Son-in-law says leaving Fumo's office was like leaving Mafia

State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo is an "evil individual," and trying to leave his office was "like trying to leave the Mafia," his estranged son-in-law told a federal court jury yesterday during a second day of unrelenting cross-examination.

Testifying for the fourth day in Fumo's corruption trial, Christian Marrone, 33, a Pentagon lawyer who is married to Fumo's eldest daughter, said he was glad to be out of the Philadelphia region - and all the drama.

"I am so happy being in Virginia, away from all this, away from everybody," said Marrone, who said he was eager to go home. "I don't want another thing to do with this stuff, or any of the people involved."

At one point, Marrone was asked by defense attorney Edwin J. Jacobs Jr. about his fighting back tears on Wednesday when describing an e-mail exchange with Fumo that caused him to begin to have doubts about the senator.

"It's me being up here, sir," Marrone told Jacobs, who represents Fumo's codefendant, Ruth Arnao. "This whole thing is emotional to me."

While Marrone made it clear that he now felt disdain for Fumo, he also said that Fumo had been his "mentor" and that they'd once had a good relationship.

"He treated you like a son, didn't he?" asked Jacobs.

"Yes," replied Marrone.

And it was Fumo, Jacobs went on, "who pushed you go to go law school?"

"Yes," Marrone said.

It's not over yet.

Marrone is due back on the witness stand when the trial resumes Monday before U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter. Marrone will be subjected to more cross-examination and then more questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Pease.

A powerful Democrat who has been in Harrisburg for decades, Fumo is accused of defrauding the Senate by having employees, including Marrone, do personal and political-campaign work on Senate time.

Fumo, 65, also is charged with defrauding a charity formed in his office, Citizens' Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, by obtaining power tools, vacuum cleaners, vehicles and other items from the charity.

Marrone is an important government witness on both fraud charges.

He has told the jury that he was a legislative aide to Fumo, but that he spent about 80 percent of his first 18 months on the job overseeing major renovations to Fumo's historic Spring Garden mansion.

He has also testified that the senator was deeply involved in Citizens' Alliance, which was formed to augment city services in Fumo's district. He said that virtually all projects and expenditures were approved by the senator.

During yesterday's cross-examination, Fumo's defense lawyer, Dennis J. Cogan, tried to portray Marrone as someone so consumed by hate that he would say anything to hurt the senator.

"You really hate this guy, don't you?" asked Cogan.

"No, I wouldn't characterize it as hate," replied Marrone.

Cogan asked Marrone if he didn't consider Fumo "like the Mafia" - and pointed to his grand-jury testimony.

"I said leaving his office was like trying to leave the Mafia," Marrone corrected him. "I was making an analogy."

Earlier, Marrone, now a Republican, had testified that he stayed on even as his relationship with Fumo began to sour. He said that he tried to get a job with then-U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, but that Fumo intervened and he wasn't hired.

When Cogan again asked if he hated Fumo, Marrone again insisted that was not the case. "I believe Vince Fumo is an evil individual for a number of reasons, but I never hated him," he said.

Marrone said that Fumo was once so upset about a neighborhood dog that wouldn't stop barking that he suggested putting some poison on a piece of meat and tossing it to the dog.

"I said absolutely not," Marrone told the jury.

And when Cogan asked why that remark was never included in any of his FBI statements, Marrone replied, "I'm just telling you what I was told. Don't shoot the messenger."

Cogan tried to show that Marrone couldn't have spent 80 percent of his time on mansion renovations, showing him memo after memo that discussed other projects or studies he had overseen during that time.

"I can multitask," Marrone responded.