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It would have been cheaper, both on the head, and wallet to have gone with
GUE, this never would have happened.
Paul Komrowski
-----Original Message-----
From: Anthony Piscitelli [mailto:wreckdvr@op*.ne*]
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2002 1:16 AM
To: techdiver@aquanaut.com
Subject: Re: Scumbags, Scammers and Frauds
----- Original Message ----- `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Scammers, Frauds, Scum Bags and Fakes- The Putz Part 1 (Part 2 the rest of
the story to follow). -
This may be long, but in my opinion, please read it for your own safety and
the general good of the dive industry.
It is my opinion that Joel Silverstein of Abysmal Diving and other less then
savory operations past and present.Has attacked, slandered and libeled my
good name as follows:
Joel Silverstein wrote on....
From: Joel Silverstein <joel@t...> Date: Fri Jan 25, 2002 11:20
pmSubject: Re: [WAHOO-FORUM] Re: Confused and Concerned!--Joel
At 12:19 AM 1/26/2002 +0000, you wrote:>Joel,>>Yes, Capt. Tony
Piscitelli---He has been exposed as being involved with >Howie and his
shooting.>>Regards,>AlCapt Tony P. FWIW -- he did his tech training with me
until i found out what a fraud he was. He then went on to captain the O'le
Salty -- which was/is Ted Massoti's boat. Though Ted doesn't own it -- his
partner does... Tony was a big mouth for a while then he fell off the face
of the earth. I had heard he was "a day captain" on Howie's boat so Howie
could go diving. Most of Tony P's experience (as he told me ) was running
booze cruises up and down the Hudson.however ...... if Tony P is involved
with Howie's shenanigans its not unpredictable Tony P is easily influenced
by the wrong people ....Tony P hangs out with losers .........regards,
The reason for this attack:
This was done by Joel Silverstein in my opinion, because he needed to get
even for the following complaint lodged against him for endangering my life
and that of others in two NAUI advanced classes, and because I have stood by
my friends, Captain Howard Klein of the Eagles Nest and Bob Werner of No
Limitz Sports, in an internet attack on them and eventually myself. I will
say my piece as I have stated the facts with back up. These words can and
will stand on their own merit. Please feel free to discuss this as it is
timely and could save others divers from being bilked and possibly hurt by
the actions of other instructors and self styled gurus of SCUBA DIVING.
The reasons for this attack on me can be found in a dispute that Captain
Klein was alleged to have with another EDBA dive boat operator- a Steve
Belinda of the Wahoo. As the root of all history is usually based upon
money, the attack on Captain Klein, his family, his crew and his friends
came after he chided Belinda for bilking a group of divers out of their
money for a trip to the Texas Tower that was not consummated by the Belinda
people, as this was common knowledge at he time. This was not the first time
Steve Belinda made a run for the cash, rumor has it.
In my opinion, if Captain Klein had not again exposed this action by
Belinda, the divers would still be trying to pry the money out of Belinda's
clutches, and also in my opinion, totally embarrassed by the scenario,
Belinda began a two year mud slinging diatribe on his own web site and then
eventually, under the direction of some higher intelligent factor beyond
Belinda's scope, on a Yahoo Forum.
The crux of the matter is that any and all involved with Captain Howard
Klein have been damaged by the half-truths, out and out lies, and death by
innuendo instigated and fueled by a Steve Belinda and his butt wipes. Most
of all, the Northeast Dive Community looks at best foolish. and at worst.
beleaguered and run by assholes.
Common knowledge has it that Joel Silverstein a long time Belinda flunky and
in my opinion " butt wipe " (see attached communiqué from Joel to Belinda re
this Yahoo- forum substantiating this as well).......
