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[singing operatically in Italian]

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[narrator] Now on Tribunal Justice.

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You're trying to have a street party
to keep culture and tradition alive.

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Then this gentleman jumped in and said,
"I'm so good at getting sponsors."

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What happened to the money
that he invested in this?

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We have no agreement.

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Everything that he says is a lie.

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I have to stand here like a fool.

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-He's a liar.
-I need you to calm down.

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[exhales]

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To coin an Italian phrase,
unless I'm a little stunad,

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I couldn't see an agreement here.

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[singing] This case is now concluded-- No.

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[all laughing]

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[theme music playing]

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[narrator] Today's case was filed
in Los Angeles, California.

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Your Honor, this is case number 3029
on the calendar

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in the matter of Sticco v.
The Los Angeles Italian Festival Inc.

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-Thank you, Byrd.
-Uh-huh, you're welcome, Judge.

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Parties have been sworn in.
You may be seated.

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Mr. Sticco, you partnered
with the Los Angeles Italian Festival

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as part of the 2024 festival.

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It featured your wife
as one of the entertainer singers.

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-[Eugene] Correct.
-You say you spent more than $31,000.

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You say Defendant kept money
from ticket sales and vendors

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which should have been used
to offset your expenditures.

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You say that he made a $2,200
unauthorized charge on your credit card,

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and he needs to pay you back
all this money

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since you're in way over
what you originally promised.

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So you're suing him here for $10,000.

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-Correct, Your Honor, just to clarify...
-[DiMango] Thank you.

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...the credit card charges
were not on my credit card.

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Oh, they were on the credit card
of your CE, uh--

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-CFO board advisory member who...
-Thank you.

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But right now you're standing here
on that behalf.

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-Correct, I'm on the hook for it.
-Okay.

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-Mr. Sorice.
-Yes.

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You say that you've been running
this festival since 2017,

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and that the past year,
you were unable to get a sponsor.

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You said you wanted to cancel.
He said he would sponsor the entire event.

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You never agreed to give him any money,
and so you therefore owe him nothing.

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This is really just a ploy by him
to take over your business.

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-Would that be correct as well?
-Yeah.

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Aside from using the term "sponsor"

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because there's no sponsorship,
there was no partnership.

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-None of it exists.
-I'm just giving an opening statement.

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-[Joey] Okay.
-You obviously don't agree with him.

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Clearly, he has something against you.

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So let's start with first,
how did you and the defendant meet?

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So in 2022, we worked with
the Fringe Festival in 2022,

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and through that he had become
introduced with my wife

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and the opera company that we have.

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And he reached out,
and he invited her as a vocalist.

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Okay, so let's see the flyer

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that was put out for this event
featuring your wife.

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You're having her named
with some top singers.

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Correct, and she had appeared
in 2023 as well.

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[DiMango] You thought she had a great
voice, if I recall reading in your papers?

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-She's brilliant.
-[DiMango] Brilliant.

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Go on. So you're now
becoming a part of this festival?

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Well, it was sometime early,
probably around the beginning of 2024

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that he had connected,

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and what he had conveyed to me
was he had a larger dream

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of the Italian Festival
becoming a bigger brand

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than just the one day.

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[DiMango] I actually must be
a little confused here

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because when I looked at these papers,
it seemed that you

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were the one who was touting
wanting to elevate the event itself.

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You were concerned that he was trying
to minimize its impact on the community.

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Did I read that incorrectly, sir?

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[stutters] Perhaps. The...

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[DiMango] Then I'll read it to you.

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-Okay.
-Because this is the document you signed.

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It says, "I engaged in a new vision
for the festival,

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from its layout and entertainment,
to elevating the event's overall status

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and attendee experience.

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I was using my connections
to bring this festival to another level."

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So, you were apparently the one
who had that dream.

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Did you have the same dream as he did?
That's not what I read in the papers.

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Uh, we just produce a festival

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to celebrate the ancestry.

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How big or how small it is
matters nothing to us.

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We are losing our traditions. We lost
Columbus Day out in California recently.

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-[DiMango] New York as well.
-Regardless of the politics,

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-we're trying to keep a tradition alive.
-I get it.

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I'm coming back to you because I think
you both wanted to do something here,

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just with a different mindset.

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But you're point then
is kind of not correct.

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So moving along. So now, how are you
and he get into an agreement?

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Because I read these papers,
and unless, you know,

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to coin an Italian phrase,
unless I'm a little stunad,

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I couldn't see an agreement here.

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So, I'd like to see from you

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where your agreement with him was
and what it was for.

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So there was no written agreement.

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He had asked if I was interested
in being involved on the production level,

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and I offered to help sponsor
the entertainment portion of it,

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where we would bring Natalia,
the other entertainers...

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Because in part,
that's why you were there.

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You really wanted to promote your wife.
That's what this was about.

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Because honestly,
I can't see in these papers

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what you agreed to split, the two of you.

