Michael Licciardi

It's a story of a well-known businessman who tried to instill in his children the value of frugality and the work ethic of his Italian immigrant parents. It's a story of a son who reportedly hungered for his father's riches and a daughter who has devoted her life to prosecuting her brother. It's a story of a family that fell apart.

It's a story of a well-known businessman who tried to instill in his children the value of frugality and the work ethic of his Italian immigrant parents. It's a story of a son who reportedly hungered for his father's riches and a daughter who has devoted her life to prosecuting her brother. It's a story of a family that fell apart.

Michael J. Licciardi, a former Stockton wine grape broker, was ordered Tuesday to a federal prison, five years after being found guilty of participating in a multi-million dollar wine grape fraud scheme.

Michael J. Licciardi, a former Stockton wine grape broker, was ordered Tuesday to a federal prison, five years after being found guilty of participating in a multi-million dollar wine grape fraud scheme.

You're a little punk that wrote the company for nothing, never did a goddamn thing in your life. I thought you were a person that I thought was civil. I told you you wanted to be civil with me. I apologize for shooting my father, punk.

You're a little punk that wrote the company for nothing, never did a goddamn thing in your life. I thought you were a person that I thought was civil. I told you you wanted to be civil with me. I apologize for shooting my father, punk.

As the calendar rounded into 1992, Michael Licciardi finally got the break he was looking for. Not against his brother, Robert, but in the federal grape fraud case. Although a jury had determined Michael's guilt six months earlier, new evidence surfaced right as Michael was appealing his conviction.

As the calendar rounded into 1992, Michael Licciardi finally got the break he was looking for. Not against his brother, Robert, but in the federal grape fraud case. Although a jury had determined Michael's guilt six months earlier, new evidence surfaced right as Michael was appealing his conviction.

It came in the form of a new federal indictment implicating Delicato Vineyards, the winery that Michael and his co-conspirators had sold most of their mislabeled grapes to. Throughout the investigation, Delicato had always maintained its innocence in the grape-switching scheme, and Michael never really had any solid evidence to prove otherwise.

It came in the form of a new federal indictment implicating Delicato Vineyards, the winery that Michael and his co-conspirators had sold most of their mislabeled grapes to. Throughout the investigation, Delicato had always maintained its innocence in the grape-switching scheme, and Michael never really had any solid evidence to prove otherwise.

His suggestions of a wink-and-nod culture at the winery were always met with skepticism or dismissal. But the new indictment revealed some mischief Michael hadn't been aware of. It stretched back to 1988, when investigators first alerted the winery that it had received 15 loads of mislabeled Zinfandel. Here's Steve Lapham, the federal prosecutor.

His suggestions of a wink-and-nod culture at the winery were always met with skepticism or dismissal. But the new indictment revealed some mischief Michael hadn't been aware of. It stretched back to 1988, when investigators first alerted the winery that it had received 15 loads of mislabeled Zinfandel. Here's Steve Lapham, the federal prosecutor.

Put another way, the ATF essentially told Delicato, hey, you received a bunch of misrepresented grapes and you can't release any wine made out of them with Zinfandel labels. Because remember, for a California wine to be labeled by its grape type, it has to contain at least 75% of that type of grape.

Put another way, the ATF essentially told Delicato, hey, you received a bunch of misrepresented grapes and you can't release any wine made out of them with Zinfandel labels. Because remember, for a California wine to be labeled by its grape type, it has to contain at least 75% of that type of grape.

And if there are an unknown number of misrepresented grapes in the mix, it doesn't make the cut to be labeled as a varietal wine. But the regulators also threw Delicato a bone. They told the winery that it could still release the decertified wine under a generic label, saying something like red wine blend. That way, Delicato could still get some compensation for the bogus wine.

And if there are an unknown number of misrepresented grapes in the mix, it doesn't make the cut to be labeled as a varietal wine. But the regulators also threw Delicato a bone. They told the winery that it could still release the decertified wine under a generic label, saying something like red wine blend. That way, Delicato could still get some compensation for the bogus wine.

But despite the ATF's warnings, Delicato sent out thousands of gallons worth of bulk wine with the original labels, the ones calling the wine Zinfandel. And if there was any moment of realization around the screw-up, Delicato didn't act on it. In fact,

But despite the ATF's warnings, Delicato sent out thousands of gallons worth of bulk wine with the original labels, the ones calling the wine Zinfandel. And if there was any moment of realization around the screw-up, Delicato didn't act on it. In fact,

And investigators found out. Because when they returned to Delicato in 1989 to look at the winery's records, they noticed some suspicious entries. Someone had changed the data in Delicato's computers to make it appear like the decertified wine never left the winery. I should note that the winery declined to comment for this podcast.

And investigators found out. Because when they returned to Delicato in 1989 to look at the winery's records, they noticed some suspicious entries. Someone had changed the data in Delicato's computers to make it appear like the decertified wine never left the winery. I should note that the winery declined to comment for this podcast.