Reza Gerami, Owner of Rave Promotion Co. Go Ventures, Sees Home, Office Raided in Coliseum Investigation

By Dennis Romero Mon., Nov. 14 2011 at 12:26 PM

Go Ventures

Reza Gerami.

District Attorney's investigators raided the home and office of rave promoter Reza Gerami, owner of Go Ventures, as part of its look into alleged improprieties at the publicly run L.A. Coliseum.

Authorities served search warrants at his Malibu home and West Hills office on Wednesday, D.A.'s spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons told the Weekly Monday.

What did they take? Gibbons:

Computers and documents pursuant to search warrants' for an ongoing investigation by out Public Integrity Division into the Coliseum.

What's all that, you ask? Whew. Long story.

The whole idea of having raves at the Coliseum and its sister venue the Sports Arena came under fire last year after a 15-year-old girl who had attended Electric Daisy Carnival at the Coliseum died of an ecstasy overdose.

We're guessing that the cozy relationship between the promoter of Electric Daisy, Insomniac, and the public Coliseum Commission, which seemed to be on-track to allow raves to continue happening at the venues despite a public outcry, raised the suspicions of the Los Angeles Times, which started digging into the situation.

The paper soon alleged that a top Coliseum manager, Todd DeStefano, took money on the side from Insomniac and Go Ventures, the only two rave promotion companies that organized parties at the Coliseum and Sports Arena.

The Times says that the two promoters paid DeStefano's own production companies about $1.6 million.

At the time the promoters, more specifically Insomniac, were trying to get the Commission to let raves ride despite last year's controversy, DeStefano, a public employee, was lobbying in favor of the parties.

Insomniac had lined up top police officials to back its raves too.

As a result of the paper's investigation the Coliseum and Sports Arena have essentially locked out raves. The D.A. is investigating the DeStefano relationships. And EDC moved to Las Vegas.

The two big promoters in town, Insomniac and Go Ventures, which used to promote New Year's Eve's Together As One at the Sports Arena, have gone their separate ways.

Gerami told the paper last week that he's innocent:

The person who got ripped off was me. If there was foul play on the expenses, it worked against me. I was the victim.

Tags:

Coliseum, Coliseum Commission, District Attorney, Go Ventures, raid, Reza Gerami

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Rad

Just goes to show the kind of mobsters Pasquale Rotelle associates with the HE didn't get the raid. Reza has always been a gentleman who loves and spins the music. Pasquale has always been in it for the MONEY.

Stevenstrio

do you even know Pasquale?based on your comments, obviously not!

Markhorgan81

Yeah...because Reza doesn't like money. You don't see pasquale driving around in a ferrari

Paco

Reza Already has had his money. Pasquale has always been all about money. That guy is giving the music a bad name.

Paco

First of all as a dj myself I have and do give my work away for free ALL THE TIME. Its called having nothing but simply "LOVE" for what you do. You could not afford what it means to me in many life times, so to avoid this... I GIVE IT AWAY!! . Yes I do take money on gigs and what not but I BEND! I TAKE DONATIONS IF NOTHING DEPENDING THE OUTCOME.. WIERD CONCEPT HUH? THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF THE MUSIC DO. THAT'S CALLED "LOVE" IT"S ALL ABOUT HUMILITY MY FRIEND. YOUR GOOD FRIEND (Pasquale) LOST THAT YEARS AGO. ALSO...... HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE "LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND RAVE SCENE"? ....... Your telling me about todays scene and Honestly.. I don't really attend any of that crap.... I PLAY AT THEM. I COME FROM THE EARLY 90'S RAVE SCENE... I knew both promoters before it all and during it all and what those two promoters along with a few others ruined something beautiful that meant a lot to many. They brought "COMMERCIALISM" in to blow up attendances. AND FOR WHAT I MIGHT ASK??? FOR MONEY ......... Hope you learned something today. You can put your school book away now son.

P.L.U.R

and just incase you don't know what that means, it means ........

PEACE-LOVE-UNITY-RESPECT.

Tony

how is Pasquale all about the money? his events are about the same price as other festivals he gets way bigger names and much more acts then the others and spends way more on production then the others.. the others give you the bare minimum for the same price. also i don't think you would work at your job for free so don't be a hypocrite.

Kenjamin2u

Hmmm This story seems a little one sided. And seems to ignore some facts. A) No one ever died at a Go ventures event. B) Go Ventures is not Electric daisy carnival.... C) A man recently fell to his death at a prof baseball game and we still have those events. Accidents happen, but to start going after random promoters is an absurd waste of tax payers dollars. LA has larger problems to worry about and it looks to me, like it should really start looking for a new D.A.. This article holds no merit and your "investigation" is clearly anti-rave propaganda. Keep it up and Ill start reading the Daily news....

Dennis Romero

Ken:

Maybe you should lay off the E. It's NOT my investigation. It's the D.A.'s. I'm simply reporting that the D.A. conducted raids as part of its inquiry. Don't blame the messenger.

Damiansimmsla

Wow Dennis. Thats SO unprofessional of you to react like that. Especially after all the inaccuracies in all your stories regarding the dance event related issues at the coliseum property. And what you have done over the past few years is "NOT" simply reporting the facts, if you would ever take the time I have a list of points you have attempted to make in your stories based on inaccuracies or just plain untruths. And to call claim someone is on drugs because they disagree with you is a pretty lame response...Especially coming from someone "Yes You Dennis"who I have seen with my own eyes rolling on E in past years...So don't try to get on some high horse now cause Ive seen you on drugs before..........

Marcus Gaede

I call bullshit!