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In fact, the only thing I have here,
which we put up on the screen.

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Defendant is the white, you are the blue.

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And he says,
"I want to put this in writing.

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There is nothing for anything."
Nothing, nada, niente.

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So how do you then come in here and say

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he owes me money pursuant to a contract?

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Well, I'm not saying he owes money
pursuant to a contract.

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-How do you get money from him?
-He owes money pursuant

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to being an incorporated entity.

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And as an incorporated entity, they have
a duty of care and a fiscal responsibility

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in the scope of the aspect of being
a public corporation.

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But not just to anybody, to somebody
with whom he has an agreement.

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-[Eugene] Correct and--
-And I'm looking for the agreement!

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So let me hear from you a little bit.

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How do you expect him to come in
and just pay for this whole thing?

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I didn't expect him to come in.
I didn't approach him.

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-He approached me.
-[DiMango] But you said it's okay.

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He didn't just start
setting up things without your approval.

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Of course, I said it's okay
predicated on the fact that he understood,

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in no uncertain terms,
that we had no money.

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That we were canceling. That last year,
I maxed out all my credit cards.

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We've already been over this.
I've already explained this to you.

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And the reason that that text
has the tone that it has

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is because he went to Eva to say,
"Hey, what's going on with the money?"

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Because everything that he says is a lie.

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-Everything.
-[DiMango] I did--

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Including maybe his CIA involvement...

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-[DiMango] Oh, my goodness...
-...and his taking down regimes,

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-and all the other yarns that he spun.
-[DiMango] No, no--

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-Stop with these conspiracy theories.
-It's very difficult for me

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to even defend myself

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because it lends credence
to the words that come out of his mouth.

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[DiMango] The problem here,
Mr. Sorice, is that

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he is asking for you
to reimburse him $10,000

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because he says you took
deposits from vendors

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to the tune of about $7,800.

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You made a credit card charge for $2,200.

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And there is a text message,
which actually addresses that,

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where you say,
"Hey, I don't know where you are,

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-so I'm just going to charge this $2,200."
-[Joey] Right.

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How do you explain that?

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[dramatic music playing]

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[narrator] Coming up on Tribunal Justice.

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[Levy] Mr. Sorice, you mentioned it

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-that the plaintiff's wife was brilliant.
-Yes.

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-[Levy] Ma'am, step up, please?
-Sure.

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[Levy] Her voice, brilliant.

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[dramatic music playing]

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[main theme playing]

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[narrator] Investor Eugene Sticco
is suing Joey Sorice and Eva Miller

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of the L.A. Italian Festival for $10,000,

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saying they burned through his money,

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then made
an unauthorized credit card charge.

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But Joey and Eva say they spent
the funds properly

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and that there was never
an agreement with Eugene.

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There is a text message,
which actually addresses that,

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where you say,
"Hey. I don't know where you are,

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-so I'm just gonna charge this $2,200.
-[Joey] Right.

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How do you explain that?

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Okay, so first of all,
the money for the vendors

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came in well before he was even involved.

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He had nothing to do
with the festival until June,

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when we did the Fringe Festival,
and I broached the subject

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that we were going to probably cancel
this year because we don't have money.

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-[DiMango] What-- So this--
-Then this gentleman jumped in and said--

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Just read through the things and said,
"Oh, here's the sponsors,

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I'm so good at getting sponsors,
I'll go get sponsors--

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So what did you do with that money?
That's all I'm asking.

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We paid for the 40 vendors
that I had to go find.

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We paid for the rent,
we paid for the phones, we paid for the--

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Did you take it as compensation?

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-No, these were expense--
-I think there's a text in here

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that clearly says you kept the $7,800

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-for compensation.
-Well, that's--

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That's the extrapolation of the lie.

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Because that was a short text
that said for the time that I spent

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that I-- I wasn't gonna--

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All I said was that this is
the money that I spent,

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uh, that keeps me from my business.

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[DiMango] Can we stop
because this goes back to you.

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00:09:13,300 --> 00:09:15,767
In here, replete in these text messages,

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"I don't know what I'm supposed to pay.
I don't know what he's paying."

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When you have a contract that says,
"I don't know, I don't know,"

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do you know what that means?
There was no meeting of the minds.

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Judge Levy?

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Let's put up 02, please, 'cause this is
the text that we're talking about.

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And this is, I believe, Mr. Sorice,
the rub of Mr. Sticco.

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It says, "The vendor money covers
the time I work on this event

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that takes me away from my business.

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00:09:39,934 --> 00:09:42,133
I can't make it any plainer." Right?

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-[Joey] Right.
-[Levy] So what he's saying,

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correct me if I'm wrong, sir,

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you were, in essence, paying yourself from
the vendor monies that were coming in,

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and that you shouldn't
have been doing that.

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-Is that correct?
-[Eugene] Correct.

