Recording of Maria Figliola and late husband arguing played at trial

The crown prosecutor called the first witness today in the murder trial of Maria Figliola, accused of hiring a hit man to kill her husband Frank.

With Frank Figliola’s younger sister Joanne D’Andrea on the stand, the prosecution played an audio CD of Frank and his wife Maria arguing. Figliiola’s sister said Frank told her he was going to make a secret recording so that their two children could hear what his wife was like. He said she wouldn’t fight in front of their children, and they never saw that side of her.

On tape, Maria Figliola was loud, shrill and often used profanity as she argued with her husband, who was softer-spoken but did swear occasionally. At one point he said, “What are you yelling for?” They were arguing about money – tens of thousands of dollars – including debts that were or were not owed.

Figliola is charged with first degree murder in her husband’s death in August 2001 in Stoney Creek. The Crown maintains Maria Figliola had her husband killed for money; that she could get hundreds of thousands of dollars if he were dead.

The sister’s evidence was of a martial relationship between Frank and Maria that had been deteriorating for years.

The prosecution also presented a journal kept by Frank Figliola in the months before his death. It says “in case of my death this will be given to my lawyer.” He records Maria Figliola’s actions over a series of nights when she said she was at work or with girlfriends, but didn’t come home until well into the night. At one point Frank wrote “she drove nail through the heart” and “she came home to see if I was dead yet!”

Figliola’s sister said there was lots of tension and anger between Frank and Maria, and said Maria would say “he’s worth more dead than alive.” A number of times Figliola’s sister referred to embezzlement by Maria Figliola and stealing money before she left the bank in Stoney Creek where she had worked.