I know this is a really old thread, but I wanted to add to it since I know he is still active in the reptile community and my experience was somewhat recent.
I worked with Sam Calami previously at an independent pet store in Portland, Oregon. He's a bit of a legend at there now where the name "Man-Sam" will make anyone who was around at the time cringe. Yvette is indeed his wife, and it is my understanding that they have quite a few relationship issues. However, that's no one's business but their own. I will say that he presented himself as quite the expert on all animals, and the manager he worked closely with supported his expertise.
In October of 2014, I purchased an adult male crested gecko from him. He was in perfect health, but he was quite aggressive with females and was rehomed last year. In November/December of 2014, I purchased a hatchling ball python from him. I knew nothing about ball python genetics at the time, but I was told it was het pied. I was playing around with the idea of breeding, but I will never know if it were true. It did not eat for over a month and passed away in the care of my manager. Before that one passed away, I traded him 2 normal and 1 hypo female leopard geckos for another hatchling ball python, a female het pied. He planned on breeding these females with, I believe, a RAPTOR male. Because I did not want to take the time and risk of growing out a possible het, she was rehomed last year and is still doing well in her new home.
The real problem I had with him was more personal. The short version is that he deceived the management and staff at the pet store for about a month before moving to Maryland without notice. He left behind a large number of animals in the warehouse that belongs to the store against their knowledge, where they were further neglected by the manager mentioned above. Below are the animals and their fates:
Bearded dragon - Had MBD and stub legs. He was adopted out to a friend of an employee. I do not know where he acquired it or where it is now.
0.1 Russian tortoise - Currently very happily living with one of the managers at the pet store. I see her pretty often, and she looks great despite terrible shell condition when she was brought in. She was given to Sam from a customer that was looking to rehome her. I remember him talking about planning to flip her.
1.2 group of corn snakes - I took these myself to rehome. They were housed in a 40 breeder with one hide and one water bowl. I found a couple rotten mice buried in the aspen. They were purchased by Sam for breeding. They have been rehomed with a lovely family in Washington, and they keep me updated with regular pictures.
1.2 group of leopard geckos - These were the 0.3 geckos that I had traded him for the ball python and the 1.0 RAPTOR he had bought to breed with them. One of my females was missing, and I can only assume she passed away. The male was in a dangerous condition with his spine showing prominently. They were in a 10 gallon with a hide and water dish. They were separated and adopted out to an employee, who rehomed them to one of his friends. As of my quitting that job, that person still had them in his possession, and they are doing great. This was the hardest part on me personally, as I had raised them from hatchlings and no longer had the enclosures to take them home.
1.0 adult Sonoran mountain kingsnake - This guy was in great condition, and after a lengthy QT process, he was sold to an amazing couple that shops at the store regularly. Even though I do not work there anymore, I still hear stories of his new owners coming in to let us know how great he is doing, as I'm the one who sold him. He was given to Sam by a customer who was not taking proper care of him.
The only animals that I know for certain that Sam took with him were his ball pythons. I have personally held a spider, an albino, and a bumblebee that he has. They were all in good condition, and I have the feeling that he takes care of his ball pythons much better than anything else because they seemed like his true passion. I know that his wife Yvette keeps dumpy tree frogs, and their setup was gorgeous.
There is a lot more to this story that doesn't really belong on Fauna. He scammed the manager out of money for a plane ticket, which is not reptile-related, but definitely character-related. I can provide proof if it ever really comes up.
I would advise anyone looking to do business with Sam or Yvette to quietly walk away.
