This posting is to clarify my (Lila Ainsworth) previous response to the complaint by Michael Prisco (posted on complaintboard.com) owner of Saratoga Pianos and Magdalena's House of Pianos in Fort Edward, N.Y. concerning Lila Ainsworth, cello teacher in Dobbs Ferry.

Mr. Prisco does not sign his complaint or identify his relationship with me in the posting which is very typical of his business dealings.

Mr. Prisco has no knowledge of my cello teaching and is only seeking revenge. I was a customer of his piano rebuilding business and have expressed dissatisfaction with my recent purchase of a rebuilt Steinway grand for my teaching studio.

Michael Prisco is reputed to misrepresent his work and not honor contracts with customers. I was not aware of his fraudulent business practices before leaving a $10, 000 deposit with him to rebuild a Steinway piano. I chose to have the work done by him due to the fact that he quoted a much lower price than the rebuilders in the area of NY City. However, he did not do the work and rebuild all parts of the piano as was indicated in the work order. He completed the work many months later than promised and refused to let me inspect the work in progress as he had previously promised. I was forced to hire a lawyer and consult the local police in order to obtain the piano, since I feared losing the deposit as he was threatening bankruptcy. However, to my knowledge he is still in business at this time.

I have learned my lesson and certainly wish I had employed reputable and outstanding local piano rebuilders in my area.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my students and colleagues are well aware of my "piano saga" as this nightmare as been going on since last June of 2008. Only a few days after leaving the $10, 000 deposit with Michael Prisco of Saratoga and Magdalena's House of Pianos, I became aware that he had a criminal record and that it was likely that I would not receive the piano rebuilt as ordered. After being informed of this, I did find many complaints about him on ripoffreport.com and negative information from the Better Business Bureau.

Knowing this, I requested a refund, three days after leaving the deposit. Unfortunately, Mr. Prisco refused, claiming that he had already purchased parts for the rebuild. He also admitted his criminal past but claimed he was now Christian and had changed his ways. He promised he would do a great job on the piano and I hoped for the best. Unfortunately, the best did not occur. I have been without a piano almost all year in my teaching studio and have spent endless hours and money speaking with lawyers and making trips to Fort Edward, New York. After finally receiving the piano, I found it was not rebuilt properly (an understatement). Upon the advice of three much respected rebuilders in the NY City area; I realized that the piano would have to be rebuilt again in order to serve my purpose. It would not hold pitch and the new soundboard cracked within a month. Since I could not afford another rebuild, my only option was to sell the piano for much less than I paid for it and attempt to buy a cheaper piano for my studio.

Mr. Prisco did offer to come and fix the piano in my home after I informed him of the problems with the piano. However, I knew that it needed a complete rebuild and certainly could not risk allowing him to take the piano. There would be no reason to believe he would act differently or do better work the second time. I had come to the conclusion that it was time to cut all ties with this man and to try to get a working piano for my studio elsewhere.

His threats to attempt to ruin my reputation as a cello teacher are typical of his fraudulent business dealings. Obviously, he has ruined his own reputation through his own actions and resulting customer complaints posted about those actions. I have contacted the local Dobbs Ferry police concerning Michael Prisco as I have been told he has a criminal record and has been in jail for dealings in the construction business many years ago.