June 8, 2025 • 20 mins
At the height of the 2021 cryptocurrency boom, Alessandro Romano was a brilliant blockchain developer living in Milan with dreams of revolutionizing finance. When charismatic New York entrepreneur Marcus Sterling reached out with a partnership proposal, it seemed like destiny. Together, they built Sterling-Romano Labs into a multi-million dollar success story.
But beneath Marcus's polished exterior lurked something darker—an obsession with wealth that would gradually poison their friendship. As their business thrived, subtle cracks began to show. When Alessandro finally walked away from their toxic partnership, he thought he was free. Two years later, Marcus would make a phone call that would lure Alessandro into the most dangerous trap of his life.
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Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!
We now have Merch! FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there’s free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.com
Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com
But beneath Marcus's polished exterior lurked something darker—an obsession with wealth that would gradually poison their friendship. As their business thrived, subtle cracks began to show. When Alessandro finally walked away from their toxic partnership, he thought he was free. Two years later, Marcus would make a phone call that would lure Alessandro into the most dangerous trap of his life.
Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!
Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!
We now have Merch! FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there’s free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.com
Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Caalaroga Shark Media. The year was twenty twenty one, and
if you weren't making money in cryptocurrency, you weren't paying attention.
Bitcoin had just crossed sixty thousand dollars, Ethereum was touching
four thousand, and somewhere in the digital ether, fortunes were
(00:25):
being minted faster than the Federal Reserve could print actual money.
Everyone was a genius. Your barista was trading dogecoin, your
grandmother was asking about NFTs. And in the gleaming towers
of Manhattan and the ancient streets of Milan, two young
men were convinced they were riding the wave of the future.
(00:47):
This is the story of how digital dreams became a
real world nightmare, How friendship turned to obsession, How innovation
became torture. This is the story of the crypto kidnap.
It shocked the world. My name is Marcus Rivera, and
for the past six months I've been investigating one of
(01:08):
the most brutal crimes to emerge from the cryptocurrency boom.
What you're about to hear will change how you think
about digital money, online relationships, and the dark side of
getting rich quick. It all started so innocently. This is
Crypto Kidnap, Episode one, Digital Dreams. Alessandro Romano was twenty
(01:41):
eight years old when he first heard the name Marcus Sterling.
It was March twenty twenty one, and Alessandro was hunched
over his laptop in a cramped apartment, overlooking the Navigli
Canals and Milan, fingers flying across the keyboard as he
debugged smart contract code. Alessandro wasn't your typical crypto bro,
(02:02):
No Lamborghini fantasies or laser eyes Twitter profile. He was
a true believer in the technology blockchain as a force
for democratization, decentralized finance as a way to free the
world from traditional banking. His friends called him naive. His
mother worried he was wasting his engineering degree on internet money.
(02:24):
But Alessandro saw something they didn't. He saw the future.
That March evening, while most of Milan was settling down
for dinner, Alessandro was deep in a discord server devoted
to experimental DeFi protocols. The conversation was technical, dense with
jargon that would sound like gibberish to outsiders, but to
(02:46):
Alessandro it was poetry. That's when Marcus Sterling joined the chat.
Romano came the message, I've been watching your work on
crosschain liquidity. Brilliant stuff. Mind if we talk privately. Alessandro
checked Marcus's profile, verified crypto entrepreneur based in New York,
(03:10):
portfolio companies worth eight figures, clean cut photo that screamed
legitimate businessman, the kind of person Alessandro hoped to become sure,
Alessandro typed back, always happy to discuss the tech. What
followed was a three hour conversation that would change both
(03:30):
their lives forever. Marcus wasn't just another crypto tourist looking
for the next pump and dump. He understood the underlying
technology better yet he understood how to monetize it. The
problem with most DeFi projects, Marcus explained over their video call,
is they're built by engineers for engineers. Beautiful code, terrible
(03:55):
user experience. You've got the technical chops, I've got the
business act human Together we could build something special. Alessandro
found himself nodding along. Marcus was articulate, persuasive, and seemed
to share his vision for cryptocurrency's potential to reshape finance.
(04:15):
More importantly, Marcus had resources real money, the kind of
backing that could turn Alessandro's side projects into legitimate businesses.
