Prosecutors rested their corruption case against a former top aide to Gov. Cuomo on Thursday — setting the stage for possible testimony from two of the three co-defendants accused of paying Joseph Percoco $300,000-plus in “pay-to-play” bribes.
Defense lawyers said Syracuse developers Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi may take the witness stand as long as prosecutors aren’t allowed to question them about separate bribery and bid-rigging allegations involving Cuomo’s signature “Buffalo Billion” revitalization project.
Gerardi’s lawyer, Milton Williams, told Manhattan federal Judge Valerie Caproni it was “imperative” that prosecutors be barred from bringing up that case, which is scheduled for trial in June.
“It’s their version against our version, and it basically becomes a trial on Buffalo Billion,” he said.
Caproni said she’d rule on the matter Friday morning. If the two do not testify the case could wrap up next week.
The prosecution’s final witnesses Thursday included Cuomo’s deputy secretary, Andrew Ball, who testified that he was blind-sided when Percoco banished him from the 39th floor in Cuomo’s Manhattan headquarters.
“I was quite surprised. My initial reaction was surprise and anger,” Ball said.
Prosecutors contend Percoco made the move as a favor to Aiello, who was upset that Ball was hassling his son, also named Steven, who worked for Cuomo at the time.
Ball testified that he and the younger Aiello, who was in the courtroom, “are friends, former colleagues and former roommates.”