While some fans sugarcoat the blatant child exploitation, accusing Howard Mann instead, this blog will call spade a spade in hopes that the raw criticism may provide the Jackson Family, particularly Mama Kate, with a bolt of common sense that has been amiss.
Before covering the child exploitation by Michael’s “perfection”, let's look at the
2 deceitful companies- Vintage Pop and Heal The World Foundation- for which
Mrs Jackson has undermined her late son, exploited her underage grandchildren and become adversarial with the Estate Executors who are litigating BOTH companies for stealing from Paris, Prince & Blanket. And the children are
Mann & Johnson hope to gain leverage against the Estate by making it appear to public as if Michael’s kids are on their side! They presume that fans will support any deal....IF they are endorsed by Katherine, revered by MJ fans, and MJ kids for whom we would give the shirts off of our backs. That’s exactly what Mann & Johnson are counting on!
What some of you might not know is that Michael fought 14 years to get back his memorabilia that Howard Mann is marketing. Mann is NOT trying to sell just the memorabilia that was confiscated ILLEGALLY, oh no, he has long term plans, he aspires to exploit Michael's image/likeness. This is the whole reason Mann bought Vintage Pop after Michael's death. The business plan that Mann executes (SecretJacsonVault.com) is the very business plan MICHAEL opposed and sued in 2004. By aiding Mann, Katherine is blatantly undermining her son. By supporting business deals by Mann, fans would be undermining MJ.
Howard Mann, Katherine Jackson and Melissa Johnson are bonded together with a business venture which enables all 3 to profit! Howard Mann and Melissa Johnson signed a contract, in 2009, which mandates that Johnson will help Mann promote his business projects (one of which is Katherine’s Never Can Say GoodBye so-called book). In return, Mann pays %33 of profits to Melissa Johnson and %33 of profits to Katherine.
In addition, Mann aided Johnson in retaining the much needed attorney for whom she pleaded donations from MJ fans. Howard Mann helped Melissa Johnson in retaining attorney Edgar Pease to represent her against MJ Estate. Edgar Pease was also
Howard Mann & Henry Vaccaro’s attorney. Who is Henry Vaccaro?
The man who originally hijacked Jackson memorabilia.
Howard Mann bought the memorabilia from Vaccaro.
NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE: THE KATHERINE JACKSON STORY
Michael Jackson NEVER ripped off his fans. Everything he marketed to his fans, from books to albums to concerts, he delivered his A game. After his death, his family exploit Michael's name and the grief of his fans. 'Never Can Say GoodBye' is a total rip-off!
It was advertised that this "book" would deliver never seen before pictures of Michael
and an intimate stories by Katherine. The "seen-seen-before-photos" have been available on Internet. The "book" is rife with inaccuracies pertaining to names, dates and events. Even the captions of photos are wrong, misidentifying Jacksons. There is no way Katherine "collaborated" this "book". Howard Mann and Sonia Lowe prepared the contents and stamped Katherine's name.
Michael was very selective on the quality of things with his name on. It is unbecoming
of his mother to allow her name be used to exploit the grieving fans.
HOW DID HOWARD MANN COME TO OWN
JACKSON MEMORABILIA?
Jacksons stored an array of memorabilia in a storage unit, which was in Tito's name
but Katherine paid the $650/month for the rent. The storage unit held costumes, Neverland Ranch deed, private photos, videos of Jackson 5 performances, Michael Jackson sketches, unreleased MJ demo tapes, his gold record award for the 'Thriller' album & other awards, sealed MJ court documents, fan mails, private medical contracts, etc. These items were planned to be displayed in Jackson Family museum.
1991– Jackson Communications Company is formed, headed by Jermaine Jackson, with the idea of a Jackson family themed restaurant chain in mind. The company also wanted to set up an entertainment complex in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
1992- Kramer Guitar, owned by Henry Vaccaro, went into bankruptcy. Jackson Communications signed a contract to buy Kramer Guitar for $1.5 million.
1994- Jackson Communications closes
1994-Kramer Guitar sues and wins a judgment of $1.5 million but the Jackson Family stated they couldn’t pay because they had no assets. The lawsuit litigated 8 of the Jackson Family, Michael, Janet and Latoya were NOT named in the lawsuit. Vaccaro stated that the Jacksons only paid $200,000 of the $1.5 million owed.
