The No Account of Montecristo
Friends can file this story under a number of different categories: political puppetry, gross hypocrisy, unmitigated gall, comical self-righteousness, offense is the best defense; pick any one you like.
At last Tuesday’s Fullerton City Council meeting we were treated to another diatribe by a guy named Oliver Montecristo attacking Fred Jung, Nick Dunlap and Jamie Valencia. We have already met Oliver, here. Oliver wants everyone to believe that Jung and his colleagues are anti-small business, a new line of attack by Ahmad Zahra and Shana Charles, two muppets who have never run a business in their lives.
It’s pretty clear that Oliver is one of the minions in Zahra’s stable of impressionable young fellas. His other protégé, lively young Elijah Manassero, has taken up the myth of the City’s persecution of Olly’s mom, and the family restaurant, Les Amis. The rents on City property are so darn high! The Kennedy Sisters at the Fullerton Observer have also taken up the Les Amis cause.
The only problem is that the Montecristo clan led by mom, Jinan, have a notorious record of not paying their bills, and encroaching on public property without authorization or permits. Check it out:
Feb 2011 Jinan Montecristo d.b.a. Les Amis Restaurant & Lounge (Jinan) applied for an outdoor dining encroachment agreement.
Aug 2011 After several reviews of the site plan, staff provided a draft encroachment agreement to Jinan for consideration
Sept 2011 Jinan issued a letter to staff challenging the lease rates. Les Amis installed fencing and started operating within the public right-of-way without executed agreement (south patio).
Dec 2011 Staff send revised encroachment agreement for consideration
June 2012 Jinan was issued an Administrative Restaurant Use Permit (ARUP), which included an ancillary outdoor patio. Among other things, the conditions of the ARUP required a valid encroachment agreement pursuant to the Outdoor Dining Guidelines established by the City Council.
July 2012 Staff send revised encroachment agreement for consideration
Dec 2015 Jinan submitted building permit to expand into the north portion of the building.
Feb 2016 Staff inform Jinan that she owed $28,659.60 for use of the public right-of-way of private benefit (9/2011 – 2/2016).
May 2016 Modification of an Amended ARUP was approved, expanding existing restaurant into adjacent tenant space. Jinan executed an encroachment agreement for outdoor dining (south patio only; $510/month; $6,120 annually). The agreement also required payment for 12-month prior occupancy ($6,120; negotiated down from $28,659.60).
Aug 2016 Jinan issues a letter to staff indicated they are “unable to fulfill financial obligations” due to “hardship”.
April 2017 Jinan was issued a letter from the City attorney to pay outstanding balance on account.
May 2017 Encroachment Agreement expired.
Aug 2017 Les Amis expanded into the north patio area without a permit/agreement for outdoor dining.
Nov 2018 Jinan was issued a letter from the City attorney, indicating they are in violation of their ARUP, failed to pay the lease outlined in the executed agreement, and are required to remove encroachments (north and south patio) by Dec. 14, 2018. Jinan subsequently expressed interest in continued use of both patios. Outstanding balance was $24,643.70 at the time.
Dec 2018 Jinan signed resolution of breach of outdoor dining encroachment agreement and FMC. Resolution waived outstanding balance on Patio 2 (north patio; $5,263.70), resulting in $19,380 of remaining account balance.
Jan 2019 Staff sent two encroachment agreement(s) for consideration. Jinan expressed interest in removing Patio 1 (south patio) and expanding Patio 2 (north patio)
March 2019 Jinan executed Encroachment Agreement for new north patio only. New Agreement was for $913.75/month ($510 for north patio; $403.75 for prior occupancy fee ($19,300 amortized over 48 months))
Permit was issued for removal of fencing around south patio and installation for north patio expansion per executed agreement.
May 2020 City Council paused collecting lease revenue from all outdoor dining encroachments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Outstanding balance for all outdoor dining agreements was also waived. Les Amis waived balance was approximately $13,647.50.
June 2022 Council approved new lease rates for outdoor dining on public property.
Aug 2022 Les Amis reinstalled south patio without permits and/or an agreement.
Sept 2022 Jinan submitted application to reinstall south patio.
Aug 2023 Staff reinitiated collecting lease from all existing agreements.
Oct 2024 Jinan defaulted on payments from August 2023 to October 2024, accumulating a dept of $13,468.71. Jinan signed an agreement for a 12-month payment plan to pay the outstanding debt of $13,468.71.
NOTE: this did not include prior occupancy for the reinstalled south patio.
Nov 2024 Jinan executed two superseding encroachment agreements for outdoor dining with the new lease areas and rates.
April 2025 Jinan defaulted on payments, accumulating an outstanding balance of $26,650.96. Staff terminated the agreements, cancelled the payment plan, issued several notices of violations, and required removal of all encroachments. Jinan expressed financial hardship and requested the City revisit the lease rate. Jinan also paid $1,200 toward the payment plan and expressed interest in purchasing the property. The city paused removal to explore options.
