Thus Spake Terry Valenti

Terry Valenti called in to Shredd and Ragan on WEDG 103.3-FM, and the audio of that call was played on air Thursday morning. Here is the summary of what he said:

  • He denies owing anyone any money.
  • When asked whether a check was bounced off Frank Budwey, he replied, “yes and no”, and accuses Budwey of taking an unsigned check off the counter despite them having paid him cash.
  • Valenti claims that they moved in Sept. 26th, and that the deal was for free rent for October, November, and December. In early January, Budwey demanded rent for December. They had a dispute, and Budwey asked Valenti to “just give me something.” They paid him some cash and claim to have the receipt.
  • Lori was arrested and bailed out soon thereafter, and she has an attorney assisting her.
  • Valenti never talked to Janice Okun about anything – Lori did, and his PR people did.
  • He claims that the Iron Chef thing is all a big misunderstanding. He did a “mock Iron Chef” in Florida, and backdated it to 2003 for some reason that I didn’t comprehend.  The audio of him blatantly claiming to Channel 7 to have appeared on Iron Chef America was played for him, and he said that he “shouldn’t have said it like that.”
  • He admits that he never attended the CIA, and that he lied in 2007 on an application to get a job.
  • He says he’s trying to come clean because he’s put his business and his employees in a “predicament”.
  • Valenti claims he wanted to just open up a little restaurant, and he hired a marketing company that took the lies that he told a Florida reporter and used that information to puff the North Tonawanda venture.
  • Did he work at Mamma Leone’s? He says he worked at _a_ Mamma Leone’s in New York City. He denies working for _the_ Mamma Leone’s. There is no evidence of another Mamma Leone’s existing in New York City – indeed, for an Italian Restaurant to do so would be a blatant violation of every intellectual property law and theory I can think of.  He said there were “twenty” Mamma Leones in New York City. That is as blatant a lie as saying you’re a Hell’s Angel, or an Iron Chef winner, or a CIA graduate.
  • Mr. Valenti claims to understand the blowback against him, and finally denies ever claiming that he was a member of the Hell’s Angels. This audio right here puts the lie to that (audio NSFW).


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Email me at buffalopundit[at]gmail.com

18 comments

  • Give ’em enough rope, and they’ll hang themselves…..

    Isn’t that the truth!

  • Friend of a "Friend"

    Give ‘em enough rope and they’ll lie and say it’s gold… then sell it on Craigslist… and then threaten to beat up the buyer when they want their money back.

  • I would assume that was a very scary phone call to get by 2 ranting lunatics. Those POOR people had to have been very frightened for their lives.

  • Maybe we should all mail them some rope and see. Maybe Lori will through it through the restaurant door.

  • Listening to Valenti, the sad thing is that even when admitting to the lies, he was still lying.

    I almost did a spit take with my morning tea when he made the claim about there being “20 Mamma Leone’s in New York” and he didn’t work at the “famed one” he worked at another one. —No. There was only one Mamma Leone’s. I dined there a lot when I was a kid.

    When admitting he was not on Iron Chef he said that somehow a “mock competition” he did in Florida was blown “out of proportion.” —Most likely because he himself perpetuated the story to Channel 7, and Lori and his “PR” company repeated the story to Ms. Okun.

    Like the snowball on Rocky & Bullwinkle, it just keeps growing and growing…

  • From What I gather from his statement Alan, is he said Iron Chef in 2003 because he knew it wasn’t in existance then, he said it for legal reasons. So if anyone questioned him, he could say “I said in 2003”.

    What it REALLY means is he’s so moronic he didn’t investigate when IC first aired.

  • What the Food Network breeds – Pseudo Chefs thinking they are Guy Fieri. As if anyone would want to emulate that tool. Most of the professional culinary folks I know – and I know a few, don’t refer to themselves as Chefs – they are cooks. And their work is a passion – they don’t give a hoot what they are called. Your food should stand on it’s own. Period. All of the posturing is such a waste of time.

  • Alan? Why are you so focused on this? We have elected officials that take credit for items they don’t have a clue about and mislead our community. Basically no different than what this restaurant’s PR person and owners did.

    Why the beef with them?

  • Because I hate people who lie on their resumes and take advantage of unsuspecting victims.

  • I think it goes WAYYY beyound lying on a resume. The unsuspecting victims list is growing as well.

  • Next thing, Terry will say it was not the Iron Chef, it was the Iron Sheik!

  • It grows more and more every day across the country. WOW I can actually SAY across the country in EACH direction. Maybe why Alan is so focused on them is because they are Con Artists, Scam Artists whatever you want to call them. THEY actually SEEK out and destroy people. Perhaps if it was a first time thing however, these people have done this is OTHER STATES… States not just one state but more states. They lie and cheat and hurt people. They steal personal information and use it, they harass people and threaten people so no one will step up. GUESS WHAT A couple people were NOT afraid and stood up anyway. And now that it is CLEAR the threats of “I’m a Hells Angels, and I will send them all after you” is proves BS I bet more people will step up.

    THEY are a National Nuisance

  • Because I hate people who lie on their resumes and take advantage of unsuspecting victims ~ Alan Bedenko
    ——————————-

    Yet you support the candidates the Local Erie County Democratic Party endorses.

  • Judging by the plethora of liens against Terry Valenti on Erie county public record dated 2002 and 2004 (as documented in the comments of the much commented blog), I find it extremely unlikely that he moved to Florida just during 2003 where he had a magical opportunity to participate in a mock-iron-chef competition against Bobby Flay and then returned to Buffalo to continue to defraud people/companies in Erie county in 2004… Just sayin’.

  • Alan.The young man who is showing great compassion for famed chef terry v. Is also his OLDER brother.i must admit that no matter what someone does blood is thicker than water.

  • Tony is Terrys brother!

  • @Alan Bedenko: Could you please email me… slavebaby2karma@gmail.com …TY

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