The federal corruption trial of Trenton Mayor Tony Mack begins

Jury selection is underway for the federal corruption trial of Trenton Mayor Tony Mack and his brother Ralphiel Mack on extortion and bribery charges for allegedly soliciting and accepting payments in connection with a downtown parking garage deal. The deal was fictitious, and the people offering the alleged bribes were government informants.

Mack has remained in office since his arrest in late 2012. He was elected as mayor in 2010. The mayor’s official biography says Mack served for 12 years on the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders.He resides in the historic Berkeley Square section of Trenton with his wife Kara, son Tony II, and daughters Carrington, Madison and Kennedy. 

A third defendant, local sandwich shop owner Joseph Giorgianni, pleaded guilty last month to two extortion-related counts and unrelated drug and weapons charges. Giogianni is scheduled to face sentencing in March and faces 10-12 years in prison. 

A fourth defendant, Charles Hall III, pleaded guilty in early 2013 to one count of extorition and and another count related to narcotics. Prosecutors say Hall was a buffer man in the efforts to get a $100,000 kickback from a developer if the City of Trenton would sell land way below its market value. Hall is awaiting sentencing, which could between 6-8 years in prison. 

Opening statements in the trial could occur later this week in U.S. District Court in Trenton.

Here’s a helpful Guide to Mayor Mack’s Trial created by The Trentonian newspaper.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story