Crescent's Curcio to TSC: 'I Don't Have to Tell You Anything'
By Kambiz Foroohar
Senior News Editor
12/10/98 3:36 PM ET
TheStreet.com today finally tracked down Gene Curcio, the head of Crescent Communications Inc., the company cited by Coyote Network (CYOE:Nasdaq) as its largest customer.
Dun & Bradstreet's business databases, accessed through www.knowx.com, reveal a Crescent Communications at 11 Trade Center, STE 32372, Long Beach, Calif. According to D&B, the company was incorporated in California, founded by Bob Gibson, who was also the company's chief executive. No Gene Curcio is listed. D&B did list a Long Beach, Calif., phone number.
A TSC reporter called that number to speak to Bob Gibson to see if he had heard of Gene Curcio.
Instead, Gene Curcio himself answered the phone. "I do exist," he said in a hoarse voice. In a 15-minute interview, Curcio tried to explain the confusing Securities and Exchange Commission filings by Crescent and said that he had no idea why Coyote had any trouble locating him. As reported in a group of stories yesterday, TSC had asked Coyote for information about Crescent.
Asked today about the address of Crescent, Curcio said his company was based in 1 World Trade Center, Long Beach. "The D&B info is a typo, is wrong. There is no 11 Trade Center."
He did not elaborate on why he has not corrected that error in the D&B filing.
He conceded that he did not actually have an office at 1 World Trade Center, as previously claimed by Coyote. "I have a P.O. box there. I had an office on the 23th floor in 1992, but I have a P.O. box there now."
The landlord at 1 World Trade Center referred TSC to the post office. The post office said it could not comment on P.O. box ownership. No P.O. box is listed in the Nevada incorporation statement that lists Curcio or in the D&B filing.
What about the phone number listed in D&B? "This is my private line," he said.
Curcio said Comdisco (CDO:NYSE) bought equipment from Coyote and "leased it back to me."
As for Bob Gibson? "He left after six months. Can't I let go of people?"
The D&B records are reported to be current through Nov. 2, 1998.
Why did he not return messages left with his phone message service company from TSC? First Curcio said he hadn't gotten any messages from TSC. Then he said that he felt no reason to return such calls. "I don't have to tell you anything," an angry Curcio said. "I am a private company and who are you?"
Curcio said the company was incorporated in Nevada. He declined to answer questions about why D&B listed his company as incorporated in California.
Also, this morning the California Franchise Tax Board said that in 1995 it had suspended the business license of the only Crescent Communications Inc. in its database, because it did not file income tax returns. The board monitors and administers only income taxes. It is not known if this is the same Crescent Communications that Curcio heads.
"I am hard to get hold of and your reporter is no Jim Rockford," Curcio said. What about Coyote's problems in locating him since Coyote is a 20% owner of Crescent Communications?
"Maybe they did not want to tell you that. Why should they talk to you? I know nothing about Coyote or Comdisco," he said, referring to their businesses. "Coyote wanted a steady monthly income and that is why they bought 20% of my company. But I don't know why they couldn't get hold of me."
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