My Cheatin' Heart

 

All State will go anywhere -- one high-profile job required seven weeks in Paris.

DeLorenzo charges an initial $650 fee for the first five hours of surveillance, then $125 an hour after depending on how deep the client wants to dig. (He'll definitely find out what goes on at those after-work business meetings every Tuesday.)

Despite his gloomy line of work, DeLorenzo is not without humor. When one angry husband accused him of ruining his marriage, DeLorenzo pointed out, "No, you ruined your marriage -- by dating a 23-year-old."

Everything is legal as long as the detectives don't trespass on private property. This is easily avoided with high-quality zoom lenses, and the fact that many people cheat in public places like hotels and restaurants.

Just the Facts

As De Lorenzo points out, if you suspect you're the victim of a cheating partner, don't get angry -- get evidence.

Most people who hire his team want their marriages to work, but if divorce is in the cards, providing proof of infidelity can help a client get a more positive divorce settlement. Getting angry can blow an otherwise solid case.

DeLorenzo's team provides clients with verbal reports, 8" x 10" photographs and video -- all suitable for hard evidence in court.

What happens after the courtroom is why his new service Infidelity.com was opened in January 2007. The Web site, which got 15,000 hits the first week, offers a cyber support group through chat rooms, online therapy and virtual diaries.

"[The site] helps them to start living again," says DeLorenzo of his clients, whom he encourages to email in their stories.

"We get the evidence and he's cooked," says celebrity P.I. Vinny Parco, owner of Intercontinental Investigations. This company includes unusual investigators -- a Charlie's Angels group of intelligent and beautiful women -- who conduct surveillance and collect evidence.

His female investigators have backgrounds as models, actresses and even firefighters, but always serve as perfect snares for the unfaithful.

One investigator, whom Parco affectionately calls a computer geek, did particularly well due to the growing popularity of online liaisons.

Infidelity investigations are just one branch of his business, but sadly one of the most lucrative and dependable. "Cheating goes on and on, no matter if it's 1777 or 2007," Parco says.

Parco sends out his attractive investigators to chat up one of his male suspects. "He'll lie and say he's divorced," says Parco. "We always get the same stories."

I Spy

He says the most common and convenient places for extramarital affairs are the gym and the workplace. Intercontinental's services start at $150 an hour, per investigator. Depending on the case, as many as three investigators might be used.

Parco gets many high-profile cases that sometimes hit the front page, but he can't say he was involved. "You just wink [to yourself]," he says. "People hire us to be discreet."

In his own marriage, Parco says he is a rather trusting, even gullible person; he reserves the cynicism for his work. "Most people are good people. You just have to be careful," he cautions.

Caution is always wise, but if you're lucky enough to have one of the good ones -- and don't need Parco or DeLorenzo to prove it -- then you'll have plenty to celebrate this Valentine's Day.



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