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CORK & OLIVE: Who is Deborah Augenti?

(Unhappy Franchisee)  Here’s a post by TAKEN.  Who is Deborah Augenti?  Have you had dealings with her?  What’s her reputation?  What’s her role been thus far?  What do you think her role will be – if any – moving forward?

Taken wrote:

“for your viewing pleasure seems vinocean and deborah are one of the same. ahhh one big happy family. as you can see from the website it is listed as the same compnay.

https://www.myfloridalicense.com/LicenseDetail.asp?SID=&id=F609107AF6B194781E6E6B05C23DB969

Name: MILAM, JAMES CRAYTON (Primary Name)
(DBA Name)
Main Address: UNIVERSAL WINE CORPORATION
6309 S. MAC DILL AVENUE, #1429
TAMPA Florida 33611
County: HILLSBOROUGH
License Mailing:LicenseLocation:

License Information
License Type: Salesperson Wine & Spirits
Rank: LQS
License Number: LQS9960
Status: Current
Licensure Date: 12/12/2005

AUGENTI, DEBORAH KAREN (Primary Name)
(DBA Name)
Main Address: UNIVERSAL WINE CORPORATION
4025 TAMPA RD STE 1117
OLDSMAR Florida 34677
County: PINELLASLicense Mailing:

LicenseLocation:

License Information
License Type: Salesperson Wine & Spirits
Rank: LQS
License Number: LQS10150
Status: Current
Licensure Date: 03/14/2006

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.

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37 thoughts on “CORK & OLIVE: Who is Deborah Augenti?

  • formeremployee

    Deborah Augenti is the Director Of Franchise Sales. Isn’t that a conflict of interest selling a franchise, and also distributing wine to all your stores. Also she would tell franchisee’s the company was solid. she also like to brag to people she would cover payroll when mike couldn’t. don’t know for sure if that was true or if she was just lying like they always did. I don’t think there was really anything that was really ligitimate. According to a lot of people the attorney is involved with a percentage of c&o too. these people need to be looked at before they hurt anyone else.

  • Yes Augenti did cover payroll many times. Probst had she and her husband convinced they would make a large some of money after they sold more franchises. Augenti must have been a “special” friend of Probst, why else would a woman work for peanuts, sell franchises illegally, and agree to put her name on vinocean as a sales rep. and be the director of franchise sales. Frankly the woman was dumb, but plasto woman couldn’t be that stupid. Probst must have special powers. Maybe after he takes of those ugly suits at night he becomes super german!

  • Um…sorry for seeming a little out of the loop on the legalities of things, but I have a question; isn’t it against a code of ethics or something for an attorney to be partnered with a non-lawyer type business as both their Attorney and a stake holder in the company-wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest issue?
    Is this guy the corporate Attorney too, if he is, question again, isn’t that a conflict of interest?

  • formeremployee

    wouldn’t that be conflict of interest with ms.deborah augenti being a license holder of universal wine/vinocean?

  • unemployed

    Kelly..yes, absolutely, it is illegal for someone to be a stake holder in the company, be that company’s lawyer and also be the company’s owner’s PERSONAL lawyer.

    It’s also illegal for a company to issue payroll checks, withhold taxes and NEVER pay the payroll taxes to the state. Yes, you heard me, when I worked there payroll taxes were way behind. I seriously doubt they were paid after I left.

  • ex ex employee

    no-the taxes were never paid, neither state nor payroll. go figure they are both still walking around as though everything is just dandy. Raisin (perfect name for her) was aware of consequences with not paying payroll taxes just as much as the super german! and instead of super german taking care of his people he takes the money and allows his wife to visit Germany along with a couple G’s to have fun with. yes… all from the company fundsor lack thereof. hmm. so ya think this company was mismanaged? NO WAY! I’d work for them any day of the week for nada! NOT, NO WAY, NO HOW AINT GONNA EVER HAPPEN AGAIN. i was dumb just one time in my life and whew…that’s over now. besides how could i work for them when they’ll both be wearing orange and noT talking tableside at starbucks! HA

  • ex ex employee

    BTW wonder if Starbucks stocks will decline since Probst hasn’t been enjoying his breakfast, lunch and meetings there… can’t be dinner there cuz he’s busy having $300 dinner to this day! OMG YES! FIND HIM…SPANK HIM AND SPIT in his face like he did ours when he talked..or should I say yelled at us all the time!

