Ferrari

  • 01 Mar 2011 at 4:28 PM

Ferrari Makes Push For “Wealthy Families” With Roomier, 4-Wheel Drive Vehicle, Fails To Target Other Potential Markets

By Bess Levin

As you may have heard, Ferrari has introduced a new car, the FF, which comes with four-wheel drive, room for four and 15.9 cubic feet of trunk space, the most in its category. The FF, which will set you back $359,000, is being targeted to “wealthy families” whose head of household would like to be in a two-seater but has a wife, kids and all their stuff to consider. But this is just as good, says Fabio Barone Ferrari owner and chairman of the Passione Rossa owners’ club. “You can finally drive a real Ferrari, with its extreme performance, to take your family skiing.” With the FF, Ferrari is “widening its offer to niches it didn’t cover before,” said AT Kearney analyst Marco Santino. “It may be a winning strategy if they are bringing something really new to the market.” True but it seems us that Ferrari could be going after hell of a lot more niches than just wealthy family men and does itself a disservice by not considering the other individuals who would happily shell out for this thing. Continue reading »

  • 19 May 2010 at 5:45 PM

Ex-Merrill Broker Who Ripped Off $780,000 From Bank Pleads Guilty, Frauds Everywhere Weep For Loss Merrill’s Mensa Members

By Bess Levin

Steve Mandala is the guy who took Merrill Lynch for $780,000, and with some of the cash, bought himself a red 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider. Prior to joining the bank, he was a broker at Maxim Group who earned about $100,000 annually. He sensed that there was some money to help himself to at Mother Merrill but didn’t think he’d be able to land the gig. So, he lied and told them he was a partner at Maxim, where he managed $300 million in assets and took home $765,000 a year. This probably would not have worked at some other firm, but Merrill was a special, special bank.

“Somehow you got them to hire you because you told them you had big-time clients?” acting state Supreme Court Justice Carol Berkman said to Mandala in court, referring to Merrill Lynch.

Continue reading »