Frank Patti
Frank Patti | |
---|---|
Born | November 12, 1930 Pensacola |
Occupation | Owner, Joe Patti Seafood Company |
Religion | Catholic |
Parents | Joe and Anna Patti |
Children | Mary Ann Patti Linda Scarritt Frank Patti Jr. |
Frank Michael Patti, Sr. (b. 1930) is the owner of Joe Patti Seafood Company, which his father Joe started in 1933, Frank started Patti Shipbuilding in 1977. He took over Joe Patti's Seafood Company after his father's death in 1992 and oversaw the seafood company's growth from $2.2 million in annual sales to about $14.1 million in 2000.
Although census figures show that Pensacola has an African-American population of over 30%, on March 31, 2011, the Joe Patti Seafood Company employed only two black employees out of a staff of nearly 120 persons. This constitutes approximately 2% of the staff. This figure is a typical ratio of black to white employees working for Frank Patti.
On February 21, 2001, Patti was indicted on 12 tax fraud charges alleging nearly $12 million in unreported income between 1993 and 1998. Twelve additional charges were later added against him. He initially pleaded not guilty and, on May 25, crashed his pickup truck into the Frisco 1355 engine on Garden Street, afterwards claiming to have amnesia. He was sent to a federal medical facility for evaluation and was deemed competent for trial. On April 12, 2002, he pleaded guilty to two of the initial counts and was sentenced to 79 months' prison and ordered to repay nearly $5 million in back taxes and fines. His fiancée Alice Guy, who also pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges, was given probation and a $50,000 fine.
Patti was released from prison on December 15, 2005 — after only 39 months' detention — because of cooperation and good behavior. He has since returned to managing operations at the seafood company.
On January 15, 2008, he was arrested on a battery charge for allegedly hitting a customer who made a comment about his criminal past. The charge was later dropped due to insufficient evidence.