Six Degrees of Separation

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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According to Wikipedia -

Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world, so that a chain of a "friend of friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps.

I could not agree more with this theory. In fact, I would not be surprised that new technology, social media networks and instant digital communication with even the most remote places worldwide, have resulted in a considerable decrease of that six-degree stretch.

Last week, I was trying to find an attorney in Rome to help me with my lawsuit. The film was shot in Italy and one of the defendants resides there. It made sense to me to get some legal guidance from someone who can navigate the Italian judicial system and who has handled cases such as mine... Maybe not exactly like mine, but cases that cross country borders.

I went to the Italian Embassy's website. The website provides a list of attorneys who are familiar and experienced with both the US and the Italian legal systems.  I wrote to all of them. Most of them replied immediately. A couple of them called me as soon as they read my message.

I have to admit that it was refreshing to talk and correspond via email with some of these Italian attorneys. They were very helpful and willing to listen. They were so animated when they talked... and that lovely Italian accent!

Because the attorneys I contacted were located in Rome, it was not so surprising that they knew of Calcata and have been there several times.  After all, it is just a 45 minute drive.  One of the lawyers said, "oh, Calcata, yes. I have been there many times. I go eat there often... beautiful place!"

I did not expect what was to happen when I googled two of the attorneys to whom I talked. I found their LinkedIn profiles. When I was about to request to connect with them, I realized that we already had over 100 connections in common.  This happened with both of the attorneys, not just one! Over 100 people in common! Who could ever imagine that!

Isn't it incredible how close we already are to people that we consider "strangers"?  Has it ever happened to you that you meet a person and when you request his/her friendship on Facebook, you realize you have at least one friend in common?... And this mutual friend lives in a different continent!

I believe that the theory of six degrees of separation is becoming increasingly evident. I would even dare to call it "six degrees of connectedness." If we had "imaginary" string and used it to individually connect to every single human being that we personally know... and if all these people were also to connect in the same manner to everyone they know, we would end up with a complex human network that covers the entire world, leaving nobody out.

It is just like our physical body. We have legs, arms, head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, internal organs... that are somewhat independent but still part of a whole. It is the same with humanity although we sometimes seem to forget. So, let's reach out to our loved ones, our community, our nation, our neighboring countries.... and those who seem to be so far and unreachable. Remember that six degrees do not separate us... but connect us all. In reality, we could not be closer to one another... We are one.

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

The Service

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

What Is Service?

According to the official Los Angeles Superior Court website -

The law says that when you sue a person, partnership, corporation, or the government, you must give formal notice to the other side that you have started the legal process. In the same way, when you are already involved in a case and file papers with the court, you are required to give the other side notice of the paperwork you have filed. The legal way to give formal notice is to have the other side “served” with a copy of the paperwork that you have filed with the court. This is called “service of process.”

"Service of process" means that the other side must get copies of any paper you file with the court.  In “service of process” a third person (NOT you) is the one who actually delivers the paperwork to the other side.  The person who does this is called the “server” or “process server.”

Until the other side has been properly "served," the judge cannot make any permanent orders or judgments.

Process Servers can be: a friend/relative, county sheriff/marshal, professional process server, or anyone over 18 who is NOT part of the case. 

How I Got Him Served

After filing the complaint in court on April 15, 2014, I prepared copies to be delivered to Victor during the "service." Because I could not serve the papers myself and did not necessarily want to wait for the Sheriffs to deliver the papers to Victor, I got a couple of friends to help me with this task. I asked my dear friend Becky, who has worked as a professional process server in the past to act as the official server. She agreed. I also contacted my friend Alan, a talented young man with experience behind the camera, to be the videographer. 

Why a videographer? Mainly, to have proof of the service. Victor has come up with so many excuses and incredible tales in order to avoid responsibility or accountability. I did not want him to deny being "served" just as he denied ever having an intimate relationship with me.

I honestly thought that serving Victor would be much harder. I thought he would be evasive. It was much easier than anticipated. The service was done smoothly and without any complications.  

About the Video

The video was shot by my friend Alan and edited by me. Although the specific portion of the "service" is real footage, the rest was shot for entertainment purposes.  It is intended to simply poke fun at this whole situation, and specifically The Hairbrush Incident covered by TMZ Hairbrush Attack.  