1998- It had been 4 years since he was granted a judgment of $1.5 million. Vaccaro retains a private detective, Frank Coonies, to hunt for Jackson assets. Coonies detects Rolls Royce cars parked at Jackson Home, Hayvenhurst.
September, 1998- Federal marshals seize a 1984 Rolls Royce from Hayvenhurst.
December, 1998- Federal marshals return to Hayvenhurst, cut through the iron-gate, confiscated another Rolls Royce & a grand piano that Michael used to compose Thriller.
Michael wasn't named in the lawsuit, so his piano was seized illegally.
The property seized was music to Vaccaro's ears. But still, the property value didn't amount to the money he was owed. This is when Vaccaro devised an underhanded plot!
HENRY VACCARO SCHEME THAT JACKSON FAMILY FELL FOR
Frank Coonies arranged for company that issues rebate checks to mail $50 rebate checks to the members of Jackson Family. The checks were a TRAP!
"Three of the Jacksons cashed the checks." ~HENRY VACCARO
The canceled checks were returned to Frank Coonies, along with the bank account numbers into which the checks were cashed. Vaccaro's lawyer subpoenaed the bank accounts. One of those bank accounts was KATHERINE JACKSON. Vaccaro team noticed a recurring check every month in the amount of $650.
Vaccaro Team paid a visit to the address where $650 checks were going every month. Vaccaro just discovered the storage unit, holding the Jackson memorabilia.
January 19, 1999 Federal marshals seized the possession of the storage unit.
February 8, 1999 Jermaine filed bankruptcy
February 26, 1999 Tito filed bankruptcy
March 1, 1999 Katherine & Joe filed bankruptcy
The property that was seized from Jackson home and storage unit was to be turned to bankruptcy court. Henry Vaccaro's joy was short-lived.
"Everything we collected, we had to give back. I was devastated."
~HENRY VACARRO
December, 1999- Michael offered to buy back one of the Rolls Royces & his piano
for $20,000.
December 28, 1999- Vaccaro filed an objection to potential sale to Michael, arguing that the bankruptcy court has an obligation to the creditors to generate as much money as possible. Judge agreed and the sale to Michael was denied. But Michael's attorney was successful in enforcing that the advertisement for the sale of the 2 Rolls Royces would NOT mention that they were owned by Michael.
April 18, 2000- Bankruptcy judge ordered for the memorabilia to be sold at an auction.
Court appointed Byron Moldo as trustee for the Jacksons who filed bankruptcy. Jacksons valued the contents of the storage unit to be $20,000. The storage fee amounted to $50,000. Moldo offered a deal to Jacksons that if they paid the storage fee, the memorabilia would be returned to them. Jacksons couldn't agree on which one of them should pay the storage fee. Jacksons even called in
a mediator to help resolve the dispute but no agreement could be reached. Jacksons missed their opportunity to retain their priceless memorabilia.
"It's the largest private collection in the world of Michael Jackson. A lot of intimate letters going back and forth. There's a letter from Joe Jackson to the producers of the Victory Tour book, where he approved the photographs of his children, but he wanted their skin tones to be 20 to 30 percent lighter in the finished product. That surprised me. There's also a letter from Mrs. Jackson complaining to the Jehovah's Witness Fellowship, because evidently they must have expelled Michael, and she's really giving them Hell."
"It's crazy how they could let a complete stranger get all their personal possessions"
~HENRY VACCARO
December 10, 2001- Jackson trustee, Byron Moldo, notified the court that he was going to sell the contents of the storage at an auction.
December 15, 2001- Henry Vaccaro, unaware of the impending auction, calls his lawyer to inquire about the memorabilia. Vaccaro lawyer called Byron Moldo who said that he was "fed up with the Jacksons."
Moldo informs Vaccaro lawyer of the auction and states that if Henry Vaccaro pays $85,000 ($60,000 storage, $25,000 legal fees), he would request the judge that the memorabilia be sold to Henry Vaccaro. Vacarro sent the money to Moldo.
Bankruptcy court was required to hold an auction to see if anyone could bid higher.
January 10, 2002- Vaccaro was the only bidder at the auction. He was awarded the Jackson memorabilia, including items belonging to Janet and Michael were also among the storage contents.
Henry Vaccaro sets up a pay-per-view website called Vintage Pop Media. On the website, Vacarro displays Jackson memorabilia, including Michael's, along with his likeness and name. He plans to auction the items.