I've got a proposition, Marcus continued, leaning forward into his camera.
Behind him, Alessandro could see floor to ceiling windows overlooking
(04:37):
the Manhattan Skyline. I'm putting together a fund focused on
next generation DeFi infrastructure. I want you as my technical partner.
The offer was generous equity stake, monthly retainer, relocation assistance
if Alessandro wanted to move to New York. But what
sold Alessandro wasn't the money. It was Marcus, this is
(05:00):
genuine enthusiasm for the technology. You're not just another suit
trying to get rich off crypto. You actually get it.
Marcus laughed. Brother, I've been in this space since bitcoin
was trading for pizza. I've seen projects come and go.
The ones that survive aren't just the smartest or the flashiest.
(05:22):
They're the ones built by people who truly believe in
what they're creating. Over the following weeks, their partnership blossomed.
Alessandro would work nights in Milan coding new protocols and
stress testing smart contracts. Marcus would spend days in New
York pitching to investors and building strategic partnerships. They communicated constantly,
(05:47):
slack messages, video calls, shared documents that grew more complex
by the day. Their first project together was elegant in
its simplicity, a cross chain bridge that would allow users
to seamlessly move assets between different blockchains. No technical knowledge required,
no complicated wallet setups, just point, click and transfer. We're
(06:13):
building the universal translator for crypto, Marcus explained to a
room full of investors. Alessandro watched the pitch from Milan,
beaming with pride as Marcus walked through the technical details flawlessly.
The funding round closed in six weeks two point four
million dollars from a consortium of venture capital firms. Alessandro's
(06:35):
twenty percent stake was worth nearly half a million dollars
on paper, more money than he'd ever dreamed of having.
We did it, brother, Marcus said, during their celebration call.
We're officially in business. Alessandro raised a glass of barolo
to his laptop screen. To digital dreams becoming reality. To
(06:57):
digital dreams, Marcus echoed. But even then, if you knew
what to look for, there were signs the way Marcus's
eyes lingered a beat too long when Alessandro mentioned his
other crypto holdings. The subtle probing questions about Alessandro's security practices,
(07:18):
his backup protocols, his private keys. Alessandro, trusting and focused
on their shared vision, didn't notice. He was too busy
coding their future. By summer twenty twenty one, Sterling Romano
(07:39):
Labs was the talk of the DeFi community. Their cross
chain bridge processed millions in daily volume. Tech blogs called
it the future of decentralized finance. Crypto Twitter personalities competed
to get early access. Alessandro quit his day job, Marcus
moved from his cramped Manhattan apartartment to a luxury suite,
(08:01):
and soho success it seemed was infectious. I'm thinking we
should meet in person, Marcus suggested during one of their
July video calls. Build this thing face to face. What
do you say to a trip to New York. Alessandro
had been considering it himself six months of partnership, and
(08:23):
they'd never been in the same room. It felt wrong,
somehow impersonal. I'd love to, Alessandro replied, but I'm knee
deep in the version two point zero upgrade. Maybe in
a few months, no rush, Marcus said, But Alessandro caught
something in his voice, impatience, frustration. It was gone before
(08:49):
he could place it. The success brought new opportunities and
new pressures. Other developers wanted to join their team. Competitors
tried to poach Alessandro with lucrative offers. Traditional financial institutions
came calling, offering acquisition deals that would make them both
wealthy beyond measure. It was during these conversations that Alessandro
(09:13):
began to see a different side of Marcus. We're not selling,
Marcus declared during a heated video call about a potential
acquisition offer. Not for twenty million, not for fifty million.
This is just the beginning. But Marcus, Alessandro protested, fifty
million dollars would set us both up for life. We
(09:36):
could start new projects, fund other developers, really make an impact.
You don't get it, Marcus snapped, This isn't about making
an impact, this is about making history. We're sitting on
technology that could be worth billions, billions, Alessandro, and you
want to cash out for pocket change. Alessandro had never
(09:57):
seen Marcus angry before the polished businessman persona cracked, revealing
something harder underneath, hungrier. I'm not talking about cashing out,
Alessandro said, carefully, I'm talking about taking profits and reinvesting strategically.
