of proof but a whole lot of da insinuation

They were all restless when the prosecution put on the last recording of the day Corrado sat back in his chair, tensing when a fah the speakers

"It’s done," Vincent said "Happened tonight Finally"

Corrado pinpointed the conversation i at home when his brother-in-law called frootten Haven

"About time," Corrado said "How much did you pay?"

"A quarter h"

"I know," Corrado said "You’ve paid a lot for that girl"

"Yeah" Vincent sighed loudly on the line "We all have"

When those words hit hi in persons for servitude Those words on his indictment made sense Intentions hadn’t mattered, and often never do

DAY SEVENTEEN

Expert witnesses

Corrado’s attention wavered as the prosecutor questioned an accountant on the stand They were going through his financial records one transaction at a tie sually Corrado was quite bored, knowing they would find nothing substantial As far as he was concerned, a few dollars here and there didn’t count

"Objection!" his lawyer interrupted the line of questioning "I fail to see why it’s important to note how much Mr Moretti spent for bathrooe motioned for the prosecutor to continue

More questions More prying More desperation Corrado glanced at the jury, who appeared just as bored Juror nuht her eye, expecting her to look back away, but she didn’t She stared, studying him, a look of curiosity in her eyes

"Objection," his lawyer said again "I fail to see the relevance in any of this"

The judge sighed "Overruled"

It went on for two excruciating hours before the prosecution finished Mr Borza stood then "Based on your calculations, what’s the total amount of money that went unreported at Luna Rossa last year?"

"Uh, 15,77649"

Corrado cringed More than a few dollars

"Seehts "But we’re talking about a club that made more than three million dollars last year, correct?"

"Yes"

"This unaccounted for money equals what, half of one percent?"

"Fractionally more than that, but yes"

"So ht there in black and white That half of one percent is the equivalent of bla a few pennies when he broke a dollar at the store That’s hardly what I’d call an elaboratescheme"

"Objection!" the prosecution declared "He’s trying to distort the math"

"Sustained Move on, Mr Borza"

The ruling didn’t put off the lawyer He had gotten his point across "Could this half of one percent merely be a mathematical error?"

"It’s possible"

"So theremoney at all"

"Objection!"

"Overruled"

"It’s possible," the accountant said "It’s usually why taxes are audited during a series of years for consistency and accuracy, since mistakes happen"

Mr Borza smiled as he sat back down "Mistakes happen I couldn’t have said it better myself"

DAY TWENTY-TWO

Testimony

Witness after witness took the stand, answering questions being fired at them Former associates, a few La Cosa Nostra, testified to tales of mayhem, while shop owners and unlucky bystanders swore to what they knew Not a single one of theh to loosely link him to the crimes

"Mr Gallo," Corrado’s lawyer started, addressing a former street soldier on the stand, "you testified that you, along with three others, were involved in a string of robberies in March of ninety-eight Is that correct?"

"Yes"

"And what role do you assert Corrado Moretti played in all of it?"

"He ordered us to do it"

"Personally?"

"Through text e"