After 30 hours of deliberations the Jury in the Joey Merlino trial told the judge they are deadlocked. So a mistrial was declared and Joey "Skinny Joey" Merlino is a free man. JR Rubeo, the governm...
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Ever since I read the much touted news that Walmart is giving all 600,000 of it's employees a $1,000 Bonus I started asking them if they had gotten it. For the last 3 weeks I've asked 27 different ...
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Sales of soda in the U.S. have fallen 25% in the past 20 years. Consumers are saying no to full calorie sugar laden soda and kids are to. In 2004 Coca Cola had 400 different soda products it sold around the world, to combat changing taste they now have 700. "
Wilton Manors Lesbians celebrate.......In March of 2014 the New Moon bar closed in Wilton Manors leaving local lesbians with no bar to call their own. The first lesbian bar in town, Kicks Sports Bar, was opened some 18 years ago by Carol Moran. She went on to make a lot of money opening 2 more bars, 13Even & New Moon. But her wife lived in NYC, so she decided to move there and closed New Moon. I got a call from a few city residents who were thrilled in February when a new lesbian bar opened. It’s called “G-Bar, If you’re here, you’ve found it!” Those gals and their funny little play on words.By Hutton Carter, III
Condo, home & office residents bodies and brains are being cooked 24 hours a day by high levels of radio waves coming from FPL Smart Meters, which have been banned by over 50 local governments in California alone and hundreds of governments in America & around the world. But our Florida leaders are blind to it due to contributions from the FPL monopoly to their campaigns. A recent testing at a local condo in NPB called Paradise Harbour showed levels that are catastrophic to residents. The most recent Bio Initiative Report stated any Microwatts per Square Meter above 1,000 of these waves is dangerous to human health and their maximum “Precautionary Level” of waves is 100. Anything above 100 could be harmful to you. Axis Environmental Solution’s Eric Billitier, a Building Biologist and EMRS Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist recently measured waves at the condo. The meter room was emitting peak levels at 209,200 and averaging levels of 12,562 twenty four hours a day. A unit located above the meter room had measurements that peaked at 3,650 and averaged 1,007 hourly. That condo unit is a death trap thanks to FPL. Other condo units located away from the Smart Meter room had peak levels of 946 and average levels of 591. FPL is cooking residents every day and our leaders are doing nothing. Major media is refusing to run this tragic story due to fear of loosing FPL advertising dollars. A medical expert told me to expect a 500% increase in brain cancer, children born retarded and extreme symptoms of diabetes by 2020, especially in older residents who live in condos with Smart Meters, or people who have them attached to their homes or offices. Just google “smart meter dangers” and see the facts for yourself. If you live in a condo these waves must pass thru concrete, steel and your body to get to FPL antennas. If an antenna is located near your home you’re being cooked at extremely high levels. That is why governments have banned them. The FPL Monopoly is cooking us to death and they don’t give a damn because local media and political leaders would rather accept their bribes (campaign contributions) than protect the people who elected them.
State Attorney Aronberg’s “Beard” is gone.......In gay circles a “beard” is slang for a wife that a gay guy marries to throw his employers or family off the path that he’s gay. Beards are often used by politicians to fool voters. ( Charlie Crist comes to mind) When current WPB State Attorney Dave Aronberg got married, word spread all over town he’d found a beard and people started making private bets on how long it would last. Most said it wouldn't see 2 years. The marriage lasted 21 months. Lynn Aronberg filed for divorce and cited some interesting things that made sense to many in the gay community. She then started talking to media. She used coded language saying - “It’s just not working out, I want a baby so bad, but Dave’s not responding to that need.” That’s another way to say their marriage is sexless. Friends of hers are now talking all over town, saying things like “The marriage was barely consummated” and “after the wedding night sex was non-existent, mostly because her attempts to arouse him were never successful.” Within a short time of getting hitched she demanded they see a marriage counselor in order to keep the marriage going on paper. Finally she allegedly caught him seeing an old “friend” she knows is gay, and decided it was time to flee.
A compilation of gossip articles ...
Condo, home & office residents bodies and brains are being cooked 24 hours a day by high levels of radio waves coming from FPL Smart Meters, which have been banned by over 50 local governments in California alone and hundreds of governments in America & around the world. But our Florida leaders are blind to it due to contributions from the FPL monopoly to their campaigns. A recent testing at a local condo in NPB called Paradise Harbour showed levels that are catastrophic to residents. The most recent Bio Initiative Report stated any Microwatts per Square Meter above 1,000 of these waves is dangerous to human health and their maximum “Precautionary Level” of waves is 100. Anything above 100 could be harmful to you. Axis Environmental Solution’s Eric Billitier, a Building Biologist and EMRS Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist recently measured waves at the condo. The meter room was emitting peak levels at 209,200 and averaging levels of 12,562 twenty four hours a day. A unit located above the meter room had measurements that peaked at 3,650 and averaged 1,007 hourly. That condo unit is a death trap thanks to FPL. Other condo units located away from the Smart Meter room had peak levels of 946 and average levels of 591. FPL is cooking residents every day and our leaders are doing nothing. Major media is refusing to run this tragic story due to fear of loosing FPL advertising dollars. A medical expert told me to expect a 500% increase in brain cancer, children born retarded and extreme symptoms of diabetes by 2020, especially in older residents who live in condos with Smart Meters, or people who have them attached to their homes or offices. Just google “smart meter dangers” and see the facts for yourself. If you live in a condo these waves must pass thru concrete, steel and your body to get to FPL antennas. If an antenna is located near your home you’re being cooked at extremely high levels. That is why governments have banned them. The FPL Monopoly is cooking us to death and they don’t give a damn because local media and political leaders would rather accept their bribes (campaign contributions) than protect the people who elected them.
Drug Dealer on Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.....At the North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce they know him as Chip Armstrong, a realtor. His online profile says he has “30 years of sales & marketing experience.” During some of the last 30 years he was an expert cocaine smuggler and salesman. The Feds know him as Robert Charles Armstrong. He was caught, charged and convicted of importing and distributing cocaine in Palm Beach County. He was using jet skis to unload coke from boats and bring it to shore, then selling it for the profits. He was not busted for small quantity, but rather 85 kilos. He was convicted of 12 drug charges and served almost 10 years in prison. He went to prison in 1992 and got out in 2000.
The cheating Prime Minister.....You may have hard that media mogul Rupert Murdoch is marrying Jerry Hall, the famous former flame of Mick Jagger. Murdoch’s former wife was an employee named Wendi Deng who had worked her way to the top of his company and caught his eye. In 2013 they separated for “personal reasons.” It turns out she was having a torrid affair with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Murdoch & Blair were close friends and Blair served as Godfather to one of the 2 girls he had with Deng. Sometime in 2012 a sexual affair between Blair & Deng allegedly began and some say it continues to this day. Blair is married to Cherie Blair and British press has exploded about a new book claiming they lead separate lives and she can’t get him away from Wendi Deng. Blair said in an interview he will “never discuss the issue.” Murdoch has refused to speak with Blair since 2013 when he discovered the affair.
The party ain’t what it used to be.....Last year over 133 fraternity and sorority chapters at over 50 U.S. colleges were shut down for extreme intoxication, drug use, date-rape, sexual assault and harmful hazing. Many fraternities now have designated “Drunk Monitors” who remain sober during parties and cut off anyone they think has had too much to drink.
The summer jobs are gone.....We hear politicians often say even young Americans won’t work minimum wage jobs. Totally false. Last summer just 32% of American teenagers were able to find a summer job, compared with 58% in 1978. Over 1 million teenagers complained they could not find a job, mostly because they were competing with adults for entry level jobs.
Government took more than burglars.....Last year in America thieves, including armed robbers, burglars, shoplifters and others stole $3.5 billion illegally. Law Enforcement using civil forfeiture laws took just under $5 Billion from Americans for multiple reasons including tax evasion and seizers relating to crimes.
A lifetime of donations....In the past 41 years Bill & Hillary Clinton have solicited and accepted over $3 Billion in contributions to their multiple campaigns and charitable foundations. Over $1 Billion of that went to their political campaigns and $2 Billion went to their Clinton Foundation. That amount does not include whatever Hillary raises for this Presidential run. Since leaving office George Bush has given over 200 paid speeches getting from $100,000 to $175,000 per speech, earning close to $20 million.
She was the greatest.......Madame that ever lived. She was known as “Madame Claude” and ran the most expensive, exclusive call girl service in the world. Located in Paris, her clients were dictators, diplomats, heads of state, titans of industry, millionaire athletes and drug kingpins from across the globe. Her rates were sky high, it was a $10,000 minimum for 1 hour with one of her girls and that was in the 1980’s. She was imprisoned at a concentration camp because of fighting with the French Resistance against German occupation during World War II. After the war she moved to Paris and tried to be a real estate agent and door-to-door Bible saleswoman. Neither could keep a roof over her head so she became an escort, then her friend offered to give her control of a small call girl service. Within a few years the girls she offered were of such quality and exclusivity that she became “an extension of the French state,” as the Chicago Tribune said in the 1980’s. It is alleged she worked at various times for every spy agency in the western world. She took failed actresses and models, coiffed, polished and forced them to study English and poetry. When women interviewed to work for her she would simply grab their handbags, empty them out and judge them by what was inside. Fernande Grudet, known as “Madame Claude” died last month at 92.
Soda kick is over....Sales of soda in the U.S. have fallen 25% in the past 20 years. Consumers are saying no to full calorie sugar laden soda and kids are to. In 2004 Coca Cola had 400 different soda products it sold around the world, to combat changing taste they now have 700.
Oklahoma’s rockin.....They had less than 30 earthquakes in 2012. They have been letting Fracking go wild since 2010. Oklahoma had more than 720 earthquakes in 2015. The earthquakes are being generated in areas where injection wells pump salty wastewater deep into the earth. State Rep. Cory Williams said the powerful oil and gas lobby has stopped lawmakers from taking any steps to regulate the industry. Now under a bill pushed by the industry that Gov. Mary Fallin signed into law last year, cities and towns will no longer be able to regulate oil and gas operations within their boundaries. A similar bill was signed into law in Texas. So companies can come into a town or city, frack away creating earthquakes then leave town with the oil & gas and the town can do nothing about it but bear the brunt of endless earthquakes. Florida has set the stage for the same thing, with the Republican controlled legislature last year quietly passing a bill for a corrupt state agency to issue a “Report” on fracking safety that will likely ignore the problems and give fracking a clean bill of health so oil companies can start fracking off our coast. Stay tuned.
Now that’s a margin call....J. Michael Pearson, CEO of Valeant Pharmaceuticals had a free fall for the ages over the past 30 days. Goldman Sachs issued him a margin call on a $100 million loan backed up by his company stock in Valeant. Not having the cash to pay it Pearson had no choice but to sell 1.3 million shares of his company stock. With so many shares being sold in 1 day the stock dropped 14%. Funds around the world took a major hit, the Sequoia Fund owns in excess of 10 million shares, when that investment drops 14% in 1 day it stings. Pearson was said by Forbes to be worth $1.2 billion in August, now he’s worth $352 million thanks to the margin call, a Senate investigation into price fixing in the drug industry and the rumors that Valeant has been inflating prices on drugs it buys for 10 years.
The greatest Crossdresser performer in history.....He hated to be called a “Drag Act.” In the 70’s and 80’s he performed to sold out shows all over the world including Carnegie Hall and the London Palladium. It all started with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1970. His impression of Judy Garland was so good that the legend herself met him backstage after seeing his Vegas show in the 1960’s and coached him on her famous twitches & gestures. He added Barbara Streisand to his show and did Garland & Streisand for 3 decades earning millions. Jim Bailey left us last year at 77, he was a great one.
Have you heard about......The Greenwich Village 4-floor penthouse apartment owned by Keith Richards, Russell Simmons & current owner Britney Spears is on the market for $7.6 million.......The new study by Emory University that shows Men who spend more than $2,000 on an engagement ring were more likely to end up getting divorced than those who spent less, couples who spent more than $200,000 on a wedding were 3-1/2 times more likely to get divorced than those who spent less.......The Flaka drug has run its course and is now “nearly impossible” to find in the WPB area, it dried up 2 months ago after it flooded the area for a year. Addicts realized it was deadly & dealers realized it brought too much heat when their customers ended up in emergency rooms......The Mexicans in Lake Park who are passing around counterfeit money, they’re buying any item they can from private individuals, not using the cash in stores where it may be detected, beware if they show up responding to your internet ad with cash.
Remember, don’t repeat a word of this! It’s all on the QT!
I've seen a lot of bars open and close. But I've never seen a bar story like this one. 35 years ago a young guy named Buddy Andre opened his dream bar on Singer Island. For 30 years he kept it open with a full liquor license, a 5AM closing time and a little Cafe that served breakfast, lunch & dinner. After midnight the place was a Cop bar frequented by two types of people, cops and girls who like cops. Then Buddy died suddenly on July 11, 2010. His will left the estate to his two children, Danny & Stacey. Daniel “Danny” Andre went to prison for statutory rape in 2004. He isn't due out until 2025. So Stacey arrived on the scene and met with employees who encouraged her to keep the bar open. She agreed to uproot her life as a mother and take on the project . It was an uphill battle all the way. First, led by Riviera Beach Councilwoman Dawn Pardo, the city took away the 5am license, sending a huge piece of business (Cops like to have a beer after their shift) out of town to Foster's, even though the Riviera Chief of Police stated there had been few incidents or calls to the bar. He knew it was frequented by his Cops but refused to state the obvious, recognizing there was a witch hunt taking place. Pardo even made this absurdly uniformed statement - “Our police are taxed as it is, there's no reason for a bar to be open until 5 a.m. in Riviera Beach.” Dawn Pardo's arrogant dismissal of the lives of people who work the late shift was appalling, and the fact that she didn't even know 99% of the customer base from 1am to 5am at Buddy's was Cops & their girlfriends is another example of an alleged “Small Government & Less Regulation” Republican doing just the opposite. Without the 5am license Stacey powered on with the sheer force of will that her father had. She moved the bar to a new location under the Sands Hotel. She spent thousands remodeling it inside & out, searched the club scene from Ft. Pierce to Miami to bring in fresh new live bands, did every promotion possible and rebuilt the bar and its client base into a business that was finally making it after 2 years of hard work. Meanwhile Shain Meeink, a well known bartender on Singer Island for 20 years at Buddy's managed the bar and the late night crowd came back, albeit from midnite to 2am. Thru it all Stacey sent money every month to her brother Danny in state prison, many months maxing out the $300 limit they allow. But Danny became obsessed with getting more money, harassing her at every turn with demands. As the pressure from him grew she stopped responding to his many threats. Then things got really weird. In September of 2013 when Stacey showed up to the Probate meeting for her fathers Will, she was told by Brian O'Connell that he was Danny's new attorney, he had filed suit against her and that Probate attorney John Morrisey was to take over the bar as Curator. He would be seizing and controlling the bank account for Buddy's. This fight dragged on until January of 2014 when the court approved the takeover. Then Danny's attorney looked at the books and claimed Stacey had embezzled $500,000 and filed a judgment against her. This claim was idiotic to those who knew the situation at Buddy's, as there were only small marginal profits if any up to that point. Stacey, now sitting at home realized she would have to gear up for a legal fight to clear her name of this judgment. The case has currently been accepted on appeal and awaits a hearing in the Appellate Court. Then on July 11, 2014, 4 years to the day of Buddy Andre's death Buddy's Manager Shain Meeink, having quit as Buddy's Manager in disgust, had a heart attack and died at age 41. Shain had become Stacey's right hand helper with keeping Buddy's open and trying to turn it around. Now Singer Island was mourning his death. Meanwhile new Curator John Morrisey turned management of Buddy's over to Chris Heine who installed his daughter Sarina as manager. Sarina worked hard trying to keep it alive. But it just wasn't the same and within a year the place shut down while legal fighting continued. Both Chris & Sarina did make sure every vendor was paid in full for anything owed. Prior to Buddy's closing it was renamed Ocean's and Stacey was served with papers stating she was being removed from having any claim on the estate. Then the place was gutted, the TV's, the equipment, the furniture, everything was taken and sold. Meanwhile the word around the prison yard was Danny complaining that the people he hired to rip off his sister had ripped him off, that he had not gotten a dime since hiring attorneys. The attorneys responded by quitting via notification to the court. Today Stacey has moved on, still unwilling to talk about the entire episode, while she continues to spend thousands on legal fees to fight the $500,000 judgment. And so after 35 years, Buddy's Singer Island Pub is gone forever. A beloved bartender is dead leaving behind 2 kids, a brother from a prison cell destroyed both his Dad's family business and his relationship with his only sister and locals on Singer Island lost their favorite bar. Stacey did her best to keep the Buddy's tradition alive. But that old American saying came back to haunt her - “No good deed goes unpunished.”
Trump and the Mob....Donald Trump's dealings with the NY & Philly Mafia have been kept under the rug, for now. If he continues his place atop the polls look for his opponents to plant various stories in major media like this one. Trump Plaza Casino sits on land Trump purchased from former Philadelphia mobster Salvatore Testa. The property was purchased by Testa in 1977 for a $195,000 and was then sold to Trump in 1982 for a $1.1 million. A 1986 New Jersey organized crime report noted that Trump Plaza was built with two construction companies controlled by Philadelphia mobsters Nicademo “Little Nicky” Scarfo and Phillip “Crazy Phil” Leonetti getting major portions of the work. Scarfo Cement company forced every contractor in town to hire him. Trump Plaza condos in Manhattan were built by concrete company S&A, which federal court records show was controlled by then New York mafia bosses Paul Castellano and Anthony Salerno. During that time it was impossible for anyone to avoid doing business with the mafia controlled concrete cartel but some claimed Trump may have taken the relationship further then he had to, using the Mob to hurt his competitors by slowing down their casino construction projects and to solve any “problems” with people along the way.
The Villain gets the Astor cash....The once mighty Astor fortune, that created the original “400 Club” list of the richest Americans is long gone. The last Astor with money, Anthony Marshall, died at 90 after being convicted of swindling his own mother Brooke Astor and secluding her in filthy squalor until she died at 105 in the family Park Avenue home that has since been sold off. While this went on insiders accused Anthony's third wife Charlene Marshall of orchestrating the endless selling of paintings, jewelry and the looting of trust funds. Now Anthony's will has been read and Charlene will get what remains from the John Jacob Astor fortune started in 1790 with fur trading, heroin smuggling and NYC real estate worth billions in today's dollars by 1890. Today there is $14.5 million left. Anthony's will cuts out his two sons and gives it all to Charlene, who was photographed leaving the will reading giggling like a baby.
Shakespeare smoked pot....New research shows that four old pipes found in the garden of Shakespeare's English home contained residues of cannabis and forensic experts have determined the pipes are from the exact time when Shakespeare lived in the home and wrote his most famous plays. The pipes made of clay were excavated from Shakespeare's garden in Stratford-upon-Avon in central England. The residues can still be detected despite the 400 years that have elapsed since the pipes were last smoked. Researchers found four pipes with cannabis residue. During that time in Europe cannabis was smoked in clay pipes as were coca leaves (cocaine). 2 weeks ago singer Lady Gaga said during an interview “I smoke lots of pot when I write songs.” So one must ponder - To get high or to not get high, that is the question.
Another Pastor of Sin......Another church leader has admitted to committing adultery, using drugs like cocaine & ecstasy while he had affairs with female church members behind his wife's back. What makes this news is that it's the legendary Billy Graham's grandson. Many didn't realize it because his last name is not Graham. Tullian Tchividjian was the senior pastor at the massive Coral Ridge Presbyterian mega-church in Ft. Lauderdale. His mother, Gigi Tchividjian, is Billy Graham's oldest daughter. She kicked him out of their home at the age of 16. Strikingly handsome in a mirror image of a very young Billy Graham, he worked in construction and waited tables at Chili's. By 21, bored with the party scene, he says he “prayed for God to lead him.” He got a GED and his mother finally offered financial support. He graduated from Columbia International University in South Carolina in 1997 then earned a divinity degree in 2001 from the Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He founded New City Presbyterian Church in Coconut Creek in 2003 and built the congregation from 25 to 400. In March 2009, he was selected to lead the Coral Ridge Mega-church of over 10,000 in 2007 after the church's founder, Pastor D. James Kennedy, died. Tullian was the fourth Florida Mega-Church pastor to resign after having an affair in the last 16 months. David Loveless, head pastor of Discovery Church in Orlando, Sam Hinn, pastor of The Gathering Place in Sanford (brother of televangelist Benny Hinn), and Isaac Hunter, pastor of Summit Church in Orlando (son of megachurch pastor Joel Hunter) also resigned after their affairs become public.