That's smart business. Smart business is knowing when you're holding
(10:19):
a royal flush. Marcus replied his composure, returning, sorry, brother,
this whole acquisition circus has me stressed. You know I
value your input. But the damage was done. Alessandro began
to notice other things. The way Marcus dominated their investor calls,
(10:40):
the subtle edits to their partnership agreement that shifted more
control to Marcus, the increasingly frequent questions about Alessandro's personal
crypto holdings. Just making sure we're not competing with ourselves,
Marcus explained. When Alessandro questioned his interest in Alessandro's private investments,
(11:01):
overlapping positions could create conflicts of interest. It sounded reasonable,
Marcus always sounded reasonable, but Alessandro's instincts, honed by years
of debugging faulty code, told him something was off. The
breaking point came in September. Alessandro discovered that Marcus had
(11:21):
been negotiating licensing deals for their technology without consulting him.
Not small deals, major partnerships that would fundamentally change their
business model. You went behind my back, Alessandro said, during
what would be their final video call. As partners, we're
supposed to be equal partners. Marcus. That means equal say
(11:44):
in major decisions, equal partners. Marcus laughed, but there was
no humor in it. Alessandro. I brought the money, I
brought the connections. I brought the business strategy. You wrote
some code, good code, I'll give you that. But let's
not pretend this partnership was ever equal. Alessandro felt like
(12:07):
he'd been slapped some code. Marcus. I built the entire
technical infrastructure, every smart contract, every security protocol, every line
of documentation. This company exists because of my work and
my investment, and my connections and my vision for monetization.
(12:31):
Face at Alessandro. You're a brilliant engineer, but you're naive
about business. You always have been. The call ended badly.
Harsh words were exchanged, accusations flew. By October, their partnership
was over. Alessandro retained his stake in the company, but
(12:51):
seated operational control to Marcus. It was his lawyer assured
him the cleanest way to end things and returned to
Milan feeling burned but not broken. He had money in
the bank, a growing reputation in the crypto community, and
plenty of new opportunities. Marcus Sterling was a chapter he
(13:13):
was ready to close, but Marcus wasn't ready to close it,
not even close. Alessandro spent the winter of twenty twenty
one rebuilding new projects, new partnerships, new dreams. He moved
(13:34):
to a better apartment with a view of the Duomo.
He bought his mother a car. He even started dating someone,
a fellow developer named Sophia, who shared his passion for
blockchain technology. Life was good. The crypto market was cooling
off from its summer highs, but Alessandro had weathered the
storm better than most. His diversified portfolio and careful risk
(13:58):
management meant he wasn't overleveraged. When prices fell, Marcus Sterling
became a distant memory until the phone call. It came
on a Tuesday evening in May twenty twenty four. Alessandro
was cooking dinner, Sophia was on her way over, and
his phone rang with a New York number. He didn't recognize, Alessandro,
(14:22):
It's Marcus. Three words and Alessandro's blood pressure spiked. He
hadn't spoken to his former partner in over two years. Marcus,
Alessandro said, carefully, this is unexpected. I know, I know.
I probably should have called sooner. Marcus's voice was different, warmer,
(14:46):
more like the man Alessandro had first partnered with. Listen,
I've been doing a lot of thinking about how things
ended between us. I was out of line, stressed about
the business, but that's no excuse for how I treated you.
Alessandro set down his wooden spoon and walked to his balcony,
(15:07):
Milan spread out below him, evening lights beginning to twinkle. Okay,
he said, I appreciate you saying that. More than that,
Marcus continued, I want to make it right. I've got
a new project, something big, revolutionary, even and I can't
do it without the best blockchain developer. I know that's you, Alessandro.
(15:33):
Despite himself, Alessandro felt a flicker of curiosity. What kind
of project? I can't talk about it over the phone,
too sensitive, But if you're willing to fly to New York,
I'll show you something that will blow your mind. All
expense is paid, obviously, Stay as long as you want
(15:54):
no commitments until you see what I'm working on. Alessandro
found himself hesitating. The rational part of his brain screamed warnings.