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00:09:53,266 --> 00:09:56,333
[Levy] And so what he's saying
is, "So what?

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00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,133
So what, I can take that money."

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00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,767
We have no agreement.
We're not in partnership.

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00:10:00,834 --> 00:10:03,834
What we're saying is show me a document,

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00:10:03,900 --> 00:10:08,500
an e-mail, a text message, where he says,
"I will not be taking any money."

203
00:10:08,567 --> 00:10:12,633
I don't have that, and it's not inherent
as part of being a corporation.

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00:10:12,700 --> 00:10:16,233
As corporate officers,
they have a fiduciary responsibility

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00:10:16,300 --> 00:10:19,600
to pay the bills of their corporation
before they pay themselves.

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00:10:19,667 --> 00:10:23,033
-Any standard business practice...
-Wait, wait, wait.

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00:10:23,100 --> 00:10:25,066
-... you're the last one to get paid.
-Wait, time out.

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00:10:25,133 --> 00:10:27,533
Time out. I know
I'm not the smartest guy around,

209
00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:32,100
but I've been reading
in the news recently how CEOs

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of companies are taking hundreds
of millions of dollars in salaries

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00:10:36,767 --> 00:10:41,066
even though their companies
and corporations are hemorrhaging money.

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00:10:41,133 --> 00:10:45,433
So don't try to explain to me
or tell me that it's inherently illegal,

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00:10:45,500 --> 00:10:49,667
unethical, for a CEO
to take money in a salary,

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00:10:49,734 --> 00:10:51,834
even if the company is losing money.

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00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:53,367
'Cause that's what you're saying, right?

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00:10:53,433 --> 00:10:55,900
I'm saying it's certainly unethical
if it's not illegal,

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and it's certainly against the codes
and statutes and the intent.

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[Levy] Who was respons--
Okay, let's cut to brass tacks.

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00:11:02,033 --> 00:11:05,900
You put together a projection
based upon your review

220
00:11:05,967 --> 00:11:08,900
of all the numbers,
the documents, conversations.

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00:11:08,967 --> 00:11:12,734
What you thought the festival
could bring in with your involvement.

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00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:16,867
You had estimated revenue target
between 21,000 and 30,000.

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00:11:16,934 --> 00:11:19,567
-[Eugene] Correct.
-You anticipated up to 3,000 people.

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"We have vendors between 60 & 80.

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00:11:21,834 --> 00:11:24,600
Minimum revenue targets 16,500."

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00:11:24,667 --> 00:11:26,567
-This is what you gave us.
-Correct.

227
00:11:26,633 --> 00:11:32,233
[Levy] So the target summary
profit projection was $116,000,

228
00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:34,667
depending upon how many sponsors you got

229
00:11:34,734 --> 00:11:36,467
-and how many were in attendance.
-Correct.

230
00:11:36,533 --> 00:11:40,066
And who was in charge of hiring
a public relations company

231
00:11:40,133 --> 00:11:43,066
who would get the word out
and bring people in

232
00:11:43,133 --> 00:11:45,600
so that they would buy things
and pay for their time?

233
00:11:45,667 --> 00:11:47,233
Who was in charge, was that you?

234
00:11:47,300 --> 00:11:49,266
So, over the course, if I can explain--

235
00:11:49,333 --> 00:11:53,066
Over the course of reaching out
and trying to get people involved,

236
00:11:53,133 --> 00:11:57,300
I was looking for podcasters,
Italian American podcasters,

237
00:11:57,367 --> 00:12:00,467
and this particular one from New York
responded back.

238
00:12:00,533 --> 00:12:04,300
He also, turns out, ran a PR firm,

239
00:12:04,367 --> 00:12:08,033
and he thought of it as an opportunity
to sort of expand his reach

240
00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:10,266
-and portfolio and all of that.
-I get all that.

241
00:12:10,333 --> 00:12:12,333
-And so--
-I know, yeah, and it was a dud.

242
00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,066
-Correct.
-And this was despite your text to him

243
00:12:15,133 --> 00:12:19,266
on September 4th, that you, sir,
you deal with other organizations

244
00:12:19,333 --> 00:12:22,867
that use PR people and sponsorships,
and that you're able to get them.

245
00:12:22,934 --> 00:12:25,433
-And for whatever reason, it was a dud.
-Correct.

246
00:12:25,500 --> 00:12:31,433
Now, with respect to your claim, sir,
for $2,200

247
00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:34,033
in reimbursement
for an unauthorized charge.

248
00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:36,834
Let's put up Number 9, please?

249
00:12:36,900 --> 00:12:40,567
"The Los Angeles Italian Festival $2,200."

250
00:12:40,633 --> 00:12:42,066
-Correct?
-[Eugene] Correct.

251
00:12:42,133 --> 00:12:44,467
What standing do you have to make a demand

252
00:12:44,533 --> 00:12:46,967
for the reimbursement
of someone else's credit card?

