GOTTI LEGAL DEFENSE TEAM ATTEMPTS TO DISCREDIT WITNESS

On day two of Irv and Chris Gotti's federal money-laundering trial (Thursday, November 17th), the prosecution called to the stand Donnell Nichols, a former employee of Murder Inc. SOHH.com reports that Nichols testified that he remembered seeing reputed drug kingpin Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff drop off a plastic bag which contained a shoebox full of money. Chris Gotti afterwards allegedly ordered the label's bookkeeper to cut McGriff's company Picture Perfect a check. According to Nichols, this kind of exchange occurred at least four or five times.


Nichols also testified that he delivered a two-way pager to McGriff and that the kingpin also allegedly received checks for the Ruff Ryders label.

The defense attempted to discredit Nichols by painting him as a liar. Defense lawyer Gerald Shargel also brought up the fact that Nichols was fired from a job for downloading porn and that he's been homeless. The attorney also called Nichols out for allegedly stealing from Murder Inc. Records and lying to people about his job title.

Shargel made his most convincing argument when he asked Nichols about his testimony that he saw Chris Gotti counting $70,000 from a shoe box in fives and tens and then put the money in rubber bands. The attorney gave Nichols a shoebox and $70,000 in prop money and asked him to put it in the box. When he was obviously unable to do it, Nichols attempted to backtrack by saying he never specified denominations, but Shargel then read his previous testimony, which included denominations.

Damon Dash, 7 Aurelius, Black Child, and Caddillac Tah were all at the federal courthouse in New York City to show their support for Irv and Chris Gotti.