Written in tough legalese, the 80-page document that could put one of Andrew Cuomo’s oldest friends behind bars is both depressing and enlightening.

Joe Percoco, who was feared and disliked by so many denizens of the State Capitol for so many years, turned out to have an irrepressible appetite for “ziti” – his not-so-subtle code for cash with lobbyist pal Todd Howe, according to a federal complaint drawn up by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

In breathless emails between Percoco and Howe, who nickname each other “Herb”, the two men discuss how they can pry Ziti away from upstate developers who desperately want the state government to smile favorably their way. While Percoco was never known for his smile, he held the keys to most of the doors on the Second Floor of the Capitol, Cuomo’s inner sanctum.

But there were limits. A power company that wanted a deal from the state ultimately didn’t get what it wanted – even after hiring Percoco’s wife for a job that required little work. On the other hand, some developers seeking to be part of Cuomo’s “Buffalo Billion” did get the contracts they wanted – but only after allegedly buttering up Percoco with cash while also donating and raising massive amounts of money for the governor’s re-election campaign.

Obviously, one can’t unbuild what Cuomo has brought to Buffalo and while much of it is undoubtedly good for the city and the region, it’s also the product of a system that looks to be badly rigged. The Tweed Courthouse is a pretty building but it will never be remembered for its architecture.

While the governor wasn’t charged by Bharara yesterday and he remains largely a peripheral figure in the criminal complaint, the one thing that connects him to at least three of the indicted men is money. The same people who were allegedly trying to do anything they could to get Percoco on board with their plans were also funneling money to Cuomo’s campaign –at Percoco’s behest.

Among those indicted yesterday was Steve Aiello, a construction executive whose son was also hired by Percoco, who raised $250,000 for the governor since 2011. Lou Ciminelli, charged yesterday with bribing Percoco, also promised to raise $250,000 for Cuomo while personally donating $91,000.

We can be sure that the governor and his team will try to portray Percoco as a renegade agent, their own Oliver North in Albany’s White House who was quietly up to no good, betraying the trust of his longtime boss.

But money talks – and plenty of it went Cuomo’s way for years – albeit legally. If the governor wants to make a clean break from this very messy story, he should return the money that looks very dirty at this point.

Up to now, the governor’s vows to clean up Albany have been all talk. But unlike Cuomo’s donations from this rogues’ gallery, talk is very cheap.