Have you heard about......Frank Cali is now the new Boss of the Gambino crime family......156-year old A & P will close its doors after filing Chapter 11 with assets of $1.6 billion and liabilities of $2.3 billion, founded in 1859 in Manhattan by George Huntington Hartford and George Gilman, it was originally a mail-order tea and spice business that became the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. Stop & Shop plans to rebrand all the locations under its own name, but at press time grocery supplier C&S Wholesale, A&P's largest creditor was trying to take over some stores and keep the name alive.......The stepdaughter of Fontainebleau heir Ben Novack Jr. was awarded $50,000 from his estate to pay for her son's heart surgery, but she is a long way from collecting what is left of the Fontainebleau fortune, Novack's assets, once estimated at as much as $10 million, are now less than $4 million, the estate has been in a five-year probate battle involving family members, long-lost relatives and even one possible illegitimate child......Watch out for the blond haired mid-30's guy in a black Bentley who has been picking up girls, running up big tabs then doing the “my credit card & cash are in the car” routine, leaving the girl behind to satisfy the staff then driving away. He's hit 3 hotspots for over two grand. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
The bar has been raised. First we had Patricia Kluge getting $100 million plus several estates valued at $100 million in 1990 from Palm Beacher John Kluge. Then we had Suzanne Saperstein getting $1 Billion in her Texas divorce from Metro Network founder David Saperstein in 2006. Now we have Sue Ann Hamm getting $1 Billion from oil-fracking king Harold Hamm. Pat Kluge is now broke, having lost her Virginia horse country & wine vineyard estate to Donald Trump in a bankruptcy deal. She allegedly spent $1 million a week for a year throwing parties and flying in royalty from all over the world. Kluge and her new husband Moses now live at the University Club on Fifth Avenue in NYC. 60-something Saperstein had her chest massively inflated and at press time lives with 33-year-old former pro soccer player Christopher Roselli. She sold her Beverly Hills Home “Fleur de Lys” allegedly for $102 million. One of the most impressive homes on the planet it has marble walls, limestone floors and pure gold embossing everywhere. Rumors are that Michael Milken is the secret buyer. Suzanne promptly moved into an $85,000 a month rental that is a 20,000-square-foot mansion behind the guarded gates of Beverly Park set on 6 acres with 11 bedrooms and 18 baths. It was custom built by mathematician-turned-porn-purveyor Norm Zada. Suzanne is sitting on a pile of cash. Sue Ann Hamm is not accepting $1 Billion without a fight. She wants more. $7 billion more. She claims David has accumulated $18 billion in wealth during their marriage and has appealed her divorce settlement. Stay tuned. The bar may be raised again. Cop gossip....The local law enforcement community is talking about a recent raid on PBS headquarters by the FBI. It was supposed to be kept quiet but that failed. The FBI allegedly grabbed stacks of Internal Affairs reports on use of force by officers. Most of the talk is about PBSO Deputy Russell Brinson, who has allegedly accumulated 474 pages of Internal Affairs reports on his use of force in 18 incidents during the last 2 years. Fellow Officers, when interviewed allegedly called Brinson's use of force “excessive” and “absolutely unnecessary.” Yet Sheriff Ric Bradshaw did nothing but reassign Brinson to PB International Airport. The FBI is allegedly fuming that tape recordings of the interviews about an incident where Brinson allegedly shot a suspect as he ran away were “unable to be found.” Word is several minority candidates are lining up to run against Bradshaw in the next election and they will be rallying the minority community. Stay tuned.
Currency slaves.....Get ready for stories about how the world is controlled by a handful of family bloodlines (13) who have created a world of “Currency Slaves.” Currency slaves are you & me, and everyone who works for a living. We have been made to toil for currency rather than toil for self preservation and spiritual growth. The point is wars are profitable, diseases like cancer are profitable, the plundering of Earth's resources is profitable, human slavery and inhumane working conditions are profitable. Two major families, the Rothschild's and the Rockefeller's control most of the world. Jacob Rothschild controls over 500 Trillion dollars worldwide. He owns or has a majority stake in every major central bank in the world, including our U.S. Federal Reserve, which was founded by a Rothschild. The Rothschild family has financed both sides of every war since Napoleon. He owns thru subsidiaries, front companies and stock holdings every major bank, media outlet and oil company on the planet. Thomas Jefferson said “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the currency will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.” It's no secret that today JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs control both the U.S. Federal Reserve and the position of U.S. Secretary of Treasury. The tentacles of this power reach into every city in America. Take West Palm Beach, a look at their financials showed they've sold over $60 million of Bonds purchased by Goldman Sachs. Many of these Bonds carry 7% interest rates that have decades of deferred payments that are accruing massive amounts of interest now. Goldman Sachs simply borrows money from the U.S. Federal Reserve it controls at .25% interest, lends it to WPB at 7%, and reaps millions. In 2000, the Rockefellers and JP Morgan joined forces in an attempt to stop Goldman Sachs from getting too much control over our banking system. Today that battle rages on. Who is allegedly the largest stakeholder of Goldman Sachs? Jacob Rothschild.
Teen pot use down in Colorado....Teenage marijuana use has fallen in Colorado since the state legalized the drug in 2012, bucking a nationwide trend of overall increases in teen use. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment thirty-day marijuana use fell from 22% in 2011 to 20% in 2013 and lifetime use declined from 39% to 37% during the same two years. Teen usage nationally has gone up from 20.8 % in 2009 to 23.4 % in 2013 according to statistics by the Centers for Disease Control cited by the Marijuana Policy Project. Anti-legalization groups have long claimed that eliminating criminal penalties on adult use would lead to a spike in use by young people, but the opposite is happening. Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Mason Tvert said “Once again, claims that regulating marijuana would leave Colorado in ruins have proven to be unfounded, how many times do marijuana prohibition supporters need to be proven wrong before they stop declaring our marijuana laws are increasing teen use? They were wrong when they said regulating medical marijuana would do it and they were wrong when they doubled down and said making marijuana legal for adults would do it.”
This is wrong......On May 28th 19-month old Bou Bou Phonesvanh was sleeping in his playpen at the family residence in Georgia. The Habersham County Police SWAT team showed up and threw a flash bang grenade into the home to start a drug raid. The grenade ripped open the child's face and cut open his chest. Police had gotten a no-knock search warrant for an alleged drug dealer, but no drugs were found inside the house and no one was arrested. Baby Bou Bou spent five weeks at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston with third-degree burns to his chest and face. To this day, Habersham County has refused to pay one penny of the medical bills for the baby's injuries. Police claim they had an informant that said he bought drugs at the house. A Habersham County official told the Washington Post that the reported drug deal involved a $50 purchase. Recently it's been leaked the informer may have given the wrong address, but the county still refuses to pay for any medical bills.
Budweiser no longer King....In 1988 Budweiser was selling 50 million barrels a year, now they are selling 16 million barrels a year. Surveys show 44% of Americans aged 21-27 have never drank a Budweiser. In 1900 there were over 2,000 breweries in America, by 1977 there were only 200 breweries in the U.S. as big beer companies had bribed our Congress into passing regulations that made it impossible for small breweries to operate. Then in 1978 President Jimmy Carter signed a law no one paid much attention to legalizing home brewing. It did nothing until the 1990's. Then a small beer making craze exploded and we are back to having over 2,000 breweries. The result is a new generation of beer drinkers who don't drink whatever mass-produced beer is being pushed at them with $500 million worth of commercials annually.
Mob News.....More fallout from the Joey “Skinny Joey” Merlino bust in Boca. Seems it was 5 FBI agents tailing Merlino as part of an ongoing organized crime investigation in South Florida that has focused on Boca Raton and Palm Beach Gardens gangsters that are allegedly “retired.” Court transcripts show the FBI had 5 agents in 5 different cars tailing Merlino and another organized crime figure who was not named. Stanley Stein has been outed as the financer behind the new restaurant in Boca where Merlino claims he'll work as a Maitre D. The U.S. Attorney David Troyer stated in court that Merlino was observed talking with John “Johnny Chang” Ciancaglini and other felons in a glass-enclosed VIP section of a spot in Boca called Havana Nights saying “It's very obvious what is going on, this is a night on the town with his mob buddies.” Troyer went on to state Merlino is “enjoying an enviable lifestyle despite reporting having almost no income, he miraculously survives on a paltry amount of money.” Skinny Joey's wife Deborah Merlino testified that she has a successful business and has long supported him. Stanley Stein has raised the interest of the FBI after he flew Merlino up to Philly for court hearings in a private jet and paid for his stay at the Four Seasons hotel. “Retired” gangsters from Philly, NYC and Jersey have put roots down in Boca & Palm Beach Gardens while Chicago Outfit and Las Vegas “retired” members have claimed a stake to Hallandale, so the 2 factions keep their distance. Joey reported for prison in late November and will out in March, back in Boca and free of all parole restrictions.
Have you heard about......Burt “I'm not broke” Reynolds selling his 1952 Palm Beach High School Football trophy......The former Clematis Street nightclub & Jupiter restaurant owner linked to a NYC crime family who has filed bankruptcy to avoid creditors......The local escort girl who had maintained a 2-year every Monday afternoon date with a PB billionaire, he told her 3 weeks ago this was the last time and gave her $100,000 cash as a goodbye gift, she had a party at a PGA restaurant spending $3,000 on dinner & champagne for 6 girlfriends......The huge cocaine party at a conservative billionaires home held by his son while daddy was in Monoco, it raged until 9am and 3 separate escort companies supplied over 35 girls to entertain him & his 15 friends, he sent out text invites saying it's a “TwoFer Party, Everyone gets 2 of Everything”......The rumor about the former Kennedy mansion allegedly being on unstable ground and the seawall ready to collapse and give way under any pressure from high seas, several sales have allegedly fallen thru after a home inspection......The current Riviera Beach councilperson who cried on the witness stand during the Fane Lozman trial in what's being called “An Academy Award performance.”
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
He was known from the 1980's to this century as the undisputed Gay Queen of Palm Beach. His parties at the 4-story Addison Mizner designed 7,000 sq-foot palace at 16 Golfview Road were internationally legendary among the elite gays of the world. Rumors were that iconic gay men like Versace, David Geffen and Elton John attended his famed White Parties where the best looking young men on the Florida coast provided favors. Frank Osgood Butler III died at age 85 having never worked a day in his life to pay the bills. His father Paul Butler created Butler Aviation Corporation after World War II and built it into the largest airline in the United States at the time. His mother was Marjorie von Stresenreuter Childress who at age 15 married Paul Butler while still in school at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. Records show she went on to marry 5 more times to very wealthy men after divorcing Paul in 9 years. In 1986 as one of 3 heirs Frank's cut of the Butler fortune alone was $100 million. Marjorie died at her Palm Beach home at 95 in 2003 and left him more cash. Every Christmas the staff searched the nation for the biggest tree they could find to fill the 4-story grand foyer in his home and Frank had parties to decorate it with over $1 million worth of diamond & ruby ornaments using lifts. He tooled around Palm Beach in a Rolls Royce Phantom with “Butler” on the license plate. A little over a year ago I ran a blind item about the “Gay Queen on his final days” as Frank was in the final throes of cancer after starting radiation 7 years ago. His life was nothing but self indulgent fun, resulting in spurned lovers every year or two making a fuss and demanding money. The most recent was 22-year old Peter Shell who sued him for molestation. Frank Butler was accepted with raised eyebrows in Palm Beach and spoken of as the “richest gay man in town.” For many years he was the only known openly gay member of the Bath & Tennis Club. If Paul Butler's dream was to provide a life of endless pleasures for his children he succeeded wildly with Frank Osgood Butler III. Frank did what many rich inheritors do, he had fun and lived a long life.
Smart Meters are killing you right now......Dr. David Carpenter MD, a graduate of Harvard Medical School and a physician who has worked in the area of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and public health for over 18 years, has just testified that there is “no evidence whatsoever that Smart Meters are in any way safe for human beings and ample evidence demonstrates convincingly and consistently that exposure to radio frequency radiation (RFR) at elevated levels for long periods of time increases the risk of cancer, damages the nervous system and adversely affects the reproductive organs.” Florida Power & Light, (FPL), a government protected monopoly business that makes $6,000,000 a day in net profits has installed millions of Smart Meters in our area and has shown they don't care if you get sick in 5 years and die. Here's how the FPL Smart Meter on your home and in your neighborhood is making you sick right now. First, FPL has placed powerful antennas on their utility post in neighborhoods that attract the Radio Frequency Radiation from 350-500 homes. If that antenna is in your back yard or a nearby back yard the radiation is flowing thru your home from 350-500 other homes every 15 minutes of every day. If you live in a condominium the meter room contains a group of Smart Meters sending extra powerful Radiation waves thru concrete walls (and your body) to antennas, some of which are on the roof that also attract radiation waves from other buildings. Secondly, the Smart Meter attached to your home or office is sending these signals thru your body every 15 minutes. That Radiation is going thru your body right now.You may not feel it. But if you are awakening during sleep repeatedly, if you are getting frequent headaches, stomach & digestive problems, see if the Smart Meter is near your bedroom, kitchen or living room. Evidence shows it is already making people sick in our area.Local TV news a year ago reported on a baby living in a home on Flagler Drive that was made sick the day the meter was installed. All over this area people are complaining of light dizziness & light nausea, not enough to force them to spend money going to the doctor but enough to make them tell friends they feel bad. Then there are the bad cases. Nurses at 3 local hospitals have told me they've had hundreds of people visit them in the last year with extreme dizziness, nausea, vomiting and headaches. They have now figured out to ask them right away if they have a Smart Meter on their home. FPL linemen have told me there have been over 50 fires started by Smart Meters in PB County alone, only one was reported by the P.B. Post and they refused to identify the Smart Meter as the cause saying only FPL “cut off power to the meter to stop the fire.” Major media has been bought off by FPL with advertising dollars. On September 30th a hearing will be held by the Florida Public Service Commission about Smart Meters. This “Commission” is made up of 5 members all known to be bought & paid for by power companies. One member is former West Palm Beach Assistant City Administrator Eduardo Balbis. I urge you to call 1-800-342-3552 and demand to speak with him personally. Go online to www.psc.state.fl.us and all 5 Members faces, names & contact info will appear, call each of them, demand to speak with only them. The receptionist & staff members are trained to deny your right to speak directly with the members, who by law are supposed to be your representative and are being paid massive salaries of $131,036 a year to talk to you. They'll use every excuse like “he's on vacation, out of the office (no matter what time of day it is), in a meeting, on a phone call,” etc. Demand to speak with them personally & remain on hold until they do! FPL has over 4 million customers in their monopoly business, other power companies can not come into this territory by law. 4 million Smart Meters in one geographical area going off every 15 minutes will make hundreds of thousands of Floridians sick, many will die from cancer and will be sick for years with central nervous system & digestion problems. There are 130 organizations formed in the last year to fight Smart Meters in America, over 60 places have banned them, Florida has 2 websites, smartmetermatrix.org & nosmartmetersflorida.blogspot.com. FPL has the courage due to their monopoly status to charge us $1499 over the next 10 years if we don't want a Smart Meter making us sick. Insiders claim that's the amount FPL expects to make from selling the power usage information of each one of us. Advertisers & telemarketing firms will pay FPL to find out when you are home (so they can call you), when you get online (so they can email you) when you cook, watch TV and in what room of your home your doing it all. Our lawmakers have been bribed to allow this, the hearing on September 30th is our chance to stop them from killing us. Take the time & make the call today to demand Smart Meters be banned in Florida, and get angry now, it may save your own life. If you're sick with cancer 5 years from now, it'll be too late.
Corporate racist rip off.....You know Aunt Jemina. Her picture graces pancake syrup and is a brand. She was an actual person named Anna Short Harrington. It's her recipe. Harrington was selected for the picture image role because of her pancake recipe which Quaker Oats recreated for the grocery store packaging. According to her heirs the Quaker Oats Company has continued to exploit her image & recipe for the last 60 years without paying a dime. They claim Harrington was talked out of using a lawyer by company officials who exploited her lack of education so the company wouldn't have to pay for her recipe or use of her image. She died in 1955 and the heirs have finally gotten a lawsuit trial date after company attorneys delayed it endlessly.
Hospital bill scams......A new report in the British Medical Journal details the outrageous billing practices of American hospitals. A team led by researchers at the University of California went to 170 hospitals for a basic Metabolic Panel test which measures sodium, potassium & glucose levels among other things. Hospitals charged from $35 to $7,303 for the same test. Another group had a Lipid Panel test that measures cholesterol and triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. Individuals were charged from $10 to a maximum of $10,169 for the exact same test. The people charged the most? Anyone uninsured and paying cash on the spot. Until we solve the hospital billing problem we cannot solve the health care problem.
Mob News......Former Scarfo Crime family underboss Joey “Skinny Joe” Merlino is allegedly opening an upscale Italian restaurant at 39 SE 1st Ave in Boca. Segreto restaurant had occupied the space, before that it was Matteo's. As I told you before Merlino has been living in Boca since he got done with a 14-year stint in prison for murder & racketeering. I say allegedly because Merlino is a convicted felon and cannot have a liquor license in his name. Merlino's parole has recently ended and the restaurant is certain to attract a crowd of Philly & NY & NJ gangsters since Merlino is now free to mingle with known organized crime figures and convicted felons. You'll probably find a few undercover FBI agents at the bar every night as well. Allegedly Merlino ended up with the lions share of hidden millions from the Scarfo Cement company that extorted every casino construction site in Atlantic City. Should be one hell of a grand opening party.
Have you heard about......The Sue Ann & Harold Hamm divorce case going to court that may make Sue Ann one the of richest women in the world as Harold's company Continental Resources is worth $17 billion and she may get at least $5 billion.....45 -year old former Playboy model Brandi Brandt who married Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx got 6 years in prison after pleading guilty to smuggling cocaine from California to Australia in airplane catering carts..... Denny's is opening their first spot in the Manhattan financial district and will have leather booths, a full liquor bar serving craft mezcal cocktails, bottles of Dom Perignon Vintage champagne and $9 “house” Bloody Mary's along with a $300 “Grand Cru Slam” breakfast that comes with two Grand Slam breakfasts, a bottle of Dom Perignon and a “bartender high five” .......The local strip club girl who has put up a website featuring photos of customers in compromising positions, including engaging in sex acts, with the clubs interiors easily recognizable. Club owners are going nuts trying to figure out who it is and get the site down......The Coldwell Banker coastal-located branch that doesn't know their recently awarded realtor/broker produced gay porn and starred himself in films for Jet Set Productions back in the 1990's, his photo in the Post was recognized by gay film industry types all over town.
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Herminio Diaz was the man on the grassy knoll who blew JFK's head apart. The CIA knows it. Ted Kennedy knew it. LBJ knew it. Herminio Diaz was a prolific assassin who worked for Tampa/Miami mobster Santos Trafficante as security director of the Hotel Habana Riviera Casino in Cuba until Castro ran them out. He then began a career of traveling the world killing for various industrialists and government spy agencies. He has a record of alleged assassinations throughout the early 1960's. The CIA has surveillance reports that document Herminio Diaz arriving in the U.S. in June of 1963 when the plan was put into action by Carlos Marcello, Santos Trafficante and Sam Giancana. Many claim Herminio Diaz can be viewed at the Dealey Plaza scene on film, he is one of the “well groomed” alleged bums picked up along the backside of the grassy knoll who were later released and disappeared. In 1966 Diaz was captured and killed during an anti-Castro raid by boat into Cuba that was widely thought to be financed by the CIA. All of the JFK programming you saw over the past month and no one mentioned Herminio Diaz. The cover-up continues.
Mormons to take over Florida...... There's a long term planning move by Mormons from Utah to take over Florida much like they did with Utah, huge land buys, opening of churches everywhere in the state and then political power thru control of the state legislature. The Mormons have just spent more than $500 million to buy 382,834 acres of land in Bay, Franklin, Calhoun, Gulf, Leon, Wakulla & Jefferson counties. This is not the Mormons first land buy. Over 670,000 acres of land in Florida has been purchased by Mormon companies, the biggest of which is AgReserves Inc. who are a taxpaying company of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons right now are the largest private land owner in Florida and own over 200,000 acres of land southeast of Orlando that is considered the next big parcel of land for developers. Our crooked Gov. Rick Scott quietly signed an executive order creating the “East Central Florida Corridor Task Force.” They are right now planning for roads, development and environmental protection in the Mormon owned area around Orlando. The Mormons are already spending our tax dollars to create their southern oasis. Get ready for knocks on the door every Saturday from kids selling the Mormon way of life.
Katherine Harris husband's death...... Remember former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris? The gaudy makeup that was satirized on Saturday Night Live during the 2000 Presidential election mess? Then she got elected to Congress and served from 2003 to 2007. She left office and moved to Sarasota where she and her husband built a 18,000 Sq. foot mansion that looks like a castle. Her husband Anders Ebbeson is 68 and had just finished building and furnishing the home. He was found November 19th with a shotgun blast to the face. Katherine Harris was standing on the front steps waiting for police after they were called at 7am. Police found him in the bathroom. The police report and all media reports immediately called it a suicide. One person in the department allegedly first said Ebbeson was standing when he shot himself, then the statement was not repeated by anyone else and never appeared on any police report. They claimed he was suffering from an illness but refused to identify it. So we're to believe the guy woke up, decided to go get a shotgun, walk to the bathroom and shoot himself in the face? Ever tried standing up and holding a shot gun to your face? You'll see how hard it is to hold it and reach for the trigger. Think about a 68-year old guy doing that at 7am. The case has been officially closed. I spoke with a Palm Beach lady who was close to Katherine during her time in Congress, she said “I have never seen or known a person with a crazier schizophrenic look in her eyes than Katherine, it was if she was taking 50 Oxy's an hour and breeding crazy every minute.” That the case was not even investigated and called a suicide so quickly and then nearly abolished from the media and not spoken of at all reminds me of the old saying - “Truth is what those in power say it is.”
The Howard Hughes of Florida..... No one knows how much money he really has. He has been fighting with the IRS for years and in 1997 was sentenced to 5 months in Federal prison for tax evasion. He's been charged again with tax evasion over a $7 million land sale. He is known in the race car world as a collector of rare Ferraris. He likes buying animals that have appeared on TV, like bears, chimps and cougars. He made his money mostly by grabbing huge swaths of land no one else thought would be worth much and selling them years later for massive profits and he has owned utility companies. He told the IRS he had sold his Ferrari collection when they wanted to seize it for back taxes then when a roof was blown off a barn during hurricane Charley in Central Florida near his home it revealed 19 of them stashed away. His name is Walter Medlin and he may be going back to federal prison at age 70 after agreeing last month to a plea agreement to settle recent tax charges. You probably have never heard of him. That's the way he wants it.
