By Dick LaFontaine and Rick LaRivière with Richard Luthmann
Adam Hamon, a former New Zealand and UK SAS soldier and now principal of Milford, Connecticut-based Regiment Security, is no stranger to high-stakes situations.
But earlier this year, Hamon took on an entirely different mission: tracking down and serving legal papers to Guy Cardinale, a man suspected of being one of America’s most notorious fraudsters, operating under the alias Frank Rossi.
Cardinale, a six-time convicted felon with a sordid history of scams and cooperation with federal authorities, was unmasked after years of fraudulent activity in both corporate and legal spheres.
This exposé was first broken by investigative journalist Frank Parlato on The Frank Report, with further revelations discussed by Michael Volpe and Richard Luthmann on The Unknown Podcast.
The Legal Pursuit
Hamon’s role was pivotal in serving court papers on Cardinale, who owes over $300,000 in unpaid legal fees to Richard Luthmann. Luthmann, a former Staten Island attorney, represented Cardinale in multiple civil cases, only to be left “holding the bag” when Cardinale turned informant for federal authorities and implicated Luthmann in a politically motivated federal case.
In an affidavit filed in Luthmann v. Hanks, pending in New York Supreme Court before Justice Louis Nock, Hamon meticulously documented how he tracked down and personally served Cardinale at his New York apartment on February 22, 2024.
“I know the person who I served to be Guy Cardinale based on my prior research and my identification through attached pictures. From my research, I know Guy Cardinale to go by the alias Frank Rossi,” Hamon affirmed in his March 2024 affidavit.
Who Is Guy Cardinale?
Cardinale’s criminal résumé is extensive. His scams include defrauding insurance companies by submitting fake life insurance policies to collect upfront commissions and orchestrating elaborate scrap metal fraud schemes.
One infamous incident involved shipping containers filled with concrete and topped with a thin layer of copper wire to China, netting him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Investigative journalist Frank Parlato uncovered that Cardinale had rebranded himself as Frank Rossi, presenting himself as the polished CEO of Vanhook Global Partners. The company claimed to manage $1.8 billion in assets from a prestigious address at 1 World Trade Center. However, further investigation revealed this to be a virtual office rented for $350 a month, with no evidence of actual business activities.
The FBI Connection: A Handler’s Role in Fraud
Richard Luthmann has alleged that Cardinale’s fraudulent activities were not only tolerated but facilitated by his FBI handler, Special Agent Paul Tambrino. Tambrino allegedly ran Cardinale as an informant during federal sting operations, including United States v. Paul Burnell, despite knowing about his ongoing scams.
“This guy, Guy Cardinale, might be the greatest con artist that ever lived,” Luthmann said on The Unknown Podcast. “He was working for the feds while committing fraud. The FBI New York Field Office is complicit in his crimes.”
Luthmann further alleged that during the Government’s case against him, Special Agent Tambrino threatened a former girlfriend of Cardinale who discovered his real identity, pressuring her to remain silent about facts that would have derailed the Luthmann prosecution.
A Political Hit Job?
Luthmann’s accusations don’t stop at the FBI. He claims his conviction was part of a politically motivated attack orchestrated by Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon and his wife, Judy McMahon, a New York Supreme Court Justice.
According to Luthmann, attorney Bruce Baron, a McMahon ally, knowing Cardinale’s past, walked him into the Eastern District of New York’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, ensuring that Cardinale’s cooperation would be used to remove the political threat Luthmann posed.
Luthmann says he had the goods on the McMahons, who had teamed up to pad prosecution stats through bogus “rubber-stamped” warrants in the short-lived Staten Island Special Narcotics Part. Luthmann says he was set to expose the scam, but the McMahons and their allies used Cardinale to secure a “contract hit” federal prosecution against him.
“This was a lawfare operation by the New York Democratic Party. The FBI NYC Field Office was their instrument. Guy Cardinale was their weapon,” Luthmann said. “He owes me over $300,000 in legal fees, and instead of paying up, he framed me to save his own skin with help from the McMahon Crime Family and its associates.”
Luthmann was ultimately sentenced to prison by the late Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Jack Weinstein, who presided over the “Mafia Cops” case, among many others in his storied career.
But not before many of the Government’s far-fetched allegations against Luthmann were laughed out of court.
“I believe Moira Kim Penza, the lead prosecutrix, should be brought in and questioned by Oversight. This all happened on her watch. She knew or should have known what was going on. She looked the other way. There are even allegations that she was shtupping the lead FBI Agent in the Keith Raniere case. That NYC FBI Field Office is a viper’s nest of corruption, and ambitious, ethically-challenged prosecutors enabled them,” Luthmann said.