This was Marcus Sterling, the man who had betrayed his trust,
questioned his contributions and tried to edge him out of
their shared company. But another part of him, the part
(16:16):
that still believed in second chances and the transformative power
of technology, was intrigued. I don't know, Marcus. Things between us,
I get it, Marcus interrupted, I burned bridges. But Alessandro,
this project, it's going to change everything, not just for us,
(16:38):
for the entire industry. I need someone I can trust
with the technical implementation, someone who understands the vision. You
said you couldn't trust me with business decisions. I was wrong.
I was scared and greedy, and I said things I
didn't mean. You were always the better man, Alessandro, the
(17:00):
better partner. Give me a chance to prove I've learned
from my mistakes. The conversation lasted twenty minutes. Marcus was persuasive, apologetic,
and surprisingly vulnerable. He talked about therapy, about learning to
manage his stress, about wanting to rebuild their friendship even
(17:22):
if they never worked together again. Just come for a week,
Marcus said. Finally, stay in my guest room, see the city.
If you hate the project, or you can't stand being
around me, you fly home and we never speak again.
But if I'm right about this, if this is what
I think it is, we could be partners in something
(17:45):
that makes our first company look like a lemonade stand.
Alessandro looked out at the Milan skyline, thinking of Sophia,
of his comfortable life, of all the reasons he should
say no. Okay, he heard himself saying, one week, but
I'm staying in a hotel. Whatever makes you comfortable. I'll
(18:08):
book your flight tonight, first class, and Alessandro, yeah, thank
you for giving me another chance. I won't blow it
this time. The call ended, and Alessandro stood on his
balcony feeling a mixture of excitement and dread. Sophia arrived
(18:29):
thirty minutes later to find him staring at his laptop
screen cursor blinking in the flight booking confirmation email. You
look like you've seen a ghost, she said, setting down
her purse and studying his face. Maybe I have, Alessandro replied,
I'm going to New York Sophia raised an eyebrow for
(18:52):
work for closure, Alessandro said, though even as he said it,
he wasn't sure he believed it. Two weeks later, Alessandro
Romano boarded Alatealia flight six oh eight from Milan to
JFK International Airport. In his carry on bag were his laptop,
(19:12):
a change of clothes, and the naive belief that people
could change. He had no idea he was flying into
a trap that had been seventeen months in the making,
a trap that would turn a luxury soho apartment into
his personal hell, and a former friendship into a fight
for survival. Alessandro Romano thought he was going to New
(19:36):
York for a business meeting. Instead, he was about to
become the victim of one of the most brutal crimes
in cryptocurrency history. Crypto Kidnap is a production of Calro
(20:00):
Yogurt Shark Media executive producers Mark Francis and John McDermott.
Crypto Kidnap is a work of fiction based on real
world events. A eye may have been used in the
production of this episode.
Caalaroga Shark Media. The year was twenty twenty one, and
if you weren't making money in cryptocurrency, you weren't paying attention.
Bitcoin had just crossed sixty thousand dollars, Ethereum was touching
four thousand, and somewhere in the digital ether, fortunes were
(00:25):
being minted faster than the Federal Reserve could print actual money.
Everyone was a genius. Your barista was trading dogecoin, your
grandmother was asking about NFTs. And in the gleaming towers
of Manhattan and the ancient streets of Milan, two young
men were convinced they were riding the wave of the future.
(00:47):
This is the story of how digital dreams became a
real world nightmare, How friendship turned to obsession, How innovation
became torture. This is the story of the crypto kidnap.
It shocked the world. My name is Marcus Rivera, and
for the past six months I've been investigating one of
(01:08):
the most brutal crimes to emerge from the cryptocurrency boom.
What you're about to hear will change how you think
about digital money, online relationships, and the dark side of
getting rich quick. It all started so innocently. This is
Crypto Kidnap, Episode one, Digital Dreams. Alessandro Romano was twenty
(01:41):
eight years old when he first heard the name Marcus Sterling.
It was March twenty twenty one, and Alessandro was hunched
over his laptop in a cramped apartment, overlooking the Navigli
Canals and Milan, fingers flying across the keyboard as he
debugged smart contract code. Alessandro wasn't your typical crypto bro,
(02:02):
No Lamborghini fantasies or laser eyes Twitter profile. He was
a true believer in the technology blockchain as a force
for democratization, decentralized finance as a way to free the
world from traditional banking. His friends called him naive. His
mother worried he was wasting his engineering degree on internet money.