Because Victor had been attacked with a hairbrush, it made sense that he would be in a better position to protect himself from future attacks if he had a hairbrush of his own. So we brought one for him as a gift... along with the summons and complaint.

A Brush With the LAW

Therese Borchard wrote in PsychCentral about how our bodies, minds and spirits begin to "mend" with a dose of humor:

1. Humor combats fear.
2. Humor comforts.
3. Humor relaxes.
4. Humor reduces pain.
5. Humor boosts the immune system.
6. Humor reduces stress.
7. Humor spreads happiness.
8. Humor cultivates optimism.
9. Humor helps communication.

And I would add one more to this list...

       10.  Humor reminds us that what we are experiencing is simply a story.

We get to choose what type of story we want to live - a drama with non-stop suffering? An adventure full of unexpected turns and thrills?  A love story? A light-hearted comedy?  

Finding humor, especially in difficult or challenging situations, can bring so much healing and a better perspective of things.  Who said that life is supposed to be a struggle with loss and distress? Life is FUN. Let's enjoy the ride!

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

Part II - The Trailer

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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Many people cannot believe that I have made the decision to sue Victor Alfieri again. Why would I do that? Am I a masochist? It is like starting the whole nightmare again.... or is it really?  I see it more like the Trevino-Alfieri Part II.

This time around is very different.  I am detached from what happened three years ago - even what just happened several months ago when I last communicated with Alfieri (through his PA).  I am not bitter, not at all.  I am not even upset or resentful of Alfieri for what he has done and continues doing. His actions are a different story. Such actions should not be tolerated by anyone... And that is why this lawsuit feels like the RIGHT thing to do.

I have learned to separate the person from the action. This is something that I started learning when I attended USM (the University of Santa Monica) but did not completely comprehend or truly experienced it until recently.  I remember talking to Ron (my professor) when I was still a first-year student, I said to him, "By the time I graduate I will be able to forgive my ex-husband." Ron quickly responded, "why wait? You can forgive him right now!"

People cannot be defined by others or by mere circumstances. They are not defined by their past mistakes or actions.  By separating people from their behavior and actions, I have learned to forgive them while forgiving myself.  What happened in the past, is in the past.

Although there is nothing anyone can do to change the past, there are certainly things that can be done to make amends. We are responsible for our own choices. We can choose to forgive... while still choosing to fight for justice.

So this is how this Part II of the story begins - by standing for the truth.

The video below is a celebration of a new beginning - a celebration of a NEW story!

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

Above the Law

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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When I started my relationship with Victor Alfieri in 2010, he told me about all these different issues he had at that time. He was losing his California home, was getting very little work as an actor and had some debt. He showed me a court notice for a hearing to which he had to appear. It had to do with money that a credit card company was trying to collect from him.

He told me that he did not owe that money, that it was his ex-wife's debt, that she had maxed out their credit cards. I remember asking him what items had been purchased with the money owed. He pointed at his big screen tv, at the furniture. I smiled at him and said, "well, you have the items, why do you refuse to pay?" He was clearly angry and started saying that it was his ex who made the purchases, that he was not responsible. Although I believed that he should pay the balance owed, I offered to call the credit card company and/or collection agency to try to get to an agreement before the court appearance.

I did get him a $600-700 reduction. I even got them to agree to take monthly installments. I told Victor  the good news. He was not happy and said he would fight and ask the judge to order his ex-wife to pay for this debt. I asked Victor if he had gotten any other court notices. He said no.  "Everyone has the right to give their side of the story," I thought. However, I still believed he should have taken that offer.

I went to court with Victor. We were sitting in the last row of the small courtroom. He kept mocking people who were approaching the bench when their cases were called. I told him to be respectful because we were in a courtroom. Finally his case was called. He approached and stood in front of the judge.  I was surprised to hear the judge talking non-stop without giving Victor a chance to say one word. I heard the judge state that Victor had ignored all the court notices sent to him. The judge also said that Victor had been given the opportunity to respond and did not do so.

When Victor requested the opportunity to address the court, the judge loudly said, "you already had an opportunity before. Judgment in favor of plaintiff."