Mob News - From TV to reality...... Actor Anthony “Tony” Borgese landed roles in the Sopranos and Goodfellas. He played the nightclub owner that went to big Paulie for help when the character played by Joe Pesci wouldn't pay his tab and broke a bottle over his head. Somehow he began to think of himself as a real gangster. He got Gambino soldier Joey Orlando to beat up a guy that owed him $5,000. With another goon they broke the fellow's jaw and ribs after arriving at his home for a talk. They all got busted for it. Tony got 6 months house arrest and agreed to cut a public service announcement advising young men to avoid the Mob. Real life gangster Joey Orlando got 51 months in prison. No word on whether the guy paid up.
Mr. Nice Guy coming to theaters..... It will be titled “Not for Human Consumption” but is based on West Palm Beach/Lake Worth synthetic pot dudes Dylan Harrison & John Shealey who created Mr. Nice Guy in West Palm Beach. A film has been produced by Joshua Louis & Chris Alonzo and sold for distribution that details the whole episode. They both allegedly worked at the warehouse where the weed was made by spreading it on the floor and spraying it with chemicals that created an LSD type effect on users when they smoked it. Business got so good that the floor spraying method would not keep up with demand so they bought industrial cement mixers and used them to spread the chemicals on the weed, which was literally weed, not pot. That resulted in the whole warehouse exploding, bringing police to the scene and ending the business. Harrison and Shealey got over a year in prison each and they forfeited over $4 million in assets and cash. Locals think they have millions more stashed away with family and friends. Joshua Louis is well known in Riviera Beach, a place he should stay away from after being convicted of shooting a drug dealer in 2004 and serving 3 years in prison himself, then ending up working for Harrison and Shealey. That dealer put a price on his head that is good to this day. This WPB business started a nationwide trend that is still going strong, it is now a $5 billion a year industry and users visit emergency rooms over 11,000 times a year for rapid heart rate, nausea, seizures and renal failure.
Cops gone wild...... 28-year old Earl Sampson has been stopped 258 times by Miami Gardens police and charged with trespassing. He's been searched more than 100 times, taken to jail 56 times. The problem is it's all happened at the store where he works. The owner of the store, Alex Saleh has tried repeatedly to stop the cops from hassling his employee to no avail so he installed video cameras. The most recent video shows Sampson being approached by a cop as he is re-stocking a cooler in the store, the Cop says “What are you doing in here?” This is after 258 stops at or inside the store and being told by the owner that Sampson works there. The owner says he made a mistake a year ago when officers came in and asked him to sign up for a “zero tolerance” program to fight crime in the area. The fine print gives police the right to search anyone on the property at any time and the owner can't get out of it. Police have been stopping and searching anyone who drives onto the parking lot of the store, driving business down the tubes. 2 weeks ago Sampson was taking out the trash when he was again rousted and searched by police who threw him up against the wall. Thru it all Sampson has one conviction, cops found a half-joint of weed on him during the first search of him.
Follow the Wine..... Where's most of the money in the world today? For 100 years in modern life French winemakers have packed up their finest wines from their new harvest and traveled to the wealthiest nations to offer them. During the early 1980's French winemakers brought their new wines to New York City auction houses for the wealthy to bid on. By the late 1980's winemakers abandoned New York and went to Japan. In the 1990's they left Japan and went to California during the tech boom. In the late 1990's they left California and went to Moscow where they stayed until 2008. From that point on if you're a rich wine lover and want to buy 1st offerings of this years wines you must go to China where the new wealthy have drawn the best winemakers in the world for one reason - they've got the money to spend on it.
Four Seasons for sale...... Word flashed thru town that the Four Seasons Hotel in Palm Beach was close to being sold for a paltry $160 million. The deal fell thru when the buyer, who refused to be named but allegedly owns a hotel in Bal Harbour, could not come up with the $160 million. Now sharks are circling and owner C. Lyon Sachs, a self made millionaire developer who owns it and got rich buying oceanfront land on Palm Beach during the 1970's is getting bombarded with offers as local brokers scramble up buyers and try to get in on the action. Stay tuned.
Have you heard about...... Warren Beatty's & Annette Bening's oldest child Stephan Ira Beatty was born Kathlyn Beatty. He recently appeared in an ad for GLAAD opposing a New York State Medicaid regulation that would exclude transgender people from accessing healthcare saying “I identify as a trans-man, a f-----g queen, a homosexual, a queer, a nerd, fighter, writer, an artist and a guy who needs a haircut”.......Matt Damon still trying to sell his South Beach mansion for $19 million..... The sex club that opened in a warehouse district near West Palm that is attracting swingers from all over the state, it's bring your own booze and drugs and anything goes, owners rented the warehouse and are ready to flee at the first sign of trouble but until then it's endless sex, booze & drugs until sunup.
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Buck was a cemetery worker who got into an argument with a local West Palm resident at work. In those days, the early 1900's, arguments were often settled with a fight. This fight ended Buck's life. In the months that followed locals walking by the cemetery at night claimed they saw Buck walking in the cemetery as if he was still working. The cemetery had a small home on it that served as housing for the caretaker. Grave robbing was big business then as many people were buried with their most expensive jewelry. The live-in caretakers job was to run them off, with a shotgun if necessary. But many were successful and mornings might mean waking up to an open pit and a corpse laying beside it. Two decades later a new caretaker arrived and moved into the house. Times were tough in the 1920's and the cemetery had just the caretaker and one employee. That employee was in severe depression and poverty. He tied a rope from the rafter in the attic of the caretakers house and hung himself. The new caretaker was also the first WPB City Manager and Superintendent of Public Works, living rent free at the home was one of his perks, so he financially had to stay. Convinced that all the noises he was hearing at night were due to it being haunted by the ghost of the employee suicide he had the beam that was used for the hanging removed from the home. This accomplished nothing. From the late 1920's on people lasted less than a year in the house. They told of murmuring voices, chains rattling on the stairs, lights flickering on & off. And so it went for decades. In the 1980's, to the disbelief of many residents, Palm Beach Atlantic attempted to use the structure as a dorm for the female students. Those students still tell stories of the eerie things that went on and finally PB Atlantic stopped using the house for any purpose. There was no doubt, the Victorian “Painted Lady” house at 327 Acacia Street was haunted. Karl Riddle was the caretaker in the 1920's who had the beam removed, the city of WPB wanted to rid itself of the haunted house and donated it to John Riddle, Karl's nephew. He decided it was to be dismantled and moved to the Yesteryear Village. This itself was a nightmare. Workers told of their tools being moved or stolen as they were working and having the feeling that someone was standing behind them whenever they crouched ready to slam their head with an ax. Many workers walked off the job after their first week and John Riddle finally decided they should just stop the work for a while and let things cool down. Eventually it was completed after eight crews of construction workers started and quit during the tear down and rebuilding. Now called “The Riddle House” it is located at 9067 Southern Blvd. in Yesteryear Village. If you don't believe in ghosts or haunting, go spend a night in the attic.
What the media didn't tell you...... You may have heard about the murder suicide in El Cid by Pamela Brooks, who stabbed her own 10-year old daughter Alexandra to death. The autopsy report shows that Alexandra fought her mother viciously trying to stay alive, she had stab wounds on her hands that were defensive. She was stabbed 23 times. Pamela Brooks then stabbed herself 94 times including 14 times on the top area of her head. Pamela Brooks took a dose of Prozac a few hours before she started stabbing her daughter. So pot is illegal but Prozac is ok in our twisted government's logic.
The Tea Party truth...... We all know about our recent government shut down caused by Tea Party members in Congress. Some think the Tea Party is a grass roots organization that's all about “smaller government” and “less regulation.” Recently obtained tax documents show something else. One man, David Koch, who owns a block long estate on the ocean in Palm Beach, seems to the major funding source of Americans for Prosperity, which is the Tea Party. In 2003 David essentially started the Tea Party with a donation of $850,000. The largest corporate sponsor beside companies controlled by David Koch is State Farm which donated $275,000. After that the donations escalated, including $2.35 million from the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, $1 million from David Koch personally and $952,000 from Koch Industries. This month just released records show that the Koch brothers created a group that spent over $250 million during the 2012 election with no public notice, thanks to use of a tax designation normally reserved for Chambers of Commerce and trade associations. That group, Freedom Partners, contributed another $32 million to Americans for Prosperity, which now has paid staff members in 34 states. So where does David Koch get his money and why is he so concerned with less regulation? One place to look at is the Koch Industries owned Georgia-Pacific paper mill plant in Palatka, which is in north Florida. Since 1947, the Georgia-Pacific paper mill has discharged wastewater into Rice Creek, which runs into the St. Johns River. Locals now call it “Dead Creek.” There is no sound anywhere, no wildlife, only an occasional vulture in the trees along the banks. A deathly pall hangs over the area, the trees look sickly and stressed and there's a weird smell in the air. Since the plant has killed the entire creek they can no longer claim their wastewater is not the cause so they have a solution, let them build a pipeline 3.5 miles down river and dump it directly into the St. Johns River. Residents in Jacksonville are busy now fighting that scheme. In November 2011 Bloomberg Markets published an article “The Secret Sins of Koch Industries” that stated “For six decades around the world, Koch Industries has blazed a path to riches, in part, by making illicit payments to win contracts, trading with a terrorist state, fixing prices, neglecting safety and ignoring environmental regulations. At the same time, Charles and David Koch have promoted a form of government that interferes less with company actions.” What Bloomberg revealed for the first time were the allegations involving bribery and dealing with Iran. They claimed the company's subsidiary Koch-Glitsch paid bribes to secure contracts in six countries -Algeria, Egypt, India, Morocco, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia and that it violated U.S. sanctions by doing business with Iran, including the sale of materials that helped the country build the world's largest plant to convert natural gas to methanol, which is now busy polluting Iran. The EPA and the Justice Department has accused Koch of being responsible for more than 300 separate wastewater/oil spills in Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. A federal grand jury in Texas returned a 97-count indictment against a Koch company for violating federal air pollution and hazardous waste laws in connection with benzene emissions at the Koch refinery near Corpus Christi. In the last 20 years Koch companies have been fined over $50 million for polluting our nation. So when our government was shut down David Koch was probably in one of his homes laughing it up and enjoying pulling the strings that shut it down. Many Tea Party supporters are good people who have legitimate views, as long as David Koch is in charge they will be used for his purposes.
Mob News...... The Colombo crime family is proving they have a great retirement plan. Last month 86-year old Colombo soldier Nicky Rizzo went back to jail. He's facing 2 years for loan sharking. The Feds found $400,000 in his house. The Underboss of the family, John “Sonny” Franzese is 96, he's serving an 8 year sentence for shaking down Manhattan strip clubs and a Long Island pizza joint for protection money, he was 91 when that went down. He got out for a while on a $1 million cash bail. Franzese is the oldest Federal prisoner in America and is so old he was a regular at the Copacabana nightclub where he often sat with singers Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. and was the original Mob financer of the classic porn film “Deep Throat.” The Colombo family has a major presence in Miami where Franzese's born out of wedlock son, Andy Madtes, formerly Andy Balash (he changed his last name after being suspended by the Feds for stealing union funds) controls the Hotel workers union HERE Local 355 as its Secretary-Treasurer, is President of the South Florida AFL-CIO and reportedly has regular contact with his dad thru other mobsters. Controlling unions has always been a Colombo family business. One of his other sons, John Franzese Jr, turned rat and testified against him at the trial that put him away. Another son is Michael Franzese, who also turned rat and can be seen from time to time on TV talking about his life in the mob. Sonny claims he's killed more than 60 people in his life. He's due for parole in 2017, he'll be 101.
The killing of JC Penney...... New financials have shown the pay for recently ousted JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson - $53 million in 2011. That's 1,795 times the average JC Penney's workers pay. Johnson stopped the annual catalog, stopped sales events, ran up massive expense account bills and lasted 17 months on the job.
The biggest robberies of all time...... Some Palm Beachers who were in Cannes when one guy walked off with $136 million in diamonds & jewels at the Carlton Hotel in July can't stop talking about it. But adjusted for inflation is was not the biggest heist of all time, here's the top five. British Bank of the Middle East - Beirut 1976, armed robbers stormed the bank and took $144 million, never solved. Knightbridge Safe Deposit - London, 1987, Valerio Viccei got past the staff and raided the vault getting caught when he returned to get into his Ferrari parked out front. Dar Es Salaam Bank Baghdad 2007 - Security Guards took $318 million in US currency - never caught. Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston 1980 - two men dressed as cops took 13 paintings worth $536 million - never caught but rumored to have driven the works to Miami and met a Brazilian billionaire on a super yacht who sailed away with the masterpieces. London, 1990 - City Bonds, a messenger was robbed with a knife, they got away with $913 million in bonds that were recovered when a fence tried to sell them to undercover agents.
Have you heard about........ Tommy Hilfiger putting his 6,000 square foot NYC Plaza Hotel Penthouse that includes the hotels turreted Dome Room with 35-foot ceilings on sale for $80 million........The rumor flying around WPB that one of the Commissioners is wired for sound after being approached by the Feds who demanded they co-operate or they'd be indicted......The Clematis club owner who threw 6 working girls out of his club when he found out they were soliciting customers for a trip to their “luxury Van” parked on the street.......The floating Craps game that attracted several well known former athletes to a Jupiter hotel suite, one of them allegedly lost $90,000 in 3 hours........The Mexican drug dealer who has set up “retirement” in the PGA area, he's dropping $15,000 at clubs every weekend and has attracted the top party girls in town who talk of “2-foot high piles of coke” and “endless Dom Perignon' at his house parties that last until noon.
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
The best way to make money is the old fashioned way - inherit it. Here's the women who have done it the best. Christy Walton married John Walton, the son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. John Walton died when the cheap airplane he built himself from a kit crashed in 2005. Christy inherited so much stock the dividends alone pay her $220 million every 6 months. She lives in Jackson, Wyoming. Alice Walton is Sam Walton's daughter. She's worth $23 Billion but that hasn't been enough for her to hire a driver or take a cab. She's been busted for DUI in 2011 & 1998 and was involved in a still mysterious fatal accident in 1989 that killed another person yet resulted in no charges at all being filed against her. Alice lives in the Fort Worth area. Jacqueline Mars is the 3rd generation of Mars family members to inherit from the candy company founded by Frank Mars in 1911. She's worth $17 Billion and lives in a massive estate in Plains, Virginia. Anne Cox Chambers, worth $13 billion is the daughter of James Cox, the founder of media giant Cox Enterprises. She was born in 1919. Her father bought a local newspaper in 1898 and built it into 17 major daily newspapers, 15 TV stations and 86 radio stations. Now comes the Gal who has used her born rich credentials to manage more money for the wealthy than any other woman on the planet. Abigail Johnson now runs her fathers firm, Fidelity Investments. Her grandfather founded the firm 66 years ago. The Johnson's are known as the original of the wealthy “Boston Brahmins” and trace their history directly back to Thomas Perkins, one of the first great Bostonians. Perkins made his fortune trading slaves from Haiti, furs from America to China and smuggling opium from Turkey into China. When he was 12 years old Perkins was in the crowd that heard the first Boston reading of the American Declaration of Independence. Today Abigail Johnson manages $1.6 Trillion of investors cash and is worth $11 Billion herself.
Former SPB Mayor Marty Millar busted again......In his most recent act of stupidity Millar was allegedly going 80 in a 45 while heading west on Forest Hill Blvd. at 10pm. When pulled over Millar claimed he had taken several anti-anxiety medications and that he didn't drink any alcohol because he “was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.” Police smelled alcohol on Millar's breath and he refused to take a sobriety test. Then he said he was “the mayor and a police officer and a firefighter” - none of which are true. He started wrestling with the cops after they tried to handcuff him. Once he was in the back of the police car he jumped around inside and banged his head against the cage, cutting his lip, which resulted in him being taken out of the police car and into an ambulance which then took him to a medical center. Once he arrived there the fun started. Millar refused to provide blood samples and instead smeared blood from his cut lip on the walls and the medical equipment then demanded he go to a bathroom where he urinated on the floor, toilet and wall. This latest incident follows years of stupidity, from hassling dancers at Rachael's Strip Club while Mayor of South Palm Beach to the point of getting physically thrown out the front door, getting arrested at a PGA bar for attacking a guy with his flashlight, getting caught on video tape stealing Orchids outside of Trillion on Worth Avenue and showing up at various bars looking completely wasted. This guy is in his late 60's! Party on dude.
How to fight bill collectors........ New case law is hitting the books in states that stops bill collectors in their tracks. One case is Richard Leza who was contacted by debt collector Enhanced Recovery Company last summer with claims that he owed $374.40 to the phone company Verizon. Leza said “no I don't and prove that I do.” Enhanced Recovery hung up and a few months later Midland Credit Management - “ MCM” bought the debt and called saying he still owed the same $374.40 to Verizon. Leza told MCM to prove he owed the money, they said it was up to him to contact Verizon since they had the billing statements. MCM also claimed it was Leza's responsibility to prove he didn't owe the debt and MCM would continue to report to the credit agencies. Then the courts ran into a law already on the books - Section 809 of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act - which says when a consumer disputes a debt, “the debt collector shall cease collection of the debt, or any disputed portion thereof, until the debt collector obtains verification of the debt.” This line in that Bill places responsibility on the Debt Collector to prove that the debt is legitimate. Insiders know that virtually none of the Debt Collecting companies have any hard information to back up any of the debts they're trying to collect. Leza is still fighting with MCM after their credit reporting stopped him from getting a loan when his credit report came back with “debt collection activity.”
Flat Tax blues......Remember Presidential candidate Steve Forbes flat tax idea? Eliminate or lower personal income tax and put a 15% tax on every item sold in America. Brazil went to that sort of tax system and called it a “consumption tax.” Today a large cheese pizza is priced at $30. The travel craze in Brazil now are buying trips to Miami to purchase everyday items including products like Pamper Wipes, which are 70% cheaper in Miami than in Brazil. A $100 trip to the grocery store in Brazil will cost you $25 in taxes. Flight attendants have gotten in the action smuggling smartphones, tablet computers and other electronic goods into Brazil to sell to airport workers for the massive black market for non-taxed goods created by the consumer tax.
Fortune Teller busted........A woman who calls herself “Peaches T. Miller” and “Shanna Young” and appears to look very similar to a girl who worked in a Psychic shop in downtown WPB for a few years has been arrested in Pompano Beach for hustling a California woman out of $838,000 over nine years. She told the woman her family was being taken over by evil spirits due to black magic being performed against her and the only way to “counteract the evil” was to give her money to buy gold and silver. The California woman claims Young promised her the money would all be returned but after nine years it never was so she filed charges. And the beat goes on.
Marijuana Mom's......There's a new club for Mom's in America recently founded in Beverly Hills. It's called the Marijuana Mom's Club. They gather once a week for a “Pot-Luck” dinner featuring pot infused foods like chicken & fettuccine with garlic bread, brownies, cookies and pizza. Founder Cheryl Shuman calls herself the “Martha Stewart of Marijuana” and says their goal isn't to get completely stoned, but rather to take the edge off. She says “Cannabis not only made me a better mom. Cannabis made me a better human being.” She said pot is replacing Prozac type pill drugs and therapists in California are recommending it to their clients.
CIA World Fact Book...........The CIA says this about America in their World Fact Book- “The United States has made striking economic and technological progress over the past half century without gains in the self-reported happiness of the citizenry. Instead, uncertainties and anxieties are high, social and economic inequalities have widened considerably, social trust is in decline, and confidence in government is at an all-time low.” We rank 51st in life expectancy at birth, 14th in life satisfaction (Canada was 8th) and have imprisoned more of our citizens than any other nation. According to our CIA - those are the facts.
Charlotte Black Gay Parade.........North Carolina hosted the Charlotte Black Gay Pride Parade in July. Charlotte Black Gay Pride Chair William Singleton said “It is a movement to celebrate who you are, not only in your sexuality, but also celebrate our ethnicity.” Charlotte celebrated their first openly LGBT elected official City Council member LaWana Mayfield in the parade.
Hank gets hammered.......Land of the Presidents resident and 79-year old home run king Hank Aaron had his Atlanta home burglarized resulting in the loss of 2 BMW's and assorted jewelry. This had some Georgia bloggers railing about why an American hero would have 2 foreign cars in his garage.
He was a great one......It was March of 1962 when Cuban boxer Benny “The Kid” Paret stepped up to the weigh-in before his fight for the World Welterweight Championship against Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden. He turned to Griffith and called him a “Maricon” the Cuban term for faggot. Griffith was rumored to be gay at the time, later in life he would say he “loved women and men.” But on that day the insult enraged him and when the fight took place it would be Paret's last day saying anything to anyone. In one of the most famous historic pieces of boxing footage on tape Emile Griffith beat Paret to death when he trapped him in the corner and hit him 17 times in the face. Paret went into a coma and died 10 days later. After that fight ABC stopped televising boxing matches until the 1970's. Griffith was never the same fighter. He was the first fighter from the U.S. Virgin Islands to win a world title and was the headliner at Madison Square Garden boxing matches 23 times. In 1992 Griffith was beaten by a mob of anti-gay thugs as he left a NYC gay bar so severely he immediately began developing dementia. Emile Griffith retired from boxing in 1977 with a record of 85-24-2. No modern boxer would ever attempt to have 111 fights. He won the NY Golden Gloves in 1958 and 18 different times he held a Championship Belt. Emile Griffith died in his sleep on July 23 - he was a great one.
