19. Fico Di Capo

Complete story — includes the ending

A young witness against the Damiano crime family, Danny Lucci ( Jason Jurman ), is murdered in a restaurant while ostensibly under police protection. Goren and Eames first concentrate on one of the officers assigned to protect him. When his wife, an undercover officer, is outed in a newspaper column and then brutally stabbed in her apartment, Goren believes the aim was to create conflict between the police and the D.A.'s office. Meanwhile, family boss Mario Damiano ( Mark Margolis ) is in a hospice dying of lung cancer. He is visited by Rickie "Chops" Cozza ( Leo Fitzpatrick ) who brings him his favorite black figs while he is neglected by his youngest wastrel son Mikey. Goren deduces that Rickie's behavior is aimed at trying to work his way up in the Damiano family with the assistance of his associate Louis Versini ( Austin Basis ) who took part in the officer's stabbing. Rickie persuades Mario to approve his son's killing, but it is a trap by Mario for Mikey to kill Rickie instead. Fortunately, they are interrupted by the arrival of the Major Case Squad and Goren goads Rickie into admitting his guilt.