646-722-7770

called my office gave his name as Mel Bermick (sp?) and asked me to call him at his office at this number.  I do not know this person.

A Bob Estevez left a VM for me asking that I call his office.  Very conversational tone as if I knew him or was a client.  Don't know him and did not identify his company or purpose for his call.

I got a message yesterday supposedly from a Jimmy Godovich at this number saying he was from ICC and was following up on an earlier conversation with me. Right. Never heard of him or the number. I checked here and found the above remarks, which fit my message too. I won't return a call like this but I do take the calls when they come in if there's the least bit of legitimate sound to it because, as attorneys, we never know when it may be someone on a file who we are not aware of yet, which of course is how they often get through the receptionist. But that's okay for me; let me tell you how I react when someone interrupts my day with a useless sales call. Maybe if we all reacted this way, they'd start calling phone numbers that are not on the Do Not Call list (my office is). When I get a call from one of these stock broker types I try to always take it so I can ream them out. Ohio has a law that makes it illegal for this kind of call to occur unless the first thing the caller says is that he's going to try to sell me something which, of course, they never do. I tell them I am a Consumer Protection lawyer and that I sue people for doing what he is doing and that Ohio law can make the caller individually liable along with his employer and then tell him to call someone in Kansas (sorry, Kansas readers), and hang up on him, usually before he can get a word in edgewise. If he tries to talk while I am talking, I just keep right on talking over top of him, straight to the end where I hang up. Do what you want to do when this type of call comes in. I intend to keep doing what I do. One thing is for sure. They don't call me back.

Same here--name of the caller was Jim Ignatowick. Told secretary I would know why he was calling. Sounds like a stockbroker. . .

My boss has been receiving the same calls from Jim Ignatowitz.  Gave me the same song and dance as the rest.  Left his phone number 646-722-7770.

Our receptionist got a call from Jim Ignatowich today from 646-722-7770. Refused to leave a detailed message for attorney/owner of firm - just that it was a personal matter and he would know what the call was about. I advised the receptionist that the next time he calls, and every subsequent call thereafter, to put him on hold and leave him sitting on hold until he hangs up. I figure if we start wasting his time, maybe he'll stop wasting ours.

Jim Ignatowich called our office today also.  Looks like they are calling all around.  Love the idea of leaving him on hold, I think I'll try that one!

Jim Ignatowich called and left a message for one of the attorneys, saying the attorney "would know what it's regarding." I searched for his number 646-722-7770 and found the above comments.  I like the idea of leaving him on hold, too.

Got an almost unintelligible voicemail from this guy at 646-722-7770 asking for a return call w/o stating any reason or context for the call.  It sounded like BS to me -- and it appears that it was. Don't waste you time returning any calls from this number.

This guy, Paul Cammareri has been calling for a while.  He left a voicemail saying "Hey buddy, call me back at the office" for my boss.  When I called back to screen the call, they wouldn't let me talk to him, and also would not tell me the company name or give me his email.  I looked the number up and it is unpublished.  There are others who call from the same number, with different names.  I am reporting them.

Jim Ignotovitch called from this number.  Just like a dozen other unsolicited phone calls today.  I work at law firm in Houston...busy phones.  I have to screen all calls for all attorneys.  This guy was easy to spot 'cause he asked for Mike and not the formal Michael that my boss goes by.  This is my trick...I send the call to an unused extension, I just let it ring until they hang up.  I have come to learn the ins and outs of these guys.  Do they really make a living doing this?

The first text said Erica is trying to reach you. Second call said it was comcerning a job I applied for on line; company confidential. I called back several times stayed on hold. The recording said they were a recruiting companie that does the screening of job apllicant for companies. NY phone call, I live in Ohio.

Caller, Paul Cammareri @ 646-722-7770 has called on multiple occasions stating he was an attorney, a personal friend of my attorney, etc.  My attorney took the call on one occasion and has told him several times not to call back.  Today I recognized his voice and recorded the call, telling him I would turn him in for telephonic harassment if he called again.  He hung up...