March 2004- MICHAEL SUES HENRY VACCARO, VINTAGE POP & JACKSONVAULT.COM (MJ petition here)
"Defendants, as part of their scheme to commercially exploit the Jackson name and identity, wrongfully registered and are utilizing cybersquatted domain names in conjunction with their pay-per-view website including but not limited to…..JacksonVault.com and TheJacksonVault.com……Unless the Defendants’ scheme is stopped, Jackson will be permanently deprived of his rightful and irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind property and Defendants will continue to invade Jackson’s privacy and wrongfully exploit Jackson’s name and likeness."
"In the course of the Bankruptcy proceedings, the court granted an order approving the LIMITED sale of the personal property of Bankruptcy Estate. THE COURT ORDER SPECIFIED THAT THE PROPERTY OF THIRD PARTIES (*those of Janet & Michael) COULD NOT BE TRANSFERRED. THE COURT DID NOT INCLUDE THE TRANSFER OF ANY RIGHTS TO PROPERTY OF JACKSON. NEVERTHELESS, DEFENDANTS KNOWINGLY AND IN VIOLATION OF COURT ORDER, ALSO TOOK POSSESSIONS OF JACKSON PROPERTY."
“Michael is outraged that someone would be attempting to sell his personal private property they don't have any right to, just as anybody else would be.We're going to do everything in our power to ensure that the property is returned to him.”
~BRIAN WOLF, Michael Jackson attorney
March 2004-Conveniently, Vaccaro claims that he sold the Jackson memorabilia to a European buyer. Did he really or was he lying?
March 2004- After receiving word from Diane Dimond that Vacarro may have “various items of potential interest”, Tom Sneddon requests that some of the items to be given to the Santa Barbara DA's office.
March 2004- Vaccaro threatens Michael!
"I'm gonna fight like Hell! If this is what he feels he has to do to improve him image, come after me! Maybe the world is going to know about the sex objects we found in there." ~HENRY VACCARO
April 2004- Judge grants a temporary restraining order against Henry Vaccaro, barring him from selling any of Michael Jackson's personal possessions, using his name, image and likeness.
Jan 13, 2005 Vacarro wrote to Tom Sneddon that he believes the only reason Michael and Janet are suing him is because, he has items that may be damaging to Michael Jackson in his 2005 criminal case.
2005- Vaccaro files a motion to get back the memorabilia items and wins.
So Vaccarro did NOT sell the memorabilia to a “European Buyer”, HE LIED!
2006- After his trial acquittal, Michael moves to Bahrain. Fed up with everything, Michael fails to give a deposition and stopped paying for his lawyers. Vaccaro’s l means that Michael couldn't sue Vaccaro again for the possession of his memorabilia (Double Jeopardy: a person can not be litigated over the same matter twice).
2006- Vacarro claims he sold the memorabilia to Universal Express, whose president is Richard Altomare.
May 2007- Universal Express plans to execute an auction on May 30 & May 31 at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas to sell Jackson memorabilia.
“Mr Jackson was not aware and he is extremely upset that his memorabilia was included amongst the memorabilia that is being auctioned off.” ~RAYMONE BAIN
May 17, 2007- Richard Altomare threatens Michael that if Michael sues Universal Express, he would release damaging material. Altomare also states that he intends to sell unreleased Michael Jackson material to Sony. Michael's attorney warn Altomare that the recordings are under copyright protection.
"There are a couple of paintings Jackson made of naked boys. And there are some of his whitening creams, some sex aids...some of the old records in his sealed court case. This is stuff we have kept from the auction out of respect to Mr. Jackson. The guy has troubles. We all have skeletons in the closet and, if Michael hadn't put up a fuss, I might have quietly, discreetly, just given it to him. I'm a gentleman...but if he pisses me off, I may end up auctioning them." ~RICHARD ALTOMARE
Michael and Universal Express reached an agreement: Michael allows the auction to proceed, Universal Express will return some items back to Michael & Janet that they requested.
"Mr. Jackson is satisfied with the negotiated settlement." ~RAYMONE BAIN
June 12, 2007- Universal Express reneged on the agreement, attempting to auction items that he agreed to return to Michael & Janet. Court holds Universal Express in contempt. Richard Altomare is ordered to pay the legal fees for Janet & Michael.
August 31, 2007- Richard Altomare is barred from being an officer of any business entity for “repeated and remorseless” violations of the securities laws. Universal Express is liquidated.
