The trial of Irv "Gotti"
Lorenzo and his brother Christopher on federal money laundering charges has been
postponed until mid-November because of last-minute filings by the government
in the case.
Jury selection has begun, however, and at U.S. District Court
in downtown Brooklyn on Monday (Oct. 24) the Lorenzo brothers sat with their
attorneys Gerald Shargel and Gerald Lefcourt to watch the process unfold.
It was a mostly uneventful morning, but soon after the proceedings
began a tense moment occurred when assistant U.S. attorney Carolyn Pokorny introduced
IRS agent Francis Mace to the judge and potential jurors.
Investigator Mace provided the most explosive filings and potentially
damaging information in The Inc case.
His findings and affidavits submitted allege that Kenneth "Supreme"
McGriff is the "true owner" of The Inc. (formerly Murder Inc) and
that McGriff and the Lorenzo brothers put rival 50 Cent under surveillance.
The dozens of prospective jurors were subjected to questioning
about their own backgrounds as well as their specific knowledge of The Inc case.
Unsurprisingly, several jurors indicated that they recognized
Irv Lorenzo from magazine articles and television programs.
One juror even
revealed that he had met Lorenzo once.
The Gotti Brothers
new trial date has been set for Nov. 14.