253
00:12:47,033 --> 00:12:49,300
Because I'm held responsible
for it by him.

254
00:12:49,367 --> 00:12:52,200
[Levy] Ha. But he would have to bring
a lawsuit against the defendant here

255
00:12:52,266 --> 00:12:56,200
to get reimbursed, he can't send you in
in his stead. Make sense?

256
00:12:56,266 --> 00:12:58,400
I don't think the intent
was to send me in in his stead,

257
00:12:58,467 --> 00:13:03,667
it was overall part of all of the charges
that were made,

258
00:13:03,734 --> 00:13:05,233
that he allowed me to make

259
00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:07,500
in order to make sure
that the festival took place.

260
00:13:07,567 --> 00:13:10,967
Before I passed the case to Judge Acker,
there's one thing that I want to bring up,

261
00:13:11,033 --> 00:13:14,600
and that is, Mr. Sorice, you mentioned it,

262
00:13:14,667 --> 00:13:17,467
-that the plaintiff's wife was brilliant.
-Yes.

263
00:13:17,533 --> 00:13:19,533
-Ma'am, step up, please.
-Sure.

264
00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,000
[Levy] Her voice, brilliant?

265
00:13:21,066 --> 00:13:23,433
Well, she's a brilliant person,
but her voice in particular...

266
00:13:23,500 --> 00:13:27,166
-[Levy] Now we do have a video...
-[Joey] ...is world-class.

267
00:13:27,233 --> 00:13:29,367
...and I would like to play that. Roll it!

268
00:13:29,867 --> 00:13:32,900
[singing opera in Italian]

269
00:13:48,967 --> 00:13:52,767
Now, Ms. Sticco, someone once said,
and I don't remember who it was,

270
00:13:52,834 --> 00:13:55,967
that if you spend 10,000 hours
doing anything,

271
00:13:56,033 --> 00:13:59,834
you can become an expert in whatever it is
that you spent that time on.

272
00:13:59,900 --> 00:14:02,500
I could spend 10,000 hours
practicing opera,

273
00:14:02,567 --> 00:14:04,467
and I would never sound as good as you.

274
00:14:04,533 --> 00:14:06,133
-That was beautiful.
-Thank you very much,

275
00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:07,433
I appreciate, Your Honor.

276
00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:08,500
[dramatic music plays]

277
00:14:08,567 --> 00:14:11,166
[narrator] Coming up on Tribunal Justice.

278
00:14:11,233 --> 00:14:12,867
This is my life's work.

279
00:14:12,934 --> 00:14:15,333
-Where was he five years ago?
-Sir, here's what we're gonna do.

280
00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:16,967
She will ask you a question

281
00:14:17,033 --> 00:14:19,567
-and you'll address her--
-Yeah, I'm standing here

282
00:14:19,633 --> 00:14:21,333
on this guy's little puppet string.

283
00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,000
We have no agreement.

284
00:14:23,066 --> 00:14:24,367
[dramatic music plays]

285
00:14:25,467 --> 00:14:27,066
[theme music plays]

286
00:14:27,533 --> 00:14:30,700
[narrator] Investor Eugene Sticco says
Joey Sorice and Eva Miller

287
00:14:30,767 --> 00:14:35,367
scammed him out of money and made
unauthorized charges on a credit card.

288
00:14:35,433 --> 00:14:37,467
He's suing for $10,000.

289
00:14:37,533 --> 00:14:40,667
Joey and Eva said they never agreed
on anything with Eugene,

290
00:14:40,734 --> 00:14:43,266
and that he's guilty
of wasting his own money.

291
00:14:43,333 --> 00:14:48,533
Now, you wanted a platform
for your wife and her exquisite voice.

292
00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:50,165
You want to stage Rigoletto!

293
00:14:50,233 --> 00:14:53,500
You're trying to have a street party
to keep culture and tradition alive.

294
00:14:53,567 --> 00:14:58,000
That's what it is. You just didn't have
the same event in mind.

295
00:14:58,066 --> 00:15:00,700
So then I go back to you, Mr. Sticco.

296
00:15:00,767 --> 00:15:03,233
I note that you say that as you started
to work with him,

297
00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:07,033
that you quickly recognized
that his business style

298
00:15:07,100 --> 00:15:09,433
was "erratic and scatterbrained."

299
00:15:09,500 --> 00:15:12,033
And then you said he pocketed
all of the money

300
00:15:12,100 --> 00:15:15,266
from ticket pre-sales
and vendor deposits.

301
00:15:15,333 --> 00:15:19,800
So, what evidence do you have
that he wasn't entitled to that money?

302
00:15:19,867 --> 00:15:22,600
There was revenue that came in,

303
00:15:22,667 --> 00:15:27,667
that the intent of that revenue coming in
was to produce the festival.

