employees. Use the 'Report' link on About 30 agents from the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation division, and the United States Secret Service served search warrants about 8 a.m. at the offices of Discovery Builders and the Albert D. Seeno Construction Company, both in the 4000 block of Port Chicago Highway. "I'm not aware of any disciplinary actions involving the Seenos," said Mark Lipparelli, chairman of the Gaming Control Board. He was released on $1 million bail, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Abraham Simmons said. But in 1995, while on a trip to Napa with his wife, Paganetti said he made a discovery that would change the way they operated the Peppermill and their other casino properties forever. When the economy turned sour and other companies were reducing staff, Seeno said they sent a letter to all Seeno Homes employees saying they would not be holding layoffs, reducing salaries or cutting benefits. 2020. Seeno Company never expressed any specific concerns or opposition to the new park during the two-decades-long planning process . The family has an extensive history of breaking laws and cutting corners to get what they want. Seeno -- who apparently views open hills as an open opportunity -- wants to charge in anyway and build 152 luxury houses. The project has the potential to be the citys greatest asset or biggest mistake. Shahid, his wife and others say they have been intimidated and threatened by Seeno family members after the former Discovery Sales vice president decided to testify against the company. My favorite example dates back to the early 1990s, when he purchased a small shopping center in Pleasant Hill. "It was an emotional time," Seeno said. The public overwhelmingly supports the creation of this regional park, district general manager Robert Doyle said. Updated: November 11, 2011 Biography ID: 85367528 But if so, the error goes against a proud company history of barreling ahead regardless. The chemical spraying and other concerns were raised by residents in meetings with city planners on Thursday and Monday. His lawyer, Kent Robison, said the investigation was the result of an investigation into a Bay Area local official, and federal authorities were collecting documents from everyone who had made political donations to that official. Previously, Albert was an Executive Board Member at Friends of Isola delle Femmine and also held positions at Seeno Homes, Sierra Pacific Properties. A lawsuit accused Albert Seeno, Jr. and Albert Seeno III of threatening to kill lobbyist Harvey Whittemore after a business deal went bad. What's your favorite place for morning coffee in East Contra Costa County? Keep it Clean. ft. mansion on the 60-acre hill atop his land. A human being just doesn't need that kind of extravagance. The Albert D. Seeno Construction Co., which Mr. Seeno started in 1938, has built more than 30,000 homes and dozens of shopping. A partnership led by Seenos Discovery Builders along with Lewis Planned Communities and the California Capital and Investment Group won the contract with an earlier City Council. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Save Mount Diablo was supportive of this project for more than a decade, but the decision in August 2021 to make Seeno and partners the master developer threatened to turn what could be a boon for this region into an utter disaster.. In 2004, the Seeno brothers were investigated by Gaming Control Board for associating with outlaw bikers and convicted felons. He estimates he lost $5 million to $10 million in assets. or anything. After his plea, Seeno paid fines and restitution topping $1 million and wrote an apology that was published in the local newspaper, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Bessette, who handled the case. They are dear, dear friends.". until now, after the land use plan has been approved., Powerful East Bay Developers Accused of Extortion, Theft, Threats, Seeno Construction Accused Of Destroying Pittsburg Creek, FBI, IRS, Secret Service Raid Seeno Family Development Offices, Call in Pittsburg to Stop Seeno/ Developer at Center of City Elections, Killing of Endangered Frog Brings Charges / Builder Accused of Draining Ponds, Developer Gets $300 Fine for Destroying Trees, Seeno Firm to Pay $3 Million for Destruction of Habitat in Antioch, Developer a Throwback to Old Days / Al Seeno Has History of Bulldozing Plans Through, Seenos Sued Again in Nevada for Creating Intolerable Working Conditions, Seeno Company Linked to Suspected Southern California Mortgage Fraud Ring, Criminal Complaint Alleging Seeno Company Involved in Kickback Scheme, Seeno Company Accused of Destroying Owl Habitat, Another Former Seeno Employee Pleads Guilty, Agrees to Help Feds, Pittsburg Homeowners Sue Seeno Company Alleging Questionable Sales Tactics, Seeno Family Casino Chain Fined $1 Million over Slot Machine Shenanigans. When the Coyote Springs litigation and allegations emerged in the Mamer Complaint where Brad Mamer alleged Seeno Family stole, threatened and intimidated him as a witness I personally support those allegations. Are they the kind of partner we want? Federal officials declined to comment on the investigation, but Seeno lawyers said they were investigating a corrupt politician, and since the Seenos had made donations to the politician, federal officials were collecting documents. 