PITTSBURGH -- The financial dispute that threatens to shut down the Locker Room Bar and Grille on Pittsburgh's South Side went before a motions judge on Wednesday afternoon.

Nicholas Lettieri has sued co-owners Korry and Kimberly Pitts and Hines Ward, the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, over $140,000 in missing funds from their bar on East Carson Street.

"A large amount of money has been looted from the company," said Lettieri's attorney, Bruce Fox. "A lot of it was paid directly to Mr. Pitts and his wife, and that's money that should have been used to run the business."

About $50,000 of the money was used to buy two cars for Ward's longtime friends, according to Fox.

"These vehicles were transferred to him by Mr. Korry Pitts and to his high school friends, and no payment has been made for these vehicles to date," said Fox.

Ward is ready to cut a check, but he didn't know if he owed the money to Korry Pitts personally or to the business they share, according to Ward's attorney, Joseph Luvara.

"He freely admits he owes that money," Luvara said. "He indicated that he wanted to reward two friends who had been with him through thick and thin and had never asked him for a thing. He had Korry obtain the cars for him because that's the relationship they had."

Lettieri has also claimed that false invoices were created after insurance money was paid out when the bar was flooded earlier this year.

Also at issue is whether an outside, third party will come in and deal with the finances so the bar can stay open.

Attorneys for both sides gave their arguments to Judge Kristine Ward, who isn't related to Hines Ward. She will continue the hearing at a later date.

Lettieri, Hines Ward and Kimberly Pitts each invested $60,000 under a November 2005 operating agreement, and Lettieri was named the bar's operating manager, according to court filings.

Lettieri resigned as operating manager in October 2006 and was replaced by Kimberly Pitts. Lettieri has since feuded with the others about his share of the profits and access to the bar's financial records.

Hines Ward has said he doesn't deal with the day-to-day operations of the business and is an owner in name only. He is not expected to attend the court proceedings.