304
00:15:27,734 --> 00:15:31,133
And even that last week
when he sent the text message

305
00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,767
saying, you know, "Oh, there's zero,
and I kept it as compensation,"

306
00:15:34,834 --> 00:15:38,433
then I was put in the position
of everything that I've put into this,

307
00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:40,834
is either 100% loss,

308
00:15:40,900 --> 00:15:45,033
and he goes around bad-mouthing me saying,
"Oh, he pulled out on me last minute,"

309
00:15:45,100 --> 00:15:49,066
or I go through with it
and try to recover what I can

310
00:15:49,133 --> 00:15:51,767
on the day of the festival,
and recover what we earn.

311
00:15:51,834 --> 00:15:56,800
What I never anticipated was that
money that came in from the sponsor fees,

312
00:15:56,867 --> 00:16:01,233
from the vendors, that
that wouldn't go towards things like

313
00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:03,734
permits and infrastructure
and all the rest of it.

314
00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:05,800
[Acker] He did mention that there
were gonna be costs

315
00:16:05,867 --> 00:16:09,767
for permits and the like,
but what you haven't proven to me, sir,

316
00:16:09,834 --> 00:16:12,200
is that he wasn't entitled
to some compensation.

317
00:16:12,266 --> 00:16:15,200
How long have you been
doing this festival, the two of you?

318
00:16:15,266 --> 00:16:17,967
-Seven years.
-And what's your day job?

319
00:16:18,033 --> 00:16:20,300
I paint the street numbers
on the curbs in Los Angeles.

320
00:16:20,367 --> 00:16:22,433
I'm the only licensed
curb-painter in the city.

321
00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:24,066
Maybe you painted my curbs!

322
00:16:24,133 --> 00:16:26,400
Oh, I'm sure I have,
I've painted them all.

323
00:16:26,467 --> 00:16:29,033
If you lose, don't remember where I live.

324
00:16:29,100 --> 00:16:31,600
Uh, but on a serious note,

325
00:16:31,667 --> 00:16:34,633
-do you compensate yourself?
-I-- Uh, none.

326
00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:37,233
All of that went for website,

327
00:16:37,300 --> 00:16:38,700
-rent...
-But you understand

328
00:16:38,767 --> 00:16:42,834
the plain reading of that text is that
you compensated yourself...

329
00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:46,133
-Yeah, it was--
-...for some amount of labor.

330
00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:47,934
[Joey] Yeah, I-- Okay.

331
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,066
Let's back up. We have no agreement.

332
00:16:51,133 --> 00:16:52,567
There's nothing between us.

333
00:16:52,633 --> 00:16:54,400
-Nothing exists between us.
-[Acker] Okay, yeah--

334
00:16:54,467 --> 00:16:58,900
So you're asking me ques-- That's why
I have to stand here like a fool

335
00:16:58,967 --> 00:17:02,300
-and try to defend myself against lies.
-[Acker] I'm going to stop you

336
00:17:02,367 --> 00:17:04,233
right now because
you don't seem like a fool.

337
00:17:04,300 --> 00:17:06,433
You made some representation to him

338
00:17:06,500 --> 00:17:09,467
that money was going to be used
in one way,

339
00:17:09,532 --> 00:17:11,333
and instead you used it another way.

340
00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,200
-Which is not true, never happened.
-[Acker] Okay.

341
00:17:13,266 --> 00:17:16,300
-Okay.
-We had no agreement, business agreement.

342
00:17:16,367 --> 00:17:18,834
Sir, this is my life!

343
00:17:18,900 --> 00:17:20,500
This is my life's work.

344
00:17:20,567 --> 00:17:23,500
-I've done this for 20 straight years.
-Mr. Sorice.

345
00:17:23,567 --> 00:17:25,934
-Here's what we're going to do.
-Where was he 10 years ago?

346
00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:28,099
-Where was he 5 years ago?
-Sir, here's what we're going to do.

347
00:17:28,165 --> 00:17:31,200
She will ask you a question,
and you will address her.

348
00:17:31,266 --> 00:17:32,633
-Great. Thank you.
-Okay.

349
00:17:32,700 --> 00:17:33,967
-Yeah, fine.
-Remember where you are.

350
00:17:34,033 --> 00:17:35,800
-I know exactly where I am.
-You're sure?

351
00:17:35,867 --> 00:17:38,500
-Yeah, I'm standing here like a fool...
-Okay.

352
00:17:38,567 --> 00:17:40,367
...on this guy's little puppet string.

353
00:17:40,433 --> 00:17:41,700
He's a liar.

354
00:17:41,767 --> 00:17:45,467
Can I finish my examination, sir?
I need you to calm down.

355
00:17:45,533 --> 00:17:47,233
You're here as a defendant in a lawsuit.

356
00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:50,166
-So, I'm gonna move back to the plaintiff.
-[Eugene] Yes.

357
00:17:50,233 --> 00:17:52,100
-Because it's his case to prove.
-[Eugene] Yes.

