***

COURTTVNEWS.COM: Can you describe a typical day on death row for you?

JAMES FILIAGGI: Well, we live in a 6-by-9 concrete coffin, and we stay in there 23 out of 24 hours. What's there to tell, I mean? It's not a good existence at all.

CTV: Is there a high point to your day?

FILIAGGI: A high point to my day? Probably be mail. That'd be about the high point of a day.

CTV: Who do you usually get mail from?

FILIAGGI: From friends and family. Actually, lately, here, I've got swamped with it. So, you know, it's nice to be remembered and not forgotten.

CTV: Who are they coming from?

FILIAGGI: Who are they coming from? A lot of people, a lot of people I haven't heard from in years, actually. Some friends from school and whatnot. Just people from all over. Not only here in the States, but across the pond. They send you little cards and things to let you know you're not gonna be forgotten and they're praying for you or whatever.

CTV: What's the low point of your day?

FILIAGGI: What's the low point of my day? Just waking up to see the same four walls again, knowing you got another day to do. Just trying to make it through the day the best you can. I mean, you fight going stir-crazy every day when you been doing this for over a decade. It just ... I don't know, I think people would, if we were cats and dogs, people would be outraged at the way we're kept, but we're just condemned men to die and it seems like we're less human, so to speak.

CTV: What's your biggest grievance about the way you're kept?

FILIAGGI: Probably the isolation, mostly, not getting to do or have the freedom to do things that [the general population] does. That'd probably be it, to have some exercise. We were promised the rec yard when we moved up here and that never happened. Just to move more than 20 ft in one direction wouldn't be bad.

CTV: What do you do to pass the time?

FILIAGGI: A lot of reading, writing, and unfortunately, watching the boob tube. But I'm one of the fortunate ones that have a TV. Actually, my music is what keeps me going. I mean, if I didn't have that, I'd really be bouncing off the walls.

CTV: What kind of music do you like?

FILIAGGI: What kind of music do I like? Now it's considered classic, old rock and roll. I like my Zeppelin and Floyd and all that. But actually you get a lot of country station here, so over the years, I developed a taste for it and country's not what it used to be so it's not too bad.

CTV: What do you like to read?

FILIAGGI: I read whatever we got. I suppose I like the fantasy books. Love a good Stephen King, Dean Koontz, something like that, whatever you get my hands on. During football season, don't read so much.

CTV: Who's your team?

FILIAGGI: Love my Browns, as bad as they are. It's been difficult the last six, seven years, or however long they been back in the league. Not what they used to be, Makes it difficult, about as difficult as Ohio State last night.

CTV: Did you catch the game?

FILIAGGI: I almost wish I hadn't. Not twice in a row, I mean, the football game was bad enough. But, well, hell, I never expected them to make it that far, so every game was, was that much sweeter when they did win. But I had Florida in the pool, so I ended up winning the money.

CTV: How much did you win?

FILIAGGI: Uh, just, [laughs] okay. I just won. I won the pool. Put it that way.

CTV: Do you communicate with other inmates?

FILIAGGI: Yes.

CTV: Are you friends with any of them?

FILIAGGI: Yeah.