I would also like to add to some of the points already stated above and an attempt add some clarification, and perhaps some perspective as well.  
    I have just recently myself started working at ICC as well and can speak from first-hand experience, so hopefully the time spent here may ease the tension on both sides.
    I myself do not agree with all the tactics that may have been used as well, and admit I myself have used them occassionally in the past.  It is an easy habit to fall into when you take into account the repetitive nature as well as trying to work quickly and efficiently without regard to other aspects, but have learned over time that being more ethical in prospecting without a doubt leads to better receptiveness. This is not an excuse for the behavior, but an offer to explain it, and it has changed for the better and rather quickly, like most others currently working there.
   As a recent hire of ICC I can promise you that the interns and trainees are told constantly (every hour on the hour to be exact, not kidding either) to be polite and well-mannered to all receptionists.  I am always reminded by boss not to be rude no matter what the circumstance.  No explanation is necessary to explain how an absence of proper manners would be detrimental to business.  The problems concerning verbal rudeness are those making decisions of their own to not follow instructions to be polite which are given throughout the day and should not be understood as a reflection of the company as a whole.  
   Most of top partners and brokers are GENUINE and FAIR people, and try to give everyone a fair shot if they show willingness and potential, it's just unfortunate that some who are hired do not do as they are told and do as they please instead.  They do their best to weed these people out
    One the first points I would like to discuss is the company itself in relation to many of the independently operated brokerage firms out there.  THESE PEOPLE @ICC ARE NOT SCAMMERS.  
    As an aspiring broker @ ICC myself, it absolutely PAINS me to see the company name get labeled like this before I even get my shot in the business. They have a passion for what they do, and just because they utilize cold calling as a tool does NOT mean they are crooks, or I would have left like I did when I sensed this at the other places.  Any business-oriented person knows the true value of cold-calling and how it is effective real- time cost effective research
    And just as much as we do utilize cold-calling, I also would like  say that when someone requests not to be called anymore, they go to great lengths to assure that they aren't bothered anymore.  As a new employee of ICC I myself have been told to make sure contacts are completeley removed if requested to do so.
    I CAN ONLY IMAGINE how many calls these lawyers can get and see how our calls may add to the fustration, but please don't call them scammers.  That's why they are polite, conversational, brief, and to the point, and that's why they take the time to spell their name out for these guys so hopefully they distinguish them among others.          Someone had posted that they are out to call, target, and scam lawyers, you are wrong.  They actually PREFER to SERVICE them because they are in a performance based industry with a  business based on trust, open communication, and work solidarity,  and it this allows them to work more productively in that regard. I'm not saying that brokers and lawyers are the same here, but we all know what determines how they both get paid.
     I have worked at other firms and left them so I want to make clear the differences between ICC and other boiler room scammers out there.  The ideas that the brokers at ICC bring are not some uknown companies that they are trying to sell off.  They are ALWAYS legitimate stocks and bonds of either DOW components or other large well known companies.  They never go out to scam people of money with unkown penny stocks, or engage in exotic overseas trading.  To say they that are out there aiming to scam only lawyers is absolutely ludicrous and don't know anyone crazy enough to even try that.  
   I have read these blogs and couldn"t believe some of the things I read and how they have snowballed into huge fallacies about the company and the people that work there.
   I am not saying that these things said here aren't true or did not exist somewhere else.  But a lot of the names mentioned are of people not working here since I have started, I PERSONALLY have not encountered these claims, particularly the scamming and drug use and it seem to me more like vengeful, malicious intent of someone let go before I started working there.  If I were to encounter these things I would be the first to leave the place, come back here and let the truth be told.
    But until that happens, let's try to dissolve matters in a better way.  There are people like myself and the person above who attempt to conduct themselves properly and are always mindful to be a better, more ethical worker.  Please don't ruin it for someone trying to start out like us.
  Once again, my apologies to those receptionists who have been disrespected.  I am doing my best to communicate this foward and let's work together to make all of our jobs easier, and more enjoyable

Got a call from 646-722-7770, Bob Esteves.  I reversed it.  646 is in New York. There are only a couple of Bob Esteves in New York, but not at this number.

Last week Paul Camarari called and I didn't get the number, but he hung up the minute the receptionist said I was unavailable.

I get calls from these jerks periodically.  The latest was Andy Parisi--I don't think it's a real name; but Theodore E. Charles is real.  He's the CEO of ICC.  His home phone is 978 281 8087.  Another number is 978 281 3919.

I read with interest the "passionate" comment left by the "new guy" at ICC. My guess is that Jim Ignatowich, Paul Cammareri, Mark DeAngelo or Andy Parisi wrote it (as they were the ones that had repeatedly called our firm in the past, leaving messages for the attorney as if they were old college pals.)  If this company's intents are genuine, then why do they use misleading tactics to try to get through to the attorneys? His statement about their company going "to great lengths to assure that they aren't bothered anymore" when someone asks to be removed from their call list is B.S.  We repeatedly told callers from this company that we were not interested and that they should stop calling, only to get a call the following week.  
 Back in February, I started putting these folks on hold whenever they called - indicating that the attorney would be with them in a minute.  After leaving them on hold for several minutes (with absolutely no intention of putting it through to the attorney), they would eventually hang up. This tactic has apparently worked because we have not received any calls in several months. Guess they didn't appreciate us wasting their time.  How ironic.

Just received 2 calls from Jim Ignatowich, one for my boss and one for an associate in our office.  Would not leave a message just kept saying it was "personal".  He did leave his phone number - which is 646-448-3525.  My boss said this guy has called before and has been told NOT to call again.

ICC is a publicly traded, premier independent broker dealer.  Each branch office is run differently. Indeed some offices put more emphasis on cold calling than others, however that reflects nothing on the products themselves. 99% of the money ICC brokers make is resultant from repeat business - first transactions are 100% commission free. I'm not at all surprised secretaries fail to understand the complexities and nuances of the finance industry.