My husband was at the local Home Depot in Cupertino, California when a gentleman stopped him and asked him if he was Italian (my husband is Greek, and dark skinned). They fell to talking, and the man told him he was on his way to the airport to return to Italy after being involved in a fashion show / display of new fall fashions up in San Francisco. He offered to sell my husband several Armani leather jackets because he "didn't want to have to pay the 55% luxury tax" that his country would charge him to bring goods back into the country. He produced a business card, showed my husband his passport, and even showed him the rental car (see related article on this website detailing a similar transaction which is how I was tipped off). My husband was still skeptical, and called me. The man proceeded (in a heavy accent) to reiterate his story.
Mr. Salvatore" even went so far as to try to "prove" that the jackets were real leather rather than vinyl by putting a lighter to them, claiming that leather never burns. To make a long story short, the more my husband resisted, the more jackets the guy threw in for free. Ultimately, my husband paid $450.00 for nine jackets. They are indeed leather, or so they appear, and are lined. Each came with a bag and tags and appear new. They aren't horrible; in fact several are ok, but they sure as heck aren't Armanis, or any variation therof. Guess we all know what male relatives are getting for Christmas! LOL Watch out-this group is a bunch of smooth operators!
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