  • Deborah holding a wholesale liquor sales license is not illegal, unless she was using it.
    It is my understanding that a few years ago she was planning on leaving EWG and working for Universal ( Vinoecian); but after she had already applied for her license, she decided against it.
    She does not own Vinoecian, and never did.

  • another me

    i agree that holding a liquor license is not against the law unless you are using it. But I will not agree that she ever intended on leaving EWG, she is too close to michael. but i do wonder when she is not home (which she never liked to go home from what I heard) what does she do in her spare time and with who, hmm. give you something to think about now.

  • formeremployee

    Ok Me, can you prove that. sounds like this may be debbie covering her tracks. not believable at all. And since you spelled vinocean wrong this probably really is deborah.

  • Lordy, Lordy

    IT IS DEBORAH!!!!

  • wanda / josh
    and your little tribe of pathetic, cowardly groupies.
    I know you are having the time of your life,spewing lies and inuendos.
    it is not surprising that you have been fired from most of the jobs you have held
    my sympathy to any employer who might hire you.
    assuming you are ever able to find a job.
    it is obvious that you would rather sit in a blog and unload your useless banter.
    someday you may realize that it is you , who is corrupt and petty.

  • moose… go back to Canada where you belong with the other moose. you’re the one being pathetic here. and i believe you are the one who belongs with the group of cowards. YOU need to get a LIFE! you were never part of the C&O family to begin with so CHILL and go bury your head will ya!

  • old employee

    I don’t know why people are so upset with Deborah Augenti when they should only be concerned with getting another job. Deborah was not responsible for the demise of the company – the spending habits of “others” were the main cause. She only helped with payroll a couple of times and we should thank her for that because otherwise we would not have gotten paid. I know I appreciated it! So she holds a license to Universal big deal – of which I dont think it’s even called Universal anymore therefore I would tend to think it is not even valid. She never sold for them so what’s the ruckus about?! And why on Earth would anyone think she slept with him? And I dont believe she’s had a face life – perhaps an eye job which is not a face lift – and wait until you reach your late 50’s……. you just might want to do the same! Concentrate on what the real issues are here!

  • The real issue is she new what was going on with the company from the beginning and was completely aware of the mismanagement of funds. Plasto woman with her husbands money bailed out the company on more than one occasion with the promise of big returns in the future. She also sold franchises to unknowing individuals even though she knew they wouldn’t get any support and new the company was in litigation. So with that being said she is as guilty as the others. As far as her personality, she was a two faced pot stir- er. The first face the one before the plastic surgery that she openly talked about and the other face after the surgery that didn’t look any better. She was the office gossip and Gestapo for Probst. And when you are in your late 50’s for the record you should look like you are in your late 50’s not try to look 20. But money can’t buy a classic look it can only buy things. So I am sure you are a nice person and just don’t want to believe she is a problem, but the real issue is she is guilty of fraud. I’m sure a host of other things as well. This is a job for the Federal gov’t and as to date they are doing their job. Stay around old employee I’m feel sure they would like to talk to you.

  • Hello, my name is Josh Shields and this is my first and only post. I am not Wanda, nor do I have any idea who anyone is on this site. It is certainly not my style to anonymously slander people from behind the veil of an internet blog. Anyone with a spot of gumption and class would feel the same. Those of you who know me know this to be true.

    For anyone who does not know me, I worked for C&O for about 2 years, split between running the Lakeland location and working for the corporate office. I left the company 5 or 6 weeks before the bankruptcy due to several prolonged core disagreements with ownership. In that time, I had the privilege of working with some of the finest co-workers and friends I have ever met. This was a group of people who actually did care about doing the right thing and doing everything they could to make the concept work. They were met in these attempts with constant roadblocks, setbacks, and a stubborn disposition. Many of these road blocks were financial, but some were home made. Leadership and direction were lacking, and an outright refusal to make adjustments to a failing business model can be leveled solely at ownership.

