More than five years after two men were shot to death at the Pali Golf Course in what prosecutors call an underworld turf war, trial began this morning in the racketeering trial of Rodney Joseph Jr. and Ethan "Malu" Motta.

The government alleges that Joseph and Motta were part of a racketeering group that used murder, robbery and extortion to protect and enlarge its interests in illegal gambling casinos on Oahu.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Brady told jurors that Motta, Joseph and a third defendant who has pleaded guilty, Kevin Gonsalves, were providing "protection" to illegal gamblers and murdered Lepo Utu Taliese and Romilius Corpuz Jr., members of a rival group, Jan. 7, 2004, in the parking lot of the city's Pali Golf Course.

Brady said another man who was shot in the face but survived, Tinoisomalu Sao, will testify in the trial that Motta, 40, shot him point blank with a .22 caliber handgun and then shot Taliese.

Sao will testify that he was shot through the nose and that the bullet "felt like a bee sting," Brady told the jury.

After the shootings, Sao was still able to walk and found Corpuz, his brother, lying near death on the ground near the golf course pro shop, Brady said.

"He asked his brother if he had been shot," Brady said. "He said, 'Yeah, Kevin and Rodney did it,' " Brady told the jurors.

Taliese told witnesses before he died that Motta and Joseph had shot him, according to the prosecutor.

But Joseph's lawyer, Reginald Minn, indicated in his opening statement that evidence in the case will show that Gonsalves, not Joseph, shot Taliese.

Motta's lawyer, prominent New York criminal defense expert Charles Carnesi, used his opening statement to attack the government's claims that the defendants were involved in a racketeering organization.

He said the government has a "heavy burden" in trying to prove the necessary elements of the "unique" racketeering law that was used to charge the three defendants in federal court.

Outside court, Motta's mother, Elizabeth, said she and her family are still trying to "scrape up" enough money to pay Carnesi's legal bill of $150,000.

Carnesi has regularly represented accused mafia figures in New York trials, including John A. "Junior" Gotti, son of onetime New York mafia family boss John Gotti.

Motta said, "My son is innocent," and called Carnesi "an angel" for agreeing to represent him.

Reach Jim Dooley at jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.