Have you heard about........The original “Porn Star” Seka the “Platinum princess of Porn” who appeared in more than 200 X-rated films in the 1970s and '80s has a autobiography coming out called “Inside Seka” which promises to dish dirt on many 70's politicians, actors and media types whom she bedded. Now 59-year old Seka first appeared in Swedish Erotica VHS films that flooded America during the VCR revolution that first allowed average Americans to view porn in their homes. She is far from Swedish, born Dorothea Patton in Montgomery County, Virginia and is now married and living in Kansas City........WPB attorney Dan Doorakian has been busted for his 4th DUI after being nailed driving with no lights on Military Trail. It's his 2nd DUI arrest this year and 4th since 2009. Doorakian is now wearing a Scram Bracelet monitor after getting out on $10,000 bail.......WPBF's Assistant News Director Steve Boyer was allegedly told he had 10 minutes to clean out his desk and escorted out of the studio last week after 10 years at the station. Boyer was allegedly repeatedly warned by station management about “hitting on applicants” after complaints supposedly came in from job seekers claiming Boyer had sex with them making vague promises of a job and one angry husband who claimed Boyer had a 4-month affair with his wife after she applied at WPBF. A very attractive girl who recently applied for a weather forecaster job was seen with Boyer a week after she applied having drinks at the Breakers. The next week Boyer was fired.
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Riviera Beach has had a reputation for corruption all the way back to the days of Police Chief William Boone Darden, who allegedly accepted $500 a week to allow a Gambino Crime Family gambling club called the “Beach Side Nightclub” to operate. That did not end well as the club, run by Singer Island Gambino Capo Joe “Joe Doggs” Iannuzzi, was wired by the FBI with cameras and over 12 Gambino gangsters went to jail. Ianuzzi turned out to be a rat who set up the club with the FBI and sold out the gangsters for revenge after his boss Tommy Agro beat him up in the kitchen of what is now Max & Eddie's Restaurant on Singer Island. Here's the latest rumors circulating around town. You may have seen a small article in the PB Post that quickly disappeared off their internet site about a Port of Palm Beach Board Commissioners meeting in which there was an uproar about Riviera Beach demanding $200,000 in permit fees from a contractor doing a $26 million job funded by the Florida Department of Transportation. Commissioners agreed to pay the fee so the project can proceed and 2 of them proposed a lawsuit against Riviera Beach. (Add that one to the list) Shortly after the meeting employees from the contractor started talking. They claim the contractor was allegedly approached two months before the Port Commissioners meeting by a sitting Riviera Beach Councilman who said they could make sure “$200,000 in permit fees go away” if he was given a “$50,000 payment in $20 bills” by a certain date. When the contractor objected the Councilman said “That's the way business is done in Riviera, you're getting a $26 million job, what's your problem?” The contractor, according to a witness standing nearby, allegedly said “I don't pay bribes, if you enact the permit fees I'll sue.” Weeks later Riviera announced it was demanding the permit fees, citing a 2005 law and claiming they “must charge the fees.” Funny thing is they have not consistently charged permit fees at the port for years. Port Commissioner Jean L. Enright said Riviera Beach officials are “basically robbing the state of Florida.” The rumor is the contractor has provided a sworn deposition that is now being passed around multiple Federal & State law enforcement agencies and that every Riviera Beach Council person and certain Riviera City Officials are in the process of having their phones, homes, offices and cars bugged by the FBI and they are being followed and a list of their closest associates is being developed in an attempt to target someone to spill the beans. Then there is the road construction happening now on Broadway/US-1. The contractor doing that job was allegedly told by Riviera Beach officials he could use a city owned lot near the Port overpass for his employees to park and to store equipment. Six weeks after using it and once it was full of tractors and heavy cement piping a sitting Riviera Beach Councilman allegedly showed up and asked “for a moment of his time.” The Councilman allegedly told him it would only “be fair to provide a small payment on the side for using the lot, somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, you decide on a number.” The councilman said he would return the following Friday for the payment. The contractor decided paying a bribe to use the lot was not a good move and rented another lot further north on Broadway and moved all his equipment. The Feds were allegedly talking to him at press time. And the beat goes on.
Crystal strikes again.........Men cruising bars & the internet for females in town should be aware of a hustler who goes by the name “Crystal” although she may have stopped using it by now. She's a dark haired very good looking gal in her early 30's who trolls the internet dating sites and upscale bars to find men who are very rich. Once she gets access to their homes and cases them she drugs the guys and cleans them out. Locals think she lives in Palm Beach Gardens but has just started to go after guys in the Boca/Ft. Lauderdale area and if it's an internet date she meets them at YOLO Restaurant in Pompano. The last guy got clocked for his platinum Rolex, $6,000 in cash and other jewels worth over $100,000. Cops think there are many more victims who have not come forward and that Crystal has been working the Palm Beach Island & PGA bars and meeting her internet victims at Too Jays in Palm Beach for the last 2 years but stopped after undercover cops got close to her.
250 Local Cops on Steroids list......An informant is claiming the FBI & DEA are in the middle of an investigation of a doctor in Palm Beach County who has been handing out prescriptions for steroids to 50 officers in the WPB Police Department and 200 in the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department. A list has been obtained and a WPB Officer with a last name beginning with “M” has allegedly starting informing on his fellow officers after being caught. Stay tuned.
The Bleacher finally gets caught.........The U.S. Secret Service has been after Elton Paige for years. Known as “The Bleacher” Paige perfected a process of bleaching $5 bills to remove the ink and re-printing them as $100 bills. Paige rolled thru Rachael's Strip Club 2 years ago using the name “Johnny J” and then never came back after spending over $30,000 in a weekend. He spent the cash at strip clubs, Target and Flea Markets usually buying things that result in him getting $70 - $80 in change. He was well known in Orlando at the former Circus Circus Strip Club for showing up, asking to get $10's for a fist full of $100's, then as soon as he sat down and started spending his cell phone would ring and he'd claim he had an emergency and leave. The bills went so far down the financial chain before being discovered as fakes it took Agents over a year to figure out the starting point for them. Paige was busted after a stripper in Orlando went to her manager and said the $100 she just got smelled like bleach. Agents claim Paige passed the bleached bills from Atlanta to Miami. He's sitting in Orange County Jail awaiting a court date.
Florida ranks 47th.........among 50 states in the number of people who can't afford access to health care. There are 3.8 million people in Florida at this moment without health care. The Republican controlled House, Senate and the Governor decided our state will reject $51 Billion in federal funds over the next 10 years meant to help the poorest among us see a doctor. These same lawmakers that refused to take the Federal money to help also did nothing else to solve the problem. They go home with no personal worries, we pay for their health insurance. Senate & House lawmakers voted themselves a taxpayer-subsidized health insurance plan that lets them pay $8.34 a month for individual coverage or $30 a month for a family plan. Imagine if the poor could get health insurance for $8.34 a month. How do you refuse Federal money to fix a problem of your own constituents then refuse to spend one dime to fix the problem yourself? Then you leave Tallahassee and say “There's nothing we can do the session is over for 2013” while you and your family enjoy the best and cheapest health care in the state, paid for by your constituents.
He had a great idea........He was 50 years old when he finally acted on an idea he had thought about for 10 years. It was 1982 when Dave Gold opened what some people said was a joke. When he was done he had 300 stores and sold the company in 2011 to equity firm Ares Management and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for $1.6 billion. He explained his idea this way - He was stuck behind the counter of his Dad's Liquor store for most of his childhood, then owned and ran it and realized "Whenever I'd put wine or cheese on sale for $1.02 or 98 cents, it never sold out, when I put a 99 cent sign on anything, it was gone in no time. I realized it was a magic number. I thought, wouldn't it be fun to have a store where everything was good quality and everything was 99 cents?” So he changed the whole store from Liquor to “Everything is 99 Cents.” And the 99 Cent Store was born on a street in L.A. when Dave Gold lived his dream by acting on a great idea. He died in April at age 80.
Topanga Canyon's Sandstone Retreat.....is a famous name to those who know about the 60's & 70's. The founder of this 15 acre hilltop site near L.A. on the Pacific where 500 people would gather on weekends to swap spouses, engage in group sex & walk around nude was John Williamson, who with his wife in 1968 bought a cluster of rundown buildings overlooking the Pacific Ocean and turned it into the Sandstone Foundation For Community Systems Research. Williamson was known as the “Messiah of Sex” and stayed with his wife for 47 years from the day he met her, they each had many other sex partners themselves and said it never put a strain on their relationship. He died in March at 80 with wife Barbara at his side.
Hef's a Playboy still playing.........Playboy Enterprises was on the brink of a loan default last month but was able to make a $185 million loan payment. The overall corporate credit rating was bumped up to B- from CCC+, removing it from the junk bond rating. Its soft-core TV network Spice was sold to Internet porn giant Manwin. Scott Flanders replaced Hef's daughter Christie as CEO in 2009 and is struggling to keep it afloat. Its once mighty magazine is a shadow of its former self, losing about $6 million a year. The future is in licensing the image of Playboy, which will last until the end of time. At last check 87-year old Hef was still hanging around his mansion with 25-year old blonds at his beck & call.
Have you heard about..........The Tampa restaurant Taco Fusion selling Lion Meat Tacos for $35. A pound of Lion meat costs $225 from the U.S.-based exotic meat distributor Exotic Meat Market. Taco Fusion manager Bayardo Alvarez said “Our normal lunches were $400 to $500, with the Lion Tacos we're doing over $1,400” - diners say the meat tastes better than Filet Mignon ..........95-year old Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian who once owned the Vegas casino hotel MGM is allegedly on his deathbed and being imprisoned by his handlers in Las Vegas who refuse to let anyone see him in person, ala Howard Hughes. His ex-wife Lisa Bonder Kerkorian has been denied access to him for the last year and is screaming to everyone that his fortune is being drained away during the last days of his life, she currently gets $100,000 a month to care for her daughter, who Kerkorian thought was his but DNA testing revealed the father was billionaire Steve Bing........There were 77 heroin-related deaths from July 2011 to June 2012 in Florida, in the first three months of 2013, 948 people were busted for heroin. Bikers have been setting up distribution from Daytona to Naples and the snortable nearly pure heroin is starting to show up at nightclubs here in town.
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
If you're in the Las Vegas black book, it means you are not permitted to enter any casino in Nevada. You are nominated for it, you attend a public hearing to fight it, then you can be put on the list and then you can be removed from the list. 16 people have had their names taken off the list. Some people like Herbie Blitzstein in 1996 get killed after being nominated in a gangland-style execution before hearings are conducted. Here's the list and the year they went on it - 7 of them are current Palm Beach County residents - see if you know any.
Seniors outraged at Scott & Republicans for closing arcades.........Gov Scott said “The House and the Senate did the right thing to crack down on illegal gaming.” So in a state that runs a numbers racket (lottery) horse & dog racing, Jai-Alai, poker, Indian casinos and allows slot machines the penny arcades are “illegal gaming” according to Republicans. Seniors do not agree and many of them who have been lifetime Republicans are saying they will never vote Republican in this state again. At least 5,000 people lost their jobs 2 weeks ago when Scott signed the ban. Tallahassee insiders say the ban was engineered by the Rooney family and lobbyist from the Seminole Indian casinos who wanted to eliminate what they saw as competition. They threw money at Scott's re-election campaign and into numerous Republican state legislators pockets, demanding the ban take effect immediately. What makes this entire thing unreal is these same lawmakers spent the Saturday & Sunday after passing this bill gambling on a golf course in Tallahassee, wagering thousands.
Marlins Stadium rip off......Taxpayers will pay $2 Billion over the next 40 years for the new stadium the Miami Marlins just built. Today there are “5,000 or less” season ticket holders according to the team. The Marlins are the only team in the league to use Groupon to sell seats. Documents once kept secret have showed the Marlins had a $33 million net profit in the two years prior to Dade County and Miami Commissioners agreeing to fund the new stadium that owner Jeffrey Loria said was the only way the Marlins could afford to stay in South Florida - pure blackmail. Anyone who watches the Marlin games on TV will get glimpses of the thousands of empty seats, many games have had less than 1,000 people actually there. Loria has made out well, a valuation by Forbes estimated the Marlins to be worth $520 million, Loria paid $158 million for the team in 2002.
Palm Beacher has Wendy's pay for his security.....Palm Beach resident Nelson Peltz billed Wendy's hamburger chain $657,514 for his “personal security” last year. That's over $54,000 a month for security guards. Peltz is the “non-executive” Chairman of Wendy's owning 25% of Wendy's stock. He has paid himself $1.7 million over the last 3 years for his security and that does not include any of his other compensation. He took over the company in a corporate raid 10 years ago and lives today in an ocean front Palm Beach home realtors say is worth $70 million. Dave Thomas must be turning over in his grave.
Angie the great........Another book by a famous singer from the 60's & 70's claims the woman most liked by the Rat Pack and their many circulating stars was Angie Dickinson. Paul Anka claims there was lots of sex but “no orgies or gangbangs, Frank wasn't into that” and whenever the question came up of what gal was the best in bed in Hollywood all of them from Dean Martin, Sinatra, Peter Lawford, JFK and Tom Jones said Angie Dickinson. Anka's book also claims Johnny Carson was a bad drunk and craved attention from Sinatra to the point of coming to NYC and eating at Jilly's every night hoping he‘d see him and that the FBI bugged every home, hotel room & car Sinatra had.
Do you know the way to bankruptcy.....Superstar singer Diane Warwick is singing a tune called bankruptcy in New Jersey claiming $25,000 in assets and over $10 million in debts. The woman whose hits include Walk On By, Say A Little Prayer & Do You Know the Way to San Jose says she's left with $10 after covering her monthly living expenses of $20,940. Her average monthly income is $20,950. The IRS went rummaging thru her belongings seeking a $10.2 million tax claim and found all she had was $1,000 cash, assorted pieces of decades-old furniture, some clothes, artwork and paintings, two fur coats and two pairs of diamond earrings. Then there's former Supermodel Janice Dickinson - she filed bankruptcy admitting she owes thousands to botox & plastic surgeons, over $8,000 to a Beverly Hills Anti-Aging Center and over $500,000 in unpaid taxes to NY State, California and the IRS.
He was a great one........He started working his way out of poverty in a Montreal slum during the 1940's at 12 years old, delivering groceries until his teens when he got a job as a cook. He was afraid of some local thugs and convinced he had to get big arms to look tough. So he made a barbell out of 3 pieces of scrap metal. By age 17 he was so proud of his body he saved enough to print a newsletter on a mimeograph machine called “Your Physique.” He got a magazine company to try putting it on newsstands and it sold out in days. In 1946 he created the first Mr. Canada Bodybuilding Contest and during the contest signed up some other body builders and founded the International Federation of Body Builders. In 1965 he created the first Mr. Olympia Contest. Along the way he created a muscle magazine empire that fed the health craze frenzy of the 1980's including 16 magazines with a combined circulation of 4 million copies every month, which in 2003 he sold to American Media Inc. for $357 million. He created a movie star and a TV star from two bodybuilders named Arnold Swarzenegger & Lou Ferrigno who both called him a father figure and the person most responsible for their success. His favorite saying was “Be Somebody with a Body.” Joseph “Joe” Weider died at 93 on March 23rd, he was a great one.
How rich is Dubai?.....The Arab nation just showed off their new police car - a $450,000 Lamborghini. They claim they had to have it to chase all the oil rich “boy racers” who speed thru the streets in their custom supercars.1 in 7 fines for speeding are for drivers going over 130mph.
Have you heard about..........The “most despised woman in Palm Beach” Elizabeth Fago Smith being named to the FAU Board of Trustees by Gov Rick Scott, thanks to her donations to his re-election campaign. Fago is based in PB Gardens and was married to Keith Pinder, a convicted drug cartel smuggler. When Palm Beach A-listers walk into a room and see her, they walk out, then send a note to the host to not invite them again if Fago will be there. Fago has been a defendant in dozens of lawsuits brought against her by local merchants, doctors, lawyers, business partners & employees.......Bon Jovi throwing guitarist Richie Sambora off their current tour for his hard partying ways, “He drinks constantly and has a stream of Hollywood bimbos around all the time,” insiders say Jon's wife Dorothea hates Sambora and wants the entire band to be free of booze & drugs during the tour. Sambora was replaced by “Phil X” Xenidis.......The first Florida High School in history to have the #1 ranked basketball team in the nation is Montverde Academy, they beat Newark, NJ in the National High School Invitational and were named #1 by ESPN & USA Today......Top 40 Radio king Casey Kasem has put his Holmby Hills home for $42 million on the market, he paid $6.8 million for it in 1989 and locals in Beverly Hills say the interior would make Liberace blush, the marble bath has a shower with a stone cherub statue inside it.
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Thor Hanson's life would be more interesting than any episode of Sons of Anarchy. Now 68, he quietly returned to South Florida to be locked up last month, hoping to serve his time and be free to roam again in Florida. He was the leader of notorious chapters of the Outlaws Motorcycle gang in South Florida and lived in Lighthouse Point, where he was a major pot & coke dealer. He kept seven (7) “old ladies” for himself until Ritchey Creek Farrel, an heir to the Maxwell House Coffee fortune, fell in love with him and gave birth to his child. So he asked 3 of them to leave his home and kept just 4. He allegedly used her money to train a group of Haitian refugees in Lantana to overthrow the Haitian government and take over the country. He called it the Haitian National Liberation Army and did training drills using broomsticks in a field on Western Way Road in Lantana. After getting busted he claimed he was a CIA Agent and said the effort was sponsored by the US Government. He owned motorcycle mechanic shops in Pompano & Daytona that were fronts for large scale drug smuggling. After being arrested in the 1980's he got bail then fled to Europe where he started Outlaws Chapters and biker wars across 8 nations. He then wrote a novel called “Outlaw Biker” and recorded a country music song called “Wanted Man.” He was convicted for jumping bail and drug smuggling. Still an imposing 6-foot-4 covered with tattoos he stood before U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas asking for bail so he could visit his children. Bail was denied and his case will go to trial.
Destruction of Citizens Insurance by Rick Scott continues........ If you read this column you know I've been telling you about Florida Governor Rick Scott's attempt to steal every dime of the $5 billion reserve that he can and raise insurance rates on every Florida property owner. After Floridians became outraged by Rick Scott's “Re-inspection program” that increased rates by $180 million and resulted in Citizens executives pocketing $132 million and paying out $48 million to inspection companies run by Scott's friends, he announced that Citizens would review the re-inspections to resolve complaints about overcharging. The results are in - Citizens executives, appointed by Rick Scott, claim they reviewed 225,000 reports and denied 90,000 of them, in spite of the fact that those 90,000 all had reductions recommended by the on-site inspector. In some cases, premiums for those who lost those discounts have doubled. Insurance insiders are saying Rick Scott is insisting on coverage standards well above those of private insurers for Citizens and is “hell-bent on putting Citizens out of business before his term ends and handing over the $5 billion in reserves to companies run by his friends.”
Shrinkage effect in Palm Beach Shores........ Allegedly a fellow named Adam Brown was taking a skinny dip in the pool at the El Coqui apartment complex in PB Shores at 2:30am a few weeks ago and a female started talking trash about the size of his package and laughing from her balcony. It went on for what seemed like an hour until Brown got out and walked nude to his apartment, grabbed his rifle and knocked on her door. When she opened it he said “How do you like the size of this?” and pointed it at her. She called the cops. He stood around nude with the gun until the cops came. They told him to put down the gun, he didn't, they shot him. He's at St. Mary's and expected to live to face charges. Allegedly there are photos being passed around now of his not so massive manhood.
Palm Beach Wild Child Brooke Mueller into Rehab for the 19th time...... During the last month former Palm Beach party girl turned ex-wife of Charlie Sheen Apsen/Hollywood Harlot has checked in & out of rehab for the 19th time in her 35 year old life, given up custody of her kids to her arch enemy & other ex-wife of Sheen, Denise Richards, then had DCFS investigators search her entire home after finding her unresponsive, she claimed she took way too much Adderall, then refusing to let Denise take the kids to the “Anger Management” Kiddies Christmas party, then days later sending her Mom, Palm Beacher Moira Fiore to demand at Denise's doorstep that she give the twins to her. Denise sent the kids away with Grandma and the Beat goes On.
Want your child to be a model?..... 2 years ago I told you about a scam coming to Palm Beach & Broward County Malls from New Jersey. Well dressed people walk up to strangers with children at the Mall and claim their child “has the look” Hollywood is desperate for. They give you a card and say stop by the office as soon as you can. The company is called InterFace and promises stardom. Then you're told you need to sign a membership contract which will cost $2,400 a year, but don't worry, you can make payments. Then you pay for photos with their exclusive agency costing anywhere from $595 to $1,895, depending on how stupid & gullible you are. Wellington Mall is said to be their favorite hunting ground. Many parents didn't read this column and got ripped off. Now they are suing. 220 parents from South Florida have filed a class action suit seeking $170,000 in damages.
Charity executives raking it in......... Blood Bank executives at South Florida's biggest blood bank have been treating themselves to $1,400 limousine rides and $1,000 meals at charity givers expense. Four executives who “retired” were given $812,000 in severance packages. A national chain company called OneBlood Inc. has taken over operations from Orlando to Key West and created a monopoly on the blood business. They have non-profit tax exempt status. Records show the annual salaries of executives - the CEO got $584,746, Medical Director Bruce Lenes got $357,194 and Human Resources Director Brian Freedman got $149,159. Salaries at the newly configured massive blood bank have grown by more than $4 million and filings show they will go up 35 percent for executives because of proposed pay and bonus plans. So this non-profit blood bank is creating millionaires.
