"At that point, it must have dawned on him that the jig was up."
LaMotte and other investors received a letter dated Dec. 31 from John N. Irwin, an accountant and Villanova resident who was responsible for sending Forte's quarterly reports to investors. The brief letter said Forte had confessed.
What he confessed to, exactly, is unclear.
Investors are exasperated over their lack of knowledge about what Forte did with their millions, where he is, whether their assets, if any, are frozen. They said they cannot get any information from authorities.
"It's a combination of bewilderment, anger and sadness," LaMotte said.
Yesterday, a fractured image of Forte, who is in his mid-50s, started coming together. He was recalled as a dark-haired man of average height and with an athletic build.
Investors and acquaintances described a man who has no airs about him, a solid individual. He was not a slick salesman.
"He's a quiet guy," said Gamp Pellegrini, head football coach at Malvern Preparatory School, where Forte's son played before graduating last year and where Forte volunteered as strength coach.
"He never looked for any accolades or that kind of stuff. Always quiet," Pellegrini said, crediting Forte with building an excellent weightlifting program at the football powerhouse.
"All this other stuff that is coming out is a big surprise to me," Pellegrini said. "It's a disappointment."
Tuesday, Forte's name was listed on the Malvern school's Web site as a trustee. Yesterday, it was not there. The school's latest available tax form for the year ended June 30, 2007, included Forte on the roster of trustees. School officials did not return calls seeking more information.
Forte also has been an assistant football coach for the last 10 years at St. Anastasia's, and he is a member of the Catholic parish in Newtown Square, said Kevin Mulligan, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