358
00:17:52,166 --> 00:17:54,533
And, so what evidence do you have

359
00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,567
that he ever made any material
misrepresentation to you

360
00:17:57,667 --> 00:18:01,767
about the use of funds that you directed
to him for his use?

361
00:18:01,834 --> 00:18:05,000
The evidence of the misrepresentation
is the fact that all of the money

362
00:18:05,066 --> 00:18:07,467
that he collected did not go towards--

363
00:18:07,533 --> 00:18:09,900
-No, that is not evidence.
-I can't prove a negative.

364
00:18:09,967 --> 00:18:13,567
[Acker] Well, exactly, you can't prove
the original intention

365
00:18:13,633 --> 00:18:15,700
for where those monies
were supposed to be directed.

366
00:18:15,767 --> 00:18:19,800
And if you can't prove that, then you
can't prove that he did anything wrong.

367
00:18:19,867 --> 00:18:23,900
I'd like to hear from Ms. Sticco.
You have been very patient.

368
00:18:23,967 --> 00:18:27,767
-What did you want to say?
-I just have one thing to say if it helps.

369
00:18:27,834 --> 00:18:31,500
So before Los Angeles,
we were on business in Phoenix.

370
00:18:31,567 --> 00:18:34,400
It was literally the week
before the Los Angeles festival.

371
00:18:34,467 --> 00:18:36,900
Very suddenly a text from Joey

372
00:18:36,967 --> 00:18:41,300
saying that there hasn't been any money
put towards infrastructure.

373
00:18:41,367 --> 00:18:44,233
-I assume it's tents, places for vendors.
-Sure.

374
00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:47,900
And my husband asked,
can you help out with that, right?

375
00:18:47,967 --> 00:18:53,834
And the only literally money I have
is my son's tuition fund for high school.

376
00:18:53,900 --> 00:18:56,200
And I said, okay, I'll help,
but I need just some guarantee

377
00:18:56,266 --> 00:18:57,533
that I'm gonna get it back.

378
00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,567
[Acker] I'm just gonna cut to the chase.

379
00:18:59,633 --> 00:19:03,533
What happened to the money
that he invested in this?

380
00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:05,000
I don't know what he spent it on.

381
00:19:05,066 --> 00:19:07,367
I do know he flew people
in from Italy--

382
00:19:07,433 --> 00:19:09,533
-[Acker] Did he ever--?
-He flew people in from Boston.

383
00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,100
He flew people in from New York,
and he's presenting me with a bill.

384
00:19:13,166 --> 00:19:17,333
Now, what hasn't been said
is I gave him the entire door.

385
00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:19,066
We did 1400.

386
00:19:19,133 --> 00:19:21,600
-And he had the entire door.
-[Acker] Fine.

387
00:19:21,667 --> 00:19:23,133
-Let's say you did.
-Fine?

388
00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:24,367
I gave him the door.

389
00:19:24,433 --> 00:19:26,233
[Acker] I said I'm agreeing with you.

390
00:19:26,300 --> 00:19:29,333
Eva, I want you-- I need you.

391
00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,333
-Okay.
-[laughs] I need you.

392
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,467
Are you aware of any monies

393
00:19:33,533 --> 00:19:37,200
that went directly from the plaintiff's
hands to your or your husband's hands?

394
00:19:37,266 --> 00:19:39,967
Or did he pay these vendors on his own?

395
00:19:40,033 --> 00:19:43,800
No, he was paying--
We were sending him the, uh,

396
00:19:43,867 --> 00:19:47,767
invoices to be paid, like,
you know from the different...

397
00:19:47,834 --> 00:19:49,600
Did you ever write him a check?

398
00:19:49,667 --> 00:19:51,100
-No.
-You never wrote him a check?

399
00:19:51,166 --> 00:19:52,700
-No, ma'am.
-Did you ever write her a check?

400
00:19:52,767 --> 00:19:53,700
-No, ma'am.
-Okay.

401
00:19:53,767 --> 00:19:55,300
-I've nothing further.
-I have a few things.

402
00:19:55,367 --> 00:19:57,166
First of all, just to be clear here,

403
00:19:57,233 --> 00:19:58,934
those ticket sales at the door.

404
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,133
There was a good chance
based on your history with this

405
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,500
that there would have been
well over a thousand people,

406
00:20:03,567 --> 00:20:06,767
but apparently, you know,
L.A. being a big Dodger town,

407
00:20:06,834 --> 00:20:09,734
there was a Dodger game going on
the same day,

408
00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:16,033
and that caused people to choose
between the Italians and the Dodgers.

409
00:20:16,100 --> 00:20:17,233
They went with the Dodgers.

410
00:20:17,300 --> 00:20:20,934
So that kind of was an impediment
to the ticket sales at the door.

411
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:22,433
-Excuse me?
-Killed us.