We lost 4 great ones........ Two artists left us who did songs that defined generations. Ronald Bertram Aloysius Greaves was born on an Air Force base but racism and the inability to eat in restaurants or get a hotel room on the road drove him to England in 1963 and he called himself Sonny Childe & the TNT's. He returned to Alabama in 1969 and recorded a song he wrote and arranged. It sold a million copies. It defined the sex free 60's and bosses who slept with their secretaries - “Take a Letter Maria” was #2 on Billboard charts, you know him as R.B. Greaves, he was 68........This song was one of the most famous of all the great Doo Wop songs of the 1950's - it was featured in the film Back to the Future, it was the slow dance song of the century and the hypnotizing lyrics still stop people in their tracks across the world today - “Earth Angel” was the B-side of a 45 in 1954 that was supposed to drive the A-side “Hey Senorita” single up the charts. DJ's ignored the A-side and drove Earth Angel to #1 on the charts. The group was called the Penguins, but Cleve Duncan's vocals became timeless forever. He kept singing it for 40 years until he died last month at 77.........Even if you never liked Jazz music you know this name. He composed the 1st Jazz record that sold 1 million copies. He was the first to lead integrated bands throughout the South in the 1950s. He is one of only 2 Jazz artist to have their picture on the cover of Time Magazine. His melodic composition “Take Five” is the classic song of his genre. Dave Brubeck was 91.........One of this actors most famous lines truly defined the Me Generation of the 1980's. Spoken to one of his many sexual conquests in an arrogant tone - “Honey, its the chase, not the capture, once I have something I don't want it anymore.” He got his start on The Edge of Night soap opera. He was an admitted lifelong pot smoker & heavy drinker, but hated cigarettes and carried a battery powered fan that he used to blow 2nd-hand smoke back into people faces at parties. It was 1967 when rock musician David Crosby turned him on to LSD, which he said took away his fear of death and later Jack Nicholson introduced him to marijuana because Nicholson thought he was drinking too much. During the height of his popularity he loved to walk thru restaurants handing out very real looking fake $100 bills with his face on them. His show was in the top 10 ratings in 57 countries during it's heyday. Reruns of “I Dream of Jeannie” are shown today in over 100 nations. Larry Martin Hagman, aka “JR Ewing” was born in Fort Worth in 1931, he died at age 81 in Dallas from throat cancer. He shot 6 more episodes of Dallas that will air in January 2013. As the Gambler Kenny Rogers said, “You're not dead until you're forgotten” - these 4 great ones will never be forgotten.
Have you heard about......... Michael Jordan has moved into his new $12 million Jupiter Bears Club home and has been carousing the bars on PGA......Melrose Place TV star Amy Locane has been convicted of vehicular homicide and is sitting in jail, she played Sandy Harling in the 1st season........The son of famed 1970's sex researchers Master & Johnson, William “Howie” Masters III, 60 years old, pleaded guilty to masturbating in front of people in New York's Central Park. He was a producer on Good Morning America, he was convicted of public lewdness. This is the 2nd time he's been caught doing this, in Michigan he got arrested for masturbating in front of 2 female kayakers near his family home....The 70-something year old local heiress to an oil fortune who was caught on video pleasuring a gentleman outside a well known PB Island restaurant in a courtyard - word to the wise, all the dark Via's where you think your alone have cameras, either from shops or apartments or the PB Police Department......The restaurant owner who lost $110,000 on football last weekend and is scouring the town looking for new investors in his place to cover the debt........The escort service that has set up shop for the season in a waterfront condo in WPB, housing 8 -10 girls in a 2-bedroom and is send their mostly Russian talent that can barely speak English into bars all over the Island, the one phrase they know well is “two-hundred-fifty.”
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Alexis “Lexy” Lace was a high school Cheerleader with over 150 friends on her Facebook page. She grew up in Jackson, New Jersey and was born with good looks, developed a friendly personality and was an example of an All-American girl. Then her mother unknowingly made the fatal mistake of moving to a trailer park in Riviera Beach on Broadway when she graduated high school about 6 years ago. At 18 years old, away from her high school friends and with few job prospects she gravitated to the local girls a few years older than her who lived and hung out in the trailer park. They smoked crack cocaine and walked Broadway, getting into cars with strangers and having quick sex for $20-$60, whatever they could negotiate. At that time there were 15-20 girls on Broadway at any given time, a motel on Broadway rented rooms for $30 a day, it was a constant party. Customers cruised Broadway looking for both sex & girls that could get them crack. Over the 5 year time frame after she arrived in Riviera Beach Alexis bore 3 children from fathers who walked away. True love was hard to find for Lexy. Her mother stepped in to care for the kids. Then one day she tried a “Roxy” (oxycodone) that someone gave her. Soon she was crushing up them up and shooting them into her veins for the fierce buzz and euphoria. By 2011 the party on Broadway was ending. Riviera Beach police cracked down on prostitution and Alexis found herself in & out of the Gun Club Jail. Her “friends” the other girls who lived the life drifted away. Then in 2012 she finally went to court ordered rehab for 3 months. She came out clean but within weeks was seen walking late at night on Broadway with sores covering her arms from shooting up. On December 16, 2012 she lived her last day on Earth at the Southern Court Trailer Park. At about 2AM that morning she was walking on Broadway and came upon Paul Farina, a 20-year old kid out looking for oral sex. They went back to his rental apartment in Lake Park. The word is she gave him oral sex, but instead of the $30 she was promised he offered $15. Allegedly Alexis went into a panic, the pill she needed cost $25 and she started making a scene. Farina claims Alexis grabbed a knife on the kitchen table and attacked him. People who know Alexis say there's no way she would do that, her move would be to scream and yell to scare the Date into paying her to shut her up and get her out of his house. A downstairs neighbor heard a girl yelling and started up the stairs to investigate. He heard her scream “Why are you doing this to me, I have 3 kids.” Then it went silent. When he got to the window he saw Paul Farina dragging Alexis by her feet, her head was a pool of flowing blood. He called 911. When police arrived they found Alexis dead, her neck had been sliced to the spine, “almost decapitated” according to the police report. After first making up a story about an intruder, Paul Farina admitted he sliced her throat, but claimed it was a struggle and stuck with his story about her attacking him. Alexis Lace is no more than 5 foot 3 inches tall. Locals think he first grabbed her by the throat to make her stop screaming, then threatened her with a knife, then cut her throat to warn her, then sliced her neck. He then cut his own hand to create his story in a panic. Now Paul Farina sits in jail charged with 2nd degree murder. Alexis “Lexy” Lace is dead. Her 3 children will grow up without a mother or father, they are being raised by Alexis's mom in Stuart. A need for $10 to get a Roxy cost a Cheerleader her life. One can only imagine her thoughts as she watched the blood drain out of her neck on that floor. This tragedy was ignored by the PB Post, just as they have ignored the massive problem with prescription drugs being sold on the black market in our area. A local TV news station ran the story the day after it happened. Since then it has been forgotten but those who knew her will never forget Lexy. There is blame to go around, obviously she made her own choices. But American pharmaceutical companies have dumped billions of these pills onto our streets and pocketed massive profits with no responsibility for what they do to people. Paul Farina killed Alexis Lace. But Roxy's and a Broadway trailer park lifestyle led Lexy to her death.
The dynamic trio of Jordon, Woods & Rashad.......... Tales are being told by local girls about the threesome of NBA legend Michael Jordon, golfer Tiger Woods and former NFL player Ahmad Rashad cutting a wide swath thru the PGA & Jupiter area, along with spending thousands at Rachel's Strip Club. The three allegedly play golf 6-7 days a week with early tee times and then by 2pm are partying up a storm with lots of female companionship. So much so that Rashad's marriage to the ex-wife of NY Jets owner and Johnson & Johnson heir Woody Johnson is reportedly on the rocks. The joke for the last 10 years around high society circles about Woody's ex Sale Johnson was “Sale went black and never went back.” (Rashad is black) Allegedly after having sex once with Ahmad Rashad Sale demanded a divorce from Johnson, getting a $100 million settlement and moving in with Rashad, who then started leading a life of endless luxury and golf. They married in 2007 and moved to the Bear's Club in Jupiter, where Johnson bought a $5 million house. Rashad has a $350K home in Frenchmen's Creek. But for the last 6 months since Jordon came to town its been play golf with now single Tiger and then go chase skirts & g-strings around town. Sale is sick of it and allegedly threw Rashad out a few weeks ago. The three continue to party on - look for them any early afternoon at Rachel's.
Riviera Beach Councilman Shelby Lowe calls Fire Chief a “Nigger”....... A parking lot standoff resulted in a confrontation for the ages at the 1st Riviera Beach Council meeting in 2013. Council Member Shelby Lowe, according to an email sent by Retired Fire Chief Richard Wester, came up to Wester in the parking lot after the heated meeting about spending $15 million of residents cash on a new building and yelled “Niggers like you are the reason why we don't have nothing in this city now, just a bunch of nigger bulls#t!” Wester claims Mayor Bishop Masters & a resident were standing next to him and heard Lowe make the statement. Along with sending Lowe an email detailing the incident and making it available to the press, Wester said “I'm 67 years old, I grew up in this town when it was all white people. Nobody's going to call me that!”
The Benihana Japanese restaurant saga........ When Benihana founder Rocky Aoki died in 2008 he left behind an estate that is still being fought over. Aoki was forced to set up trusts in 1998 to remove himself from the company after being convicted of insider trading. When he died the trust went to his widow and 3rd wife, Keiko, who was intensely disliked by his children. A judge has now ruled the entire trust belongs to Keiko and it is up to her to decide where the money goes when she dies. She is under no obligation to leave the children a dime. They have waged a bitter battle with her in court since the day Rocky died, including producing two documents that Rocky signed in 2002 giving them control of the trust should he die. The judge decided the documents don't matter. Revenue's from the chain went into the trust since it was created. The trust allegedly had over $35 million in it prior to a private equity firm buying Benihana last August, insiders estimate it's close to $60 million now. Keiko is receiving an estimated $250,000 a month right now, the children are getting zero.
Another Charity rip off....... Hospice is an important part of everyone's life, its the room many end up in when they take their last breath. 99 percent of Hospice of Palm Beach County patients are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, self-pay or third parties and charity. Hospice CEO David Fielding cited “an absence of reimbursement for bereavement and massage therapy” among the reasons for firing 30 people recently. The people he fired are those who sit face to face with people who die everyday. Talk about a tough job. While firing front line workers Fielding gave himself a 16% raise to $540,000 a year. That's $10,480 a week for himself. He runs a place 99% paid for by tax dollars and charity. Then he gave pay raises to the people at the top with him, they were paid $306,000 a year which included a $16,000 raise for last year. There are two foundations that raise millions of dollars in donations to help Hospice of Palm Beach County operate. But the numbers show more than enough revenue from federal taxpayers to cover expenses, including patients who can‘t pay, without any donations at all. The CEO running Hospice should be asked by anyone writing a check to them “Why are you worth $540,000 a year?”
Monkey see, monkey do...... Ever wonder what a chimpanzee would watch if you gave her the remote control to your TV? In Spain at the Seville Zoo they gave a female chimp the remote and she chose to spend 100% of her time watching porn. She mastered the remote quickly and then left the channel on the porn, when zoo keepers changed the channel she spent hours trying to find it and then hid the remote so no one could change the channel.
She was a great one..... Pauline Friedman was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1918. One day as a bored housewife she called the San Francisco Chronicle and said she could do better than the advice columnist they had. The Editor gave her a stack of back issues and told her to compose her own replies and he'd look at them. She got the job, it paid $20 a week. Today her column appears in 1,400 newspapers with a readership in print & online of more than 100 million. You know her as Dear Abby. She died at 94 on January 16th. Dear Abby was a great one.
Have you heard about...... Richest man in the world (allegedly) Bill Gates is in Wellington, living in Mallet Hill in a rental mansion.......WPB lawyer Dan Doorakian has been charged with his third DUI after driving the wrong way down Southern Blvd. at 2AM - his license had just been reinstated after a 3-year suspension.......The New England Patriarca crime family scion who has arrived in Palm Beach, starting a charity and attempting to gain entree into young society in Palm Beach........The WPB City Official who has a cocaine problem and has been threatened with being outed by a local lawyer......The Chicago Street Gang that has infiltrated a WPB nightclub and is operating a drug ring from the VIP room in it every weekend selling ounces of nearly pure cocaine........The PB billionaire who has a private detective agency scouring South Florida to look for an escort girl he's infatuated with, he's spending $3,000 a day trying to find her, newsflash pal, she's gone back to Brazil.
Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
There's a reason 56 cities and counties in this nation have banned Smart Meters from use in their areas - residents complained they cause sleepless nights, aggravate many existing health issues and intrude on your privacy. After last months article in this column my Publisher received numerous calls complaining about Smart Meters. This new meter may have been secretly installed in your home or condo without you knowing it. FPL tells me the meters send out radio signals “every 4 hours.” Some others say its more like every 15 minutes. The radio wave is powerful enough to go thru the concrete block walls of a condo, so it has no problem going thru your body and brain. One call came from a Singer Island resident who lives across the hall from the meter room, where 24 of them in one room mean signals going out every hour. Since the Smart Meters were installed they could not sleep, had constant headaches & nausea within 20 minutes of arriving home and had heavy dizziness when getting close to their own front door. Another called to say her health problems had been exasperating for the last 3 months and she did not know why until she read the article. She then checked with her condo manager and found the smart meters had been installed in the meter room next door to her unit 3 months ago. She estimated she had spent over $2,000 visiting numerous doctors trying to figure out what was wrong. She said the pattern was the same after she realized the cause - when she was away from her condo she started slowly feeling better, when she returned things got worse. Another resident who lives in a home called to say the Smart Meter installed on the wall behind his bedroom 3 months ago kept causing him to wake up every hour at night, and he had been a heavy sleeper his whole life. Unable to get a decent nights sleep for months he demanded FPL remove the meter. They did. The first night without the Smart Meter he slept 10 hours without waking up once. Then there was a stunning call from an FPL worker who had read the story. He said when he visits condos he can't stay in the meter room more than 5 minutes at a time or he starts vomiting and develops massive headaches. When he complained to his supervisor about it he was told to wear a head to toe metal/plastic outfit that reflects radio waves whenever entering a meter room. With so many people complaining you may wonder why has no other media covered this story. It's because FPL spends massive amounts of cash (our money) on advertising. One resident told me a story of calling the Palm Beach Post to complain about FPL. He was transferred to “the person who handles FPL stories.” After telling her what was happening she said she'd “look into it.” 10 minutes later his phone rang. It was an FPL public relations person wanting to fix his problem. Instead of investigation the Post just called their advertiser FPL and warned them, giving away the complainer's personal phone number. Local TV stations are the recipient of millions in FPL advertising each year, they won't risk that cash for this story. So you may only hear about this on the Internet and in this column. But beware - Smart Meters may be sending harmful radio waves thru your body right now. When you get cancer from them FPL won't give a damn.
Another PB Sun exclusive......... In another story covered locally only by the P.B Sun, the May article about the Rife Machine and Apricot Seeds (B-17) may have saved a man his testicle. I got a call from a fellow who was 14 days away from surgery his doctor said was “absolutely necessary to save his life.” The surgery would remove one of two testicles entirely. He started eating Apricot seeds, 8-10 every morning, for 13 days straight before going in for his surgery. He said the pain in his testicle went away on the 3rd day. When he arrived at 6AM for his surgery he demanded the doctor test him for cancer before cutting his testicle off. He waited until 1pm, when the doctor came in and said - “I can't find any trace of cancer in your testicle.” He told the doctor “I'll come back in two weeks and you can test me again” and left. As of press time he was still cancer free and eating one apricot seed a day to kill any cancer cells. Go online to the May issue on page 4 if you have not read this story, it may save your life, or your testicle.
Freedom of speech fading away......I recently watched two city council meetings - WPB and Riviera Beach. Both have armed police officers standing 3 feet away from residents speaking during public comment. At both meetings residents were cut off by council members who objected to what they were saying and they were led away by the police. Neither of them were cursing or yelling, just stating their opinion. Council Members seemed proud of themselves when the camera panned to them for throwing someone out of the meeting. Today's local politicians would not last 10 seconds in the 1960's. The policy of not letting residents speak their mind at their own local council meeting is something the Mayors of these two cities should be ashamed of. I've also gotten several calls and emails from people complaining about the censorship happening on the Palm Beach Post website. There is a comment section under articles online in daily newspapers that may be one of the last remaining areas of total free speech in America. The NY Post is notorious for their free-wheeling comments, some very intelligent, on their online edition. But here in WPB if you write something that an unidentified person at the Palm Beach Post finds upsetting it is taken down. I checked the site myself and found many comments erased with the claim the writer had “violated the visitor agreement.” Obviously if you use profanity you would expect your comment to come down. But those that contacted me claimed they only made comments that were either right or left wing in nature. One fellow said he was pointing out crimes taking place in his own neighborhood. Another said any mention of Haitians in a bad light resulted in the comments coming down immediately. Maybe the censors are Haitian. The Post should know they are not helping their website by allowing some person to be the final authority on what comments are allowed and which ones are not. Either let people comment openly and freely or don't. Americans are smart enough in this age to recognize a stupid ignorant comment when they see one.
Local corporate welfare.........In these times when politicians are railing about cutting off welfare & food stamps for our poorest citizens, they have no problem giving $2.3 Million of taxpayer cash to a businessman. The city of Palm Beach Gardens is so rich they gave the company $500,000! They hid the name of the company from the public until the deal was done and had the stones to call the deal “Project Gold.” The company is Tire Kingdom. Yes, the guys who sell cheap tires from China. They claimed they were “thinking” about moving their headquarters to Itasca, Illinois. Governor Rick Scott claimed he had to keep this one company, with its 175 employees, in Florida so badly it was worth spending $2.3 million of taxpayers cash in a complete no-strings-attached handout to them in order to bribe them into staying. Tire Kingdom started at a Farmers Market in WPB in 1972. You know how many stores they have in Illinois? Zero. The word in political circles is this was a payback from Rick Scott to the owner of the company for financial support for his campaign.
A blown life's fortune......12 years ago at age 26 Jennifer Sultan's dreams had come true. She had sold her online company, Live on Line, for $70 million. 3 weeks ago she was busted in her $6 million NYC penthouse for selling & buying over 60,000 pain pills. She went on a major drug binge when she got the cash a decade ago and is now bankrupt, addicted to pain pills and sitting in jail, unable to post an $85,000 bond. The penthouse and allegedly her Florida home have been foreclosed on. $70 million in 12 years, gone.
We lost a great one......Thousands of TV shows come and go and are forgotten. This man's show has so many catch phrases that are part of culture today I can't list them all. His wife was the first one to say on national TV, uncensored at the time, “Nigger please!” The title phrase from the theme song “Movin on up” is still a battle cry for the poor and used in conversations all over the world. He spawned more short jokes than anyone in history. His show started after his character on All in the Family was so popular CBS gave him his own prime time slot in 1975. He finished 4th in the ratings that year and did 253 episodes until 1985. Forever known as George Jefferson, Sherman Hemsley died in El Paso at age 74. He was a great one.
The worst prison riot in America......It was at Attica Correctional Facility in upstate NY. The man who many say caused it, Warden Vincent R. Mancusi, has died at 98 in Virginia. This man went so far as to cut out of newspapers any stories about abuse at his prison before allowing them into the prison library. It was September 8, 1971 when 1,000 inmates seized control of the prison. Then Governor Nelson Rockefeller, in a move he will always be remembered for that ended his political career, gave orders to State Troopers to use force to end the standoff. 43 people died after being shot, including 10 prison employees. Mr. Macusi retired the next year and lived 26 years on his pension, becoming an avid golf player. To this day people will say “Attica, Attica” when sounding off in a riotous calling.
Have you heard about.........The local country club that faced an angry group of wives who stormed the Club Managers office on a recent Monday morning. Seems the “Summer Men's Golf Day” included naked strippers at each hole to “polish the men's balls” and prostitutes in the locker room to finish the job. The Club actually paid for the strippers. The 20 hookers were paid for by two rich members and serviced “at least 50 of the players” while they went back & forth between the bar and the locker room. The event was on a Saturday, the wives knew by Sunday night what had gone on, thanks to a female club employee who ratted out the men by snapping some cell phone photos and sending them to a wife, who then started a chain of texting with other wives.........Frank Sinatra's Manhattan Penthouse is on sale for $7.7 million, Marilyn Monroe, JFK, Andy Warhol & the Rat Pack partied in the 3,000 sq.-ft Duplex, called by Warhol a “Glittering Grotto in the Sky“........“The Dealer has left the Island” - a notorious coke dealer who lived in a land-marked home and has provided disco dust to the super rich for the last two decades strictly by a one ounce minimum purchase has left Palm Beach Island for good, moving to San Diego. Others are quickly moving in to fill the void for the upcoming season. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
By April of this year thirty-one year old Brian Weiss was well known at the South Florida Better Business Bureau. And the Florida Attorney Generals office. And by thousands of South Florida customers who were ripped off by his many TV and Internet ads. For the last decade Weiss sold millions in health care products thru his Hollywood warehouse while living the high life around the Sunny Isles Beach area bars & restaurants. During just one case with the Florida Attorney General's office Weiss was ordered to return $34 million in refunds to people who bought a product he said would “strip away body fat and clean your colon.” His FWM Laboratories & One to One Solutions are the current record holders for complaints to the South Florida BBB - over 15,600 and still counting. In 10 years Weiss started 26 companies, most internet based with no cash assets. But hanging out in Sunny Isles with lots of cash was his biggest mistake. Sunny Isles is known by locals and law enforcement as the southern U.S. capital of Russian organized crime. A Sunny Isles insider told me “Every Russian gangster in Moscow today who can afford it has a condo in Sunny Isles, it's a status symbol, bars and restaurants are flooded by 10PM every night with Russian gangsters & prostitutes, there are several restaurants with crap tables in the backroom, and bookmaking on sports events is a commonplace occurrence, once you're known you can place bets with the bartender on a daily basis and collect from him, they keep separate cash drawers just for bookmaking.” He went on to say “Why Sunny Isles? The police force has been bought off, city officials are all crooked, the small town makes it possible for us to do what we want.” Brian Weiss was well known as a gambler who often spent $3,000 a night at local hangouts. Last month he and his partner, an alleged Russian gangster named Gary Zalevsky, went to NYC to meet with others to discuss business cuts of the cash coming in. At the Hilton Garden Inn near the JFK Airport, both were shot dead. 4 men were in the room with them and fled the scene, only to be recorded on video and later arrested. Now Russian gangsters are uneasy as all 4 men, who live in Sunny Isles, were later released after telling a story about what happened in the room that is unbelievable. They claim during the meeting Zalevsky stood up and shot Weiss several times and then shot himself in the head. It is known that Zalevsky had terminal cancer, and owed “huge sums of money” to the Russian Mob. The gun discovered at the scene, a 380-caliber Beretta, was stolen. Police in New York have refused to release the names of the four men, who have not returned to Sunny Isles, but Russian gangsters know who they are. The word is that they turned rat and are in the Witness Protection Program right now spilling their guts about all that goes on in Sunny Isles. Brian Weiss was buried on May 14th in Menorah Gardens Funeral Home in Southwest Ranches. His murder is listed as an open investigation. Stay tuned.