    We were all lied to. It is that simple. This understandably leads to bitterness… And so let this site provide an outlet for those who need it.

    As for the former employees who have logged on here to vent, I can only extend my apologies for failing you all. I hope that these past few weeks have yielded a more positive working environment. I wish you all the best, truly.

    As for the franchisees on this site, I owe you all even more apologies. I tried my best to instill a positive environment in your shops and provide whatever assistance I ever could. I was never anything less than sincere with any of you, and I hope you can believe that. I still feel that a high service wine retail environment can make money in any economy, and hope that all of you will find a way to at least recoup your investment. Please know that I wish you the best; if there is anything I can ever do for any of you please don’t hesitate to contact me. I don’t know what information I may have that could help, but even if it is just to say hi…

    I wish all of you nothing but the best, and hope that this becomes an unpleasant, yet brief, chapter in a lucrative business story.

    Take care all of you, and good luck.

  • Record Straight

    Deborah Augenti applied for and received, legitmately, a license as a Sales Representative on Wine and Spirits for Universal Wine in 2006. This license was applied for and authorized by the state after confirming no illegal activity would transpire due to its issuance i.e. Deborah would not be involved with purchasing and/or decision making concerning wines that would be purchased by EWG from Universal Wine.

    That type of license, once issued, is not suspended by the state unless certain requirements are not met, by the licensee. Deborah has not been employed or acting on the behalf of Universal Wine since late 2006. You are correct that Universal Wine Corp is now Vinocean and that James Milam does hold the same type of license as reported to the state.

    There is not now, nor was there ever anything illegal or even remotely illegitimate concerning the lincensing of Deborah as a Sales Person of Wine and Spirits. Period.

    In no way is Deborah financially involved with Vinocean/Universal Wine or any of their activities or business. That would be illegal, due to state regulations of the three tier system, for those that were wondering what the difference may be.

  • former employee

    omg deborah you still trying to convince every1 that you haven’t done anything wrong. maybe not with holding the license but in other areas HA u and ur buddy probst gonna open another biz r u insane? dont ansewr that.

  • Bravo Plasto Woman, I assume you will be working for peanuts again. Don’t you have anything better to do than be a puppet for the Germans? Remember You and All the others will be watched, so don’t slip up. They don’t do plastic surgery in jail.

  • Wanda
    As usual your info is flawed.
    Rayner is part of a group taking over c/o in chapter 11.
    Nelson and Augenti are not involved in the new group.
    You are a little too over zealous.

  • Dear enuff,
    As I have said before. Thank you for continuing to let me know my info isn’t correct. Why since you seem to have so much info aren’t you sharing it.? Can’t figure out if you are Plasto woman, Rainer, the blood sucking attorneys, Nelson or ???? You couldn’t be Super German he isn’t smart enough to know how to turn on the computer.

  • wanda
    give it up…it is over.
    goodbye

  • glad i dont work there anymore

    ATTENTION ATTENTION – AUGENTI/PROBST will open next week selling individual wine distributorships – where in the hell did they find anyone to support them???????????????? rumor has it it the ofc will be based around the westshore area no doubt within the locations of a starbucks!!!!!!!!!! probably wouldnt happened without debbie’s and her hubby’s cash i’m sure! you still want to tell me since augenti has this so called distributors license with universal that they are in no way affliated???? O M G WHAT IS NEXT

  • Shocked at the 'little man' and fake chick

    Just like all the other former employees…I am glad I do not work there anymore! I am wondering if the fake ms.a and idiot little man are indeed opening anything new…should we all show up and demand our last checks and those pathetic “bonus checks” that if they were like mine…bounced! All the times she came into the store, with new ‘blood’ of the new franchise owners and showed them how the store was set up, I am sure she forgot to tell them how C&O was going to sc*** them out of everything! I feel for them and I hope they do well!
    I wondered why the banks changed more than 4 times in less than 6 months! I have driven by the McMullen Booth location and up until this week the product was there, then…poof! All gone. However, the product at the Countryside Mall is still there. I have an idea..pay us in product!
    Maybe they should listen to “what goes around, comes around”!