When we were walking out of the courthouse, Victor admitted to having received notices from the court and having ignored them, thinking they were not a big deal. I told him that when an issue is brought to civil court, it goes from the hands of the "private" parties and put in the hands of the court system.  Those notices were coming from the COURT, from a judge, I explained.

It is my opinion that Victor Alfieri believes he is above the law. He already used "the law" against me. His lawsuit contained slanderous claims about me. He used my own money to finance that lawsuit. He pocketed additional money from the budget. He finished the movie and has no intention of ever reimbursing me for my investment. And he still believes the "law" cannot touch him...  that I should "move on" and let him get away with what he did and continues doing.

I filed a complaint against him, his mother, Daniela Carloni and his two production companies on April 15th, 2014.  Alfieri was served on April 16th, 2014. See post "The Service"  for video. He has not filed an answer in court yet.  He has until May 16th to respond.

Because I have filed a "verified" complaint swearing under oath that all the statements contained in the submitted document are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, he also has to respond in a similar manner. He has to admit or deny each allegation (paragraph) of my verified complaint. And he also has to do it under oath.  It will be interesting to see his responses. I wonder if he would blatantly lie and deny facts or even statements the he, himself, previously gave under oath during his deposition.

Please go to bottom of the page for the complete complaint filed in court ---

Laws are created to govern our actions and behavior. Laws dictate what is "right" and what is "wrong," what is allowed and not allowed.  These laws are meant to protect our rights and wellbeing. In theory, laws are a great way to maintain balance and fairness. However, it is evident that there are flaws in every country's judicial system - Justice does not necessarily prevail every time.

There is an inherent "legal system" that rules human existence. It is our conscience - that inner voice that tells us when our behavior and actions are "right" or "wrong." We are our own judge. We are the toughest, least forgiving judge we will ever find. We know when we have done something that goes against our principles, morals and values. We know when we are hiding a dark truth. We are also the only ones who can ultimately forgive ourselves. That self-forgiveness can only be achieved if the "wrong" has been acknowledged and somehow rectified either with a sincere apology or proper amends for our actions. Everything can be forgiven - EVERYTHING - as long as we can regain our inner balance and peace through honest, kind, compassionate and generous actions towards others and ourselves.

Please click below [read more] for complete complaint

Standing Up for the Truth

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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About one month ago, when I wrote my last post "Social Media," I was also writing something else... No, it was not my book. It was something that required lots of research and guidance from experts in the field.  It needed to follow a clear narrative with accurate facts and precise details. I spent about a week doing research and three days drafting this document. When I was done writing it, I could not believe it. I looked at my "masterpiece." I was proud of it. It was like one of those school projects - an essay, midterm or.... final paper that we need to complete in order to move forward to the "next level."

I still remember the day I finished it. It was a Thursday. It was March 20th. I had talked to a friend earlier that day. We were planning on going to a screening. I was almost done getting ready. I did my hair, my make-up, put on a nice dress and shoes... I was so happy to be done with my "writing project" and also excited to go out and celebrate that big accomplishment. As I was about to take a step back to check how I looked in the mirror, my body lost its balance. I felt as my right knee was giving in. It dislocated and twisted as I fell to the ground. The injury was major, considering that I was just standing and not making any drastic movements. It was so bad that I will be having surgery in a couple of days.

I probably overestimated what my physical body could endure. Sitting in front of the computer for hours with very little breaks cannot be good for anyone. I had also been working long hours on other projects related to my company. I had pushed myself to the limit - literally to the limit of what my physical body could take.

I was moving too fast, in such a big rush to get things done that I forgot to maintain my balance... my emotional and spiritual balance. This was reflected in my loss of physical equilibrium. A friend of mine said to me, "maybe it is the Universe telling you to slow down." It makes sense now. My "rushing" -  my impatience to speed things up reduced my awareness and prevented me from staying in the moment... in the NOW.

When this incident occurred, I thought that the injury I sustained would be a challenging obstacle that would inevitably delay any plans or projects I had at that time.  I was very upset and frustrated. I felt helpless. However, something amazing happened. Because this incident forced me to slow down, I came to truly appreciate my physical body. Our bodies are certainly a "gift" that we should never take for granted. I also had the time to review my "written project" and to make a firm decision as what I would do with it.