Palm Beach Socialite Lori Stoll stabbed by former Art Dealer..... Most everyone in town knows Lori Stoll, the widow of millionaire concert promoter Jon Stoll. For the last three years those who know her have tried to pry her away from Mark Kaiser, who once worked selling art in a shop on Worth Ave. The circumstances on that arrangement got people talking when the owner of the shop allegedly claimed Kaiser came in late at night and emptied out the entire space, leaving town with artwork worth millions that didn't belong to him or the shop, it was on consignment. Mark Kaiser was known around Palm Beach, according to one gal who frequents the night scene, as the “Nastiest of the nasty drunks. He starts off charming, gets loud after 3 drinks, nasty after 5 drinks and then violent when he finishes his 7th drink.” He latched onto Stoll three years ago and began romancing her. Then came numerous public fights, with loud arguing, and alleged constant cocaine abuse. Those who know Lori said he took advantage of a woman devastated by the death of her husband Jon. Locals say they saw at least 2 fights in which Kaiser seemed to physically abuse Stoll. Last month Mark Kaiser was arrested and charged with assault & felony menacing in Aspen at Stoll's $2 million home with blood all over him and Stoll. Apparently the two had been out drinking and left a local bar after 1AM. Kaiser became violent at Lori Stoll's residence in the kitchen and she demanded that he leave. Kaiser grabbed a knife and began stabbing Stoll. The Aspen police affidavit states “Stoll told police that Kaiser talked about the blood on his shirt while telling her that he loved her. He then choked her, grabbed her hair and banged her head against the kitchen cabinets” leading Stoll to also say she loved him, in an effort to calm him down. The Aspen home may be cursed, that's where Jon Stoll suffered the seizure that led to his death. Now Lori Stoll almost died there. It's time to sell the house.
Palm Beach wild child Brooke Mueller busted again..... In other Palm Beach-Aspen news, Palm Beach socialite Moire Fiore's daughter Brooke Mueller, who was caught by police with 3.8 grams of cocaine in an Aspen bar after getting into a fight with another girl in December, has gotten off again without any jail time. It came out during the hearing Brooke actually told the cop that found the coke in her wallet she “bought that coke for all my friends, I was just trying to impress them.” Hey Brooke, you took care of your street creds for being a cokehead when you married Charlie Sheen, and there's the 13 rehab visits, don't worry about trying to impress anyone, we all know what you're about. And by the way, if 3.8 grams of blow will impress “all your friends” - you ain't got many friends.
The Robert Wyner suicide... The town is still stunned by the suicide of the always regal Palm Beach Realtor Robert Wyner in a rented Cadillac in a parking garage. Now word is out that during the final days of his life he may have been both desperate for money and using prescription drugs that were recently prescribed for him. Wyner allegedly was openly going around town and asking everyone he knew to invest in a Christian-film production company that appears to be shady. What's more, his two latest co-horts were Steven Camp & Bob Wilson. Camp was the CFO of the company called “Desert Wind Films” - Camp is known legally for having to give up his license to trade commodities futures for illegally soliciting investors. Boca Raton playboy Bob Wilson served 54 months in a federal prison for defrauding investors of more than $20 million. Wyner even asked agents in his own office for loans. Then there's allegedly $250,000 missing from a company escrow account that Wyner may have had access to that was for a $3 million condo purchase. The company stepped in and allegedly paid for the missing cash out of revenues. At press time a rumor was circulating that he was killed by middle eastern men he had ripped off from Dubai, with some saying Wyner was too vain to shoot himself. One thing said often is his wife didn't deserve this.
Florida justice...... In August 2010 31-year old Marissa Alexander was trembling in her Jacksonville home as 245-pound Rico Gray came towards her. He had beaten her in 2009 so badly she spent time recovering in a hospital. She found out weeks later she was pregnant with his child. So she let him back into her life. Now she was about to get another beating so she reached for a gun she had. She then fired a warning shot into the wall. Gray backed off and called the police and she was arrested. The prosecutor charged her with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Last month she got 20 years in prison. She is now serving time. Her 3 children are without their mother. We will pay an average of $46,000 a year to house her in state prison.
How much longer will Oprah's channel be on the air?....... TV people are telling me that Oprah's channel OWN will be off the air in 12 months if a hit show is not found soon. The channel has lost “at least $330 million in the last year” and Discovery, owners of the Discovery Channel, have invested $600 million in it since 2008 with no return. Discovery CEO David Zaslay pays himself over $40 million a year and is known for dumping money losing ventures. Oprah herself appeared before a private meeting last month with advertisers pleading for them to stay on board and asking for more time. Oprah is said to have little of her own cash in the station. One Wall Media analyst called OWN “the most successful failure in television today.”
They were great ones...... He led a fast life. He married 7 times. He got a heart transplant from a Las Vegas gambler in 1990. His own son gave him a kidney in 1996 to keep him alive. He was a Texas man from day one who lived big. He parlayed a very short car racing career into becoming the most influential mechanic that ever lived. He designed the most famous Mustang ever built for Ford. His name was on the back of it. The Shelby Mustang. Carroll Shelby had just finished designing the new 2013 Shelby GT500 Mustang with a 650-horsepower V-8 engine - the most powerful production engine in the world. Carroll Shelby died last month in Dallas at 89. He was a great one.
He didn't have movie star looks so he started on Broadway. That didn't pay the bills so he went to Hollywood in 1963. In 1964 he got his break when a guy named Jim Nabors left the Andy Griffith Show and they needed a character to replace him. Goober was born. Playing a goofy gas station attendant he stayed on the show from 1964 to 1971, remaining on the cast when it changed to Mayberry RFD. He then went to Nashville and got a job on the set of Hee Haw from 1971 to 1993. He said recently “there's no place in America I go where they don't know me.” George Lindsey was a great one. He also did stand up comedy in Vegas and always used this joke - “When I was in high school my football coach, holding a football, asked me 'Son, can you pass this?' I said, Coach, I don't even think I can swallow it.”
Have you heard about.......... The Boston house where Babe Ruth lived during the 1920's is for sale - only $1.65 million & you can own the “Home Plate Farm” ........The fish are dying again in the Ogeechee River in southeast Georgia, last year over 37,000 fish were found dead below the discharge pipe of textile company King America Finishing. Now the disease that causes fish to be covered with white spots, columnaris, is being found on floating dead fish........Remember the big talk about Scripps Research worth all the tax dollars for a return in jobs? As of 2010, Scripps Florida employed 377 people. That's $1.32 million per employee. The operation is projected to employ 545 people by 2014. That means we paid over $900,000 per new job.......Columbo Crime family godfather & part time South Palm Beacher Thomas "Tommy Shots" Gioeli was found not guilty on six murder counts while his soldier Dino "Little Dino" Saracino was cleared for three killings in NYC. Gioeli and Saracino were convicted on the lesser charges of conspiracy to commit murder and will face up to 20 years. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
25 percent of the annual income in America goes to 1% of the population. Among the children of these people the frantic march from age 1 to get into the best schools starts immediately and there is no cost too great. This has been happening on an accelerated scale for the last 30 years. By age 22 their skill set is off the charts - they speak 3 languages, have mastered two musical instruments, they have traveled in at least 6 foreign nations and have helped build schools or homes in poverty stricken areas, they have two major degrees in science, mathematics or philosophy, they were President or Valedictorian of their high school, they excelled in at least one sport to the All-State level, they started taking calculus at age 13, some have their pilots license by age 17, they have spent their summers traveling to every major landmark on earth, from the Eiffel Tower to the Empire State Building, from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Taj Mahal - they have seen it all and learned the historical lessons from each, from birth they have eaten the best nutritional foods and taken the most expensive brain building supplements and now it is off to graduate school to achieve a doctorate in 1 or 2 subjects. They are not only American, they are from the 1% of the wealthy in many nations - all landing here in the U.S. for competition at the Ivy League schools. To a wealthy foreigner having a degree from Harvard makes you a special person among the elite class of rulers. But graduating in the top 5 of your class makes you one of the “Super People.” The Super People have been scattering around the world for the last 5 years. In America there is a class of about 5,000 of them now in the workforce. There is great resentment of them from their peers. “It's easy to be amazing now if you have the money from an early age to spend your time in all the right places doing all the right things” said one psychologist. The Super People attack work, life and promotions with the zeal of a 16-year old playing tennis - rarely needing to even stop and breathe. They define themselves daily based on what they achieved and nothing else. Relationships don't matter - achievement is the only factor to success. They look at those around them and both expect and demand themselves to be better. The Super People are here and within the next 10 years they will be in positions of power. They will think faster with encyclopedia-level knowledge and have more versatile abilities than any other generation before them. It's going to be fun to watch - I hope.
The largest ocean front Palm Beach mansion is a rat hole.....How tough is this economy for 45-year old Elena Rybolovley? She just turned down an $800 Million divorce settlement offer - it's not enough. The Rybolovley's, owners of the 33,000 square foot ocean-front home built by Abe Gossman with an incredible 475 feet of private beach are embroiled in a divorce fight that stretches across the globe and has resulted in the Palm Beach home purchased for $100 million sitting unoccupied while rotting and being infested with so many rats and roaches it is now “unlivable” according to the owners daughter. Only 22-year old daughter Ekaterina has visited the home since the month after it was purchased in 2008. She stayed in the pool house for 1 night and met with a developer to finalize plans to tear the entire home down and build new. One of the few maintenance people that have been in the house recently said the air-condition system failed at least 3 years ago and has not been fixed. Humidifiers and portable air-conditioners were brought in but the “deterioration has been significant and mold has taken over, along with rodents.” If they tear down the home and build new, it will mean they spent $100 million for a lot with a house they had to pay to tear down. Talk about throwing your money in the ocean.
Shooters goes bankrupt.....If you've ever been to Ft. Lauderdale and seen the huge Shooters/Bootleggers complex on the Intracoastal at Oakland Park Blvd you know this is a goldmine. The scene there still resembles the Miami Vice days of sleek cigarette boats, free spending mysterious types and girls, girls, girls. During the 80's this place was doing $200,000 on Sundays alone. 10 years ago a new owner named John Wile bought it and the complaints started rolling in. Staff complained about him, customers complained about him and when a local newspaper did a story on his poor ownership he threatened to sue the paper. Wile fought with everyone in town and seemed to enjoy it. Now he's run the place into the ground and filed bankruptcy. As the sole owner of Shooters he has liabilities of $50 million including owing $61,000 to Sysco Foods in Riviera Beach & $41,413 to Independent Seafood of WPB. He owes $1.9 million to Lydian Private Bank in Palm Beach - another one of their bad loans that led them to go under. He even owes $125,000 to his Citi Bank Credit card. That's on top of a $10.5 million mortgage he took out on Shooters that is in default. It took massive stupidity to destroy Shooters, one of the busiest bar/restaurants in the nation.
Stealing waitress tips...... The cops in Moorhead, Minnesota finally stopped trying to steal a tip from a poor waitress. Raising 5 kids, Stacy Knutson worked as a waitress at the Fryn' Pan Restaurant. Last November a lady who had come to know Stacy & her financial struggles had dinner and left a take-out box with a tip - $12,000 cash in it. Knutson opened it and ran out to the parking lot to give it back, thinking it was a mistake. The lady told her to keep it. More money than she'd ever seen, Knutson was so nervous she called the police and turned it in as lost property, thinking that after 60 days, as the law says, if the lady changed her mind she could come get it back, if not Knutson would not feel bad keeping it. After 60 days the Police told her she'd have to wait another 30. Then they told her the money “smelled like pot” so she would not be getting it back. Then they offered her $1,000. Then she got an attorney and filed suit, saying it's her money and she wants it all. Last week, facing terrible publicity the department called and said they would give her back all the money.
What they won't tell you.....During 2011, our military doctors had over 110,000 active-duty troops taking anti-psychotics, antidepressants, narcotics & anti-anxiety drugs. Nearly 10% of our soldiers in the field of war are on prescription drugs. In 2010 more than 253 million prescriptions were filled in America for anti-depressants. And they said the 1960's was the decade of drugs.
Mob News.... It has come out last month in the Adam Kidan trial that NYC gangster Anthony “Big Tony” Moscatiello ordered the hit on Miami Subs founder Gus Boulis. SunCruz Casino fleet owner Adam Kidan said he met with Big Tony at the Fontainebleau Hotel just after the February 2001 hit on Boulis, which took place on a Ft. Lauderdale Street. “It just had to be done” said Big Tony, according to Kidan, due to Boulis being in a legal dispute with Kidan, who was a front man for the mob, about the sale of SunCruz Casino. The sale by Boulis was for $147 million and Kidan was playing games with the payments, allegedly under instruction from Big Tony. One of John Gotti's favorite Gambino hit-men, John Gurino, was brought down from New York by Moscatiello to kill Boulis. Gurino stuck around town shaking people down for the Palm Beach-area Gambino's until he ran into Boca Raton Corner Deli owner Ralph Liotta. Insiders say Liotta was not going to pay Gurino and was sick of him hassling him so he invited him to his Deli one October morning in 2003 under the premise he was going to pay and shot him dead as soon as he walked in the door. Gurino claimed self defense and got off. My Publisher worked for Gus Boulis at Stan's on the Water in the 80's and said “Gus was a man who helped everyone he could, financing over 50 people into their own restaurants during the 7 years I knew him and was always charming & respectful to even the lowliest of staffers.” Many people in the Palm Beach area knew Gus, including Gyromania owner Nick. Every time you see a Miami Subs restaurant it was created by Gus Boulis, one of the greatest Greek Restaurateurs to ever hit Florida.
It's just money........In March our government spent $369 Billion running the country. That's a little over $1100 for each man, woman & child in America. The government estimates that on average each American paid $550 in total taxes during March. So for every person in America during just the month of March, we all went another $550 deeper into debt. Picture this - if you laid dollar bills around the equator of the earth, it would take 1,435 laps before you got to $369 Billion.
He was a great one.....In 1960 a young Pete Townshend asked the guy at his local music shop in London if he would expand his inventory and sell guitars and amplifiers. Unimpressed by what was being offered to “electrify” or make guitars louder the shop owner asked an engineer friend to help him design something to make guitars really loud. The first 5 tries cost him a lot of money and went into the trash can, not working well at all. The 6th worked and he started selling them. Among his first customers for them was a kid named Eric Clapton. That is how the Marshall Amplifier was born. Jim Marshal died last month at 88 years old. Jimi Hendrix, after hooking up his new Marshal Amplifier - called the music shop owner the name he lived by in Rock & Roll circles - “The Lord of Loud.” His name brand - the “Marshall Amp” will live on forever. Jim Marshall was a great one.
Have you heard about.........It has come out that guitar great Ronnie Montrose shot himself with a 38 last month. His blood-alcohol level was at 0.31% when he did it & his wife told reporters “he suffered from severe self-doubt that caused him to harshly evaluate his performances, even on nights audiences gave him multiple standing ovations”.......The Forbes family- Steve, Timothy, Robert, Christopher and Moira have continued the sell-off of their fathers Malcolm's assets. Desperate to raise cash, they have sold the Fiji island Laucala, the Trinchera Ranch, a Lear jet emblazoned with the “Capitalist Tool” motto & have dry docked “The Highlander” a 165-foot Dutch-built yacht that Malcolm entertained royalty & presidents on and just sold the huge townhouse behind Forbes' Fifth Avenue headquarters that housed people like Margaret Thatcher, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan & Elizabeth Taylor.......The local drug dealer who is telling people he has cops at 3 departments on his payroll for $1,000 a week each. If you're taking this guys money watch out, he's got a big mouth.....The Brazilian stripper who claims she was raped by the owner & bouncer of a prominent Palm Beach area strip club after the place closed one night. She's all over town telling the story and trying to con someone into beating them up for her.......The sitting City Council Person who has a serious cocaine problem that friends are warning them about and a private intervention may be coming soon. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
LOCAL CONGRESSMAN ALCEE HASTINGS PAID GIRLFRIEND $622,574 WITH TAX MONEY
In November of last year I told you about Congressman Alcee Hastings paying $733,744.00 in taxpayer funded salary to his aid Mikel Jones who seemed to live full time in Philadelphia and was convicted of defrauding a New York Venture fund. Hastings waited until he was convicted to take him off his taxpayer funded office payroll. Jones was on the payroll for more than 10 years. Now comes word that Hastings has kept his girlfriend on the payroll to the tune of $622,574 - and that's just from 2007 to 2010. Calling her a "Deputy District Director" Hastings has paid Patricia Williams this massive salary as he represents the poorest areas of Riviera Beach. Funny thing is no one I've spoken with in the community even knows her. As one local very active African-American office-holding council person said to me when I mentioned her name - "Who?, oh, Alcee's girlfriend, I've seen her around him a few times over the years." When the local press called Hastings to ask about his - he claimed the report that outed this absurd pay was wrong because it labeled her as a "family member." He then refused to answer when questioned about Patricia Williams being his girlfriend. The group that exposed Hastings, the Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington, ranked him as the number 1 exploiter of paying salaries & fees to family members. When you can rank number 1 in corruption among 435 members of Congress you've achieved greatness. Please throw this bum out next election.
Palm Beacher Henry Kravis destroys Sealy Mattress.........A textbook example of how corporate raiders destroy American companies has come to light. Winter Palm Beach resident Henry Kravis, who's Wall Street vulture group KKR has destroyed many companies, has caused Sealy Mattress to lose 90% of its value, according to the second largest shareholder in the company. Since KKR bought Sealy in 2004, when it was the top mattress company in America, they have extracted over $20 million in "fees." KKR started charging Sealy $2.1 million a year in "advisory" fees when it bought them, then charged Sealy $11 million to terminate the "Advisory Services Agreement" they had forced the company to take. Then after the CEO bolted, KKR charged $900K to do a "search" for a new CEO. How do you spend $900,000 on want ads? Today Sealy has $792 million in long term debt, has been passed by Serta and Simmons in market share for the first time since 1970, and its stock is at $1.86 a share after posting a $23 million net loss in 2011. Meanwhile Henry Kravis & his company have taken an average of at least $3 million a year from the company while piling up debt and destroying it. Think about that the next time you consider buying a ticket to the union-busting Kravis Center in WPB. I suppose when the company goes bankrupt Henry & his pals will blame it on expensive American labor costs.
Riviera Beach officials accused of corruption - again......This time Riviera paid a guy $576,200 who was already receiving full retirement benefits for work that should have been bid out. A closer look asks the question why they needed to pay him at all and whether the "work" actually need to be done, if it was. The Palm Beach County Inspector General has made the accusations in a written report that claims Lal Samadi billed Riviera Beach $576,200 in just over 3 years. As usual the city idiots had an excuse for the payments and not bidding out the work. Ruth Jones, the City Manager, claimed Samadi wasn't providing engineering services that are covered by the procurement law, but instead "technical reviews and supervision" which are not. So $576,200 went out the door and into Samadi's pocket. After hearing the Ruth Jones statement the Inspector General responded that "A total of eight resolutions to date have been approved by the city council indicating that Mr. Samadi provided professional engineering services" - not technical reviews and supervision. And instead of admitting the fraud the city is expending more tax dollars fighting it. So much like the Fane Lozman Floating Home case that could have been settled for $16K and now may cost the city over $1 million, this case will drag on. At what point does the City Attorney Pam Ryan accept the blame for spending & losing millions of the residents tax dollars on stupidity & corruption and resign? How much money has to go out the door before the council terminates her? How can a city that looks so poor and needs so much infrastructure work have $572,200 ($15,800 a month) to give to a retired employee for what they call "supervision?"
Palm Beacher Jimmy Buffet gets casino cash.........The Nevada Gaming Commission has issued a license to Jimmy Buffet and his Palm Beach based Margaritaville Holdings company, located in a Worth Avenue Via. The Margaritaville Casino is inside the Flamingo Hotel on Las Vegas Blvd. and the license allows Buffet to get paid directly from the casino profits. Buffet's song, which he never thought would amount to anything when it was released in 1977, has turned out to be his most important asset and has produced millions for him.
The Rolex Rat.......I told you about Columbo rat Reynold Maragni last month. No one knows how many South Florida & NYC gangsters he has on tape talking about criminal activities. He is likely to be testifying for years. Now it turns out the recording device the Feds gave him to use was a phony Rolex watch. Taking the stand last week Reynold the Rat said he used the Rolex recording watch at least twice a week when going to meetings with fellow mobsters. Even though he was patted down and checked for a wire, no one made him remove his watch. The watch recording systems can record for hours and are then downloaded to a CD. Now you know.
