The Licciardi family’s feuds, business plans, and secrets begin to unravel. Michael and Robert, the sons of grape kingpin Jack Licciardi, both yearn for more power in the family business. When Lapham’s federal investigation closes in on the Licciardis, one of them exposes the fragile loyalty holding this wine dynasty together—and sets off a chain of betrayals.Listen to Blood Vines on the Wondery app or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting www.wondery.com/links/blood-vines.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapter 1: What led to the investigation of the Licciardi family?
Previously on Blood Vines Jack was a lynchpin. Everybody that had any vineyards knew that if they didn't have a contract, Jack could sell their grave.
Well, I was 26, 25 at the time. At that age, in my little mind was no harm, no foul. It's white zen, just sugar and water and alcohol.
The wineries closed their eyes to what was going on.
One of the problems that Michael Lichardi faced was he had to pull a fast one on his father, Jack Lichardi. He's due to inherit a multi-million dollar a year business. So he's impatient, I think, to inherit the business and start living the good life.
On a late September day in 1988, Delicato Vineyards received an urgent letter from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. It caught the winery's undivided attention. A regulatory agent named Gene Arthur wrote that his agency, along with the ATF, suspected that Delicato had been scammed.
Arthur went on to say that the state had reason to believe that some grape shipments it had received were misidentified as Zinfandel. So he wanted to know, could Delicato get in touch with its suppliers to figure out if there was a mix-up? The winery wasted no time in replying that it was concerned and would help in any way possible. And its executives knew exactly who to ask, because remember...
When nobody else could get grape, Jack got grape for Delicato. The flag deliveries all came through Jack's brokerage, which was called Corvette Company. So the winery's top brass went straight to their point person, the legs of the Licciardi family business. They asked Michael, do you know anything about these shipments from V&K and Efriana Enterprises?
Some pushy state agent wants copies of the grape contracts and maps of the supplier's vineyards, if possible. Michael acted as if this were no problem at all, but underneath his calm veneer, he panicked. This was a problem, because V&K and F. Rihanna Enterprises didn't exist.
These were just two of the shell companies that Michael and his co-conspirators had created to mask the grape's true origins. Because by now, they had a whole rolodex of fake names to choose from. Need a phony farm? Take your pick from Green Ranch, Blue Ranch, Van Allen Ranch, Corn Ranch, and more. Need a non-existent person to sign some contracts?
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Chapter 2: How did Michael Licciardi manipulate grape shipments?
As Robert himself recalls,
Oh yeah, in the 80s, I took a lot of cocaine, but I was pretty much harming only myself.
But through it all, Jack supported his son. And after Robert got clean, Jack gave him a chance to redeem himself by becoming his parents' caregiver. Because Jack wasn't the only one with a disability. His wife, Mary, had become incapacitated with Alzheimer's. It had progressed to the point that she no longer recognized names or faces and was liable to wander the streets in a daze.
And since Robert happened to live across the street from his parents, Jack asked his son to help him and his mom Mary with daily tasks that were difficult for them to perform on their own, like eating or changing their clothes. Jack saw it as a way to keep Robert on the straight and narrow and finally teach his youngest son some responsibility.
Because even though Robert was technically a one-third partner in Corvette Company, everyone knew Michael really did most of the work. The father had always trusted his oldest son through and through.
But now, with the state snooping around Michael's deals at Delicato and the suspicious nature of his new house, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that trouble loomed on the horizon and that even his business was at stake. So he decided to consult someone in the wine business he knew he could trust, someone outside the family.
Anthony Scotto Jr., who you met in episode two, and who, despite being much younger, became one of the grape broker's closest friends. Jack contacted Scotto and told him about the inquiry at Delicato and his concerns about Michael. Actually, more than just told him, he asked for his friend's help.
Jack wanted me to go out and double check Mike's work, and I wouldn't do it. I says, look, Jack, he's your son.
I can't control him. But Jack kept pushing. Come on, couldn't Scotto just ask?
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