Longtime Madoff employee tells NY jury he didn't ask questions as fraud ballooned around him

In this file photograph George Perez arrives to federal court in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013. Prosecutors say fictitious trades and phantom accounts were created with help from Perez. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (The Associated Press)

In this Oct. 8, 2013 file photo, Annette Bongiorno, longtime secretary of imprisoned financier Bernard Madoff, arrives to federal court in New York. Bongiorno and four other back-office subordinates of Madoff are accused of aiding the disgraced financier in one of history's biggest frauds. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) (The Associated Press)

In this file photograph, JoAnn Crupi, right, arrives at federal court in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013. Prosecutors say fictitious trades and phantom accounts were created with help from Crupi, an account manager. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (The Associated Press)

The first ex-employee of Bernard Madoff to testify at the New York trial of five former Madoff employees says he rarely questioned his former boss as the money rolled in.

David Kugel (KOO-goal) testified over several days last week about working for Madoff since the 1970s. He told a Manhattan jury he created phony trades to make it seem Madoff was investing the billions of dollars he took in from thousands of clients.

Kugel was the first of a string of witnesses the government is counting on to link the fraud to Madoff's former secretary and four others on trial.

The 75-year-old Madoff is serving a 150-year prison sentence for the massive fraud. The trial resumes Tuesday.