I have talked and written a lot about what my experience was like during this whole Trevino-Alfieri Saga. I have always stressed the importance of "Speaking Up" while doing it with integrity and honesty.  So I decided to speak up... this time, not only through the lines I write on this blog, but in a more formal and "official" way.

The written project I mentioned above is the official complaint for my new lawsuit against Victor Alfieri. In the early morning of April 15, 2014, I went to the Los Angeles Superior Court and filed my complaint against Victor Alfieri, Daniela Carloni (Victor's mother), Bondolini Productions and Black Knight Entertainment. The causes of action are: 1) Fraud in the Inducement; 2) Breach of Contract; 3) Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing; 4) Breach of Fiduciary Duty; 5) Constructive Fraud; 6) Conversion; and 7) Accounting.  Case BC542748

Although I will be consulting with legal counsel on how to proceed, what papers to file and to give me general guidance, this time I am going "pro se," without an attorney. Why am I representing myself? For the simple reason that I do not have the funds to hire counsel. Even if I had the funds - the legal fees to litigate this case would exceed any judgment I might receive.

So just because I do not have the funds to hire an attorney, does that mean that I have no legal recourse?  No!  I do have the right to have my case heard by a judge and/or jury. Because the statute of limitations is applicable to any cause of action, I had to make a firm decision to move forward in a timely manner. I am happy with my decision. I am aware of the implications of this legal path I have chosen. I am ready to move forward and stand for MY TRUTH.

Life has taught me that we are not alone in this world and that it is OK to reach out. I can invite others to take an active part in my personal dream - "my story."  Their participation in my story, however, will be limited. I am the only one who has ultimate control of my life. It is not fair to expect others to make major decisions for me and then get upset or blame them when things don't go as I expected. By taking full responsibility for how I have dealt with what has happened to me in the past, I am able to stand up in the present with full conviction that I am in charge of my life.

And as don Miguel Ruiz tells us, "if we don't like our story, we are the authors; we can change it." I have made a big decision with complete awareness of the path I have decided to take. I am sitting in the driver's seat, behind the wheel... I have just made a sharp turn... What an exciting journey life is!

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

Social Media

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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Today, while doing some research for my book, I decided to go and check Victor Alfieri's twitter account to see if I could find something that would help tell the story. I realized that he had not posted anything since last year. That hairbrush incident in December must have really affected his ability to write.

I remember visiting his twitter account back in the summer of 2012 because he and his attorney were ignoring all our communication when we were trying to set up the depositions. I heard from a friend of mine that he was in Italy. Then through his twitter account I learned that he was back in LA when on August 1, 2012, he posted "Back in LA."

He apparently went back to Italy to go collect receipts for expenditures that he had not provided me. He also went to Italy to get affidavits from cast and crew stating that they had not been abused or harassed and that there had been no conflict on set during the filming of "Looking for Clarissa."

Ok, I am looking at all his tweets right now. Let's have some fun and read some of what he posted during this Trevino-Alfieri Saga.

• September 27, 2011, right after the scandal had hit TMZ he tweeted, "All Good in the Hood..."
• October 3, 2011, "Thanks for all your love and support. V" Aww poor Victor.
• December 14, 2011, "If you're kind & honest, people may accuse you of ulterior motives, just to destroy what you built. Still, we must be good, kind and honest!" This is a great tweet. Honest? Kind? He surely showed his honesty and kindness when he took my money and used it to hire an attorney to sue me making false scandalous allegations about me. 
• July 11, 2012, "Who really knows me..matter..who doesn t know me..don t matter."
• July 23, 2012, "Moving on...without looking back."
• August 1, 2012, "Back in LA." 
• August 2, 2012, "Thanks to my friends in La for their support and love. :-) " Poor Victor, he was getting ready to be deposed. He had suffered so much... but at least he had someone to pay for all the legal fees... ME!
• August 5, 2011, "No matter how hard I get hit... i m still standing.. I m here.. Bring it on."
• August 11, 2012, "Anyone can walk into my life and say they love me. It takes someone special to stay there and prove it" He wrote this only a couple of days before my deposition. Interesting... and let's read the next one from the same day.
• August 11, 2012, "True love is a promise made in the heart...silent unbreakable by distance and unchangeable by time..." I told him many times that I loved him, and that it was true love... I wonder if he was unconsciously sending this message to me so I would break down during my deposition.
• August 14, 2012, During my deposition, Victor Alfieri was sitting at the table where I was being questioned and he was tweeting away... He declared this day the happiest day of his life because he probably thought I would be afraid of him and would not dare to tell the truth.