The Questions Cardinale, Tambrino, and the FBI Won’t Answer
The revelations have sparked serious questions for both Cardinale and his FBI handler, Special Agent Paul Tambrino.
According to several sources, FBI Special Agent Paul Tambrino gave Cardinale a “Get Out of Jail Free” card in the form of a letter. Cardinale, a skilled con artist, milked it for all that it was worth.
According to our investigation, the letter enabled Cardinale to join Alliant, one of the top five largest commercial retail insurance brokerage firms in the U.S., as a Vice President despite neither Cardinale nor Frank Rossi holding a valid insurance license.
Cardinale hung around Alliant for about a year, made no sales, and took approximately $300,000 in draw that he never returned. They showed him the door after Alliant realized that Cardinale was a DEADBEAT, making no sales in a year.
But that didn’t stop Cardinale from pulling the same scam with NFP Property & Casualty Services, Inc., who hired him in September 2020. He bilked them for another couple hundred thousand in draw that was never repaid.
Cardinale had previously been convicted of felony insurance fraud.
Cardinale also skipped out on a small fortune in renting a million-dollar home in Rumson, New Jersey.
This case raises serious issues about corruption in the New York FBI Field Office and federal oversight. In our communications, we included several powerful members of Congress with oversight roles.
Neither Cardinale/Rossi nor Tambrino/NYC FBI Field Office has answered our inquiries as of press time:
For Frank Rossi (aka Guy Cardinale):
------- Forwarded Message -------
From: Rick LaRivière <RickLaRiviere@proton.me>
Date: On Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 10:02 AM
Subject: Questions for Frank Rossi (Suspected to Be Guy Cardinale)
To: francisgrossi4@gmail.com <francisgrossi4@gmail.com>
CC: frankiepressman@protonmail.com <frankiepressman@protonmail.com>, frankparlato@gmail.com <frankparlato@gmail.com>, mthomasnast@protonmail.com <mthomasnast@protonmail.com>, RALafontaine@protonmail.com <ralafontaine@protonmail.com>
Dear Mr. Frank Rossi,We are investigative journalists trying to get to the bottom of the relationship between Frank Rossi and Guy Cardinale, as reported by Frank Parlato on the Frank Report:
Would you be so kind as to answer these questions?
Regarding the Vanhook Global Partners Website:
1. Why was the Vanhook Global Partners website taken down immediately after Frank Parlato’s article was published?
2. Was this removal an attempt to avoid scrutiny or to distance yourself from allegations made in the article?
3. Can you provide evidence to substantiate the claims made on the Vanhook website, such as managing $1.8 billion in global business and $150 million in “complex markets”?
4. The website listed team members who have denied any association with your company. Can you explain why their names were used without permission?
5. If Vanhook is legitimate, why was its online presence so sparse and lacking in verifiable details?About Your Identity as Guy Cardinale:
6. Are you willing to address the widely reported allegations that you are, in fact, Guy Cardinale, a convicted fraudster?
7. You and Cardinale share identical physical characteristics, birthdates, and criminal histories. How do you explain this?
8. If you deny being Cardinale, can you provide documentation to confirm your identity as Frank Rossi?
9. Are you aware of ongoing investigations into your alleged fraudulent activities under both identities?Allegations Raised in Frank Parlato’s Article:
10. Is it true that Vanhook Global Partners operates solely as a virtual office and has no physical premises or actual staff?
11. What is your response to allegations that Vanhook’s operations were a front to lure vulnerable high-net-worth individuals into financial schemes?
12. Frank Parlato’s article alleges your LinkedIn profile contained fabricated credentials, including degrees from Yale and NYU. Can you provide proof of your educational and professional background?
13. Are the allegations about your prior fraudulent activities, including insurance scams and shipping container fraud, accurate?
14. Did you use Vanhook Global as a continuation of the fraudulent practices alleged during your time as Guy Cardinale?Previous Fraudulent Activities as Guy Cardinale:
15. Are you prepared to address accusations of orchestrating scrap metal fraud by shipping containers filled with concrete disguised as valuable scrap metal?
16. Did you create fake insurance policies to collect advance commissions, as alleged in multiple reports?
17. How do you respond to accusations that you implicated others, such as Richard Luthmann, in your schemes to evade prosecution?
