Rifkin and Eberts had a troubled partnership that dissolved in a flurry of litigation. Both are now in bankruptcy, and both are being sued by investors who claim they were defrauded. Jeff Elliott, a self-published author from Normal, Ill., alleges that Eberts swindled him out of $600,000 by claiming he would use the money to make a movie out of Elliott's book Rebounding From Death's Door. The movie never got made, and the suit is pending.
None of the lawyers involved in those lawsuits has heard of Macciello, although one of them, Brent Gray, who represents Jeff Elliott, says he'd be leery of any connection. "The association between him and Eberts would raise red flags with me," Gray says.
PHOTO BY TED SOQUI
Joshua Macciello says the Chinese New Year delayed his money transfer.
PHOTO BY TED SOQUI
Joshua Macciello
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Rifkin did not return calls seeking comment. Eberts could not be located.
Macciello also struck up a relationship with George Zakk, a movie producer who has worked with Vin Diesel. According to Zakk, Macciello tried to raise money for several projects, but "nothing came to fruition."
"He was very aggressive, and a big dreamer," Zakk says. "And I mean that in a positive sense."
Through that connection, Macciello says he came into contact with screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct). Macciello established his own film company, which bought an Eszterhas script titled Charisma.
Viktor Kakavas, a partner in the company, says they paid $250,000 for the script. Macciello persuaded a Colorado wealth manager, Don Scott, to put up the bulk of the investment, which Scott verifies. "We invested a lot more than that," he says. The film has not been produced.
Macciello also sought to raise money for a film called Walkaway Joe. That film — which Macciello lists on his bio — never got off the ground, either. The screenwriter, Michael Milillo, says their association was brief and they parted with no hard feelings.
Others on the project had a more jaundiced view.
"I've talked to dozens of jack-offs who say they have money," says Zachary Matz, one of the film's producers. "My read on Macciello, from hearing the stories, is that he never closed. He talked the game, but he never got the elements in place."
Kakavas says his partnership with Macciello ended when Macciello began devoting more and more of his time to gold deals.
"We didn't actually really produce anything," Kakavas says.
Don Scott, who seems to have a lot invested in Macciello's success, is convinced that he has the money to buy the Dodgers. But when asked why none of that money has been put to work making their $15 million movie, he pauses.
"I guess I can't give an answer to that question," he says. "I think Josh is really not focused on the movies at this minute."
Nobody else involved in Macciello's film career knows quite what to make of the Dodger bid. Macciello's father says he learned about it by reading his son's interviews.
"He knows a lot of people in this town," Cruze says. "He can pull together resources. Whether it's true or not — that I cannot tell you."
When Macciello first began touting his interest in the Dodgers, he used a multibillion-dollar gold appraisal to establish his credibility with reporters. By the time of the interview at his house, he was no longer providing it.
"I don't have to show that no more," Macciello says.
The author of the document is Chuck Adkins, a veteran appraiser in Portland, Ore. Reached by phone, he says he does all sorts of appraisals — mostly on homes and commercial buildings — but, he says, he does not specialize in mineral rights. Adkins says he was asked, a couple of years ago, to analyze some gold claims in Arizona, which led to the brief report. He does not consider his report to be an "appraisal." It was just research.
Oddly, Adkins says he doesn't know Macciello. He says he did the report for a company called Golden Oasis.
Asked if his report could be taken as evidence of sufficient wealth to acquire a sports franchise, Adkins says, "It sounds squirrelly to me.
"If they want to find out what it's really worth, they should do an appraisal," he adds.
A search for Golden Oasis turns up a Canadian concern that folded a few years ago and was consolidated into another mining company. Nobody at that company knows anything about Macciello or the Dodgers.
A few hours after the L.A. Weekly called Adkins — and Adkins denied knowing Macciello — the Weekly received an email from Macciello.
"The appraisal company we used says you have called three times today and are getting very upset," he wrote. "These mines are confidential and are not in any way being used for the Dodger deal. I gave you a face-to-face interview a couple of weeks ago and explained that the mines were off-limits and none of your concern.
"If you continue to contact parties I specifically told you were not to be contacted, I will have no other choice but to take legal actions."
In a follow-up phone call, Macciello reiterates that the mines are out of the picture. "I don't own gold no more. I sold it off," he says. "By going and ruffling feathers and talking about gold — that's not your interest."