July 2025 Jinan was once again requested to remove all unpermitted encroachments. Jinan paid $3,900 toward the payment plan. City Manager agree to extend the time for compliance or a change in the Outdoor Dining policy for 60 days. To date, Jinan has an outstanding balance of $31,185.10 ($5,494.06 payment plan; $25,691.04 encroachment agreements)
Yikes! What a history of screwing the taxpayers. Almost 15 years worth. Poor, small-businessman Oliver was in fourth grade when it started.
Over the years Jinan has deliberately dodged paying many tens of thousands of dollars in rent to the people of Fullerton. She has illegally encroached onto public property without agreements or permits in place on numerous occasions. The record is abundantly clear: the City has bent over backward for years and years to accommodate this woman; rather than evicting Janin from the City’s property and taking her to court for the rent due she has effectively stolen, they kept giving her more opportunities to rip us off. Pathetic, really.
Well, Oliver may think the documentation of his family stiffing the public is all nonsense and that somehow he and mommy are victims, doncha know; however, no one except the inordinately stupid would believe it.
The cynical manipulators like Doc Zahra don’t believe it either, but Zahra won’t miss a chance to get some eager fool to stand up and harass the people who haven’t, and won’t make him Mayor.
Welcome to Fullerton. How can you screw us today?
Mr. Baby Big Balls self-righteously coming to a council meeting to yell at Dunlap, Valencia & Jung. Asshole’s mother and father are deadbeats who owe the taxpayers of Fullerton tens of thousands of dollars. Evidently, Montecristos can’t COUNT.
Why cant the City just remove their patio? Why allow them to do this for over 10 years? Is there no sense in this city?
No, there is no sense. Punishing law breakers is too scary, also.
Because City staff like to sit on that patio during lunch.
Dear Montecristos, Elijah Manassero, Ahmad Zahra, et al,
What I witnessed the last 10 years was deeply disheartening. The decision made by this Montexcristo family and their aiders like Zahra, Sharon Quirk Silva, and Connor Traut, disregarded both the bills that Montecristos agreed to pay and the overwhelming number of times the Montecristos have lied and sob storied their way out of paying for things related to their failing Les Amis. For those who preach self-righteously about transparency and accountability, this patterned behavior by the Montecristo family reflected neither.
Jinan Montecristo – I encourage you to review your past due bills and pay them. Stop telling all your vulnerable customers your lies and try to gain more of their money so you can pocket it and ignore paying for things.
Mr. Jinan Montecristo – you accept your wife winning awards from crook herself Sharon Quirk Silva for something of the year and it turns out she and her business are cheaters, milking the diners and music lovers for years by showing them when convenient hospitality and lying about the reason for your troubles: your failed business plan.
Oliver Montecristo – Grow up kid. Growing facial hair doesn’t make you a man. Paying your bills does. Get a second job (if you have a first one) and give your parents some money so they can pay their bills.
I said this before and it remains true: there’s still time to change course, but that window is closing. This was the wrong decision, and I guarantee the majority of Fullertonians who know agree.
I’m disappointed in Les Amis, but encouraged that accountability is finally catching up. Please reconsider the path you’re on before it’s too late Montecristos.
“Please reconsider the path you’re on before it’s too late Montecristos.”
Nice touch.
Zahra has a stable of young men?
Always has. Zahra is very fond of young men — the younger the better.
Doesn’t Zahra have all his fundraisers at Les Amis? Birds of a feather…
Yes, both Zahra and Quirk have organized MANY fundraisers at Les Amis, including events on the patio, for which she owes tens of thousands of dollars.
Word had it that Shana Charles has organized fundraisers on the patio at Les Amis and believe others have, as well. It appears that this location has become a hub for local Democrats, who have been holding their fundraiser parties and even campaign kickoff events there. It seems to have become the go-to place for these activities. This is the patio that the Monte Cristo’s doesn’t pay rent for, or perhaps has paid a small amount. The owners seem to believe that it’s a community center accessible to the public. It would be interesting to see who all has benefitted by using this subsidized venue.
I’m going to look into this. I want to get the scoop before tender Elijah does!
So Sharon Quirk’s “Woman of the Year” doesn’t pay her rent, takes over public property without permission or permits? Maybe that’s what you get when you elect a bobblehead to anything.
This isn’t an accident.
Unfortunately, our attorney is lazy, and unable to stand up and fight back.
We need a strong attorney that sees these things as a challenge and willing to fight against disparages.
Housing is a good one.
Community development is weak as well.
Roll over.
The funniest thing about this post is that if the City considered Les Amis such a problem, why would they renegotiate and approve further agreements? That undermines your entire narrative
The reality is that this blog is run by Tony Bushala who’s tried to install his own Council majority. These attacks always appear when residents challenge his influence
This can’t be true. Elijah Manassero runs Fullerton. He said so himself.
How funny. A non-rent paying tenant is a deadbeat. It just goes to show how weak Fullerton is.
Oliver’s “challenge” should be to pay his rent.
Zahra, Traut, Elijah, and Oliver get together for a regular circle jerk. It’s common knowledge among the boohoo community.