Opinion ID: 743069
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Saporiti Italia and the Saporitis

Text: 45 While appellants nominally include all of the appellees in their claims of fraud involving the inducement of the Settlement Agreement and the Gidatex Agreement, they have not managed to allege specifically a sufficient basis to sustain these claims as against Saporiti Italia and Raffaele and Sergio. 46 Appellants have not actually alleged any conduct by Saporiti Italia following the stipulated dismissal of the earlier suit. Appellants' own affidavit reveals that Saporiti Italia underwent liquidation in January, 1994 and entered the Concordato Preventivo on May 8, 1994, before the settlement negotiations which resulted in a substitute distribution contract between Gidatex and the Campaniello companies. After Gidatex leased the business of Saporiti Italia and later purchased Saporiti Italia, appellants dealt exclusively with Gidatex and the Campaniello companies purchased furniture only from Gidatex, not Saporiti Italia. Absent any action or representation by Saporiti Italia (a defunct company after May 8, 1994), there could not be fraud attributable to it. 47 Similarly, the amended complaint contains glancing allegations against Raffaele and Sergio as individuals after the 1994 Litigation. Appellants alleged that on June 14, 1994, Filippini, Sergio and Raffaele further represented and stated that they all recognized and valued the relationship with plaintiffs and were committed to promote their unity of interests with plaintiffs and give maximum cooperation to advance plaintiffs' ability to sell the 'Saporiti' line and prevent direct sales by their other distributors to plaintiffs' customers in plaintiffs' exclusive territory. Am. Compl. p 81. Appellants then allege that these representations were false at the time they were made and were known by Filippini, Sergio and Raffaele to be false. Am. Compl. p 82. 48 Aside from the alleged assurance of cooperation, the only fact alleged involving either Raffaele and Sergio after the 1994 Litigation is Raffaele's unannounced visit to appellants' New York showroom on May 2, 1995. There are no facts which show how Sergio and Raffaele would gain concrete benefits from a fraudulent inducement and termination of the Gidatex Agreement, much less facts which suggest that Sergio and Raffaele had a clear opportunity to do so. See Powers v. British Vita, P.L.C., 57 F.3d at 185 (stating that clear opportunity arises when the defendant is already well positioned to carry out the fraudulent transaction, such as when he possesses the necessary trust and authority). Nor are there facts which suggest that Sergio and Raffaele had no intention of cooperating with appellants to make the Gidatex Agreement successful for the Campaniello companies. Thus, appellants have failed to allege facts related to Sergio and Raffaele which raise a strong inference of fraudulent intent.