Power on Trial: Singh ends his testimony after 13 days

Singh leaves the stand

On the 13th day, about 11 minutes after the noon hour, U.S. District Court Judge Joan M. Azrack turned to the prosecution’s first witness, former restaurateur Harendra Singh, and said, “Mr. Singh.” “Two words you have been waiting to hear: You’re excused.”

With that, Singh, finishing up questioning by a prosecutor and three defense attorneys, rose from the witness stand and walked past the bar and out the back of the courtroom under the watchful eye of federal officials.

At one point, he said, “Excuse me,” to a court official, looking neither right nor left as he made his exit.

In the spectator section, even as the jury was leaving, friends and family of Edward Mangano, Nassau’s former county executive, his wife, Linda, and John Venditto, Oyster Bay’s former town supervisor, were already up and about, readying to make their way out of the courthouse as well.

Venditto’s wife and other family members, who had been in attendance daily, were together once more in a show of support for an enormously difficult week for the Venditto family. Later in the day, they were slated to receive friends at a wake for Venditto’s mother, who died over the weekend.

Earlier, Singh answered questions from Marc Agnifilo, Venditto’s lawyer, who finished his round of cross-examination.

Then it was the government’s turn, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine M. Mirabile handling redirect.

Then, it was back to each defense attorney for recross-examination.

At several points, Singh tried — as he has for every day of cross-examination — to elaborate on answers, rather than just answering yes or no.

“Did I ask you that?” the courtroom heard one lawyer query — once again.

At two points, Singh, clearly showing fatigue, answered questions asked by defense attorneys on one topic by talking about something else entirely.

And during the longest stretch of recross-examination, by Kevin Keating, Edward Mangano’s lawyer, Singh began to smile.

“Is there something funny?” Keating asked.

“What,” Singh snapped back, “am I not allowed to smile?”

Cooperation agreement

Singh, under questioning from Mirabile and defense attorneys, acknowledged that sentencing guidelines for crimes that he detailed for federal officials — in addition to those to which he has pleaded guilty — could land him in federal prison for 30 years to life.

“How did the government find out about the burner phones?” Mirabile asked at one point.

“I told the government that Fred Mei and I were using a burner phone,” Singh answered, referring to Frederick Mei, the then-Oyster Bay deputy town attorney who would later wear a wire and tape two conversations he had with Singh.

In earlier cross-examination, defense attorneys went through the cooperation agreement, pointing out myriad other incidents, including shorting New York State on taxes — for which Singh was not charged.

In redirect, Mirabile sought to clarify for jurors that Azrack, who ultimately will sentence Singh, can take into account all of Singh’s criminal activity — whether Singh pleaded guilty to them or not.

“That is the ‘free pass’ Mr. Keating is referring to?” Mirabile asked.

Keating objected.

Azrack sustained the objection.

Mirabile also took Singh through a portion of the agreement that requires him to make restitution to his victims, including New York State for unpaid taxes and Oyster Bay for town-backed loans.

Under further questioning by Keating, however, Singh acknowledged that he had no idea how much restitution he could end up paying.

He also said he had no money.

“I don’t have any assets,” he testified.

He said his house was in foreclosure.

“Is there an eviction proceeding?” Keating asked.

“Yes,” Singh answered.

And what happens, John Carman, Linda Mangano’s attorney, asked later, if Singh — who has yet to have a restitution amount set by court order — does not pay?

“I don’t know the consequences,” Singh said.

A birthday gift

“Why is it your responsibility to run out and get the Manganos’ son a watch?” Mirabile asked at one point during redirect, referring to Singh’s testimony that he had been given money by Edward Mangano to buy a watch for his son’s 21st birthday.

“Was Linda Mangano available to get a birthday gift for her son?” Mirabile asked.

“Yes,” Singh answered.

“Was her job at your company preventing it?” Mirabile went on.

“No,” Singh said.

To which there was an objection.

Which the judge sustained.

“ . . . because she did nothing,” Singh said.

At the defense table, Linda Mangano began to cry during the exchange. She switched chairs with an attorney — and later, moved to the elbow of the J-shaped defense table to sit beside her husband.

Click here to subscribe to The Point, Newsday Editorial Board’s daily opinion newsletter.