What is the effect of counsel's call of seven reputation witnesses in a criminal case?

Defendant argues that trial counsel's calling of the seven reputation witnesses and their subsequent impeachment and then calling the defendant, places this case out of the "strategic" category, and by inference, into the realm of "horribly inept," thus requiring reversal. He argues that the jury, which otherwise would never have heard evidence of defendant's criminal history, heard it not once but seven times. In considering the advisability of counsel's action, the court bears in mind the incisive dictum of Judge Friendly in his recent opinion of United States v. Katz, 425 F.2d 928 (2d Cir. 1970):