Bamboozle sued by E-Town Concrete's Anthony Martini over unpaid loan

NJ’s Bamboozle, which was set to return for its first edition since 2012 on May 5-7, was cancelled at the last minute, a week before it was set to begin. There had been a growing number of issues and complaints leading up to the aborted fest, which ultimately couldn’t receive permits from Atlantic City after organizers missed their deadline to submit paperwork, and now a lawsuit has been filed against the fest and promoter John D’Esposito. According to court documents viewed by NJ.com, Anthony Martini, music executive and lead vocalist of E-Town Concrete (who were on the lineup) loaned D’Esposito and the festival $500,000 at 20% interest, which has not been repaid by the deadline specified in their contract.

Martini told NJ Advance Media that he had met D’Esposito 20 years ago and had a “friendly relationship” with him. “I knew the previous Bamboozles had a successful run and he called to see if I could help him as he was relaunching,” he said. He told NJ Advance Media that one of the ways he assisted was by “helping to smooth some over of [D’Esposito’s] not-so-great relationships” with others in the industry; he wouldn’t specify who, specifically, he meant.

According to the court documents, Martini wired between $80,000 and $150,000 to four talent agencies and entertainment companies in November of 2022, along with $37,500 he sent directly to D’Espostio. “Then I opened my social media one day to see it was canceled,” Martini told NJ Advance Media, continuing “I loaned the money. He said he would pay me back. He’s obviously in a not-so-great space, but I shouldn’t be screwed over for trying to help him out.”

The lawsuit is seeking $630,000, which Martini says he is owed the contract with late fees added, plus “interest, costs, and attorney’s fees.”

D’Esposito did not respond to NJ Advance Media’s request for comment.