AriZona Iced Tea co-founder John Ferolito is battling his longtime masseuse over an $820,000 Florida home she claims he promised to give her — and a call that was secretly recorded on a Ring doorbell has become a key bone of contention in the case.
uncertain
that → battle → case
Over their decades-long relationship, Ferolito showered Fayssanya “Fay” Pratt and her family with other costly perks, according to court filings and interviews — including buying a car for her mother, paying off the mortgage on one of Pratt’s other properties and covering tutoring bills for her children.
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Ferolito → shower → children
One of Ferolito’s longtime aides said in a sworn affidavit that he also picked up the tab for the family’s ongoing dental bills, “numerous family vacations” and visits to the Hard Rock Casino and Turnberry.
asserted
he → say → Casino
Ferolito himself says in the affidavit he handed Pratt $180,000 to open an investment account and taught her how to invest — money he claims eventually grew to more than $600,000.
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he → say → 600,000
Pratt separately told Atlanta Black Star that Ferolito once bought her a new Chevrolet Tahoe after calling her old car a “clunker” and paid for her son’s braces after noticing his crooked teeth.
asserted
Ferolito → tell → teeth
But Ferolito, 76, insists the Coral Springs house was one gift he never made — even as he acknowledges showering Pratt and her family with other costly benefits over the years.
asserted
he → insist → years
Pratt, who worked for Ferolito for roughly 23 years as a massage therapist and personal assistant, says the home was promised to her — and claims one of his top aides acknowledged as much while firing her in September 2022.
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one → work → September
“That was the boss again, and he has asked me to let you go,” executive assistant Kelly Aldrich said, according to a transcript of a phone call cited by Atlanta Black Star.
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Aldrich → ask → Star
“He said that we will sign the house over to you and pay for whatever he’s been doing for the rest of the year.
asserted
he → say → year
In other words, Pratt claims Aldrich was telling her that Ferolito was firing her but would still transfer the house to her and continue the financial support he had been providing through the end of 2022.
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he → claim → 2022
The secretly captured conversation could become a major flashpoint in the bitter Broward County court fight.
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conversation → capture → fight
Ferolito’s lawyers contend Pratt recorded Aldrich on her Ring doorbell system without Aldrich’s knowledge or consent and argue the recording, its transcript and anything derived from it are inadmissible under Florida law.
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recording → contend → law
Ferolito claims the property was instead bought as an investment and that Pratt and her family were allowed to live there only while she worked for him.
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she → claim → him
His lawyers have produced an unsigned April 2018 lease naming Ferolito as landlord and Pratt as tenant, setting rent at $1 a month and requiring her to pay property taxes and maintenance.
asserted
lawyers → produce → taxes
Pratt says that was never their deal.
asserted
that → say → ?
But Ferolito’s side points to an April 2022 text in which Pratt allegedly asked Ron Cohen, Ferolito’s chief financial officer, to “confirm with BOSS that I did sign the lease agreement years ago before we moved in.”
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we → point → agreement
They also cite cashier’s checks Pratt allegedly used to reimburse property taxes that were marked “2019 RENT,” “Rent 2020,” “PARTIAL RENT YEAR 2021” and “COMPLETED RENT FOR PAYMENT 2021.”
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that → cite → PAYMENT
Pratt told Atlanta Black Star she labeled the checks that way because Ferolito told her to.
asserted
Ferolito → tell → her
“I never really understood why,” she said.
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she → understand → ?
The two sides also disagree over who paid for improvements to the home.
asserted
who → disagree → home
Pratt claims she spent close to $100,000 on taxes, repairs, appliances and renovations.
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she → claim → taxes
An accountant for Ferolito’s trust claims the trust itself spent $184,613.46 on maintenance, repairs and improvements, excluding the purchase price.
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trust → claim → price
The relationship blew up in 2022 after a dispute over roughly $33,000 in landscaping work at the house, according to Pratt.
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relationship → blow → Pratt
She says Cohen accused her of taking advantage of Ferolito during a heated phone call.
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Cohen → say → call
Pratt has also accused Cohen in court papers of making sexually explicit comments and inappropriately touching her during her employment.
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Pratt → accuse → employment
Those allegations have not been adjudicated, and Atlanta Black Star reported that the judge dismissed the sexual harassment claims from this case and barred them from being presented to the jury.
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judge → adjudicate → jury
Aldrich fired Pratt on Sept. 7, 2022 — the same call in which Pratt says Aldrich told her the house would still be signed over.
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house → fire → her
Aldrich has since said she has “no independent recollection” of making that promise.
asserted
she → say → promise
Cohen claims he never heard Ferolito promise Pratt the house, and former Ferolito lawyer David Buss says he knew of no such agreement.
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he → claim → agreement
Buss claims that in September 2023 Pratt instead asked whether she could buy the property and offered to return the UBS investment account Ferolito had given her in exchange for title.
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Ferolito → claim → title
Pratt disputes that account, claiming Buss was the one who proposed that she use the investment account and financing to buy a house she believed had already been promised to her.
asserted
she → dispute → her
Ferolito is now asking Judge Jeffrey Levenson to throw out Pratt’s counterclaims and order her out of the property.
asserted
Ferolito → ask → property
Pratt wants the court to force him to transfer the house to her or compensate her for what she says she spent and provided in reliance on his promise.
asserted
she → want → promise
Despite the bitter fight, Pratt told Atlanta Black Star that their July deposition ended on an oddly tender note.
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deposition → tell → note
She said Ferolito slid her a chocolate and winked.
asserted
Ferolito → say → chocolate
She slid him back a Werther’s caramel.
asserted
She → slide → caramel
“We shouldn’t be here,” she says he told her.
asserted
he → say → her
“I know,” Pratt said she replied.
asserted
she → know → ?
A hearing on Ferolito’s motion for summary judgment is scheduled for Nov. 23.
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hearing → schedule → Nov.
The Post has sought comment from Pratt, Ferolito and Cohen.
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Post → seek → Pratt
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