• August 22, 2012, "Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down." Just 2 days after we had mediation. Our mediation went surprisingly well. He made promises that, of course, he eventually did not keep.
• September 7, 2012, "Never explain - your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway." Clearly Alfieri's philosophy, after claiming we were very CLOSE friends during his deposition, he can still not explain why he did what he did to me.
• September 10, 2012, "When things are difficult I excel..."  I would probably reword it to, "When it comes to outwitting, skillfully taking other people's money and telling brilliant and creative stories, I excel..."

And now come the tweets after I started this blog.

• January 18, 2013, "After filming....Victor Alfieri, Joel Moody, Clark James Gable...In Italy [attached video]. Why did he wait almost two years to post the video?
• January 22, 2013. Victor actually wrote very nice quotes. It is too bad that he acts the opposite way. Victor was probably trying to use these quotes to show that he was not the person I was writing about on my blog. I do admit that these quotes hold profound truth and integrity.

Our life experience on this planet is just like attending school. We come here to learn and grow personally and spiritually. Before our birth, we willingly enroll in "earth" school. We come to this world with a personal curriculum that we are to fulfill. People we encounter in our lives become our teachers, our classmates and our students. 

The challenges and obstacles we encounter are tests. Those people that we perceive as enemies are our boot camp trainers who offer us the greatest opportunity to strengthen our core values and push us to the limit... to fight for what we believe in. Although we are all here on our own personal individual journey, what one single person does affects the whole humanity. Let's help one another fulfill our curriculum so we can graduate from this wonderful school called LIFE.

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

To Potential Buyers and Distributors

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

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Update - On April 15, 2014, I filed a lawsuit against Victor Alfieri, Bondolini Productions, Black Knight Entertainment and Daniela Carloni.  Please read "Standing Up for the Truth"

Any potential buyer or distributor interested in "Looking for Clarissa" should be aware of the following facts:

1. Victor Alfieri and Bondolini Productions do NOT have the necessary materials for a complete chain-of-title to sell or license and distribute the film. I have such materials.
2. Victor Alfieri and Bondolini Productions do not have all the contracts and releases for most of the actors who performed in "Looking for Clarissa". I have most of the contracts.
3. The amounts paid to actors stated in their signed contracts are different (substantially lower) than what Bondolini Productions and Alfieri are claiming they paid. I have the actual amounts paid to each actor.
4. There are "false" receipts for expenses that did not exist.
5. The documents that I am retaining contain clear and convincing evidence that fraud was possibly committed.
6. Victor Alfieri took $17,500 of my money that was not part of the financing agreement, concealed it and soon after used it to hire attorney Roger Muse to sue me. That is conversion (theft) and breach of contract.
7. Alfieri refuses to sign an amendment to our original agreement that will guarantee fairness and financial transparency during the sale and distribution of "Looking for Clarissa".  Please read "my requests" below.
8. It is my personal belief that Alfieri has no intention to reimburse any of my investment or any of the money that he illegally took from me to hire an attorney to sue me.
9. I still have at least one year to bring a lawsuit against Victor Alfieri, Bondolini Productions and Black Knight Entertainment for breach of contract and for conversion.
10. Any lawsuit against Bondolini Productions in reference to the film "Looking for Clarissa"will affect any possible sale or distribution of the film.

Some of the readers must be wondering why I am disclosing all this information. The reason is that by making it public it becomes more difficult for Alfieri to hide his questionable actions and his refusal to act in an honorable and respectful manner.

When attorney Manuel Saint Martin emailed me a Demand Letter, I thought that would be my opportunity to negotiate the points I wanted to include in the amendment to my original financing agreement. It would only make sense due to all these lawsuits and Alfieri's lack of integrity and honesty.

This is what I wrote to Mr. Saint Martin:

Mr. Saint Martin,

Please see email below. These are my requests. The only difference is that communication can be done through you, if you are willing to do so.

