Chris Walker

I can't control him. But Jack kept pushing. Come on, couldn't Scotto just ask?

I can't control him. But Jack kept pushing. Come on, couldn't Scotto just ask?

This was not the answer Jack was hoping for. He resigned himself to the fact that he would have to find another way to get to the truth. But then he began to second-guess his suspicions when the 1988 crush season passed by without incident. The state seemed to have dropped its inquiry entirely.

This was not the answer Jack was hoping for. He resigned himself to the fact that he would have to find another way to get to the truth. But then he began to second-guess his suspicions when the 1988 crush season passed by without incident. The state seemed to have dropped its inquiry entirely.

After Michael and his co-conspirators sent the fake letters, maps, and contracts to Delicato, they never heard about it again from the winery or from regulators. So everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Michael and the Bavaros. This felt like confirmation that no one really cared what they were up to, and they had made out like bandits this season.

After Michael and his co-conspirators sent the fake letters, maps, and contracts to Delicato, they never heard about it again from the winery or from regulators. So everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Michael and the Bavaros. This felt like confirmation that no one really cared what they were up to, and they had made out like bandits this season.

Wineries had eagerly paid over $1,000 per ton for supposed... Zinfandel grapes, and sometimes over $1,500 per ton for Chardonnay. They'd sold over a thousand tons of misrepresented grapes, enough to make hundreds of thousands of mislabeled bottles, while wineries and consumers seemed none the wiser.

Wineries had eagerly paid over $1,000 per ton for supposed... Zinfandel grapes, and sometimes over $1,500 per ton for Chardonnay. They'd sold over a thousand tons of misrepresented grapes, enough to make hundreds of thousands of mislabeled bottles, while wineries and consumers seemed none the wiser.

Winter passed into spring, and as the first vines began to unfurl their green leaves, Michael and the Bavaros began to look to the 1989 crush season. Why not keep the gravy train rolling? This would be their best season yet. Or so they thought. The first shoe dropped in June of 1989, when the state of California filed six civil lawsuits targeting grape fraud.

Winter passed into spring, and as the first vines began to unfurl their green leaves, Michael and the Bavaros began to look to the 1989 crush season. Why not keep the gravy train rolling? This would be their best season yet. Or so they thought. The first shoe dropped in June of 1989, when the state of California filed six civil lawsuits targeting grape fraud.

To his relief, Michael wasn't named in any of the cases, but his co-conspirators, Nick and Frank Bavaro, were named in four, and the state-hinted federal lawsuits were on the horizon. Michael figured it was only a matter of time before his role came under more scrutiny, given how the fraud was already making headlines around the world.

To his relief, Michael wasn't named in any of the cases, but his co-conspirators, Nick and Frank Bavaro, were named in four, and the state-hinted federal lawsuits were on the horizon. Michael figured it was only a matter of time before his role came under more scrutiny, given how the fraud was already making headlines around the world.

One paper in Panama called the lawsuits, quote, And the New York Times had this to say.

One paper in Panama called the lawsuits, quote, And the New York Times had this to say.

News of the scandal quickly hit both the Bavaros and Luchardi's businesses like a bombshell.

News of the scandal quickly hit both the Bavaros and Luchardi's businesses like a bombshell.

That was Mark Lucchese, who worked as the Bavaros company accountant at the time. Today, Lucchese runs a small winery in Ripon called Luca Winery. Go and try his Morvedra. It's excellent. But back in 89, working with the Bavaros... We had a...

That was Mark Lucchese, who worked as the Bavaros company accountant at the time. Today, Lucchese runs a small winery in Ripon called Luca Winery. Go and try his Morvedra. It's excellent. But back in 89, working with the Bavaros... We had a...

The wineries didn't want to pay for the grapes because no one could trust them.

The wineries didn't want to pay for the grapes because no one could trust them.