Bein & Fushi Instrument Dealer’s Successor is Sued for Alleged Fraud

The Langman family is accusing Gabriel and Paige Ben-Dashan for alleged investment fraud of violins and bows worth over $30 million

The Langman family, longtime collectors and investors in historic violins, has filed a suit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Chicago violin dealership Bein & Fushi (BFI) successors, Gabriel and Paige Ben-Dashan. 

Established in 1976 by the late Robert Bein and Geoffrey Fushi, BFI advised the amateur violinist and businessman Malcolm Langman on his ongoing collection of fine instruments from around 1997 until his death in 2007. 

The Langman family had since continued their investments through BFI, until a series of purported miscommunications with their advisor, Gabriel, who had worked for B&F since the mid-1990s and became the director of sales and Langman’s primary contact, especially after the deaths of B&F’s founders. 

Defendants include P&G Rare Violins, Inc., which operates as and is the successor to BFI — owned by Gabriel and Paige under Ben-Dashan Inc.

Plaintiffs of the suit are Malcolm’s sons, Eric and Claude Langman.

The 38-page suit accuses B&F of nine counts of misconduct, including fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and unauthorized sales — namely, the company’s wrongful withholding of a collection of rare violins and bows valued at over $30 million.

The family is now requesting the immediate return of violins in the possession of BFI, including those by Nicolò Amati (c.1651 “Antoncich”), Antonio Stradivari (c. 1728 “Thunis”), Giovanni Grancino (c.1693), Giuseppe Guadagnini (c.1797), Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (c.1740 “Russian”), plus three violin bows by Leonard Tourte, Jean Grand Adam, and an unidentified maker. 

The Langman family principally points to the mistreatment of the c.1740 “Russian” Guarneri violin, which they claim was taken by BFI for “inspection” but never returned. Today, the “Russian” is appraised at around $18-$20 million.

In other claims, the Langmans accused BFI of misinforming about the violins’ true sale prices. The family had invested $5.6 million in the “Thunis” Stradivarius, which they later learned had multiple undisclosed investors and had actually been acquired for less than $5 million. 

Additionally, the suit claims the “Antoncich” Amati violin (purchased in 2006 for $950,000) was sold by BFI, despite a direct agreement for it to remain unsold. By this time, BFI had valued the Amati at $3.5 million — nearly double the amount they allegedly quoted to the Langmans previously ($1.5 million). 

On March 25, 2025, after years of BFI’s apparent non-responsiveness and failure to sell the listed violins and bows pursuant to the Langman Family’s requests, the family contacted Gabriel to cease all sales efforts and to return the violins in his possession. To date, the instruments and bows remain at BFI. 

A legal representative of Gabriel Ben-Dashan provided The Violin Channel with the following statement in regards to the matter:

"Since its formation in 1976, Bein & Fushi, Inc. has served as one of the world’s premier dealer and restorer of fine stringed instruments. Since 2021, Gabriel Ben-Dashan, its former head sales person, has continued to extend and expand the original company’s legacy with the dignity and integrity befitting the craftsmanship and artistry of the fine instruments, and their owners, with which it works.

"It is unfortunate that a long-standing client of the original Bein & Fushi felt compelled to file the litigation which has now become very public," the statement contines. "The allegations made in the Complaint are just that…allegations. There has not yet been any evidence presented of the alleged wrongdoing. To reiterate, all of the allegations are unproven. We expect that the Ben-Dashans and their companies will be fully exonerated and we look forward to their continued success in the industry."

(Note: The original photograph wrongly featured Mr. Nedelec and Mr. Phillips, who have no connection with the wrongdoing alleged in the lawsuit)