, ▁after ▁re - app ort ion ment , ▁he ▁ran ▁in ▁the ▁ 8 7 th ▁District ▁for ▁re - nom ination , ▁but ▁was ▁defeated ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁primary ▁by ▁Salv atore ▁R . ▁Al me ida . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁Rod rig uez ▁approached ▁ex - conv ict ▁Louis ▁F ess ▁Taylor ▁to ▁help ▁him ▁qu ash ▁a ▁n arc ot ics ▁ind ict ment . ▁Rod rig uez ▁asked ▁for ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁promised ▁to ▁fix ▁the ▁case . ▁Taylor ▁talked ▁to ▁the ▁D . A .' s ▁office ▁about ▁the ▁offer , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁next ▁meet ings ▁carried ▁a ▁recording ▁device . ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 7 , ▁Rod rig uez ▁was ▁ind icted ▁for ▁attempted ▁ext ort ion . ▁On ▁November ▁ 8 , ▁Rod rig uez ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Senate ▁( 2 9 th ▁D .), ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁his ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 7 th ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Legisl ature . ▁His ▁trial ▁opened ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 2 . ▁He ▁asked ▁his ▁ch auff eur ▁Antonio ▁M ald on ado ▁and ▁one ▁José ▁Sierra ▁to ▁kill ▁Taylor ▁to ▁prevent ▁him ▁from ▁test ifying ▁at ▁the ▁trial . ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁Rod rig uez ▁was ▁conv icted ▁of ▁per j ury ▁and ▁attempted ▁grand ▁lar cen y . ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 4 , ▁he ▁was