A Japanese American-owned business concern hired a contracting firm for work on a new high-rise building. The firm had brought in the lowest bid for the project, and the parties involved finalized the deal the way gentlemen of honor do, with trust and hopes for good fortune.

The structure is still not completed, and the Japanese Americans are embroiled in an $18 million lawsuit.

"If they had called me before making the deal instead waiting until now, I could have told them this contractor has about 400 other lawsuits pending against him," said private investigator Nickolas Montano Jr., who was asked to investigate the contractor's prior business dealings.

An Asian American client did take the proper precaution in another instance.

"A property was on the market, and a man here in San Francisco called an Asian American businessman in Hawaii to suggest they buy it together as partners for $1 million. The gentleman in Hawaii called me and asked me to check it out for him," Montano said.

The detective found that the property was indeed valuable, but not nearly as good as the would-be partner had said. "The price was only a half million dollars. The guy here in San Francisco was trying to get 50 percent ownership with no down payment."

Asian Americans schooled in the traditions of honor and trust are often prime targets for fraud, the investigator said. They fear they might insult their trade counterparts by checking into their credentials.

Montano, in the business for 15 years and owner of Montano & Associates for 10 years, utilizes a combination of personal contacts and public records to complete background checks. With today's rapid computer access capabilities, he can scan such public records as voter registration indexes, consumer credit bureaus, national civil and criminal court indexes and federal court records, national drivers license and vehicle registration records, plus international criminal histories.

"This is all done with complete confidentiality because, if the person under investigation turns out to be okay, you certainly don't want him to know you've been checking up on him," Montano said.

He can also conduct investigations of Asians overseas.

"My job isn't like what you see on television, where detectives do more missing perrsons and robberies. I've never seen a TV detective who worked almost exclusively on business clients."

Still, Montano loves the excitement that comes with the territory. "If I won the Lotto tomorrow, I'd still keep this job."

He also uses Asian American operatives because "They can go places in this community that I can't go." Montano encourages more Asian Americans to enter the field. Operatives get paid about $25 per hour.

A profile report on a company or individual might cost a client from $500 to $1,000, depending on how much time it requires. Montano charges $75 an hour plus expenses.

For information contact Montano & Associates at 1-800-732-ISPY.

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