(02:24):
But Alessandro saw something they didn't. He saw the future.
That March evening, while most of Milan was settling down
for dinner, Alessandro was deep in a discord server devoted
to experimental DeFi protocols. The conversation was technical, dense with
jargon that would sound like gibberish to outsiders, but to
(02:46):
Alessandro it was poetry. That's when Marcus Sterling joined the chat.
Romano came the message, I've been watching your work on
crosschain liquidity. Brilliant stuff. Mind if we talk privately. Alessandro
checked Marcus's profile, verified crypto entrepreneur based in New York,
(03:10):
portfolio companies worth eight figures, clean cut photo that screamed
legitimate businessman, the kind of person Alessandro hoped to become sure,
Alessandro typed back, always happy to discuss the tech. What
followed was a three hour conversation that would change both
(03:30):
their lives forever. Marcus wasn't just another crypto tourist looking
for the next pump and dump. He understood the underlying
technology better yet he understood how to monetize it. The
problem with most DeFi projects, Marcus explained over their video call,
is they're built by engineers for engineers. Beautiful code, terrible
(03:55):
user experience. You've got the technical chops, I've got the
business act human Together we could build something special. Alessandro
found himself nodding along. Marcus was articulate, persuasive, and seemed
to share his vision for cryptocurrency's potential to reshape finance.
(04:15):
More importantly, Marcus had resources real money, the kind of
backing that could turn Alessandro's side projects into legitimate businesses.
I've got a proposition, Marcus continued, leaning forward into his camera.
Behind him, Alessandro could see floor to ceiling windows overlooking
(04:37):
the Manhattan Skyline. I'm putting together a fund focused on
next generation DeFi infrastructure. I want you as my technical partner.
The offer was generous equity stake, monthly retainer, relocation assistance
if Alessandro wanted to move to New York. But what
sold Alessandro wasn't the money. It was Marcus, this is
(05:00):
genuine enthusiasm for the technology. You're not just another suit
trying to get rich off crypto. You actually get it.
Marcus laughed. Brother, I've been in this space since bitcoin
was trading for pizza. I've seen projects come and go.
The ones that survive aren't just the smartest or the flashiest.
(05:22):
They're the ones built by people who truly believe in
what they're creating. Over the following weeks, their partnership blossomed.
Alessandro would work nights in Milan coding new protocols and
stress testing smart contracts. Marcus would spend days in New
York pitching to investors and building strategic partnerships. They communicated constantly,
(05:47):
slack messages, video calls, shared documents that grew more complex
by the day. Their first project together was elegant in
its simplicity, a cross chain bridge that would allow users
to seamlessly move assets between different blockchains. No technical knowledge required,
no complicated wallet setups, just point, click and transfer. We're
(06:13):
building the universal translator for crypto, Marcus explained to a
room full of investors. Alessandro watched the pitch from Milan,
beaming with pride as Marcus walked through the technical details flawlessly.
The funding round closed in six weeks two point four
million dollars from a consortium of venture capital firms. Alessandro's
(06:35):
twenty percent stake was worth nearly half a million dollars
on paper, more money than he'd ever dreamed of having.
We did it, brother, Marcus said, during their celebration call.