412
00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:24,467
[DiMango] Kills us, ah, I could see that.

413
00:20:24,533 --> 00:20:28,233
Um, the other thing is, what is that?

414
00:20:28,300 --> 00:20:30,233
[Joey] We were supposed
to do a fundraiser.

415
00:20:30,300 --> 00:20:32,467
We were supposed to start it the day
of the event

416
00:20:32,533 --> 00:20:34,100
and run it through the holiday.

417
00:20:34,166 --> 00:20:37,100
So these coins, they're stunning,

418
00:20:37,166 --> 00:20:38,900
and they sat in those boxes

419
00:20:38,967 --> 00:20:41,367
because that guy stopped
communicating with me

420
00:20:41,433 --> 00:20:42,600
the day after the festival.

421
00:20:42,667 --> 00:20:44,300
The big shot from Boston.

422
00:20:44,367 --> 00:20:46,700
-There's big problems, can I see one?
-Look at them!

423
00:20:46,767 --> 00:20:49,000
-Can you please bring one over?
-You create these beautiful things,

424
00:20:49,066 --> 00:20:51,000
and then you leave them in the trash.

425
00:20:51,066 --> 00:20:52,834
-There's a lot that went wrong here.
-[Joey] It's disgusting.

426
00:20:52,900 --> 00:20:56,367
These are beautiful. I have one of these
from my Italian American organization.

427
00:20:56,433 --> 00:20:57,400
-These are nice.
-[Joey] Really?

428
00:20:57,467 --> 00:21:00,567
Unless there's anything else, really,
we're going to retire to deliberate.

429
00:21:00,633 --> 00:21:04,467
I will return this to you
despite my better judg--

430
00:21:04,533 --> 00:21:06,667
[laughing]

431
00:21:06,734 --> 00:21:08,934
-Thank you all.
-We're gonna retire to deliberate.

432
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,200
-Thank you, Judge.
-Court now stands in recess.

433
00:21:11,266 --> 00:21:14,367
This case will be recalled.
Parties are excused.

434
00:21:14,433 --> 00:21:16,433
[dramatic music playing]

435
00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:20,700
[main theme playing]

436
00:21:21,500 --> 00:21:24,333
I mean, for personal reasons,
I really would love to see

437
00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,233
something like this succeed
out in California.

438
00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:29,400
We have a lot of Italian-American
events in New York,

439
00:21:29,467 --> 00:21:32,166
and I think they're terrific.
But I think what happened here,

440
00:21:32,233 --> 00:21:35,500
these two gentlemen
had different goals in mind, really.

441
00:21:35,567 --> 00:21:38,300
The plaintiff was really hoping
to put his wife out there.

442
00:21:38,367 --> 00:21:40,433
She sang Italian beautifully.

443
00:21:40,500 --> 00:21:42,600
And, yeah, I could see him
wanting to promote her.

444
00:21:42,667 --> 00:21:44,333
But he really needed to have

445
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,400
either oral or written,
preferably, with the defendant,

446
00:21:48,467 --> 00:21:50,000
about who was going to pay for what,

447
00:21:50,066 --> 00:21:53,200
what monies were going to be attributable
to different things.

448
00:21:53,266 --> 00:21:56,567
I mean, I went through every one
of these receipts that he submitted

449
00:21:56,633 --> 00:21:59,500
that they paid out over $31,000.

450
00:21:59,567 --> 00:22:02,166
But in any event,
he certainly didn't prevail

451
00:22:02,233 --> 00:22:04,700
not for lack of effort,
not for lack of work,

452
00:22:04,767 --> 00:22:07,266
not for putting it into it,
but for lack of an agreement

453
00:22:07,333 --> 00:22:09,900
that would be enforceable
in a court of law.

454
00:22:09,967 --> 00:22:13,667
And to your point,
you got to have an agreement. Period.

455
00:22:13,734 --> 00:22:15,934
And what we saw out there
from Mr. Sorice,

456
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,000
quite frankly, does not surprise me.

457
00:22:18,066 --> 00:22:22,266
When you spend your whole life
nurturing your good reputation,

458
00:22:22,333 --> 00:22:26,567
especially in a small-knit community
in the Italian-American club,

459
00:22:26,633 --> 00:22:30,033
or putting on these type of festivals,
and to have someone come in

460
00:22:30,100 --> 00:22:34,033
and to accuse you of thievery,
which is what the plaintiff was doing.

461
00:22:34,100 --> 00:22:38,033
Yeah, you're going to be a little upset.
I completely understand that.

462
00:22:38,100 --> 00:22:39,433
Better not to do it in a courtroom.

463
00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:42,333
Most certainly better not to do it
in front of Byrd. [chuckles]

464
00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,300
And did you see his wife?
I mean, the poor woman.

