I swear you couldn't make this up even if you wanted too:
http://www.rgj.com/article/20120201...ttemore-strikes-back-former-business-partners
Lobbyist Harvey Whittemore strikes back at former business partners
'Nevada lobbyist, developer and lawyer Harvey Whittemore shot back Wednesday at his former business partners who sued him last week, filing a $180 million federal lawsuit claiming they were guilty of racketeering, extortion and fraud, and saying they threatened him and his family with death if he didnt follow their orders.
Tom Seeno and his brother Albert Seeno Jr. sued Whittemore in state court on Friday claiming he embezzled millions from their joint-venture, Wingfield Nevada Group Holding Co. claims Whittemore denied.
Weaving together descriptions of thugs, breaking legs and safes filled with jewelry, Whittemores suit claims the Seenos, including Albert Seeno Jr.s son, Albert III, are associated with organized crime and known felons, and are under investigation by the FBI and the IRS. He claims they forced him to transfer all of his assets over to them leaving him with losses in the hundreds of millions.
The Seenos own an interest in the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, the Rainbow Club and Casino in Henderson and Western Village Inn & Casino in Sparks, the suit said.
Reno lawyer Kent Robison, representing the California-based Seenos, said the suit was retaliatory.
Weve looked at it. Its garbage. Its a desperate act by a desperate man, Robison said. But most important, game on. We have three or four witnesses to his confession (of misappropriating funds).
The Seenos lawsuit claimed Whittemore controlled the Wingfield books from 2007 and 2009, and misused and abused the companys funds. When they allegedly confronted him in 2010, their suit said, Whittemore allegedly confessed.
Whittemores lawsuit said their allegations were part of their plan to discredit Whittemore and force him to comply with their demands.
Albert Seeno Jr. threatened to go to the FBI with information that he allegedly had regarding these alleged improprieties; that he would personally bring down every member of the political machine in Nevada including references to the U.S. Senators, said the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Reno.
Seeno then asked Whittemore if he believed in God, and told him to gather his flock on Sunday and pray, the suit said. Seeno allegedly threatened that when he was through with Mr. Whittemore he would be disbarred and behind bars; that they would spend Mr. Whittemore into the ground, the suit said.
And Seeno allegedly said that he would bring down any business or friend associated with Mr. Whittemore and that at Mr. Whittemores funeral there would not be one person in attendance, according to the suit.
After Whittemore and Tom Seeno combined their various business and created Wingfield, its fair market value stood between $500 million and $1 billion, the suit said. When Albert Seeno Jr. bought in, Whittemore used part of that money to reinvest in the company, the suit said. At that point, Wingfield owed the Whittemores about $30 million, the suit said.
To maintain balance, the Whittemores borrowed money from entities affiliated with Tom Seeno, the sit said. Over the years, Whittemore borrowed about $20 million, the suit said. The Seenos then used that debt to force Whittemore to turn over his assets to them, including real estate holdings, vehicles, jewelry, cash, wine, furs, art, a Steinway piano and the homes of their adult children, the suit said.
At one point, a large, very ominous and burly man went to Whittemores home, made Whittemore open his safe and dumped everything in the safe into a bag and took it with him, the suit said.
On Feb. 5, 2011, Albert Seeno III allegedly told a Winfield employee to call Whittemore and tell him that, if the Seenos didnt get their money from an entity called BrightSource Energy, that he (Albert Seeno III) was going to personally fly to Reno and break Harveys (expletive) legs, the suit said.
The Seenos allegely owed the IRS more than $500 million in taxes in 2009, so they allegedly told Whittemore that if he didnt help them with their tax problems, all of their companies would go down, the suit said.
Whittemore helped them defer their taxes, the suit said, and when economic forces left many of their investments floundering, Albert Seeno Jr. allegedly targeted his anger at Whittemore and began the threats, the suit said.'
More here:
http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2012/feb/01/whittemore-accuses-ex-partners-extortion-making-de/
What is it with Nevada?
[gangster look]