FBI’s Role Faces Scrutiny For Frank Rossi Disappearance After Explosive Exposé.

NOTE: The author is actively suing Guy Cardinale, aka Frank Rossi, in the New York State Supreme Court in the case of Luthmann v. Hanks et al., presided over by Justice Louis Nock, and involving NYC Councilmember Kamillah Hanks and NYS Justice Ronald Castorina, Jr., as co-defendants.

By Richard Luthmann

On December 4, 2024, Manhattan reeled from the shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, gunned down in broad daylight. After a massive manhunt, police arrested Luigi Mangione five days later, with authorities charging him with Thompson’s murder.

But as the case unfolds, investigators are gripped by another mystery from that same day: the sudden disappearance of Frank Rossi, the CEO of Vanhook Global Partners. Hours earlier, journalist Frank Parlato exposed Rossi as a fraud in an explosive article.

Parlato revealed that Rossi, a self-proclaimed financial powerhouse managing $1.8 billion in assets, was actually Guy Cardinale, a six-time felon infamous for scams involving fake insurance policies, scrap metal fraud, and catfishing wealthy women. By the end of the day, Rossi had vanished, his LinkedIn profile erased, and Vanhook Global’s website wiped clean. The Frank Rossi disappearance was complete.

Two financial figures vanish from the Manhattan scene in one day—one permanently, the other mysteriously. Is that a coincidence?

Now, investigators and conspiracy theorists alike are asking whether Mangione, already in custody for Thompson’s murder, may also be connected to Rossi’s vanishing act. And if not Mangione, then who?

Could Mangione have silenced Rossi to cover up a deeper conspiracy? Or is the FBI itself implicated through its handler, Special Agent Paul Tambrino, who allegedly ran Cardinale as an informant while enabling his fraudulent schemes?

The Frank Rossi Disappearance: A Shattered Façade

Frank Rossi’s public image as the sophisticated CEO of Vanhook Global Partners dissolved when Parlato revealed his true identity. Rossi claimed to be an experienced financier with access to global capital markets.

Still, investigative reporting exposed him as Guy Cardinale, a career con artist with a history of exploiting investors, business partners, and romantic relationships.

“Cardinale is the kind of conman who thrives on deception, always a step ahead of his victims,” said a law enforcement source. “Every move he makes is calculated to keep him one step away from accountability.”

Rossi touted Vanhook Global Partners as managing billions in assets, but it was nothing more than a rented virtual office at 1 World Trade Center. The firm’s supposed team of experts disavowed any connection to Vanhook, and Rossi’s educational claims, including degrees from Yale and NYU, were fabrications.

Investigators are now left to piece together whether Rossi’s disappearance is the result of foul play—or just another of Cardinale’s infamous vanishing acts.

Could Mangione and Rossi’s Disappearance Be Connected?

Does Luigi Mangione’s role in Thompson’s murder intersect with Rossi’s disappearance?

One particularly damning thread involves allegations that the FBI, through Special Agent Paul Tambrino, protected Cardinale while using him as an informant. If Cardinale was operating under FBI protection, could the bureau have inadvertently allowed him to dig a deeper hole for himself—and possibly others?

“Cardinale wasn’t just a criminal; he was a liability,” said a law enforcement source familiar with his history. “The FBI had to know the risks of keeping him active.”

A Trail of Enemies

If Mangione didn’t “off” Rossi, other suspects abound.

Like Cardinale before him, Rossi left behind a long list of enemies. Business partners, former lovers, and even federal agents could have had motive to see him silenced.

Romantic Victims

Cardinale was notorious for preying on wealthy women through dating apps and social media. He used aliases to lure them into relationships, promising wealth and security before draining their resources.

One victim described her ordeal: “He promised the world, but it was all lies. When I realized who he really was, he was already gone—with my money.”

In one instance, a former girlfriend who discovered Cardinale’s real identity reportedly faced threats from his FBI handler, Tambrino, to remain silent. Did someone from his long list of scorned lovers decide to take matters into their own hands?

Defrauded Business Partners

Cardinale’s business scams span industries and continents. One of his most audacious schemes involved shipping containers to China filled with concrete, topped with a thin layer of copper wire to appear legitimate.

“He promised returns that sounded too good to be true, and it turns out they were,” said a former business associate who lost thousands in the scam.

Could a betrayed business partner have decided to exact revenge after years of financial ruin?

FBI Complicity?

Perhaps the most unsettling theory involves the FBI itself. Tambrino’s alleged role as Cardinale’s handler has raised serious questions. Did the bureau ignore and enable his fraud while using him in sting operations like United States v. Paul Burnell?

“Tracking him down was like chasing a shadow,” said Adam Hamon, a former SAS operative who served Rossi with legal papers in February 2024. “Cardinale knows how to cover his tracks better than most criminals.”

Some speculate that the FBI’s New York Field Office, embarrassed by its association with Cardinale, might have facilitated Frank Rossi’s “disappearance” after the Parlto article went public to avoid further scrutiny.

“There’s a new sheriff in town, and everyone knows it,” said a law enforcement source.

Did Cardinale Stage His Own Exit?

Another plausible theory is that Cardinale orchestrated his own disappearance. Having been exposed by Parlato, the Rossi persona was “burned.” Cardinale may have decided to vanish and start fresh under yet another identity.

“He doesn’t go down without a fight,” said a law enforcement source. “If Cardinale is still alive, he’s probably already building his next con. He owes enough money to the wrong people that there is an incentive to keep him healthy and working.”

Cardinale’s history supports this theory. He has repeatedly reinvented himself, from insurance fraud to scrap metal scams to high-end dating cons. Rossi’s erased digital footprint suggests meticulous planning.

The FBI’s Role in the Mystery

The FBI’s involvement in Cardinale’s life and crimes casts a dark shadow over the case. Allegations that Tambrino shielded Cardinale while he continued to commit fraud have prompted calls for a federal investigation.

Who will clean up the corrupt NYC FBI Office?

“The bureau sometimes turns a blind eye to informant misconduct if it means securing bigger cases,” said a former FBI Special Agent who spoke anonymously. “But with Cardinale, it seems they let things go too far.”

Where Is Frank Rossi?

As the investigation continues, questions about Frank Rossi’s fate remain unanswered. Did Mangione “eliminate” him to get revenge on a corrupt financial industry? Did the FBI “disappear” him to protect a larger conspiracy? Was it a scorned lover or a burned business partner? Or is Rossi—aka Cardinale—already planning his next scam under a new alias?

What is clear is that Rossi, like the man behind the mask, has vanished. For his victims, there’s little solace.

Maybe it’s time to ask Guy Cardinale’s family? His daughter is on TikTok, and his son is getting married in October.

Whether Frank Rossi is dead or just hiding, the trail he left behind will catch up with him. And when it does, the FBI will have a lot to answer for.

Frank Rossi Disappearance: Unraveling the FBI’s Role in CEO’s Vanishing Act