We're officially in business. Alessandro raised a glass of barolo
to his laptop screen. To digital dreams becoming reality. To
(06:57):
digital dreams, Marcus echoed. But even then, if you knew
what to look for, there were signs the way Marcus's
eyes lingered a beat too long when Alessandro mentioned his
other crypto holdings. The subtle probing questions about Alessandro's security practices,
(07:18):
his backup protocols, his private keys. Alessandro, trusting and focused
on their shared vision, didn't notice. He was too busy
coding their future. By summer twenty twenty one, Sterling Romano
(07:39):
Labs was the talk of the DeFi community. Their cross
chain bridge processed millions in daily volume. Tech blogs called
it the future of decentralized finance. Crypto Twitter personalities competed
to get early access. Alessandro quit his day job, Marcus
moved from his cramped Manhattan apartartment to a luxury suite,
(08:01):
and soho success it seemed was infectious. I'm thinking we
should meet in person, Marcus suggested during one of their
July video calls. Build this thing face to face. What
do you say to a trip to New York. Alessandro
had been considering it himself six months of partnership, and
(08:23):
they'd never been in the same room. It felt wrong,
somehow impersonal. I'd love to, Alessandro replied, but I'm knee
deep in the version two point zero upgrade. Maybe in
a few months, no rush, Marcus said, But Alessandro caught
something in his voice, impatience, frustration. It was gone before
(08:49):
he could place it. The success brought new opportunities and
new pressures. Other developers wanted to join their team. Competitors
tried to poach Alessandro with lucrative offers. Traditional financial institutions
came calling, offering acquisition deals that would make them both
wealthy beyond measure. It was during these conversations that Alessandro
(09:13):
began to see a different side of Marcus. We're not selling,
Marcus declared during a heated video call about a potential
acquisition offer. Not for twenty million, not for fifty million.
This is just the beginning. But Marcus, Alessandro protested, fifty
million dollars would set us both up for life. We
(09:36):
could start new projects, fund other developers, really make an impact.
You don't get it, Marcus snapped, This isn't about making
an impact, this is about making history. We're sitting on
technology that could be worth billions, billions, Alessandro, and you
want to cash out for pocket change. Alessandro had never
(09:57):
seen Marcus angry before the polished businessman persona cracked, revealing
something harder underneath, hungrier. I'm not talking about cashing out,
Alessandro said, carefully, I'm talking about taking profits and reinvesting strategically.
That's smart business. Smart business is knowing when you're holding
(10:19):
a royal flush. Marcus replied his composure, returning, sorry, brother,
this whole acquisition circus has me stressed. You know I
value your input. But the damage was done. Alessandro began
to notice other things. The way Marcus dominated their investor calls,
(10:40):
the subtle edits to their partnership agreement that shifted more
control to Marcus, the increasingly frequent questions about Alessandro's personal
crypto holdings. Just making sure we're not competing with ourselves,
Marcus explained. When Alessandro questioned his interest in Alessandro's private investments,
(11:01):
overlapping positions could create conflicts of interest. It sounded reasonable,
Marcus always sounded reasonable, but Alessandro's instincts, honed by years
of debugging faulty code, told him something was off. The
breaking point came in September. Alessandro discovered that Marcus had
(11:21):
been negotiating licensing deals for their technology without consulting him.
Not small deals, major partnerships that would fundamentally change their
business model. You went behind my back, Alessandro said, during
what would be their final video call. As partners, we're
supposed to be equal partners. Marcus. That means equal say
(11:44):
in major decisions, equal partners. Marcus laughed, but there was
no humor in it. Alessandro. I brought the money, I
brought the connections. I brought the business strategy. You wrote
some code, good code, I'll give you that. But let's
not pretend this partnership was ever equal. Alessandro felt like
(12:07):
he'd been slapped some code. Marcus. I built the entire
technical infrastructure, every smart contract, every security protocol, every line
of documentation. This company exists because of my work and
my investment, and my connections and my vision for monetization.
(12:31):
Face at Alessandro. You're a brilliant engineer, but you're naive
about business. You always have been. The call ended badly.
Harsh words were exchanged, accusations flew. By October, their partnership
was over. Alessandro retained his stake in the company, but
(12:51):
seated operational control to Marcus. It was his lawyer assured
him the cleanest way to end things and returned to
Milan feeling burned but not broken. He had money in
the bank, a growing reputation in the crypto community, and
plenty of new opportunities. Marcus Sterling was a chapter he
(13:13):
was ready to close, but Marcus wasn't ready to close it,
not even close. Alessandro spent the winter of twenty twenty
one rebuilding new projects, new partnerships, new dreams. He moved
(13:34):
to a better apartment with a view of the Duomo.
