TAPES OF ANGRY MAFFIA MAY BE A HIT FOR KING'S DEFENSE

     Prosecutors in the Don King fraud case "took a body blow
yesterday" as the jury heard an "obscenity-filled tape" in which
Joseph Maffia, a "key government witness" threatens King.  The
tape "made the jurors -- who have often seemed bored during the
trial -- take notice."  In the tape, Maffia told King "I'm going
to kick your (bleeping) ass.  Do you understand?"  Maffia is
King's former accountant (Al Guart, N.Y. POST, 10/26).  Maffia
told the prosecution that he was "angry at King for challenging
his claim for unemployment benefits, seeking to revoke his state
accountant's license and for an unspecified personal matter,"
reportedly their involvement with the same women (Richard
Sandomir, N.Y. TIMES, 10/26). ESPN's Ken Caruso said the tapes
"went a long way toward establishing that Maffia is not exactly
the buttoned-down accountant he looked like under direct
examination, and maybe even a little bit unstable"
("SportsCenter," ESPN, 10/25).