D annys case appeared to be over. It was late in the afternoon and the judge had scheduled closing statements for the next day. But, after the last defense witness stepped down, Danny turned from the defense table and announced to his family in the third row, Im testifying.
Are you kidding me? replied an amused Judge Doyle from the bench. Albertsons response was also to laugh and turn around to look at Pelosiwho gave her a big confident grin. His lawyers were not so confident. They had advised Danny to stay away from the witness chair. Danny, wearing an expensive, black Italian suit, took the stand, raised his right hand, and took the oath, giving his full name as Daniel John Pelosi.
Mr. Pelosi, on October 20, 2001, were you in the Town of East Hampton? Shargel asked his client.
Absolutely not, Danny replied in a loud, defiant voice.
On October 21, 2001, were you in the Town of East Hampton?
Absolutely not.
Mister Pelosi, did you murder Ted Ammon?
Absolutely not.
Did you participate in any way in the murder of Ted Ammon?
Absolutely not.
Pass the witness, said Shargel, with a dramatic wave of his hand, finished with his questions, as if the case were over and they could all go home. Everyone went home for the night, but in the morning, the courtroom was filled to overflowing, as Albertson rose to begin a heated cross-examination that would last more than five hours. Danny agreed at first that both he and Generosa mistakenly believed Ted was hiding $300 million to $500 million from them. Then, minutes later, Danny denied believing that Ted was concealing assets. He admitted that he bought a stun gun but claimed it was for Generosa. When confronted with the testimony of his pal Dale that a year before the murder he had a plan to bash Teds brains in to get his millions, Dannys response was less than a ringing denial.
I dont believe so.
Danny tried to portray himself as a working class hero, a regular guy who was fighting in court to overturn Generosas will so he could help Alexa and Grego.
I dont want none of Mister Ammons money. It belongs to the children, Danny claimed.
And youre still suing in Surrogate Court to set aside your postnuptial agreement so that you could get a piece of the estate, arent you?
So I can give it to the children, Danny explained.
The children already have it, Mister Pelosi. Thats whats in the will, right?
I dont understand the question.
Later Danny even made a few jokes and tried his big smile but none of the nine women and three men was laughing. Albertson questioned him about zapping his workmen at the townhouse job site with his new toy, the stun gun.
So, did you try it out when you got it?
Absolutely not.
Did you offer your workers a hundred bucks to try it on them? Albertson asked, surprised at Dannys denial.
I paid them a hundred dollars and tried it on them, Danny said, reversing his answer.
Did you try it on guys you didnt pay a hundred dollars?
Yeah, I hit the guys on the job. I was fooling around. I was being me.
And being you was stunning people with a Taser? That is being you? Albertson pressed.
Im a good guy. I would hit you, just like when they got it, and they hit me. It was all in fun.
That is what you did to Ted Ammon?
Not at all.
No, that wasnt fun?
I didnt do nothing to Mister Ammon.
You didnt enjoy beating him?
Where are you going?
Did you tell Tracey that you bashed his brains in and he cried like a bitch? Albertson asked, her voice rising.
No, I did not.
Did you tell Tracey he begged for his life?
No, I did not.
Did you tell Tracey you did it because you had a monster in you? she demanded loudly.
No, maam.
You got a monster in you? she asked, sarcastically.
No, I had sex with Tracey and said I was Tarzan. That is about the only thing I could relate to pounding on my chest.
Danny did not deny being full of anger and rage.
It would depend on the scenario, the situation that I was in. Just like anybody, Danny replied.
And you are capable of flying into rages?
As you are, he shot back.
Im sorry? Albertson said, taken aback. Do you know me outside of this courtroom?
Through the papers.
Did you read the newspaper article about me and my family? Janet asked, referring to his alleged threat against them.
Yes I did.
Did you make any statements about the children, when you read that article? Janet demanded, trying unsuccessfully to get Danny to admit that he had threatened her two young children. Danny also did not deny that he was very angry on the Saturday of the murder, pacing and yelling, This has got to stop. Ted needs to be a man. He has to give her half. Someone needs to knock some sense into his head. He admitted they were his words but said they sounded more sinister when they came out of the petite prosecutors mouth than when they had emerged from his.
So, when you said somebody needs to knock some sense into him, you werent the guy who went out that very night and did just that? Albertson asked.
The jurors heads turned to Danny, who replied, Its a phrase that I use, okay? Im a Ill knock some sense into you. Wake up. Its a phrase. Its part of my language. Danny gave long, rambling, unresponsive answers. Over and over, the judge scolded him for not answering the questions. At one point, Danny bragged that he had won his 1996 civil accident case.
Actually, the jury awarded you nothing, Albertson said, incredulous.
But I won the trial 100 percent, Danny insisted.
Did you get enjoyment when you were stunning the people at work with that stun gun? Janet asked, trying to catch Danny off guard.
I never Yes, I did, said Danny, changing his answer in midsentence.
What part of it did you like? she asked.
I liked the way they jumped and reacted and said, You fucking asshole! Danny chuckled, unable to keep the sadistic glee from his face.
Several jurors were wearing expressions of distaste and most of them turned away from him when he talked, keeping their eyes on Albertson instead. Danny said it was true that he crushed up a sleeping pill and slipped it into Generosas beer on that Saturday, but he claimed he had nothing to hide. ThenDanny claimed that the hard object that his sister Barbara felt under his jacket was a box of marijuana he retrieved from Barbaras attic, not a stun gun. His only uncorroborated alibi was driving around, looking for someplace to buy beer with Chris Parrino. He admitted that he was one of a very few people who knew where the missing hard drive unit was hidden in the attic of the murder mansion but claimed word got around because I have a real big mouth.
On redirect questioning by Shargel, Danny said that on the Saturday of Teds murder, Generosa was drunk and in a raging fit. She was all pissed off about Ted. He said Generosa wanted to kill herself, and he had to break down the bathroom door of the apartment to prevent it. He said he left the kids alone in the apartment at 11 :30 Saturday night after Generosa had already left to go to her former butler Stevens apartment. On Sunday, after the murder, he claimed he could not locate Generosa.
Mister Pelosi, said Shargel, did Generosa Ammon ever ask you to murder her husband?
Yes Generosa wanted to know if I knew of anybody who would kill her husband, or if I could do it myself. Danny said he never agreed to either request.