The Astor money is finally gone......It was 1783 when John Jacob Astor came to Baltimore, then moved his fur-trading business to New York and created one of the great American fortunes. His fortune allegedly began when he took a huge risk by purchasing 10 tons of Turkish opium and smuggling it into the U.S., hiding it among pianos, furs and wood objects he imported. By 1800 he was worth $250,000 and was trading with China. In 1804 Astor purchased from Vice President Aaron Burr what remained of a 99-year lease on a huge tract of land in Manhattan for $62,500. Astor began subdividing the land into nearly 250 lots and subleased them, earning the moniker as "The Landlord of Manhattan." The U.S. Embargo Act of 1807 nearly ruined his business but he bought favor with President Thomas Jefferson, who allowed him to resume trading in 1808. When he died in 1848 he left behind $20 million - an amount equal to $110 billion today. It was decades later in 1872 that descendant Caroline Astor, the Queen of Society in NYC & Newport, invited 400 people to her "Patriarch Ball" and gave the list to the NY Times which published it. One requirement to make the list was that you had to be at least the third generation of your family that did not have to work for a living. The last patriarch of Astor's money was Brooke Astor who died in 2007 at 105 years old. Her son Anthony Marshall was accused, prosecuted & convicted for looting his mothers estate, taking advantage of her diminished capacity and stealing her money. After many court hearings an agreement was recently reached that gives Marshall $14 million, New York City Institutions $100 million and the Manhattan DA $12 million that it asked the court for in restitution for the drawn out case involving Brooke Astor's disputed last Will. Her son Anthony, now 88, remains free on bail while his appeal process plays out. Her Park Avenue Apartment sold for $21 million in 2011 and her 27-room Holly Hills Country Estate in Westchester County sold for a mere $7 million at the bottom of the market in 2009. So it took some 162 years for this fortune to be squandered by generations of family members who never worked. The "400 List" that Caroline Astor started has been copied by Forbes, Quest and others who have used that number to list the richest in the world and the most socially prominent. The fortune that started it all is now gone.
He was a great one.......One of the greatest guitar gods of the 1970's left us on March 3rd at 64 years young. Ronnie Montrose had a band in his name, Montrose, that featured a 19-year old kid named Sammy Hagar on vocals. Go onto the Gatorrocks.com website and type in Bad Motor Scooter in the search engine and the original video comes up on Utube with a very skinny Sammy singing in a pair of high-waist polyester pants that were in style then. Also take a listen to Rock Candy from the 1st album - another song that will remind you of the days in the 70's when music made your heart beat faster. Ronnie Montrose was a great one.
Drug users unionizing.....The epicenter of American progressive culture has scored another victory. Heroin addicts in San Francisco have founded a union to fight for their rights to get high. Pot smokers, speed users, coke heads and pill freaks have banded together with them and are attending meetings twice a month. They are not meeting to get off drugs, they're meeting to fight for their rights to get high on them. Isaac Jackson, who holds a doctorate in media arts & sciences from MIT, is the 56-year old organizer and he is leading the fight for decriminalization and an end to society's demonization of drug users. The San Francisco union is part of a world-wide organization - The International Network of People Who Use Drugs. Party on!
Have you heard about.......The worlds first solid diamond ring, cut by laser from a 150-carat stone, is now on sale for $70 million.......The Holmby Hills home where Michael Jackson died is on the market for $23 million - 17,000 square feet and 7 bedrooms, one of which would be very creepy to sleep in......Wellington gal Madonna has privately put her Hollywood home on the market for $28 million.... Bonanno soldier Vito Rizzuto is spreading the word that he will take control of the crime family when he gets out of federal slammer in October, he's 67 and went away after being convicted for the Donnie Brasco killing......Recent work by the Border Patrol using Drones has dried up the local cocaine trade, Palm Beachers throwing cocaine-fueled parties have been paying twice as much as usual for an ounce of the disco dust - and of course griping about it........The local married winter-resident PB Island billionaire whose infatuation with an escort led him to buy her a creme colored Rolls, she's spent the last month driving around town telling everyone how she "hustled" him for it - he found out and left town a week ago telling friends he & his wife were going to Paris and then back to NYC for the summer season early because it was getting "too hot" in Palm Beach. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
CORRUPTION IN MAYORS OFFICE IN WPB
For 10 years I have been pointing out corruption resonating from the Mayor's office in West Palm Beach. The latest episode is the most blatant corruptive action I've ever seen. When current Mayor Jeri Muoio was elected many said she was a puppet of former corrupt Mayor Lois Frankel. She has turned out to be no more than a student of Frankel's corrupt ways. Muoio lives in Ibis, a western gated community far removed from the grittier Dixie & railroad track corridor that holds sway to our most crime ridden & poorest areas. She and a few of her neighbors wanted to cut down 28 Oak Trees because they didn't have a"Florida feel." Because western gated communities have already uprooted and cut giant swaths across our land for the profits of developers you can't just cut down the few trees that are left without city approval. So in late 2010 the Homeowners Association sent word to the city thru application they want to cut down the trees and used an excuse of the tree roots causing"conflicts with the sidewalks and underground utilities." They wanted to replace them with Palm Trees. So the city did a survey, looked at the trees and underground areas. They determined in writing that"the condition of existing infrastructure appears to be in good condition. Evidence of tree root damage or conflict is minimal and less than would normally be expected in consideration of the tree maturity and planting location." So Charles Wu, who had worked as the Planning Director in WPB since 2006, denied the application in early June of 2011. On June 24th Mayor Muoio fired him. She claimed she was saving the city money by combining the Planning Department with Zoning & Building Departments, and that resulted in her having to"lay off" Wu. In September Muoio decided to rehire a Planning Director, but not Wu. She hired Rick Greene. So in the end she didn't eliminate a position at all, but by now forcing the new Planning Director to work under the Director of the new combined departments, a Muoio puppet named Doug Wise, she created another level of bureaucracy and made the Planning Director's decisions subservient to the Director of the combined departments. In November, just a couple weeks after being hired, Rick Greene somehow decided to revisit to Oak Trees application and approved it - allowing Muoio and her pals to get their way and cut down the Oak Trees. In his letter approving the removal he wrote that his"staff is aware that the live oak trees originally planted have caused problems and conflicts with the sidewalks and underground utilities." Based on the city's earlier report when Wu was Planning Director one of them is lying. This is a Mayor who was hell-bent on getting her way and cutting down those trees and if she had to fire a long tenured City Planning Director and lie to the residents about doing it for cost cutting purposes so be it. She would just wait a month then hire another person who, going in, would know that he would be reversing the Oak Tree decision. This is not just about 28 Oak Trees. It is about the means and abuse of power that was exercised to carry out the selfish wishes of Jeri Muoio. Instead of investigating how the two decisions could be so opposite and why the initial decision was overturned, the City brass turned its attention towards who leaked the initial recommendation work denying the application to the press. It turns out the report was public information and obtainable by anyone on the internet. Ignoring that fact, when they found someone they thought they could pin the blame on, senior planner Linda Mia Franco, she was sent a letter of termination. When the PB Post made inquiries into the letter, it was reversed and she was put on a"last chance notice" and suspended for a week without pay. If that's not corruption, what is? If Mayor Muoio will go to this length to get her way about 28 Oak Trees in her neighborhood, there is no limit to the length of corrupt actions she will to take to get her way about anything.
South Fla. Colombo Gangster turns rat........If you've had any conversations with Broward & Palm Beach area Colombo Captain Reynold Maragni lately you'd better head for the hills and hide for a few years. Turns out this guy's been wearing a wire for at least the last 6 weeks. Maragni was popped by the Feds 4 months ago and put up bail of $2.5 million. Several pals put up property & signatures to satisfy his bail including his wife, kids and his girlfriend, who works as a make-up artist at a famous department store I won't name so she doesn't get fired. Maragni has a home in Broward County and he claimed to the Federal Court in NYC that his doctors were in Broward so they granted him the right to travel back & forth at will to get treatments for his alleged cancer. That's the story he told everyone. Spending most of his time here it was business as usual. Then his girlfriend asked to have her property and name removed from his bail. No problem, Maragni would find someone else. But the court never asked him to. Then a made guy from another crime family got nervous about Maragni's case seeming to be put on a slow track and got into the sealed court records. At the hearing to release her from the bond Federal Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said to an empty courtroom but into the transcript "bond was no longer necessary anyway because he's in the government's witness protection program." Word of that has leaked over the last week among Colombo, Gambino & Genovese gangsters in South Florida, the three families with a large presence here. To say there is a panic is an understatement. Guys who were closest to Maragni are afraid they're on the list to get wacked. The Genovese & Gambino's are leading a charge to break up the Columbo Family presence completely, take over their profitable bookmaking operations before the NBA playoffs arrive and put their own"Managers" in the lucrative strip clubs & escort services they operate with front men. This is the first time this story has appeared in a newspaper or any news outlet - so if you're running with these guys beware - whomever Maragni gave up will be asked to turn rat also. Happy trails.
Another crook in government......The guy who chairs the Republican fundraising committee for Congress, 3-term Rep. Vern Buchanan from Sarasota, has been found guilty of 17 ethics violations for not reporting 17 different income sources from companies he had"positions" with. His excuse? It"was an innocent oversight commonly made by lawmakers with extensive financial holdings." Really? You had 17 paychecks coming in you forgot about when reporting time came? Vernon's experience prior to being elected was being Chairman of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. I think he can count.
What Gov. Scott is really doing.....You know our Governor has been saying he refuses to accept funds from the Affordable Care Act. In fact Florida has accepted $119.6 million in funds so far for various state agencies, universities, hospitals, public clinics and faith-based private groups such as Tallahassee-based Live the Life Ministries to give abstinence lectures. The money he turned down while claiming the Act is"not the law of land" because the Supreme Court hasn't heard the case yet says a lot about his true motive. He turned down the funds that were intended to help Florida set up a new health insurance exchange, a system that would let small employers and individuals join together to get much lower rates usually available only to large employers. Scott also turned down an additional $1 million intended for use to help states investigate & determine if health insurers were seeking unnecessarily large rate increases. So two concrete things he could have gotten the cash to pay for to help lower cost he turned down. Neither one of them is contained in the case headed for the Supreme Court, which deals with the mandate issue. Remember, Scott ran a health care company that was fined $1.7 Billion for defrauding Medicare by billing the taxpayers for tests & diagnosis that were never done and running a doctor kickback scheme that was entirely illegal. No wonder he's not interested in free money to investigate overcharging issues among health insurance companies.
What they won't tell you........More American contractors were killed than soldiers last year in Afghanistan. 418 American soldiers died. At least 430 American contractors died and many say that number is under-reported. We've been told we're out of Iraq. At least 41 private contractors died there last year. There are thousands of contract employees doing everything from cooking food to guarding Generals. As of January 2012 there are 113,491 private"employees" in Afghanistan, 25,287 are Americans and 35,000 are from nations other than Afghanistan. The Pentagon claims we have 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, that plus the 113,491 is a force of 203,491 people we pay every day.
Have you heard about.......The flashers row developing on Dixie just north of PB Lakes, after midnight an enormous breasted black woman stands on the street lifting her shirt to entice drivers, then a few blocks down a huge transvestite lifts her/his skirt to show his package.......Palm Beacher Stephen Schwarzman, who enraged town folks by tearing down the historic"Four Winds" estate and rebuilding it, paid himself $148.5 million last year from his Blackstone Group Investment fund.......The famous NYC Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel is closing, famous artists started meeting in the room in 1919 when it was called the"Pergola Room" & along with many others piano man Michael Feinstein started his career there.........A new book by former Hollywood gigolo Zelig Scotty Bowers claims he set up Katherine Hepburn with"over 150 different women" and got men for Spencer Tracy, along with setting up orgies for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the book is called"Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars"....The Palm Beach Gardens"Dance Police" - the PB Gardens City Council's determination not to have any dancing at restaurants has resulted in undercover officers visiting restaurant/bars to video tape any"evidence" of people dancing to music in"non-dance permitted zones" - the officers themselves have told friends it"a waste of time" and they are"embarrassed" about it....The high stakes private poker game held every Tuesday night at the ocean-front home of a prominent Palm Beacher ($100,000 buy in) that resulted in two 70-ish year old men rolling around the floor last week in a tussle after an argument about poker rules, they had to be separated by the butler & estate manager because the other players were too feeble to get involved. During the fight they knocked over a statue worth $325,000 that they have agreed to split the replacement cost on.....The after hours party spot in western PB County that is drawing hundreds of revelers on Friday & Saturday nights to a warehouse where its no-holds barred drug use, sex & debauchery until noon the next day with a parade of strippers and escorts doing business openly in the sparsely furnished 8,000 sq.-foot area that has two cash bars. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
No one rode the housing boom more than Anthony Cutaia, the host of his own radio & TV show he called"Talk about Mortgages & Real Estate" on WSBR 740 and on the PAX TV Network. He yapped and lawyers, real estate agents and mortgage brokers listened and craved an invite to be on his show. His company was called CMG Property Investment Group and his scam ran like this - he told investors, many from his church St. Joan of Arc in Boca Raton, that their money would be used as down payments for commercial real estate purchases. They would be paid interest and participate in profits from the operation of those commercial rentals. But the majority of the money was used to make payments to previous investors, his own personal expenses and to air television and radio programs. Many investors learned about Cutaia through these radio & TV shows. During the trial it came out that he used thousands for a cruise and to pay his own back rent of $41,000. He also gave thousands to GOP candidates and spent more dining out all over Palm Beach, where he had a reputation as a big tipper. On January 18th he got 51 months in the slammer after his defense of having a gambling problem and discovering he was bi-polar didn't wash. At 65 he heads off to jail - the upwards of $2.5 million from local investors is gone. Friends had said he dreamed of being on a national TV show. Maybe he should call CNBC's American Greed from jail.
Good year for Fl. Banks, only 13 failed......You know things are bad when 13 banks fail during 2011 in our state and talking heads claim it's a good sign. In 2010 there were 29 banks closed by the Feds. Lydian Private Bank in Palm Beach was the most stunning failure, costing an estimated $293 million. 2 months before it failed I warned people in this column that it was going down. I was accosted at a party by a Lydian Bank official who told me I was"full of sh&t." Five weeks later it went under.
Lake Park pays $110,737 to revise employee handbook....In a move that had the Town Manager being forced to resign by council members, Lake Park billed its citizens $110,737 to revise the employee handbook and much of the"work" was done by the alleged former lesbian lover of Town Manager Maria Davis. Patricia Bass, who lived with Davis and bought a condo outside of Lake Park in Highland Beach with her, was hired by Davis to revise the employees handbook. The original bid for the"work" was $4,000. When the spanking new handbook arrived the cost had grown $106,737 with little knowledge or oversight by residents. There are only about 9,000 residents in Lake Park, so spending $110,737 on their employee handbook may seem a little extreme. It works out to every single resident paying $12.42 towards the revision"work." Now a website has all the details and opinions from residents on corruption in Lake Park - www.thestreetwhereyoulive.wordpress.com.
What will Chase Scott & Randy Sherman tell the Feds?........ Word is that after WPB Mayor Jeri Muoio fired Finance Director Randy Sherman & City Spokesman Chase Scott her phone rang - it was a fuming Lois Frankel. Frankel is allegedly petrified now that Sherman & Scott are unemployed and free to spill the beans about what's gone on at City Hall for the past 6 years. This is a finance department that Lois Frankel directed to pay bills with credit cards. That employees quit in disgust over corruption and the secretive manner in which Frankel ran the finances, refusing to allow anyone but herself & Sherman to know what's really going on. Allegedly Frankel made a deal with Muoio that both would remain thru her term in return for Frankel's support and use of her political machine. Scott was allegedly known as the bagman for Frankel, shaking down venders and anyone who wanted to do business in WPB for"donations" to various PAC's controlled by Frankel and her pals. One instance of this was a newsrack company that spent $8,000 building a prototype newsrack that included a map of downtown and would hold up to 12 publications, which would have replaced the unsightly individual racks all over the city. The company was willing to pay all costs and place 30 or more of these racks on city streets at no cost to WPB. The rack was rolled into a Commission Mtg. amid"oohs" &"aahs" and placed across the street for a week. Scott then allegedly demanded a $5,000 contribution from the company - they refused. Then Scott called and said the project was killed by Frankel and they would not be permitted to put up the racks. Why? Scott said"Lois doesn't like it." Now Sherman & Scott are the most popular people in town - everyone wants to talk to them. Frankel is allegedly scrambling to get both of them lucrative private sector jobs to keep them quiet. One City Hall insider said"What Frankel did to Nancy Graham Muoio is doing to Frankel." Meanwhile the rumors persist that WPB Mayor Muoio is in way over her head and is crumbling - that a personal breakdown could be near. Employees within her office claim she is"paranoid and out of control" and she"flitters from one opinion to the next on what to do about any given subject." And the beat goes on.
Being a Palm Beach waiter is dangerous.......Club Collette is one of the most exclusive and expensive private restaurants in the world. Guest have bragged about spending over $5,000 at dinner for two. Working there as a waiter should be lucrative. Paul Kucik has ended up with broken bones for his work as a waiter there. The menacing customer was John Castle, big shot CEO of a local private equity firm and owner of the Kennedy Mansion, who is seen often in Society Magazine at social events around town. At a recent dinner Castle's wife, known for her comb-over hairdo, asked Kucik for the check. When he brought it the table an enraged John Castle grabbed him by hand, squeezing & twisting his fingers while yelling"You schmuck, why did you bring the bill to the table?" Castle has now filed a defamation lawsuit against Kucik, saying he didn't do it and had his dining partners give sworn statements that he never touched Kucik. I guess Kucik forgot the old Palm Beach waiters rule - keep yourself protected at all times.
What they won't tell you......The Chinese workers that make XBox video games threatened mass suicide over their wages & working conditions last month. The factory is owned by Foxconn, an international conglomerate that makes parts for IPhones & Ipads for Apple and many components for Microsoft. Workers climbed onto the roof and several did commit suicide before authorities arrived and arrested several dozen.......The U.S. Government is refusing to compensate Guatemalans they injected with sexually transmitted diseases in the 1940's to test the effects of penicillin. In 2009 records from the tests were discovered by a medical historian at Wellesley College. Our government agents exposed Guatemalan prisoners, mental patients and soldiers to syphilis, gonorrhea and various other infections without the knowledge or consent of the victims. The government is using the Federal Tort Claims Act, which protects the U.S. from any lawsuit based on injuries suffered in a foreign country, even if the acts that caused the harm were planned by U. S. agents. This flies in the face of the Nuremberg ruling, caused by Hitler's"Doctor of Death" Joseph Mengele human experiments, that created an international prohibition against nonconsensual human medical experimentation that the U.S. and other nations demanded during the Nuremberg trials following World War II. The study in Guatemala was conducted by the same doctor, Dr. John Cutler, that did the infamous Tuskegee research - injecting 600 black men with syphilis and refusing to give them treatment and watching it destroy them for"research purposes." God only knows what he did to those Guatemalans.
Mob restaurant news....According to testimony in the Vincent"Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano racketeering trial the popular Boulder Creek Steakhouse restaurant chain is wholly owned by the Columbo Crime family. The founder of the chain is Sal Moscato, a Columbo associate who allegedly fronts for the family. The testimony came up when a mob contractor who did work at the chain testified he charged $100,000 for the work but was paid $20,000 by Moscato who told him that's all he would get . When he complained to his own mob bosses the word came back -"forget about it, your not getting the money."..... Recently released mafia parolees have been told not to dine at 4 NYC area restaurants that are"known Mafia hangouts" according to the Feds. On the"Parolees can't eat at" list is the famed & well known mobster restaurant Rao's in East Harlem (Law & Order did an episode on Rao's loosely based on the time Luchese bookie Louis Barone shot a guy because he insulted singer Rena Strober after she sang"Don't Rain on My Parade"), Bamonte's in Williamsburg, Parkside Restaurant in Corona (owned by Genovese family capo Anthony"Tough Tony" Federiciand) and Don Peppe in Ozone Park.
The biggest polluter in South Florida is.........FPL's newest power plant! The West County Energy Center in western Palm Beach County is the area's largest emitter of greenhouse gas according to the EPA. It discharges 5.1 million tons of carbon dioxide. The 2nd worst polluter is FPL. Their plant in Turkey Point came in # 2. The third worst polluter in South Forida? FPL. Their plant in Lauderdale just west of the Ft. Lauderdale Airport came in # 3. FPL was saved from owning the top 4 spots by the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County - the Palm Beach Renewable Energy Park is # 4. Flame on!
