Fantasma’s Unfinished Business

Fantasma Productions, the Florida company founded by the late Jon Stoll, apparently has some unfinished business that three former employees would like to see wrapped up before its sale to Live Nation closes.

John Valentino, now heading up AEG Live’s Florida office, and promoters Scott Gartner and Ethan Levinson have filed suit in West Palm Beach claiming they are owed unpaid commissions earned while booking shows for Fantasma before Stoll’s death and the company’s subsequent sale.

The suit, filed April 9th in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, says Fantasma owes the three promoters more than $300,000, according to the Palm Beach Post. Valentino is allegedly owed the lion’s share at $273,583.

Fantasma promised to pay the commissions once the sale closed, according to the suit, but their attorney told the newspaper that while the deal has not yet closed, his clients are concerned they won’t be protected once it has.

"They’ve been promising and promising the money, but they wouldn’t put it in writing or escrow the proceeds," Steven Schwarzberg said.

Other details of the suit weren’t immediately available. Live Nation is not a party in the suit and Valentino wasn’t available for comment at press time.