| Orlando Businessman, Partner With Lou Pearlman Commits Suicide |
| Written by Lou Pearlman Writer | |
| Wednesday, 20 September 2006 | |
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Channel 9 has learned a prominent Orlando businessman, who worked closely with music executive Lou Pearlman, took his own life. Frank Vazquez was the vice president of operations for Trans-Continental Companies, owned by Pearlman. Vazquez also was a managing partner in several Church Street Station enterprises, including the Pearl Steakhouse, The Exchange Lounge and News Cafe and The Cigar & Wine Club. Trans-Continental has been under investigation before and, just last week, a state spokesman told Channel 9 they were investigating a savings program offered by the company. All eyes turned toward Pearlman in November when Frankie Vasquez Jr., one of his most-trusted aides, committed suicide. He and Pearlman had grown up in the same apartment building; Pearlman babysat Vasquez, who was seven years younger. They became lifelong associates, with Vasquez becoming, as Pearlman wrote, "an invaluable part of my business." Among other things, Vasquez had been a managing partner at several Church Street businesses, including a steakhouse, a cafe and a cigar-and-wine club. McHale, the court-appointed receiver, speculates that Vasquez became despondent because he discovered "what was actually going on at Church Street, that it's a scam. Like most scams, Mr. Pearlman appears to have run a very good silo program. Each segment of the company only knows what it needs to know. And there's only one person that has the key to opening the scam, and that's him." A fast collapse After Vasquez's suicide, Pearlman's silos began to quickly collapse. The Florida Office of Financial Regulation publicly confirmed its ongoing investigation of Pearlman's empire. By the end of November, Pearlman's EISA stopped withdrawals. Contributed in part by David Lieberman, and Channel 9 Orlando ORLANDO, Fla. -- Channel 9 has learned a prominent Orlando businessman, who worked closely with music executive Lou Pearlman, took his own life.Frank Vazquez was the vice president of operations for Trans-Continental Companies, owned by Pearlman. Vazquez also was a managing partner in several Church Street Station enterprises, including the Pearl Steakhouse, The Exchange Lounge and News Cafe and The Cigar & Wine Club. Trans-Continental has been under investigation before and, just last week, a state spokesman told Channel 9 they were investigating a savings program offered by the company. All eyes turned toward Pearlman in November when Frankie Vasquez Jr., one of his most-trusted aides, committed suicide. He and Pearlman had grown up in the same apartment building; Pearlman babysat Vasquez, who was seven years younger. They became lifelong associates, with Vasquez becoming, as Pearlman wrote, "an invaluable part of my business." Among other things, Vasquez had been a managing partner at several Church Street businesses, including a steakhouse, a cafe and a cigar-and-wine club. McHale, the court-appointed receiver, speculates that Vasquez became despondent because he discovered "what was actually going on at Church Street, that it's a scam. Like most scams, Mr. Pearlman appears to have run a very good silo program. Each segment of the company only knows what it needs to know. And there's only one person that has the key to opening the scam, and that's him." A fast collapse After Vasquez's suicide, Pearlman's silos began to quickly collapse. The Florida Office of Financial Regulation publicly confirmed its ongoing investigation of Pearlman's empire. By the end of November, Pearlman's EISA stopped withdrawals.
Contributed in part by David Lieberman, and Channel 9 Orlando |