Zaccaro Bribery, Extortion Case in Jury’s Hands
The jury in the bribery and extortion trial of John A. Zaccaro, husband of 1984 vice presidential candidate Geraldine A. Ferraro, began deliberations Tuesday after the defense said the state lacked evidence to convict him.
Deliberations began late in the afternoon after instructions from Justice John Thorp, and later the jury recessed until today.
Defense attorney Robert Morvillo told the panel that he had rested his case without calling any witnesses on Zaccaro’s behalf because, “ladies and gentlemen, there’s nothing to refute.”
Prosecutor Paul Pickelle, charging that Morvillo used “trickery and deceit” and “con-man tricks” to mislead the jury, called on the panel to convict Zaccaro.
Zaccaro is charged with working with the late Queens Borough President Donald Manes in trying to solicit a bribe from Cablevision Systems Corp. in return for the Queens cable franchise. Manes committed suicide last year.
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