By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — Jury selection began Monday in the manslaughter trial of three construction supervisors accused of causing the tragic deaths of two firefighters who responded to a massive blaze at the Deutsche Bank building in 2007.
The biggest challenge in the "pre-screening" process of jury selection was to recruit people who said they were willing to serve on a long case. Once the judge announced the expected length of the trial, dozens of potential jurors gasped in astonishment.
"This case could extend for possibly four months," Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Rena Uviller told a crop of potential jurors Monday afternoon.
Only 18 out of a group of about 130 potential jurors volunteered after hearing how long the proceeding would last.
"As New Yorkers we tend to grumble and complain about things," the judge told jurors in an afternoon group, before asking them to selflessly accept the challenge.
"Jury selection is an extremely important civic obligation," Uviller said.
Asbestos abatement manager Mitchel Alvo, 52, foreman Salvatore DePaola, 56, and safety manager Jeffrey Melofchik, 49, face manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges in the case, which has been pending for years.
The general contractor, John Galt Corp., was also charged as an entity.
Two firefighters, Robert Beddia, 53, and Joseph Graffagnino, 33, perished in the flames during an Aug. 8, 2007 blaze in the 41-story building.
The fire spanned 15 floors at 130 Liberty St., the Deutsche Bank building that was being dismantled because of irreparable damage caused by the fall of the south tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.
Jurors are expected to hear extensive evidence about how the contractors allegedly dismantled the standpipe water supply system, blocking FDNY responders from receiving emergency water supply while responding to a fire caused by a discarded cigarette on site.
They will also hear about the last minutes of the lives of Beddia and Graffagnino, as well as testimony from the city agencies who were responsible for overseeing the site and making safety checks.
Lawyers for the defendants have called them "scapegoats" and blamed the city, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the site's general contractor for the fatal safety failures.
The pre-screening process, which generally eliminates those who cannot serve for personal reasons or who are not eligible to serve, will continue Tuesday. Selection of the final panel is expected to commence Thursday.
