As reported following the events of the day that included A Flash of Chaos.

"....we go now to our political correspondent, Liza Fairgood, who is outside the courthouse. Liza?"

"Good evening, Richard. As you can see behind me, the crowds that had thronged the steps of the courthouse this morning have been moved back, and police barriers have been erected to keep some semblance of control over the crowd itself. The police presence has been increased dramatically, though we have been told that Ms De Luca and her family have already been escorted from the premises in secret."

"What can you tell us about the disturbance this morning?"

"From what little information has been released to us in a statement made to the press a few hours ago, it would appear that an attempt was made on Elena De Luca's life as she entered the courthouse this morning. Identified as Frank diTolleno, and believed to be in the employ of Marcus Nicoletti, he is now in police custody and is not expected to be granted bail. Mr diTolleno is understood to have approached Ms De Luca in the crush of interest this morning as she was making her way from the car to the courthouse, armed with a medium-sized, serrated knife. When he was close enough, he attempted to stab Ms De Luca - however, her companion, Michael Donnelly, the noted author, is understood to have seen the attack as it was made, and interposed his own body between Ms De Luca and the knife. Ms De Luca herself was not harmed in any way."

"We've been hearing reports that Michael Donnelly was injured in the altercation - do you have any further information to add?"

"Uh, yes, Richard, we do. It is known that Mr Donnelly was, in fact, injured in the attack. However, this was not a serious injury, and he did not require hospitalization. He has been present in court all day."

"Tell us what happened in court today, Liza."

"Certainly, Richard. After a delay in starting proceedings, due to the disturbance here on the steps, the prosecuting attorney, Mr Desmond Granger, continued to present his evidence to the judge and jury. He described Ms De Luca's involvement with the defendant, Mr Samuel Nicoletti, in brief, without touching on events prior to the opening of the courtroom this morning, and certainly pulled no punches when describing Ms De Luca's mental and physical state in September 2012. In light of Ms De Luca's known struggle with alcoholism, Mr Granger's first witness was her counselor, Daniel Lewis, who has been working as her support and liaison for the past ten months. Mr Lewis confirmed, under oath, that Ms De Luca has been sober since November 2012, and has maintained a clean record, including holding down a contracted job during that time.

"Elena De Luca, when she took the stand, presented herself as calm and sober, a little nervous but not unduly so. At Mr Granger's request, she presented her testimony of the night in question with grave sincerity, pausing only once to calm herself when she appeared close to tears. She described Samuel Nicoletti's direct involvement in the death of Niall Jackson, and indeed, did not shrink from describing her own involvement in the disposal of the body, describing herself as being too afraid not to do as Samuel Nicoletti instructed. Under questioning from Mr Granger, she spoke of her eighteen month relationship with Samuel Nicoletti, describing an abusive, violent man not above using her addiction and her fear of him to get what he wanted, which is in line with what other witnesses have stated before her.

"During the cross-examination by Mr Lawrence Whitfield, defending attorney, Ms De Luca maintained her version of events, giving her answers in a clear, calm voice. Despite Mr Whitfield being warned twice by the judge against badgering the witness at Mr Granger's request, she seemed to weather the intense questioning well, only stopping twice to ask Mr Whitfield to repeat his question. The defense was unable to unravel her testimony as it was given. As a result of the calm manner in which she dealt with her cross-examination, Ms De Luca will not be expected to take the stand again.

"Tomorrow's proceedings will focus upon the evidence and testimony supporting the allegations that Mr Samuel Nicoletti, or someone in his employ, attempted to pervert the course of justice by intimidating the witness, including an unpleasant attack on the partner of Ms De Luca's brother, Anastasia Komarova. Mr Granger is expected to rest his case tomorrow afternoon, and following the closing statements presented by the prosecution and defense, the jury will then adjourn to deliberate upon a verdict."

"So all in all, a very busy day in court. Thank you, Liza. Liza Fairgood, political correspondent, outside the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse. In other news ..."