From: Joel Silverstein <joel@t...> Date: Thu Feb 28, 2002 6:54 pmSubject:
Re: [WAHOO-FORUM] Re: Joel<>A question, please At 10:56 PM 2/28/2002 +0000,
you wrote:>Joel,>>Good question.>Is Tim speaking for you?>Are we placing you
in a bad position or asking too much?>Very interested.>>Regards,>Wayneits
never a burden ......... and no one can speak for me(unless Capt. Steve said
i said it and then i will back it up 100% )Joel D. Silverstein
.......looked to pile on and take a cheap shot directed at me, and at my
entry in this Belinda and Co. campaign to hurt Captain Howard Klein. I was
willing to let the past be re Silverstein, until it was brought to my
attention what Silverstein wrote about me. This is why, at this juncture I
choose to share my personal experience re Silverstein a so called, and self
styled icon of SCUBA Diving, in an effort to clear my name besmirched by in
my opinion a Putz and a Belinda butt wipe.
If you doubt what I have shared re my personal experience, rumor has it that
the folks at tech equipment mfg in NY have some issues with Joel as do a
host of others.divers, shop operators, dive boat captains both here and in
the Midwest.
And to add the rest of the Silverstein story, it is also common knowledge I'
m told, Joel has had a long history of "wreckage in his wide wake" with a
sea floor covered from fraudulent billings to DAN - when he had the "Chamber
"on City Island NY, to the wake of those he screwed when he busted his
magazine Sub Aqua. They even tried to hose the dive boat association re drug
screenings for the boat crews!
If any of you out there want to share Silverstein stories, please do so in a
suitable format that you can share with all of us. The Dive community needs
to police the scammers, fakes, scumbags and Putz' that have been placed upon
us and in our midst.
The following is The Real Reason why Joel wrote what he did about me and
then shared this with others openly on the web.
Captain Tony Piscitelli's complaint to NAUI
NAUI Ethics Committee
Via FAX TO: 956 761 6039
Attn.: T. O'Leary Technical Operations
From Captain Tony Piscitelli
As per my previous email of 9 October 99 to you and my subsequent enrollment
in the NAUI Dive Master Program, I wish to file the following complaints,
based upon my review of Standards and Policies Manual, NAUI 1996.
Let me state for the record that all of my education with the exception of
Intro to Nitrox has been with NAUI, and I may add has been excellent, up
until my dealings with NAUI Instructor Joel Silverstein # 17790 of Scuba
Training and Technology Co.
As you can tell I am serious about my diving and now that I am privy to
Standards and Policy based upon my current course reading, I am at best
livid -- at having been duped and quite frankly bullshited by what appeared
a NAUI fixture and author in the presence's of Joel Silverstein.
I had taken the double course of Advanced Nitrox and Extended Range with
Joel Silverstein as conducted with Olympus Dive Shop. The course work and
the actual dive work measured up to excellent. I paid for two courses and
can provide cancelled checks and credit card receipts if required. I
received only one C card and that is for Extended Range.
For the record the NAUI Standards and Policies Manual, NAUI 1996 states for
Technical EANx that "...this course may be combined with Decompression Tech
Diver Course.10 dives..for cert and 80% EANx for deco with 20-60 re bottom
mix..12 hours class room.....And Extended Range to have.8 hours class
room... combined with Decompression Tech Diver Course.10 dives..etc..
The reality is that although I did complete what seemed to be both courses,
I was not given two certifications, being told that because the Extended
Range was a higher certification and it inherently covered Tech Nitrox. I
have pushed this issue on numerous occasions with Joel Silverstein only to
be dismissed. It is now at this time, that I am enrolled in a NAUI Diver
Master course that the truth comes to light.
To add insult to injury, it seems that upon more careful scrutiny I took
three course 9 The Decom course was covered in the presentations ) all at
once, paid for two and was certified for one.
Second major issue is my TRI-MIX Certification with Joel Silverstein
The NAUI Standards and Policies Manual, NAUI 1996.states for Tri-Mix I, &
II 18 hours classroom...14 dives 6 & 8 per..deeper then 190 feet...etc.
The reality here is again bordering on fraud and if not criminal neglect
in regards to life and limb...we had no more then six hours of
classroom........and six dives, deepest being 164 feet. We did not get
instruction as how to hand prepare our dive profiles, we were given dive
profiles that were computer generated with no understanding other then when
to change gas and run times.we spent endless hours filling tanks for the
next days dives, and being the gofers for Joel and or tank analyzers for all
tanks after filling.