18. Can you account for the financial harm caused to your alleged victims, and have you made any restitution?Regarding FBI Handler Special Agent Paul Tambrino:
19. What was the nature of your relationship with Special Agent Paul Tambrino? Did he provide you with your new identity and Social Security Number?
20. Did Tambrino knowingly shield you from prosecution for ongoing crimes while you cooperated as an FBI informant?
21. Allegations suggest Tambrino coerced witnesses, including a former girlfriend of yours, to remain silent about your identity and actions. Were you aware of this?
22. Did you provide false or misleading information to the FBI as part of your informant role under Tambrino’s supervision?
23. Were you ever directed or encouraged by Tambrino to participate in FBI sting operations, such as United States v. Paul Burnell? If so, what was your role?
24. How do you respond to claims that your cooperation with the FBI allowed you to continue engaging in fraudulent activities with impunity?Future Business Activities and Accountability:
25. Given the mounting allegations, do you plan to continue operating under the name Frank Rossi or rebrand again?
26. Are you willing to allow independent auditors or investigators to review Vanhook Global Partners’ financial records and operations to verify your claims?
27. What assurances can you provide to potential investors or clients regarding the legitimacy of your business practices?
28. Have you been contacted by federal authorities regarding the allegations raised in Parlato’s article, and if so, how have you responded?General Closing Questions:
29. Is there anything you would like to clarify or refute regarding the allegations made by Frank Parlato?
30. Do you deny any involvement in the alleged crimes or misconduct detailed in the article and beyond?
31. How do you respond to calls for federal investigations into your activities as both Frank Rossi and Guy Cardinale?
32. Are you willing to take legal action against Frank Parlato if his claims are false? If not, why?
33. Do you acknowledge wrongdoing of any kind in relation to your alleged fraudulent activities, identity, or misuse of informant status?
34. We have multiple witnesses who gave us the attached letter and said that you presented it to them after Frank Rossi's identity as Guy Cardinale was revealed. They said you said you were in "Witness Protection" and "Protected By The FBI." Is this letter genuine and did you make those representations?Please do not hesitate to contact us with answers to these questions to establish a clear factual record.
Thanks,
Rick LaRivière
Independent Journalist
Follow Me On Substack
For FBI Special Agent Paul Tambrino:
From: Rick LaRivière <RickLaRiviere@proton.me>
Date: On Thursday, December 5th, 2024 at 10:19 PM
Subject: Urgent Questions Regarding Handling of Guy Cardinale (aka Frank Rossi)
To: anubis2a@aol.com <anubis2a@aol.com>, c.tambrino@hotmail.com <c.tambrino@hotmail.com>, pstambrino@gmail.com <pstambrino@gmail.com>, pstambrino1@gmail.com <pstambrino1@gmail.com>, singlestill@aol.com <singlestill@aol.com>, pstambrino@fbi.gov <pstambrino@fbi.gov>
CC: frankiepressman@protonmail.com <frankiepressman@protonmail.com>, mthomasnast@protonmail.com <mthomasnast@protonmail.com>, RALafontaine@protonmail.com <ralafontaine@protonmail.com>, mgreene@house.gov <mgreene@house.gov>, jjordan@house.gov <jjordan@house.gov>, mediainqueries@fightwithkash.com <mediainqueries@fightwithkash.com>, nmalliotakis@house.gov <nmalliotakis@house.gov>, lily.zafaranloo@mail.house.gov <lily.zafaranloo@mail.house.gov>, frankparlato@gmail.com <frankparlato@gmail.com>Dear FBI Special Agent Paul Tambrino,
We are journalists investigating allegations involving the NY Office of the FBI’s handling of convicted felon Guy Cardinale, also known as Frank Rossi, during his time as an informant (which we believe may still be ongoing) and beyond.
Guy Cardinale, a six-time felon, has a long history of fraud and deception. He orchestrated scrap metal scams by filling shipping containers with cheap materials disguised as valuable goods, created fake companies with forged documents, and defrauded insurance firms for personal gain. Cardinale has also been accused of running financial scams under the alias Frank Rossi, catfishing women online, and using his informant status with the FBI to evade accountability while continuing his criminal activities. Allegations of coercion, witness intimidation, and possible involvement in child exploitation further darken his record.
Specifically, there are claims implicating you and the New York FBI Office in enabling or protecting Cardinale’s fraudulent activities, as well as allegations of misconduct in how witnesses and informants were handled. These issues warrant transparency and clarity. Below are detailed questions for your response:
Cardinale’s Role as an Informant and FBI Oversight
Was Guy Cardinale (aka Frank Rossi) utilized by you or the New York FBI Office as an informant for sting operations, such as in United States v. Burnell? If so, what was the scope of his involvement?