Let me remind you that Victor Alfieri breached the contract repeatedly. He took MY money and used it to hire attorney Roger Muse to sue me. I believe that is CONVERSION and clearly BREACH OF CONTRACT.  

Alfieri, has not provided proof of all expenditures. My simple requests listed below will guarantee fairness for both parties and clear communication.  Of course I do want to recover my investment. However, Alfieri has not proven to be a reliable, nor a trustworthy person.

I am willing to discuss this with you.

Adriana Trevino

1. Stipulate that my investment is $150,000. That is what I will recover as my total investment. 
2. Nobody recovers any money until I recoup my 150K. 
3. Executed investment agreements and proof of investment of 2 new investors should be provided before signing this document. 
4. After I recover my 150K, the other two investors will recover their investment accordingly - before "second position" and deferred payments are made.
5. The points received by each of us will remain as stated in my original investment agreement. 
6. A separate account will be set up to deposit all earnings from the movie (sale, distribution, etc). Not me nor Victor will have direct access to it. 
7. An independent third party, as Josh has suggested, will handle the account. 
8. I will be included in all correspondence, meetings, negotiations for sale and distribution. If I cannot be present, I will be cc'ed and informed. 
9. No decision about distribution or sale will go ahead without mutual approval -  my signature as well as Victor's signature. 
10. Communications regarding the movie will be done through Josh. 
11. This document/agreement will be signed by Victor and me. 
12. I want the document notarized and would like to be present when Victor signs as well. 

I do want the three of us (you, Victor and I) to have a meeting when we sign this document. I do want to distribute this movie and would love to get my investment back. I don't want to be Victor's enemy. We cannot be enemies. We are working towards the same goal now - to recover what we invested, right?

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I again forwarded the same email to Mr. Saint Martin because I had not gotten any response. After emaling him for the second time and not receiving an answer, I decided to call him.  Read "Advocating for Justice"  to learn how this attorney handled the situation.

If Alfieri is not willing to sign an amended or new agreement with my simple requests, he must not be planning on ever reimbursing me any portion of my investment.  And now, I have a few questions for you, the reader.

If you were in my same situation. You had invested $150,000 in a film and spent an extra $50,000 on attorneys and legal fees. You had also lost about $50,000 in business in 2011, about $100,000 in 2012, $90,000 in 2013.  Adding all of this - $440,000.....

• Would you just "write this loss off" and "move on"?
• Would you try to negotiate something fair so you could recover your investment?
• Would you share the story and details publicly to recover some of your business and reputation?
• Would you sue Victor Alfieri and Bondolini Productions again for breach of contract and for conversion "theft"?

I have written off the $440,000 this nightmare has cost me. There is no point suffering and complaining about something that happened and cannot be changed now. However it is difficult to ignore Alfieri's unethical behavior and refusal to be fair and reasonable.  I really do not want to allow him to keep all the earnings and hide them from me just because I chose to do nothing about it.  I have really tried to negotiate but Alfieri is stubborn and apparently not very smart.

I have chosen to share my story and the details. Some people judge me for exposing myself and others understand. As a result, I have slowly been recovering some of my business. Some of my work associates and friends follow my blog and have expressed how much they respect me for writing my story.

We always have control over our lives even when it feels that external forces are pushing us and making us take an undesirable path. Events happen that are certainly out of our control. We cannot control the weather or some unexpected catastrophes. Situations change. Some people are "seemingly" lucky to achieve their goals while some of us lose money, loved ones... and even hope. Does that mean that we have no control over our own lives?

It is true that we have no control over what other people do, think or want. What we can control is our own choices - the choices we make in life. We get to choose how to feel and what to do with the experience we gain. I have chosen to do my best to be heard when I speak up. I choose to speak with honesty and integrity. I choose to seek justice, balance and peace.  It has become evident to me that my inner peace and balance will be reached when I have utilized my personal resources to seek that justice that I believe will prevail while maintaining the awareness that we are all here to fulfill our personal spiritual curriculum in this school of life.

As to Justice - I am seriously considering filing a new lawsuit against Victor Alfieri and Bondolini Productions. There is only so much time a person has to file a lawsuit. When too much time has passed... it is literally too late to make any legal claims.  Time is running out. I am the only person who truly cares about this situation and who can do something about it. I will be making my decision in a week or two. I will be posting updates.

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.