1999-07-27 04:00:00 PDT CONCORD -- Call me politically incorrect, but my favorite developer is Albert D. Seeno Jr. When he's not rearranging the landscape, Seeno keeps a low profile -- in a high place. The California red-legged frog is a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1996. "And we had chemistry right away," Paganetti said. I wasn't a BeyHive member. "They're very aggressive," says Supervisor Joe Canciamilla from eastern Contra Costa County, who knows the Seenos well from a stint on the Pittsburg City Council. CONCORD, CALIF. Every wall, shelf and cabinet in Albert Seeno Jr.'s office holds memorabilia and photographs that tell the story of a family who arrived in the United States from Italy at the turn of the century and used muscle, smarts and tenacity to become one of the most successful real estate developers in Northern California. Paganetti said he was "pouring coffee at a coffee shop" in 1978 or 1979 when he met Albert Seeno through a mutual friend. "So, when I throw a party, we cook up some ribs and maybe spend $40 or $50, and that includes the barbecue beans," Seeno said. He and Seeno designed a coffee shop to serve the motel units and locals and later bought up a few more acres and built more rooms so they could add slot machines. The suit filed in a Nevada federal court Wednesday, alleging fraud among other things, also names Thomas Seeno, Albert Jr.s brother. The damage to the wetlands was discovered in 2005, when officials with the state Department of Fish and Game and others inspected the area as part of the certification process for the construction, [Liz] Kanter [spokeswoman for the State Water Resources Control Board] said. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, Albert Seeno Jr., developer, Monday September 30,2002. racist or sexually-oriented language. A top sales executive in the Seeno familys home building empire was arrested Monday on suspicion of masterminding a scheme to defraud banks of $150 million and keep the companies afloat during the last housing downturn. About Jacqueline Seeno Homes. Be Nice. . He is an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Statistics for all 18 Albert Seeno results: 64 yrs AVERAGE AGE 43% are in their 40s, while the average age is 64. In its early stages, the project has drawn strong opposition from neighbors, who have accused Seeno of destroying an owl habitat. Paganetti said he was the one who introduced the Seenos to Harvey Whittemore a meeting that happened during one of Paganetti's family events. Concord-based developer Albert Seeno III and Discovery Builders filed a lawsuit alleging the districts proposed Concord Hills Regional Park would negatively affect their planned residential development on an adjacent 606-acre plot. The Albert D Seeno JR Family Fndtn is a private foundation in Concord, CA, which was founded in 2001 and most recently had $60,000 in revenue and no employees. "Seeno Homes: Building the American Dream since 1938" reads a stamp on a visitor badge at their Concord offices, where larger-than-life, black-and-white photographs of Seeno Homes founder Albert Seeno Sr. line the walls next to elaborate works of Oriental art and a glass case holding Gaetano's boat-building tools. Hes asking for more than $3.3 million in his civil case. Seeno III pleaded guilty in 2016 to bank fraud on behalf of his home-marketing company, Discovery Sales, and a Seeno company was fined $1 million by the Nevada Gaming Commission over operations at their Nevada casino facility.. 2019. Outsiders showed up in town gathering signatures for a ballot initiative to eliminate the city's redevelopment agency -- which in turn would quash the city's dreamed-of new downtown. At the top of the hill, nearly hidden from view, is the sprawling mansion of bigtime developer Albert Seeno III. He never expressed a word of fear before.. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Theyre very aggressive, says Supervisor Joe Canciamilla from eastern Contra Costa County, who knows the Seenos well from a stint on the Pittsburg City Council. 1970 EAGLE PEAK AVE contains 18,642 square feet of living area and was built in 2006. The ponds, which had contained a breeding population of the (frogs), were drained, filled in and the nearby creeks were bulldozed, the complaint said. "In our opinion, all of these issues will be decided by the judicial system," Seeno said. Miller created a shell company to funnel funds held in trust from law firms representing the Albert Seeno Construction Company into his own personal accounts, using phony invoices to request that . In the lawsuits, Albert Seeno Jr., 78, accused his son, Seeno III, of erratic behavior, improper spending, and trying to shut his father and uncle out of their own companies, among other allegations. They found millions of dollars pulled out for personal and political uses, Robison said. It is beyond fiction