A news report dated Friday, 6th September, 2013

A tragic story that found its beginning almost exactly a year ago has today come to an end amid shocking scenes at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse. Samuel Nicoletti - found guilty of murder in the first degree, as well as multiple charges of fraud, people and drug trafficking, and extortion - was brought before Judge Frank Owens today for his sentencing. Also present in court were the family of the deceased, Niall Jackson; members of the De Luca family, including Elena De Luca, on whose evidence much of the murder trial hinged; and Mr Nicoletti's own father, Marcus, who was seen to still be visibly shaken following the announcement over the past weeks of his son's repeated guilty verdicts.

Judge Owens opening statement referred to the shocking length of the list of Samuel Nicoletti's offenses, committed over a period of several years and culminating in the cold-blooded murder of a Queens businessman who, as we understand it, had decided to stop paying protection money and inform the police. The judge stated that "....in thirty years, I have never heard so much evidence stacked against a single individual. Whether backed by others or not, the guilt is Mr Nicoletti's, and the law will not be found wanting." Several people who were present in the courthouse report seeing Marcus Nicoletti being restrained by his companions as the judge spoke. Mr Nicoletti, Senior, has been heard to make threatening statements regarding the juries that have found his son guilty on all charges, and indeed, his presence in the courtroom today was the source of fresh tension, especially for those who had given evidence.

Judge Owens offered Samuel Nicoletti an opportunity to speak in his own defense, or to admit his guilt and make some show of remorse, but Mr Nicoletti declined this opportunity. He sat straight, despite the chained handcuffs about his wrists and ankles, and was seen to laugh and comment quietly to his attorney throughout the proceedings. This lack of respect, however, erupted into outright violence as Judge Owens announced the sentence. For the murder of Niall Jackson and collusion to keep it from the police, Samuel Nicoletti was today sentenced to three consecutive life sentences, to be served in Upstate Correctional Facility, Franklin County. For his other offenses, Mr Nicoletti received an additional life sentence, and seven years, also to be served consecutively. It is unlikely that an appeal will be successful, though the request for one has already been filed by Mr Nicoletti's legal team.

When his sentence was read out, Samuel Nicoletti appeared to lose his temper entirely. Despite the restraints on his wrists and ankles, he rose from his seat with enough violence to knock over the table behind which he had been sitting, and attempted to advance on Judge Owens, declaring that no prison would hold him so long as he has friends on the outside. Police stationed within the courthouse reacted quickly, using a combination of training and numbers to drop Mr Nicoletti to the ground and restrain him further.

However, this was not the end of the violence. In response to Samuel Nicoletti's declaration against the judge, his father was seen to rise and turn his fury onto Elena De Luca where she sat only a few benches away. He was heard to accuse her of making everything up, of destroying his family, and was also heard to promise that her own family would be destroyed, before quite suddenly collapsing down onto his knees, struggling for breath and clutching at his chest. It took police longer to reach Nicoletti, Senior, due to the over-protective efforts of his companions, which has since seen both of them jailed for assault on a police officer. Paramedics were called, and the courtroom was cleared to allow the quick evacuation of Mr Nicoletti to Bellevue Hospital Center.

In the last hour, it has been reported that Marcus Nicoletti, notorious head of the Nicoletti crime family, has died. It is understood that he suffered a massive cardiac arrest while in the courtroom, compounded when his respiratory system went into arrest as he collapsed. Foul play has been ruled out; we are led to believe that Mr Nicoletti has been suffering with angina for several years, as well as other medical complications that would attribute to his swift collapse. It remains to be seen what, now, will happen to the family he leaves behind. With Samuel Nicoletti in jail, and expected to remain there for the rest of his natural life, there is no clear front-runner for the opening left behind by death and imprisonment. One thing, however, is clear. With Samuel Nicoletti behind bars, the justice system has been vindicated once more.