Blonde Ambition Star To Run Family-Friendly New Studio Capable Of Seizing Universal
If everything I’m told is true, I have the greatest rags to riches story in the history of Hollywood.
But let me start at the beginning.
I met Suzy Mandel, the former Benny Hill and Page Three girl, at a party in September. She was working as a production assistant..
I asked her for an interview. She said she would give me one but down the line.
On Dec. 14, Mandel aka Jacquelineann Elaine Jefcoate leaves me a message that includes this nugget: “I am going to give you a very private scoop. There’s a new international studio going up — Zent International Films. It is backed by international money.
“I am still helping Jennifer. We have a deal probably with HBO.
“I have been offered the position of president and CEO of this new studio. It will be on par with Paramount. Tom Cruise is now taking over Paramount. This studio has the capability of taking over Universal. It’s doing deals with some of the London studios and Arizona studios.
“This is not a bizarre phone call. I’ll have the corporation send you the paperwork.”
“I probably won’t say anything else about it until the papers are signed. We don’t want to get caught with our knickers down.”
“My cell phone is not working very good because I threw it across the room.”
Dec 22. Suzy leaves another message: “Our first movie will be a pretty big one. A 35mm. Then I will go down to a comedy. Most of the programming will be children’s type programming, documentary-style.”
Dec. 31. Suzy emails me financial documents with the header: “THIS IS THE PROOF.”
Suzy calls at noon. “The studio is owned by Zent & Associates, a very large conglomerate.”
There are three Google results for this conglomerate.
Luke: “Where are they based?”
Suzy: “All over the world.”
I Google “Zent International Pictures” and find no results.
I Google “Alfred Zent” and find eight results including these two:
According to Offshorebusiness.com:
Grenada passed its Offshore Banking Act in 1996 and licensed its first offshore bank, Grenada International Bank & Trust Corp., on April 15, 1997. GIB&TC, which was controlled by habitual U. S. conman Alfred Zent and a ‘nun’ known as ‘Sister’ Susan Walsh, actually collapsed in scandal before it even officially opened for business.
According to the Oct. 6, 1997 Forbes (by Brigid McMenamin):
Sister Susan’s banking career began in an association with Alfred Zent, 73, a former silverware salesman who now claims to be an international financier, operating in Mexico, the Caribbean and Arizona. Zent lives and works in a cheap tract house in Mesa, Ariz., using a post office drop as his business address.
Last year Zent wanted to start an offshore bank and picked the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, where he had pull with the prime minister. Still, even in Grenada you need credentials to open a bank, and what better credential than association with a charitable religious person?
…Zent once testified in criminal court that he’d served as a general in the Bay of Pigs. In fact, Zent did serve from 1942to 1965; but never rose above captain.
Luke: “What type of films are you going to make?”
Suzy: “We are aiming for the family market. Nothing fast-paced. No fast-cutting.”
“I’m aware of those articles [on Alfred Zent]. I have never had a problem with him.”
“I was married to Stanley Margolis (of Plastic Cinemas in England, the third largest chain of theaters in the world). We divorced sixteen years ago.”
Suzy says she caught pneumonia in October and almost died.
She’s waiting for knee surgery.
“You’ll really be amazed at who’s coming in on this.”
“I come from a different background than people realize. I was bought up on a private island (Isle of Sheppy). My uncle Dashwood built up much of the Isle of Wight. My brother (Peter Charles Carrol Jefcoate) pops around the world with the princes and won the Duke of Edinborough award for bravery when he was 14. My father’s (Derek Roland Jefcoate who was a restorer for the queen) quite a famous man. My grandfather Alfred Victor Jefcoate sold his clubs to Warner Brothers. My great grandfather was famous. My great great grandfather owned most of the breweries in London. My grandmother’s maiden name was Hughes. The Jefcoates were big plantation owners down south.”
“I speak French and Russian and some Hebrew, Italian, German, Greek and Latin. I have degrees in history, German, Geography, Design, Interior Design, and Nursing. My uncle went down on the Poseidon. My other uncle was a cover for the matahari.”
Suzy says President Clinton prevented her American boyfriend from marrying her.
12:54 p.m. I answer the phone.
“This is Dr. Alfred E. Zent.”
“Background for me, my brother in law (Eddie Peterson) was Sammy Davis Jr.’s business manager for 19 years.”
“I lost a fortune with the guy who started the Black Entertainment Group.”
“I have been in three movies including The Misfits and Arizona.”
There’s no result for “Alfred Zent” on imdb.com.
Luke: “So you’re a medical doctor?”
Alfred: “I’m a psychologist. I have three PhDs — in psychology, political geography, and asset management. I went to Arizona State College, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona and the University of Mexico.”
“I was in the military for 23 years. I’m a World War II vet. I was wounded, got a Purple Heart, and a POW. Korean vet. Wounded. Vietnam Vet, unwounded. I fought in the Congo in a quasi-CIA operation. And in Panama. I speak Spanish as well as English. I’m building 3,000 houses in Cancun, Mexico, courtesy of the government down there.”
“I taught school for 22 years and I’ve been in private investment for twenty odd years.”
“I’m a promoter. I work with people who are not too good sometimes. I work with people who bring me strange stories and find out they are not true.”
“I lost a leg two years ago. I lost my wife of 39 years two years ago. I lost my dog of 16 years two years ago. I lost my brother at 75. I’ve been lying back doing nothing for the past two years.”
“I have eight children and eleven grandchildren.”
“I knew Benny Hill and the president of Virgin Islands. He helped us raise money in Saudi Arabia.”
“I remember that bitch in Forbes magazine.”
Alfred says he spoke to Steve Forbes about that article.
Alfred says he knew Lee Iacocca.
Alfred: “How can they call me a con man? I’ve never been arrested for anything. I’ve never gone to jail. I retired from the military as a two star general.”
Luke: “What’s your approximate networth?”
Alfred: “My credit union (Union de Credito de Fomento Integral de Naucalpan) in Mexico is worth $2.5 billion.”
The credit union’s credo is “Profesionalisimo par la Excelencia.”
Alfred: “I just became the president this year. We’re on the dormant list right now because I just withdrew the capital.”