Were you or your office aware of Cardinale’s alleged ongoing frauds and misconduct while he was an active informant?
What safeguards were in place to prevent Cardinale from exploiting his status as an informant to commit further crimes?
Did the FBI investigate whether Cardinale was using his informant role to defraud or manipulate individuals, including alleged victims in his scrap metal and financial scams?
Did you issue the attached letter?
Did you give license for Cardinale to use said letter to further his criminal designs?
Allegations of Witness Intimidation and Coercion
It has been alleged that you threatened a former girlfriend of Cardinale who discovered his true identity, pressuring her to remain silent during the Luthmann/Padula prosecution. How do you respond to these claims?
Were any other witnesses or associates of Cardinale pressured, coerced, or threatened to withhold information about his activities?
If these allegations are true, what was the rationale for such actions, and were they approved by your superiors?
Did you or anyone in the New York FBI Office suppress evidence or discourage complaints about Cardinale to maintain his informant status?
Extent of Cardinale’s Misconduct
Cardinale has been implicated in various schemes, including fraudulent shipping container sales, fake corporate entities, and financial scams under his alias Frank Rossi. To what extent were you aware of these activities?
Were reports of Cardinale’s alleged pedophilia, including potential involvement in child pornography, ever brought to your attention? If so, what actions were taken?
Were you or anyone in the New York FBI Office aware of Cardinale’s alleged use of fake social media accounts to engage in catfishing and other manipulative activities?
How do you reconcile these allegations with the decision to use him as a federal informant?
Connection to the Luthmann/Padula Case
Did Cardinale play a direct role in the United States v. Paul Burnell sting operation or the Luthmann/Padula prosecution? If so, what was his role, and how was his credibility evaluated?
Were concerns raised within the FBI or by external parties about Cardinale’s involvement in these cases?
Allegations suggest that evidence in the Luthmann/Padula case was manipulated or fabricated, potentially with Cardinale’s involvement. Were you or the New York FBI Office aware of these allegations, and how were they addressed?
Allegations of FBI Misconduct
Allegations have surfaced that you and the New York FBI Office engaged in misconduct to shield Cardinale from prosecution for ongoing crimes. How do you respond?
Was Cardinale protected due to his informant status, despite evidence of ongoing fraudulent activity?
Were there any directives from higher authorities, such as the Department of Justice, to prioritize Cardinale’s cooperation over holding him accountable for new crimes?
Did Cardinale’s alleged participation in scams under his alias Frank Rossi occur while he was still actively cooperating with the FBI?
Internal FBI Corruption Allegations
Allegations suggest systemic corruption within the New York FBI Office, with claims that your handling of Cardinale was politically motivated or aligned with specific agendas. How do you address these allegations?
Were decisions regarding Cardinale influenced by political pressures or connections to figures such as Michael McMahon or his judicial allies?
Did individuals like Bruce Baron, Dennis Quirk, or other political operatives play a role in guiding Cardinale’s cooperation with the FBI?
Accountability and Transparency
What internal reviews or investigations have been conducted regarding your handling of Cardinale as an informant?
Will you release internal communications, reports, or records related to Cardinale’s activities and informant status to clarify these allegations?
In hindsight, do you believe the FBI’s reliance on Cardinale was justified, considering his extensive criminal history and allegations of continued misconduct?
Finally, you are an FBI SPECIAL AGENT. What makes you so SPECIAL?
Special Agent Tambrino, these questions address deeply concerning allegations that go beyond one individual and speak to systemic issues within the FBI. Your prompt and transparent response will be critical in ensuring accountability and restoring public trust.
Thanks,
Rick LaRivière
Independent Journalist
Follow Me On Substack
Hamon’s Role in Unmasking Cardinale
As the legal pursuit of Cardinale continues, Hamon’s work underscores the importance of diligence in exposing fraud. Drawing from his SAS training and investigative expertise, Hamon pieced together years of evidence to identify Cardinale, ensuring that justice could take its course.
“Cardinale is a world-class fraudster, but he’s not invincible,” Hamon said. “It’s about accountability, and it’s about time.”
The case against Cardinale, now unfolding in New York Supreme Court, may finally bring closure to those he has wronged.
For now, thanks to Adam Hamon, Frank Parlato, and others like them, the man behind the mask has nowhere left to hide.
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