  • Former ex

    Oldsmar has reopened – no way in this econmoy will C&O be able to rebound… went in tasted listened to there stories… Same old wine, same old story, no uniforms, looking desperatly for experienced help… Glad to see no familar faces fell for there BS….

    I DIDN’T PURCHASE AND WOULD NEVER PURCHASE ANY C&O PRODUCTS


  • The reason that the wine “poof” is all gone is Super German has in the passed moved the old wine from one store to the franchisees. I bet he moved the old wine from the Mc Mullen Booth store to the newly reopened Oldsmar location. Nothing amazes me about how dirty and low down these folks are.

  • wanda

    Super German is 7 million in Debt.

  • grapevine

    heard that mikey is opening his own distributorship with Ms. A. Seems he’s opening his mouth a little to wide again and spilling out lies to potential investors and told many in the orlando area about his new venture and has received LOANS and FINANCING from banks and such inthe ORLANDO area – Bet Mr. Sarasota C&O would like to hear about this one!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • The Wolf

    I think everyone is interested in this one!

    Michael’s steps are being closely watched. Once the Appold fiasco is settled, all efforts will be squarely fixed on him.

  • Wanda

    Very interesting. Do tell more. I would like to know what is happening.
    Thanks

  • ex employee

    I certainly hope Mr. Probst is doing well and continues to get people to pay for his rent, clothing,coffee, his wifes gucci bags and his $400 dinners because he certainly made it very diffcult for all the people who used to work for him to make his lifestyle a happy one. Many of us are still finding it very difficult because of the way he just DUMPED US without prior warning. He didn’t care in the least that he jerked our health insurance out from underneath us (WITHOUT WARNING AGAIN), nor does he care that several of us were EVICKED from our homes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU MICHAEL AND THANK YOU MS. AUGENTI FOR CONTIUING TO BACK THIS SO CALLED PIECE OF CRAP!!!!!!!!!!! YOU GUYS DESERVE EACH OTHER. One day you’ll both get WHAT YOU DESERVE and I hope for Mr. Probsts sake…. he does’nt drop the soap!!!!!!!!!!!or i hope somebody gets a picture of him trying to pick it up!!!!!!!!!!!!! and what ever happend to the other snake who was twofaced to everyone…. STEPHANIE NELSON………………….. RUN AWAY BRIDE!

  • secret

    well now everyone might find this to be interesting: http://www.sunbiz.org. document number P08000107072. MIchael Probst, CEO of his new company MERGER AND ACQUISITION CORP. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????????? HOW CAN THIS MAN BE ALLOWED TO OPEN ANOTHER BUSINESS WHILE SCREWING ALL HIS OLD EMPLOYEES,FRANCHISEES AND INVESTORS? WHAT THE HELL?????? This was just done on 12-4-08. I MEAN SERIOUSLY ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

  • secret

    AND while you are visiting the website, you might want to go ahead and type in deborah augenti name under WINE DISTRIBUTORS INC which was created march 08. Perhaps they both have been wheeling and dealing with this for sometime now and now have the opportunity to forge ahead. Hmm. And look who is the CFO??? seems a man who was going to be part of the “hedge fund” takeover for C&O, interesting wouldn’t you say? what’s next for the world of crooks?

  • secret: I don’t want to make you feel worse about your 1 br apt., so I hope the address of Wine distributors Inc. isn’t owned by Deborah Augenti.

    4201 BAYSHORE BLVD #1201 TAMPA FL 33611 (see listing here) is a condo worth $1,399,000. It’s listed as the primary address of the Corp. and also the address of CEO ROBERT HOOVER.

    681 TURNBERRY CT TARPON SPRINGS FL 34688 looks like DEBORAH AUGENTI’s. Hopefully not a $1M+ property.

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