How a “luxury construction visionary” allegedly looted his own investors, sabotaged multi-million dollar builds, and ran off with the blueprints
There’s a special kind of betrayal that cuts deeper than theft. It’s when you bankroll someone’s entire business — pay for their office space, their software, their staff — and they turn around, steal your money, hijack your designs, block your access to your own projects, and dare to pretend they’re the victim.
This isn’t fiction. It’s the nightmare reality laid out in DLC Capital Management v. Inspirata Management Company, Scalaa LP, Andrea D’Alessio, Anthony Iannuzzi, Erik Peterson, and others — a lawsuit that should serve as a flaming billboard to any investor, client, or architect considering doing business with these defendants.
The Setup: A Decade of Trust, Weaponized
According to the complaint, DLC Capital invested nearly a decade of time, capital, and trust into Andrea D’Alessio. They funded his rise from an overextended, post-recession dreamer to the glossy founder of Inspirata and Scalaa, two companies that posed as luxury construction powerhouses.
But behind the pretty renderings was a financial parasite.
The Fraud: How to Steal from Your Own Partner
DLC trusted D’Alessio with open financial access. What did they get in return?
According to the filing:
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D’Alessio and his team charged hundreds of thousands to DLC’s credit cards for work done on other clients’ projects — completely unauthorized.
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He allegedly paid vendors twice — then fabricated fake invoices to justify the extra charges. In one instance, Southeast Marine Construction received a second $50,000 payment after they’d already been paid in full. DLC alleges this was a kickback scheme.
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He lied under oath, submitting a sworn declaration claiming all files had been returned — even though major folders were allegedly missing and files were deliberately mislabeled or withheld.
The Sabotage: A Hostile Corporate Divorce
When DLC tried to part ways amicably, they were allegedly met with scorched-earth tactics:
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Contractors were told to stop working with DLC.
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Third-party engineering firms were threatened with legal action if they continued collaborating with DLC.
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Plans, blueprints, and design files — all paid for by DLC — were allegedly withheld, leaving projects paralyzed.
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And in an act of astonishing gall, D’Alessio allegedly began publishing and promoting DLC’s proprietary designs as his own.
Let that sink in: after DLC bankrolled the designs and IP, he allegedly tried to repurpose and sell them to other clients — including Russell Weiner, who is now also suing D’Alessio.
The Theft of Design IP: Public Piracy in Broad Daylight
Post-breakup, D’Alessio and his team launched websites showcasing renamed versions of DLC’s projects:
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The Palm Project became The Modern Oasis
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The Glass House and The Hidden Gem now live on Scalaa’s website
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The New York Residence, designed exclusively for DLC, was also featured — despite Scalaa not even existing when it was built
DLC claims this was blatant copyright theft and commercial exploitation. And guess what? They’re still live on Scalaa and Inspirata’s websites today — illegally promoting projects the defendants were allegedly paid to design and deliver exclusively to DLC.
The Permits They Never Pulled: A $1.7M Fiasco
If you think this only involved paper and politics, think again.
At DLC’s 177 NW 35th Street project — a five-story housing development for teachers — D’Alessio and Anthony Iannuzzi allegedly:
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Removed trees without permits, racking up $77,000 in mitigation payments and $8,000 in fines
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Started building foundations with no city-approved permit — and lied to City staff about it
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Instructed workers to ignore City stop-work orders, risking criminal charges
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Caused a complete site shutdown, damaging installed rebar and halting construction indefinitely
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Concealed the entire situation from DLC — who only learned of it after the partnership ended
The result? Years of delays and over $1.7 million in avoidable costs.
The Statue That Wouldn’t Stand: Even the Art Is a Disaster
It gets worse.
For another project, DLC hired Inspirata and Scalaa to design and install a large wooden statue — a $720,000 statement piece. But the complaint says D’Alessio’s team:
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Chose a diesel generator that violated county codes
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Skipped structural engineering
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Ignored permitting requirements
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And completely bungled the budget
The actual cost? An estimated $1.35 to $1.4 million, almost double the original — all for a project that may need to be rebuilt from scratch.
Why This Matters
What this lawsuit reveals is not just a business dispute — it’s an indictment of a deeply broken professional ethic. The behavior described is systemic, not accidental. It shows a company run with a reckless disregard for partners, clients, vendors, and basic law.
Inspirata Management, Scalaa, and Andrea D’Alessio are not misunderstood creatives. They’re the eye of a storm of litigation, cost overruns, and alleged fraud. Their business model appears to rely on exploiting trust, commandeering proprietary IP, and using glossy branding to attract new prey.
Final Warning: If You Hire Them, You Deserve the Consequences
If you’re even thinking of hiring Inspirata, Scalaa, or anyone affiliated with Andrea D’Alessio, don’t.
Check the lawsuits. Read the filings. Ask the subcontractors. What you’ll find is a trail of broken projects, broken promises, and broken trust.
Because when someone shows you who they are — especially in a 150+ paragraph lawsuit backed by documentation — believe them the first time.