(Scroll to bottom for update) The History Channel’s hit show Pawn Stars was the scene of one of the most embarrassing blunders in authentication history when PSA/DNA’s alleged expert, John Reznikoff, told millions of. Antiques and collectibles for sale - Paul Fraser Collectibles Exciting news about art and antique auctions, advice for collectors, plus memorabilia, antiques and other investment grade collectibles for sale. A group of several highly competent experts we spoke to agree with Gonzales’ opinion and the views of the JSA employee and believe that people are getting cheated more than ever as the TPA’s issue countless worthless LOA. Hauls of Shame - Breaking News. By Peter J. Nash. August 1, 2. 01. 4(Scroll to bottom for update)The History Channel’s hit show Pawn Stars was the scene of one of the most embarrassing blunders in authentication history when PSA/DNA’s alleged expert, John Reznikoff, told millions of viewers that a Godfather movie script was signed by Al Pacino when it was actually signed by movie producer Al Ruddy. In another instance, pawn shop owner Rick Harrison said he lost 1. Shoeless” Joe Jackson that was authenticated by former PSA an current JSA authenticator Herman Darvick. But when Harrison sent the book to PSA/DNA, he got a letter back signed by the company’s senior authenticator, Steve Grad, stating that the Jackson autograph was not authentic. Safe to say, the show’s producers wanted to avoid any future embarrassments similar to the Reznikoff incident and other on- air authentication debacles orchestrated by former on- air expert Drew Max. Provedor LocalNet Telecom. Internet banda larga via rádio - Internet banda larga via fibra óptica. Registro de domínios - Hospedagem de sites. Matilde Abrecht, Ana Acevedo, Betty May Adams, Jane Adriance, Odette Agramon, Mireille Aigroz, Rosemarie Albach, Rita Alcover, Gretchen Alexander, Veronica Aliso, Rosita Alverio, Vera Gibson Amado, Elisabeth Amsterdamer, Else. The Medium Awareness trope as used in popular culture. (No, this isn't about when a character realizes they've met an oracle, or pays the usual amount of …. Max billed himself as a forensic document examiner but he was notorious for authenticating signatures of players that had been placed on balls manufactured after they died as well as certifying as genuine mass produced facsimile signatures of historical figures like FDR. As a result of these embarrassing episodes, Pawn Stars apparently cut ties with Max after a few seasons and Reznikoff has not appeared on the show since the Pacino debacle. In response to the on- air flubs, the popular cable franchise forged a new relationship with PSA/DNA authenticator, Steve Grad, to become the new expert for autographed items that walk into the Las Vegas pawn shop. PSA President, Joe Orlando, announced the partnership between the reality show and the subsidiary of the public company Collectors Universe in a press release which stated, “One of the missions of Professional Sports Authenticator and PSA/DNA Authentication Services is education. Steve Grad serves not only as an authentication expert, but also a great ambassador for the hobby of collecting.” But according to a 2. Grad gave for to a lawsuit filed against PSA and Collectors Universe, it is Grad’s own education and the fabrication of his own professional history that are now calling into question his own credibility and the authenticity of millions of dollars worth of items that he has certified as genuine. In one of Grad’s early appearances on Pawn Stars in June of 2. Babe Ruth signed bank check that was already accompanied by a PSA/DNA letter of authenticity signed by Grad. Rick Harrison looked at the letter and told his customer, “It’s signed by Steve, he’s a friend of mine.” Harrison added, “I know its legit because my buddy Steve authenticated it.” Harrison views Grad as a credible expert in the field and the top representative of the authentication giant PSA which company President Joe Orlando described in his Pawn Stars press release as having “examined and certified over 2. Steve Grad's online bios published by Mastro. Net and PSA mention his holding a "BA in Broadcast Journalism" and state that his major at Columbia College led to a career as a broadcaster. When it comes to autograph authentication, Steve Grad is PSA’s principal authenticator and he has the final say whether collectors’ items will become trash or treasure after PSA/DNA issues its LOA bearing his facsimile signature. Grad’s bio on the PSA website has included references to his educational background which the company says led to his early career in radio including a stint on Sporting News Radio and a role as “Psycho Steve” on the Mancow Show. The current bio states that Grad’s ”major in Broadcast Journalism at Columbia College launched him into the radio world for seven years.” In addition, the bio included a link to another PSA- authored article which describes Grad’s authentication training as having been acquired while he was working for Bill Mastro at Mastro. Net Inc. between 1. In that 2. 00. 