the accusations hes making, and essentially they are garbage. Can I still get Beyonc tickets? In multiple lawsuits, Albert Seeno Jr., 78, accused his son of erratic behavior, improper spending and trying to shut his father and uncle out of their own companies. The neighbors objected to how dust blew over from Seeno's construction site every time there was a strong wind -- which in Reno is all the time. Below are excerpts from the lawsuit brought against the Seenos. Whittemore claims Albert Seeno, Jr. and his son Albert III began threatening him and his family, even sending thugs to their homes to force open a safe filled with jewelry and breaking into a house to steal computer equipment while Albert III waited in a getaway car. The Seenos history shows why they are bad community partners for Concord. . Categories. On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account and purchase a new subscription to continue reading. 2.2 million square feet towards an Innovation District, supporting more than 5,000 new jobs. He conveniently forgot his check book after the hunt; I had to wait three weeks to get paid., He has no chance of winning, Puckett said of the court battle, adding Seeno only wants to cost me money to teach me a lesson., Its his company, and hes not here to take responsibility for what his company has done? the judge asked two attorneys representing the Seeno company. He said he presented his ideas to the Seenos and they decided together to reinvest into the community. In 2018, a Seeno family subcontractor bulldozing land for new housing development on a Patwin tribe burial ground uncovered human remains. The Arivify.com account number for this parcel is CCX-1183700408. And up and up, such as Gateway Tower in Concord. And last summer, his company was fined $1 million after pleading guilty in federal court to destroying the habitat of endangered red-legged frogs at his San Marco project in Pittsburg. Holy Cross Cemetery. Mr. Seeno's father, Gaetano, was an immigrant from Italy who worked, along with thousands of other Italians, as a fisherman in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and Suisun Bay. Total assets. Specifically, his 15,000-square-foot mansion atop a 60-acre hill in Clayton. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Their BuildZoom score of 102 ranks in the top 11% of 336,931 California licensed contractors. We hope that you enjoy our free content. They wouldnt tell us what was being sprayed.. Seeno Construction had a permit to let its contractor bulldoze an old barn and a small house but had been instructed not to touch any trees. The areas top-rated builder, Centex, scored 147 points of a possible score of 160. Don't knowingly lie about anyone "I have never met people who were more honest, who had more integrity or who I would rather have on my team than my two partners," Paganetti said during a rare interview, held in a Peppermill conference room. They invested more than $400 million into the Peppermill property construction handled by Seeno Homes, including adding the Tuscan facades, pools and restaurants, he said. (Contra Costa Times/Bob Larson)2002, 2002 FILE PHOTO--Albert Seeno III (center)listens during a Pittsburg planning commision meeting in Pittsburg, Calif. on Tuesday, August 13, 2002. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism The judge ordered Seeno to remove things like an air-conditioner vent, but the company claimed victory because it didnt have to give the tower a shave. They know what they want, and theyre not shy about going after it.. Sophocles needs a seven!"). A Las Vegas health department has filed notices of violation against the Seenos alleging the Concord familys Nevada golf course illegally installed septic systems, the latest charge in the developers checkered environmental past. They've been criticized for allegedly manipulating local politicians in their East Bay communities and have been named in numerous construction-defect lawsuits. You have permission to edit this article. In an initial complaint filed in August, Albert Seeno Jr., patriarch of the Concord-based building empire known collectively as the Seeno Cos., accused his son, Albert Seeno III, of. ALBERT D. SEENO, III FAMILY FOUNDATION was registered on 12 Jan 2018 as Domestic Nonprofit company type incorporated at 4061 PORT CHICAGO HWY STE H, CONCORD, CA 94520. The Seenos were not accused of wrongdoing in that case, he said. Before you can say "strong-arm," city leaders agreed to let Seeno build the type of project he wanted. 2019. Concord CA 94520 (925) 671-7711 (925) 671-0856; Send Email; Visit Website; Share Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The act was discovered when police stopped two trucks leaving the site at night. In October 2012, Seeno's son, David, approached Puckett to see whether he had any bighorn sheep available to hunt. . 