Court date set in wife murder plot

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut deli owner accused of trying to hire one of his workers to kill his wife returns to court next week, possibly to enter a plea.

Thomas Esposito, 38, of Trumbull is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Tuesday. He's charged with attempted murder.

An arrest warrant says Esposito asked one of his workers at Esposito's Delicatessen in Stamford last fall how much it would cost for the worker to kill his wife. Police say the worker, who was said to have belonged to a gang in Mexico, didn't reply to Esposito.

Police say Esposito had also threatened to put his wife into a wood chipper. The couple separated last year and divorce proceedings are pending.

Esposito's lawyer has declined to comment.