6 article, Grad calls his time working for Mastro as “life changing” and added that he was a “quick learner” who after a short period of time was “authenticating autographs and assisting in the authentication and acquisition of memorabilia for Mastro. Net’s sports and non- sports auctions.” PSA, however, has edited out all references to Grad’s past history with Mastro Auctions since his mentor, Bill Mastro was indicted on auction fraud charges in 2. When Grad was working at Mastro. Net he was featured on the company website as an “Autograph Authenticator” who had been “involved in the autograph industry for more than 2. In addition to being an “autograph chaser” Mastro also specifically noted in the bio that Grad held a “BA in Broadcast Journalism.”Grad has been portrayed as a college- graduate and a professionally trained expert in his field and guys like Rick Harrison and thousands of other PSA customers look to his opinion as the deciding factor as to whether they will pay big money for an item offered for sale. But as Hauls of Shame has illustrated in our “Worst 1. Authentications” and several otherinvestigative reports, Grad has certified scores of forgeries as authentic and has cost collectors hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses due to his authentication malpractice. Now, Hauls of Shame has learned that not only has Grad authenticated fakes for years, but he also faked his own personal biography to portray himself in a better light. As it turns out, Grad never graduated from Columbia College and never earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism. In addition, Grad committed perjury and lied about receiving a degree from Columbia College when he was deposed in a 2. Charles Lindbergh that Lindbergh’s daughter and her expert claimed was not genuine. The autograph was included in an Upper Deck relic card along with an alleged strand of Lindbergh’s hair that was provided by PSA’s John Reznikoff. A collector named Steven Sterpka acquired the card and later filed a lawsuit alleging that Grad and PSA/DNA had rejected the Lindbergh autograph when he later submitted it to RR Auctions, after PSA/DNA had already authenticated it. Court documents show that PSA ultimately retracted that reversal of its original opinion. When asked about that reversal in his deposition, all Grad would say is that, “A mistake was made.”Grad said he was a college graduate and committed perjury in a court- ordered 2. Collectors Universe, that involved his authentication of a Charles Lindbergh autograph. In the court ordered deposition taken by attorney Douglas Jaffe, Grad claimed to have received a degree in “Broadcast Journalism” and when asked if he had “received any formal education after (he) obtained (his) degree from Columbia College,” Grad replied, “No.” Grad also could not remember when he graduated from Columbia College and when pressed for an exact year he answered, “Mid- 9. Some people reading Grad’s bios published by PSA and Mastro. Net may have assumed that Grad attended Columbia College in New York City and that his “Broadcast journalism” degree was affiliated with the world- famous Columbia School of Journalism, but the school’s Registrar, Marvin Cohen, confirmed for Hauls of Shame that Grad only “attended Columbia College Chicago from the Spring 1. Fall 1. 99. 4 semester” and that he “did not graduate from the college.” In addition, Allison Sullivan of the Registrar’s Office at Chicago’s Roosevelt University confirmed that Grad “was enrolled at Roosevelt University from Spring 1. Fall 1. 99. 2, but did not receive a degree. His major at the time of enrollment was Speech Broadcasting.”Also revealed in his testimony under oath, Grad stated that he had no formal training as an authenticator and that his primary training and education was provided by Bill Mastro and his auction house between 1. Grad said, “(Mastro) exposed me to everything they see, what to look out for, different consignments that came in. It was very educational.” When asked what Mastro educated him to look out for when authenticating items Grad answered, “Forgeries to look out for, telltale signs.” When asked what those tell- tale signs were Grad replied, “Fountain pens, ballpoint pens, different inks that forgers use to make things look old.”Dan Knoll (left) was another hobby mentor to Steve Grad who is pictured with (l to r) Mastro and PSA authenticators John Reznikoff; Roger Epperson and Zach Rullo. As revealed in our last “Operation Bambino” report, Grad may also have learned how to pass off forgeries as genuine items in Mastro sales. As illustrated in our report, Grad and his former colleague, Jimmy Spence, have been authenticating forged Babe Ruth signatures dating back to the time when they were working as authenticators for Mastro, who recently plead guilty to fraud he committed while operating Mastro Auctions up until 2. Grad’s habitual authentication of forgeries, however, extends to the present day as evidenced by a baseball he authenticated that was removed from a sale conducted by Grey Flannel Auctions earlier this summer. Grad authenticated that ball as the genuine article signed by Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth in 1. Sources indicate that Grey Flannel and its principal, Richard Russek, are also targets of the FBIs on- going Mastro investigation. Grad has also attributed his success in the hobby to his affiliation with another Mastro associate, Dan Knoll, who lived across the street from Grad in suburban Chicago in the 1. Knoll was a well known hobby veteran who operated as both a dealer and authenticator for the past several decades and Grad told PSAs Sports Market Report, “He (Dan Knoll) taught me about autographs, how to collect them, store them, and about values and authenticity.” Knoll has been a business partner and close confidant of Mastro for the past several decades but sources indicate that it was Knoll who wore a wire for the government and helped obtain audio of Mastro admitting he had trimmed the now infamous PSA- 8 T2. Honus Wagner card.
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