465
00:22:45,367 --> 00:22:47,066
And it was-- I looked--
-[laughing]

466
00:22:47,133 --> 00:22:49,467
I looked at Cassandra, and I go,
you know, I--

467
00:22:49,533 --> 00:22:52,867
It's like my wife and I when we go out
and I get a little--

468
00:22:52,934 --> 00:22:56,900
A little going, and she's always, like,
"It's okay, Adam, it's okay, Adam."

469
00:22:56,967 --> 00:22:59,400
Yeah, no agreement, uh, no standing.

470
00:22:59,467 --> 00:23:00,900
Plaintiff's case needs to be dismissed.

471
00:23:00,967 --> 00:23:03,300
I had a lot of empathy for the defendant

472
00:23:03,367 --> 00:23:07,567
because I'm with you, I mean, of course,
his tirade wasn't appropriate

473
00:23:07,633 --> 00:23:12,400
in this forum, but if somebody
accuses you of mishandling funds,

474
00:23:12,467 --> 00:23:15,633
and this has been his life's work,
you are going to react like that.

475
00:23:15,700 --> 00:23:17,800
So I didn't take
too much exception to that.

476
00:23:17,867 --> 00:23:21,033
I think you could teach this case
in contracts in law school.

477
00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:22,633
They were not on the same page.

478
00:23:22,700 --> 00:23:26,433
They may never have been on the same page.
It wasn't clear who was entitled to what

479
00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:29,166
or what these funds
were supposed to be used for.

480
00:23:29,233 --> 00:23:30,867
You know,
sometimes things just don't work out.

481
00:23:30,934 --> 00:23:33,734
It doesn't mean that legal liability
necessarily attaches.

482
00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:35,533
Okay, so we're unanimous in dismissing.

483
00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:36,633
I think so.

484
00:23:36,700 --> 00:23:38,166
[dramatic music plays]

485
00:23:40,133 --> 00:23:43,300
Court is back in session. Parties are
reminded you're still under oath.

486
00:23:43,367 --> 00:23:44,667
-Thank you, Byrd.
-Mm-hm.

487
00:23:44,734 --> 00:23:48,567
Not on the same page.
You two aren't even in the same book.

488
00:23:48,633 --> 00:23:51,300
I mean, you really did not hash this out.

489
00:23:51,367 --> 00:23:53,533
For two guys that love to talk.

490
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,066
And so, sir, you laid out a lot of money.

491
00:23:56,133 --> 00:23:59,834
You put out $31,000.
I saw it. I saw every receipt.

492
00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:03,000
But you had no agreement
with this defendant

493
00:24:03,066 --> 00:24:05,734
one way or another,
to either repay you

494
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,433
or not take money from the till
or what was coming in.

495
00:24:09,500 --> 00:24:13,433
But we do have a unanimous verdict,
and we've all felt the same way

496
00:24:13,500 --> 00:24:16,400
about the lack
of contractual agreement here.

497
00:24:16,467 --> 00:24:19,300
We're going to dismiss your complaint.
It's unanimous.

498
00:24:19,367 --> 00:24:22,367
You're not going to get any money here,
in this forum, from us.

499
00:24:22,433 --> 00:24:25,967
But we do want to end with one thing.
I would love Natasha, if you can,

500
00:24:26,033 --> 00:24:28,066
to sing the first couple of lines

501
00:24:28,133 --> 00:24:30,166
-of the Italian national anthem.
-Sure.

502
00:24:31,033 --> 00:24:33,000
[singing in Italian]

503
00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,500
Thank you very, very much.

504
00:25:05,133 --> 00:25:08,266
And to be totally honest,
I didn't understand a word you said.

505
00:25:08,333 --> 00:25:11,800
[laughing] Thank you very much,
that's the verdict of our court.

506
00:25:12,834 --> 00:25:14,967
[singing] This case is now concluded-- No!

507
00:25:15,033 --> 00:25:16,166
[all laughing]

508
00:25:16,233 --> 00:25:18,066
This case is concluded,
parties are excused,

509
00:25:18,133 --> 00:25:19,700
-you may step out.
-That was very good.

510
00:25:23,867 --> 00:25:26,900
Talks a big game, he overpromises,
he underdelivers.

511
00:25:26,967 --> 00:25:29,934
Yeah, he had some delusional game in mind.

512
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,600
It didn't take long to figure out he was
sort of an unreliable business partner.

513
00:25:33,667 --> 00:25:35,767
Everything that he said was a lie.

514
00:25:35,834 --> 00:25:37,433
I just never expected he was a thief.

515
00:25:37,500 --> 00:25:40,900
All of our traditions are going away
'cause of guys like that

516
00:25:40,967 --> 00:25:42,667
who are looking for the big payoff.

517
00:25:43,333 --> 00:25:48,700
[narrator] Did someone break an agreement?
Let Tribunal Justice decide your case.

518
00:25:48,767 --> 00:25:51,567
Find us on social media.

519
00:25:51,633 --> 00:25:53,033
[main theme playing]