The Ponzi scheme that devastated Napa Valley.

In 1988, a daring San Francisco drug bust led investigators straight to a massive financial fraud scheme in the Napa Valley. Hundreds of residents, many of them elderly, had entrusted their life savings to respected businessman David Hanson only to lose everything as his scheme unraveled. The destruction spread like ripples in a pond, with victims losing retirement savings, houses, and more. Multiple arrests were made, and every trial revealed another twist.

Join author and retired Napa Superior Court judge Raymond A. Guadagni as he tells the story of the pursuit of justice for the citizens of Napa.

Raymond A. Guadagni was raised in Napa, California. He graduated from the University of California-Berkeley in 1968 and from Hastings College of Law in 1971. He became Napa's first Superior Court commissioner in 1995 and was appointed Superior Court judge for the County of Napa in 2001. He retired in 2012 and now serves on the Assigned Judges Program of California. He is married with two adult daughters and five grandchildren. He enjoys writing, music, travel and spending time with his family.