Again I paid for two courses received cert for one and more importantly,
realized that I could be one of those dead divers we read about due to lack
of proper training because I did not get anywhere near minimal NAUI
training.
On top of this craziness, I have been informed by Joel that I am really too
old to be doing this diving in the first place. ( I'm 52 years old and in
better shape then the course director and most 25 year olds ).
As per the standards. I have begun re certifying myself as to TRIMIX and
will continue my advancement through NAUI at Sea Dwellers of NJ, with Capt.
Ted Masotti and Nick Caruso, having just finished my Master Diver course,
and now working on my Dive Master program
Now feeling even more like the last owner of the Brooklyn Bridge on his way
back to Des Moines with deed in hand, I need to ask some valid questions of
you --my / our certifying Organization:
1. What are you going to do about getting my Tech Nitrox Card issued to
me? What just transpired is not acceptable to me.
2. What are you going to do about refunding to me half of my course money
I paid Joel Silverstein for a ".Total." Trimix Certification.
3. What are you going to do about the life threatening teaching practices
of Joel Silverstein. There were others in the TriMix course that did not
have the benefit of seeing what is really required for this skill. What
about them?
Since writing this I have received from Joel two new cards, see attached
letter -Advanced EANx and Decompression Techniques, with the request that I
return the Extended Range C Card. I really think that we all should sit
around a table and discuss this face to face before any cards get returned.
4. Have all the other students in the September 98 class been reissued new
c cards?
5. What about the other issues previously stated?
6. What about refunds and or having Joel Silverstein pay for my current
NAUI TRIMIX COURSE?
Respectfully submitted,
Captain Tony Piscitelli
Never heard a word back from NAUI until the recent Dumping of Joel! See
below:
NAUI Ethics & Quality Assurance
On the following pages, you will find letters written to NAUI complimenting
various NAUI Members, Awards members have received, our Credo and our Code
of Ethics. Next, you will find members who have been suspended, resigned, or
who have had their membership revoked.
Joel Silverstein, #17790 - (Suspended: 6/18/2001, Revoked: 2 March, 2002)
Since then the following has occurred to Joel Silverstein and, rumor has it
that this complaint by the writer was just the tip of the iceberg that sank
the titanic Mr. Silverstein.
ANDI International has also pulled his credentials and others are about to
follow suit..So rumor has it I'm told.
Coming to the end of this tale - And Joel wrote in his transparent
defense..received from a friend in the instructors consortium,..( you must
be an active instructor to be a member plus he (SILVERSTEIN) is the
moderator of the group)
o INSTRUCTORS CONSORTIUM IN YAHOO GROUPS
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 8:01 AM
Subject: Re: info for you
this is a message Joel posted on a list I am a member of....
o Yes, it is true. After a very long drawn out and expensive battle to
retain my membership and my good name, my membership was first suspended,
then a series of investigations, then a hearing and then a revocation of my
membership was completed the other day.
I have not been informed officially of this revocation, only that it
is
on the NAUI website.
I have it all documented. The entire saga. Please give me a few days
to pull the information together in such a manner that it is easy for those
interested to navigate through.
While it was always my goal to maintain my membership because I believed in
the system as we all did, I believe certain persons at NAUI had an agenda
that would not work if I was to remain a member.
I would suggest that members of NAUI keep focused on the work that they are
to do in the field by training new and old divers as best they can. Our jobs
as scuba instructors is to teach people how to have safe underwater
experiences.
The politics of the diving industry can sometimes make one's head spin.
It's a cottage industry. We ALL know each other, and many of us will be
here for a VERY long time.
The Consortium is alive and well, and i encourage you all to continue to
use it for it's intended purpose.
As soon as i gather all the items needed for a post I will make it
available. Warm regards
Joel Silverstein
o What a crock of self effacing bullshit, in my opinion.
And, who is exposed as a fraud, a scammer and a scuba putz?
Respectfully submitted to the list,
o Safe diving
o Captain Tony Piscitelli
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