By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
BBC - Honduras - CIA Trial book - NY Mag
EDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 30 – In a large courtroom in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Anthony Zottola, Alfred Lopez and Himen Ross are standing trial for the October 4, 2018 murder-for-hire of Mafia associate Sylvester Zottola, a.k.a. “Sally Daz,” at a McDonalds drive-through in the Bronx.
Inner City Press, now covering the EDNY courthouse albeit still not approve to bring in phone and laptop, is covering the trial, before District Judge Hector Gonzalez.
For the entire week, FBI Special Agent Michael Zoufal has been testifying on direct examination about calls and text messages. Anthony Zottola allegedly orchestrated and financed multiple attacks on his father and Anthony’s brother Salvatore Zottola prior to the murder.
On September 30, it finally turned to cross examination. Defense lawyer Henry E. Mazurek, whose SDNY work Inner City Press has covered in a number of live-reported trial, asked Zoufal if he thought the defendants were communicating in code.
The FBI agent resisted, saying that the texts spoke for themselves.
Mazurek shifted to analogies, about communications about tacos, or one's mother. Each time the AUSA objected, and Judge Gonzalez said, I'll allow it.
Inner City Press has requested access to the exhibits and, more importantly, the right to bring in its phone and laptop like other media. Despite asking the Office of District Executive Eugene J. Corcoran for nine days, it is still waiting. Watch this site.
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