At this point, Henry Vaccaro hadn't been fully compensated by Universal Express for the memorabilia so he files a lawsuit and granted possession of all unsold memorabilia items.
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2009- After Michael’s death, Vaccaro claims that the very items that he was supposed to return to Michael have been stolen. Vaccaro puts the memorabilia up for sale.
Howard Mann realized that the most valuable thing Vintage Pop had was not the memorabilia itself but the court decision. Remember the 2006 lawsuit by Michael was dismissed without prejudice? As Mann saw it, whoever owned the company Jackson had sued, Vintage Pop, was forever immunized against intellectual property suits from Michael or his heirs and could freely exploit the image/likeness of MJ name.
Howard Mann bought the memorabilia now known as Vintage Pop Media from Henry Vaccaro. After acquiring Vintage Pop, Howard Mann sought to get Katherine Jackson on his side in order to use her reputable name to market deals to fans. Fast-forward to today, Howard Mann and Katherine now exploit Michael’s 3 underage children to market the very same business venture that Michael fought against in life. ITEMS THAT MANN IS MARKETING OF MICHAEL’s ARE THE ITEMS THAT WERE CONFISCATED ILLEGALLY.
Q: Do you have any connection with Howard Mann and any of his entities? Mann created companies with names that are very similar to yours and he's using the same lawyer as you did.
Henry Vaccaro: Yes, my family and I own a small percentage of the new entities. These entities have the same name to allow them protection under the dismissal of Michael Jackson 2005 law suite which was dismissed with prejudice. That means you cannot be sued again for the same thing. Edgar Pease is a fine lawyer, he did represent me. He knows all the facts that is probably why Howard Mann hired him.
THE BUSINESS PLAN HOWARD MANN MARKETS (JACKSONSECRETVAULT.COM) IS THE VERY SAME BUSINESS PLAN MICHAEL LITIGATED IN 2004! SHE MISUSES THE GUARDIANSHIP, ENTRUSTED HER BY THE COURT, TO EXPLOIT MICHAEL'S UNDER-AGED CHILDREN TO DO SO!
Howard Mann underestimates the power of the Estate executors. Exploiting MJ kids to promote his business deal was a downright stupid move! It backfired! Now fans stand by the Estate Executors in regards to Howard Mann lawsuit! We will NOT support ANYTHING Howard Mann markets, especially those that exploit MJ kids! I hope the plethora of Estate attorneys will eat Howard Mann alive and I hope the court will order him to pay MJ Estate millions of fine for the exploiting MJ name so far!
How could Mama Kate do business with someone that refers to her son as "Jacko"?
How could Mama Kate be part of a business venture that put Michael and her family through Hell and back?
Beyond the dishonor of her late son and the tragic exploitation of her grieving grandchildren, it’s unfathomable how a so-called Jehovah Witness sets up an alliance with a porn producer. Why isn't the same rules that prevented Michael from releasing a music video as it is or celebrating birthdays doesn't apply to Katherine Jackson who now participates in New Year celebration? Why isn't the same rules that prevented Michael from speaking to her own sister -Latoya- doesn't apply to Katherine who stands by a despicable porn producer? Katherine Jackson has been bending Jehovah Witness rules as they suit her agenda!
We are heart-broken that Mama Kate stands by an opportunist goon- Howard Mann- who could care less for the memory of Michael, his legacy, his mother or his children! We are sick to our stomachs, helplessly watching Michael's children being exploited as financial commodities in the same manner Michael himself has been exploited by his family through his life....and beyond.
HELPFUL LINKS:
Pop Star’s History Sold Following Family’s Legal Drama
Family Goods Seized to Pay off Judgment
African American Heritage Sold Off: The Michael Jackson Case
Henry Vaccaro Interview
RELATED LINKS:
Katherine Jackson Contract with Howard Mann
Katherine Jackson Pimps Out Michael Jackson Kids
Heal The World Foundation is NOT affiliated with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson Children At the Center of Charity Fight
Concerned Fans Call to End of The Exploitation Of MJ Children
Michael Jackson, Do you Know Where Your Children Are?
I mean no offense to Katherine, but I think it is important to point out that this is an elderly women who is not sophistcated when it comes to business matters. I do not blame her for what is going on. She is being sweet talked and USED by wolves in sheeps clothing. She desperately needs to be rescued from Mann/Johnson/Vacarro, not hounded and ridiculed.
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