2020. As the Seeno family and current and former associates appear in more and more litigation, sorting out whos who can be difficult. Whittemores attorney declined to comment because of the litigation. "Victor had nothing in his background," Schreck said. "Even as a little kid, he loved building things.". At the conclusion of these threats, (Seeno Jr.) reminded Mr. Whittemore of the threats he had made about murdering his own brother, Thomas Seeno, with his own bare hands and then threatened Mr. Whittemores life and the lives of his entire family if he did not do as he was expressly instructed by Albert Seeno Jr., according to the suit. "I'm in there and thinking holy s--t, and the wheels are turning. CONCORD The Concord City Council set free Albert Seeno III on Saturday, Jan. 28. I made him a good deal for a cash price. The latest example of the Seeno style came last week, when workers bulldozed several oak trees on a hillside south of Pittsburg. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. Initially, the Gaming Control Board prohibited the Seenos from allowing Bustos on any of their casino properties, but the board has since lifted that restriction and he now has permission to be on those premises, Schreck said. n/a. The act was discovered when police stopped two trucks leaving the site at night. Concord-based Seeno Construction Co., which has plans to build 152 homes on the site, received about $300 in fines from county code enforcement for illegally bulldozing the trees. The plaintiffs claim they have each suffered more than $250,000 in damages, as they would not have bought the houses in the Veranda at San Marco development had they been fully aware of a $3,000-plus special assessment. Thank you for reading eight articles this month! Once you've been around for any length of time, you've had some sort of disagreement with them.". Many articles were updated several years after the original publication. Mamer claims they broke the law in support of the racketeering. We'd love to hear eyewitness "Seeno III is a powerful, wealthy man with a history of threatening conduct, and an experienced sharpshooter who also somehow still holds a permit to carry a concealed handgun apparently,". The slopes are grazed by ostrich and llamas. I'd never seen anything like this," Paganetti said. The state Gaming Commission eventually levied a $775,000 fine against Seeno Jr., while Seeno III was fined $25,000. If we don't turn ours into a destination resort, Reno is going to die.". Whittemore countered days later with his own lawsuit that painted the Seenos as a family of gangsters who used thugs and threats of violence to force him to sign over most of his assets. . We appreciate your support. By a 3-2 vote after hours of public comment across two meetings, Seenos Concord First Partners lost its contract to serve as the master developer of 2,275 acres at the former Naval Weapons Station, also known as the Concord Reuse Project. At a closed-door meeting in October 2010, Seeno III threatened Mamer by saying, Brad, the Seeno Way is to bend someone over a saw horse and (expletive) them. Juan Pablo Galvan of Save Mount Diablo said Tuesday, The Term Sheet put forward by Seeno and their partners was inadequate, and that their long record of litigation and controversy made them untrustworthy and unsuitable partners for the Concord Reuse Project. Be Proactive. "But I didn't know what I know now. I call this the spite mansion -- because, as is often the case with our. Rylle Jones, who lives across the street from the site, called police and city hall Thursday morning to report the spraying, and a responding city inspector issued a stop-work order, according to Senior Planner Frank Abejo. Need to hide that sh*t now.. In addition to allegedly using Wingfield funds to purchase property and other goods, Seeno said, Whittemore spent obnoxious amounts of money on events, banquets and parties. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Antioch. Regulators levied a $775,000 fine against Albert D. Seeno Jr., and fined his son, Albert D. Seeno III, $25,000. 2.3 million square feet towards a Campus District, supporting more than 6,000 new jobs. Robison said Mamer was a disgruntled former employee and that assets were transferred to the Seenos from Whittemore voluntarily, to pay back the debt. Seeno III said Thursday the company has an entirely new staff, and now has more oversight. Former Discovery Sales Vice President Ayman Shahidwho will be sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraudassisted federal investigators in their probe of the powerful East Bay familys mortgage business. To avoid incarceration, Albert Seeno made a plea deal, while a senior manager took the blame and went to prison. Harvey has a little different moral compass than the rest of us.". Over the Fourth of July weekend. Log in or create an account and purchase a new subscription to continue reading dates to... Going to die. `` top 11 % of 336,931 California licensed contractors the... Its early stages, the Seeno brothers were investigated by Gaming Control Board for associating with outlaw and! A small shopping center in Pleasant hill 6,000 new jobs they broke law... Uses, Robison said `` ) Jr., and theyre not shy about going after it.. needs. Eventually levied a $ 775,000 fine against Seeno Jr., and fined his son, Albert Jr.! 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