He bought his mother a car. He even started dating someone,
a fellow developer named Sophia, who shared his passion for
blockchain technology. Life was good. The crypto market was cooling
off from its summer highs, but Alessandro had weathered the
storm better than most. His diversified portfolio and careful risk
(13:58):
management meant he wasn't overleveraged. When prices fell, Marcus Sterling
became a distant memory until the phone call. It came
on a Tuesday evening in May twenty twenty four. Alessandro
was cooking dinner, Sophia was on her way over, and
his phone rang with a New York number. He didn't recognize, Alessandro,
(14:22):
It's Marcus. Three words and Alessandro's blood pressure spiked. He
hadn't spoken to his former partner in over two years. Marcus,
Alessandro said, carefully, this is unexpected. I know, I know.
I probably should have called sooner. Marcus's voice was different, warmer,
(14:46):
more like the man Alessandro had first partnered with. Listen,
I've been doing a lot of thinking about how things
ended between us. I was out of line, stressed about
the business, but that's no excuse for how I treated you.
Alessandro set down his wooden spoon and walked to his balcony,
(15:07):
Milan spread out below him, evening lights beginning to twinkle. Okay,
he said, I appreciate you saying that. More than that,
Marcus continued, I want to make it right. I've got
a new project, something big, revolutionary, even and I can't
do it without the best blockchain developer. I know that's you, Alessandro.
(15:33):
Despite himself, Alessandro felt a flicker of curiosity. What kind
of project? I can't talk about it over the phone,
too sensitive, But if you're willing to fly to New York,
I'll show you something that will blow your mind. All
expense is paid, obviously, Stay as long as you want
(15:54):
no commitments until you see what I'm working on. Alessandro
found himself hesitating. The rational part of his brain screamed warnings.
This was Marcus Sterling, the man who had betrayed his trust,
questioned his contributions and tried to edge him out of
their shared company. But another part of him, the part
(16:16):
that still believed in second chances and the transformative power
of technology, was intrigued. I don't know, Marcus. Things between us,
I get it, Marcus interrupted, I burned bridges. But Alessandro,
this project, it's going to change everything, not just for us,
(16:38):
for the entire industry. I need someone I can trust
with the technical implementation, someone who understands the vision. You
said you couldn't trust me with business decisions. I was wrong.
I was scared and greedy, and I said things I
didn't mean. You were always the better man, Alessandro, the
(17:00):
better partner. Give me a chance to prove I've learned
from my mistakes. The conversation lasted twenty minutes. Marcus was persuasive, apologetic,
and surprisingly vulnerable. He talked about therapy, about learning to
manage his stress, about wanting to rebuild their friendship even
(17:22):
if they never worked together again. Just come for a week,
Marcus said. Finally, stay in my guest room, see the city.
If you hate the project, or you can't stand being
around me, you fly home and we never speak again.
But if I'm right about this, if this is what
I think it is, we could be partners in something
(17:45):
that makes our first company look like a lemonade stand.
Alessandro looked out at the Milan skyline, thinking of Sophia,
of his comfortable life, of all the reasons he should
say no. Okay, he heard himself saying, one week, but
I'm staying in a hotel. Whatever makes you comfortable. I'll
(18:08):
book your flight tonight, first class, and Alessandro, yeah, thank
you for giving me another chance. I won't blow it
this time. The call ended, and Alessandro stood on his
balcony feeling a mixture of excitement and dread. Sophia arrived
(18:29):
thirty minutes later to find him staring at his laptop
screen cursor blinking in the flight booking confirmation email. You
look like you've seen a ghost, she said, setting down
her purse and studying his face. Maybe I have, Alessandro replied,
I'm going to New York Sophia raised an eyebrow for
(18:52):
work for closure, Alessandro said, though even as he said it,
he wasn't sure he believed it. Two weeks later, Alessandro
Romano boarded Alatealia flight six oh eight from Milan to
JFK International Airport. In his carry on bag were his laptop,
(19:12):
a change of clothes, and the naive belief that people
could change. He had no idea he was flying into
a trap that had been seventeen months in the making,
a trap that would turn a luxury soho apartment into
his personal hell, and a former friendship into a fight
for survival. Alessandro Romano thought he was going to New
(19:36):
York for a business meeting. Instead, he was about to
become the victim of one of the most brutal crimes
in cryptocurrency history. Crypto Kidnap is a production of Calro
(20:00):
Yogurt Shark Media executive producers Mark Francis and John McDermott.
Crypto Kidnap is a work of fiction based on real
world events. A eye may have been used in the
production of this episode.
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