Have you heard about.......Joe Namath's favorite restaurant in Tequesta. He dines there twice a week, always with two or three 50-ish blond women. The owner asked me not to name it, but it won't take you long to find it, it's on US-1 and there aren't that many restaurants in Tequesta, where Namath has lived for years........67-year old Gay fashion icon Calvin Klein & his 21-year-old boy toy Nick Gruber showing up at a local hotel for a quiet weekend on the beach......Winter Palm Beacher & Revlon owner Ron Perelman losing his court case and being forced to pay a former business partner $16 million for cheating him out of the cash when he left the partnership......The rumor that Jeff Greene kicked out the contracted restaurant & spa at the Omphoy Resort he owns after reading the story in this column last month about his demand the Christmas Tree be taken down so the place would"not be know as a Christian hotel" and detailing his alleged"parade of prostitutes" - Green wants"total control" of employee hiring & firing at the hotel and now he has it.... Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Social climbing in Palm Beach is a blood sport. Lives are routinely destroyed, people are kicked to the curb, knives are stuck in the back and money is the only God that is always worshipped. Busty & brash Maya Johnson came to town as Maya Benderman, freshly divorced from a millionaire and unknown with a thick Russian accent that outed her immediately as an outsider to those on the moneyed A-list in Palm Beach, so she began working on the B-list. She was determined to find a way into the best parties at the biggest homes and conversation with the wealthiest of the rich. She then met Ronald Johnson, a local publisher who was tall, handsome, blond and seemed to know everyone in town. Johnson started a Palm Beach magazine covering the social happenings on the Island known as Palm Beach Today. Much like Palm Beach Society Magazine he broadcast it as"Shinier than Shiny" and competed at some level with the Shiny Sheet & Palm Beach Society Magazine for photos of the players in town at various events. They took up residence at Maya's Worth Avenue Apartment and got married after Palm Beach Today became successful. They began hitting the party circuit while Maya cultivated contacts, preying on anyone she thought could advance her socially. Without Johnson's contacts & years of publishing experience she'd have gotten nowhere. The Magazine served as an invitation to get into Mar-A-Lago and chat with Donald, or walk into $2,000 a plate society events for free under the guise of being with the"press" and taking a few photos while walking around as if she was a real paying guest. Maya portrayed herself as a very rich woman with refined taste and landed spots at lunch & dinner tables of many prominent Palm Beachers like Herme de Wyman Miro,Vilda de Porro, Sunny Sessa and Lois Pope. She became a regular at the gals-only luncheon club of millionaire wives that hits the best restaurants on the island. To say these gals are tough is an understatement, don't let the Rolls, the $8,000 Cotton Day Dress & $3,000 Crocodile Pumps fool you. The conversation swirls around how much money their husbands have & how much of it they spend. Once they learned that Maya's husband was no multi-millionaire the knives came out. Maya was allegedly told not to come to the luncheons again and was confronted by a well-known P.B. socialite with an all-American name who allegedly asked her if she was a KGB Spy. Maya decided her time with Johnson had run its course, he was holding her back and needed to be discarded. It's how she did it that has many Palm Beachers saying"I knew that woman was no good." In May of 2010 Johnson's father was feeling ill at 90 years old and Ronald decided to spend a few days with him. He packed an overnight bag with some clothes, kissed Maya & his dog and hit the road to North Carolina. When he got to a hotel and checked in he got an email from Maya that read:"Stay Away From 100 Worth Avenue! You cannot come back into my apartment for a long time! Change your mailing address overnight! Let me know how you want me to send your clothes." A few weeks later Maya staged a cheesy interview on U-Tube announcing she was the Publisher of Palm Beach Today. Not only did she kick 66-year old Johnson into the street but she allegedly emptied the Palm Beach Today bank accounts, left him with not one dime and to date has refused to send him his clothes or any of his belongings! Now it's all coming out, as the first divorce court hearing is happening on January 19th and the court is full of filings, and it appears from the public court record that Maya has been stonewalling for months. Palm Beachers are wondering how she can explain stealing Palm Beach Today from Ron. Maya made several socially fatal mistakes. Ronald still has control of the original Palm Beach Today website and he has turned it into his own vendetta horn calling it"Black Tie Madness" and advertising his upcoming hearing as a"Divorce Court Hell Party" on January 19th. The other mistake she made is personal - people don't really like her. Ronald has many friends who are appalled at Maya's conduct and never liked her to begin with. As one society lady told me -"Ron is just another refined handsome guy, we knew he had no money but he never pretended to, Maya was known as a pretender from the moment she arrived, a pure phony." Go to www.PalmBeachToday.net for all the latest on this Palm Beach Divorce War from Hell. And the beat goes on.
Jeff Greene wants Omphoy Resort not known as"Christian"...... Management at the Omphoy Ocean Resort was quite pleased with the 25-foot Christmas Tree they had decorated and placed in the lobby of the hotel. Guests commented on how wonderful it looked. Then billionaire owner Jeff Greene walked in. The former candidate for U.S. Senate was appalled. He told his manager to take it down immediately. When the manager asked why Greene allegedly yelled"I don't want this to be known as a Christian hotel!" The tree was removed and a 2 foot tree went in its place along with a bigger Jewish Menorah placed next to it. I guess Greene is Jewish. Employees were outraged. The calls came into the P.B. Sun about Greene's habits. He allegedly keeps the top floor suite at the hotel for himself and entertains a daily parade of prostitutes who come & go at all hours. Employees claim they often smell pot coming from the room, have found empty coke baggies when cleaning it and that Greene is abusive to everyone in his path. One employee said"This guy re-defines the word arrogant A-hole every time he talks to any of us." Hey Jeff - Merry Christmas dude, your employees love you!
Scott administration fires Nursing Home Inspectors......74-year old Volunteer Nursing Home Inspector Bill Hearne told friends he would be fired for standing up to the Scott Administration's purging of all oversight of Florida nursing homes. He was right. He follows Del Fields, Clare Coldwell and other Volunteer Inspectors out the door. A report by the U.S. Administration on Aging released in September said"Florida's ombudsman Nursing Home oversight program had been crippled by conflicts of interest and political meddling." Coldwell was fired the day after the report came out, when Scott staffers found out she had contributed to the facts contained in the report. Hearne had told authorities about a visit to an Assisted Living Facility where he saw a caregiver scream at a man with Parkinson's disease, a disorder that makes peoples hands shake. When the man spilled his soup while struggling to grasp his spoon, the caregiver screamed and berated him to tears. In another case an employee was caught with a stun gun that he was using to threaten disabled residents. Inspectors are now not permitted to enter facilities without first calling ahead to announce their arrival a day in advance and get permission to visit. Former Inspectors have claimed that nursing homes are hiring Haitians to the point of entire staffs being non or broken-English speaking just arrived illegal immigrants. They are abusive towards the white residents trapped in these homes and the state's Agency for Health Care Administration, controlled by Gov. Scott, which has responsibility for policing Nursing Homes, has repeatedly ignored violations of state law, abuse of residents and allowed repeat violator homes to remain open and unpunished. There have been 70 documented cases of death by abuse in Florida's nursing homes since 2002. Inspectors say there are hundreds more deaths that are never reported. Gov. Scott has redefined what the few Volunteer Inspectors left can inspect - they are not permitted to look for evidence of insects and rodents, dirty bed linens, unsanitary kitchens & bathrooms or medication errors. There are 2,850 Assisted Living & Nursing Homes in Florida - yet not 1 paid position for an Inspector to monitor conditions. This is what Gov. Scott means when he says he'll"Get Government out of peoples lives."
Hayworth grandson found dead........Hollywood Icon Rita Hayworth's 25-year old grandson Andrew, full name Andrew Ali Aga Khan Embiricos, was found dead in his NYC apartment of suicide. Andrew was among the most prominent young gay men in America and regularly came to Palm Beach. Friends say he had too much fame & power in his family to handle. His mother is Hayworth's daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan. She inherited millions from her moms marriage to Aly Khan, a member of the Aga Khan Persians that have castle-sized homes & horse stables in locations all over the world and have reigned as one of the 20th century's most extravagant lineages. His father is Greek shipping heir Basil Embiricos, whose family has dominated shipping in Europe for decades and are based in Switzerland. His uncle is Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims worldwide. Andrew was known to party hard and in 2007 he was discovered posting gay pornos on the internet using an alias. Andrew was found with a plastic bag on his head. Close friends say had been fighting HIV for 3 years and struggling with cocaine.
Transgender City Manager fired.........Lake Worth fired their transgender City Mgr. Steve"Susan" Stanton. After announcing he would become a woman while the City Mgr. in Largo, he was fired in 2007. In 2008 Lake Worth hired her, as the conformation to a woman was complete. Stanton caused waves by fighting with gays in Lake Worth over the Tea Parties at the Cottage, claiming they were too loud and drawing a bad element. She also got into what were described as"heated" arguments with"many" people who worked for the city according to insiders. Earning $150,000 a year, Stanton leaves with 6 months full pay and pay for accrued sick days. So it cost over $75,000 to fire her.
Have you heard about......Suitcases of cash being deposited into local banks via international heroin & cocaine dealers & Venezuelan smugglers. The pipeline was allegedly set up by a prominent Venezuelan banker who owns an ocean-front mansion in Palm Beach. Mexican drug cartels are giving their cash to Venezuelan businesses who charge a percentage then smuggle the cash into Florida, deposit it, then move it around the world and back to the cartels. Local bank tellers are talking about spending entire days counting $20 bills for deposit brought in by vans.......Another of attorney Willie Gary's sons was busted for a grow house - for years locals have known that the Gary sons grew & sold tons of pot out of Martin county homes. Cops found an entire floor of pot growing at Ken Gary's home. Kobie Gary was busted in 2009 for a grow house......PBSO insiders claim they have"given up" on trying to take over the Riviera Beach Police Department."We decided its not going to happen so lets just move on.".......The local Judge whose sex habits at Ft. Lauderdale swinger clubs may go public soon. She was allegedly caught on an I-phone video engaging in a group sex act now being circulated among courthouse types by a detective hired by an attorney who wants to embarrass her. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
CONGRESSMAN ALCEE HASTINGS AIDE FOUND GUILTY OF FRAUD
A crook usually keeps the company of other crooks. Many residents have felt for years that impeached Judge and current U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings is a crook. Hastings represents Riviera Beach, among other mostly black populated areas carved along Dixie Highway. His longtime friend and aide Mikel Jones has now been convicted of defrauding a New York venture fund that gave him a multi-million dollar line of credit and $150,000. While facing trial on the charges Hastings saw no problem in paying Jones his taxpayer financed salary of $78,000 a year until July of this year. Since 2001 Hastings has used tax dollars to pay Jones $733,744.00! What makes this more corrupt is that Jones was working out of his Philadelphia Law Office on this scheme which involved mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. Basically he got the loans for his law office and then used the cash to buy Eagles, 76ers tickets and pay off his credit cards among other personal things. Jones claimed to live in Boynton Beach and was collecting his pay from Hastings office as a"local aide." In reality it seems Hastings was using taxpayer cash to provide a no-show job for 10 years to a lawyer in Philadelphia who has now been convicted of fraud. A few years ago an associate of mine who lives in Hastings district tried in vain to get Hastings to initiate a congressional investigation into labor corruption at a local union. The union made campaign contributions to Hastings and he refused to even speak with one of his own constituents about their complaint. It appeared then that Hastings used the written complaints sent to his office about the union to shake down the union for contributions. In 2012 it's time to send Hastings and whatever other crooks he has working no-show jobs at his office into the private sector.
Catalfumo has over $100 million in debts......The word around town a few years ago was that if local builder Dan Catalfumo had not gotten the lucrative WPB City Hall construction job he would have declared bankruptcy. That job staved off creditors and allowed him to continue, but his landmark project on Singer Island may have been his last major construction project. Easily the most colorful builder in the Palm Beaches over the last decade, Catalfumo was a disaster waiting to happen - again. He came onto local TV screens in 2003 when he was arrested after a fight with his fiancée Heather Hill. She needed five scalp staples and 53 stitches when it was over. He said she fell into a picture frame. She said he beat her up and threw her into a glass table. Unbelievably he was found not guilty. He then allegedly paid her off so she'd drop a civil lawsuit. Legal woes and girlfriends go hand in hand with Catalfumo. He sued bombshell Franchezka Niewiadomski for the return of a $22,000 engagement ring to get it back. He sued Sandy McKenzie over a $95,000 engagement ring. The court made her give it back. He sued his own wife, Barbie Catalfumo, over a 5.3-carat diamond engagement ring. One fight with her also got him arrested, but she escaped without any stitches. It now appears he'll be spending more time in court. Bank of America has filed foreclosure on one of his PGA properties - to the tune of $30 million. Seacoast National Bank is after him for $32.5 million. Bank Atlantic has filed four lawsuits seeking $48.5 million. Iberiabank filed a lawsuit to recover $8.7 million. Each lawsuit names him personally and may result in his assets being stripped. Catalfumo has made some moves. He has a $10 million County Library construction contract. He sold the Singer Island buildings for $25 million. FPL has allegedly closed on a deal to buy some Catalfumo properties for $24 million. Few locals are willing to count him out, yet. One local realtor who has known him for years summed it up -"This is a guy who on his last day of school at Forest Hill rode into the school and sped thru the hallways on his motorcycle to show off and then slammed into a car in the parking lot, seriously injuring himself and he spent the whole senior summer in traction, we thought we'd never hear from him again." Stay tuned.
WPB the rape capital of PB County.......Since 2010 there have been more reported rapes in West Palm Beach than any other city in PB County - 54. Delray Beach is 2nd with 26. Boca Raton is 3rd with 20. NPB, Atlantis, Juno Beach & Ocean Ridge are the only cities to not have any reported rapes during that period.
It's a money mans world........It was Christmas Day 2006 when James Brown, the"Godfather of Soul" died. By 2009 his estate was whittled down to $14,000 by his heirs, who had taken millions for themselves after raiding his bank accounts and selling off Browns furnishings and personal momentos. The estate had $20 million in debt, some of it from a $26 million loan Brown had taken against proceeds from a European tour he had planned for 2007. Family members were still fighting about who should control the lucrative rights to his name. Since there was no money left, the courts finally forced them to agree to turn things over to a professional money manager, who made deals with Gatorade, Chanel and others bringing in cash to the charity Brown had set up to provide college scholarships to poor kids in South Carolina. The final payment on the $26 million loan will be made this December and kids may start getting the first scholarships awarded from the Charity next year. The family members have not received a dime since they were removed as trustees.
Can't beat em, burn em down.....Sean Davidson was upset that a new Papa John's had opened on US-90 in Lake City. They were cutting into the business at the Domino's Pizza he ran nearby as the manager. So he and his co-manager Bryan Sullivan hatched a plan - firebomb the place and burn it down. After the fire gutted the entire interior they drove away and then starting bragging about it at the local bar. Lake City's a small place. Cops got wind of the rumors and brought them in for questioning. They cracked within an hour and confessed. The ghetto life of drive-by shootings and fire-bombings has spread to pizza shop managers. Don't worry fellows Pizza Hut is hiring.
Mob news....like father like son....83-year old Nicky Scarfo, once the King of Atlantic City, sits in the U.S. Atlanta Penitentiary doing 23-hour lockdown every day. He gets out in 2033. His son has been carrying the flag for him, but his reign may be over. Nicodemo"Junior" Scarfo, now 46, just got out of prison in 2005. Now he's gotten pinched with 12 other Philly-based gangsters by the FBI for busting out a mortgage company named FirstPlus Financial Group in Texas for $12 million. The firm was looking to do a restructuring when Scarfo got wind of it. He used some cash to get a piece of it and set about threatening Board Members and their families to make them vote to buy worthless companies Scarfo created on paper. Junior was seen over the past 2 years in Ft. Lauderdale spending big, floating around on an 83-foot yacht at Shooters called"Priceless" and dining at a restaurant on East Oakland Park Blvd that is a known mob hangout. He bought a private jet he used to fly to Atlanta to visit his dad in prison. Scarfo Jr.'s Mafia roots run deep. His grandfather was a made man in the Genovese family in Brooklyn, his grandmothers 3 brothers were all made men in the Philly branch of the Lucchese family. He is out on bail awaiting a trial.
An educated consumer is our best customer....That slogan worked in TV ads that started airing in 1974 and many American men bought their first suit at Syms. In 1959 Sy Syms opened one small men's clothing store in New York's Financial District and built it into a giant. He died in 2009 of heart failure at 83. He took the company public in 1983, reaping millions. His daughter Marcy took over in 1998 with Sy watching closely. Syms has now filed for bankruptcy, last year they posted a loss of $50 million on sales of $445 million. The 1500 employees at the final 25 stores still open will be let go after the holiday shopping season once all the inventory is sold, then the real estate will be liquidated. Sy Syms was a great American businessman, without him the company could not make it.
They were great ones........No three brothers have made more of an impact on baseball than Matty, Felipe and Jesus Alou. They are the only three that played together on one team, the 1963 San Francisco Giants, forming an all-Alou outfield. They are the only three brothers to bat in the same inning. They had 5,094 hits combined, beating the only other 3-brother tandem close to them - the DiMaggio brothers Joe, Dom & Vince. They were the first of a wave of players to come from the Dominican Republic. Matty passed away last month in the Dominican Republic at 72. He won the batting title in 1966, hitting .342, his brother Felipe was 2nd at .327! Felipe lives in Boynton Beach, Jesus now works as a scout for the Red Sox.........Last September at the MGM in Vegas there sat Smokin Joe Frazier, signing autographs in the lobby. As fans walked up he would look them in the eye and say"Joe Frazier, sharp as a razor, what's your name?" Much has been documented about this American Icon, but I recall what a friend told me years ago who was at the legendary"Thrilla in Manila" sitting ringside. Ali was talking to Frazier the whole fight - at one point he yelled at him"They told me Joe Frazier was through!" Frazier yelled back"They lied" and hit him in the face with a left hook that knocked Ali into the ropes. It was 2 more rounds before Ali started talking again. Frazier won the Gold Medal for America at the 1964 Tokyo Games. Throughout his career, he never left North Philly. At the end, he was running a gym in the worst part of town, on Broad Street. Smokin Joe Frazier was a great one.
Hollywood's transgender kids of the famous....You may have seen Chaz Bono on Dancing with the Stars. The daughter/son of Sonny & Cher, Chaz made his transformation rather publicly. Playboy Warren Beatty & Annette Bening also have a daughter, Kathlyn, who has become a man named Stephen Ira and he does not like Chaz. In LA papers he has attacked Chaz saying he is a"misogynist who does not represent us" and"I don't want any rich white trans guy telling the media that testosterone made him a misogynist." I can see a celebrity transgender boxing match coming soon on pay per view.
Have you heard about........Robin Gibb of Bee Gees fame has liver cancer and is said to be dying, family members have flown to be with him in England.....the Maybach is done - Daimler AG has decided to discontinue its Maybach luxury car, which gained fame as Hitler's car during WWII, less than 200 were sold world-wide last year........Undercover cops are infiltrating the PGA bar scene trying to nail a local cocaine dealer and a well-known bookie, both of whom are regulars on the weekend scene at various hot spots......The notorious middle-eastern arms dealer that has rented a huge ocean-front home on PB Island - the owner of the home is furious at the realtor for signing the lease which lasts until May1st - he has reportedly not arrived yet......Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
WPB POLICE OFFICERS SAY GOOD RIDDANCE
TO CHIEF DELSA BUSH
If anyone had dared allow an independent poll by WPB Police Officers about their support for Chief Delsa Bush it would have hovered around 5%, say current Officers. Their Union leader John Kazanjian said it plainly"for the union, it's good to see her leave, because we never had a good working relationship with her like we did with prior chiefs." The fact is many in the WPB Police Department thought she got the Chief's job for one reason - she was a woman and closet-lesbian Mayor Lois Frankel was determined to appoint women to every meaningful position in city government, whether they were qualified or not. One senior officer, who didn't want to be named in print, said"This poor excuse of an Officer had no business being a Captain much less a Chief, and when that happened we all just cringed." He went on to say"What followed was a pattern of favoritism, corruption, abuse of office, misdirection of resources, unfair discipline and complete incompetence in every area." He ended by stating"If you did a poll and asked Officers if Delsa Bush was the worst Chief they have ever worked for in WPB history the answer would be yes by a 95% margin." Other Officers said that Bush was"Lois Frankel's lapdog" and point to her fixing the traffic ticket given to Frankel which made news. They also claim that Frankel & Bush's support of spending $5 million on the failed OpenSky radio system was pure theft and corruption and that the State Attorney should be investigating the matter from top to bottom."This was the theft of $5 million from WPB taxpayers - pure and simple" said an Officer who was closely familiar with the Radio program.
Gangster Rat back in South Beach.......It was not long ago that Chris Paciello was doing 6 years for murder. He was also accused by organized crime family members of being a rat who gave the Feds piles of info in return for a light sentence. He was facing 27 years for the murder, home invasion & robbery charges. Paciello rose to fame in the South Beach scene hanging with Madonna and her girlfriend Ingrid Casares while allegedly fronting for organized crime Captains in the Columbo & Bonanno Crime families as the owner of several hotspots like Liquid and Velvet. He originally opened Risk nightclub, which was torched and burned to the ground a mere 2 months after it opened to small crowds. He used that cash to open Club Liquid. Paciello was known for threatening everyone and announcing to anyone who would listen that he had the backing of the Mob. The truth about him came out when he was named by authorities as the wheel man in a brutal murder/home invasion in Staten Island. Innocent housewife Judith Shemtov was shot dead for just being home. Prior to that Paciello had a history of Mob-style moves, like his admitting to a $300,000 bank robbery at Chemical Bank in the Staten Island Mall. Prosecutors in NYC claimed he was part of the infamous Bath Avenue Crew run by Bonanno Captain Anthony Spero. Once he was in federal custody he starting singing like a punk to get his sentence reduced. No one knows how many of his gangster pals are now sitting in jail thanks to him. In 2006 he was let out, while his accomplices in the home invasion still sit in jail. He ran to L.A. where he opened 2 pizza joints called Cristoni Pizzaria, which are now out of business, after leaving the witness protection program. Two movies were made about his time in Miami -"Kings of South Beach" and"Unmade Man" - both were stinkers. Now Paciello is allegedly back in Miami and has gotten a deal to take over space at the Delano Hotel for a new nightclub & restaurant. In NYC there are many gangsters very unhappy that this rat is walking around and the word is they are just waiting for the chance to take Paciello for a swim. The downstairs club at the Delano is slated to open soon and will allegedly be named Eleanor's and the restaurant will be called Bianca. You may want to wear some body armor if you decide to go to the grand opening.
The truth about"Mayor" Bloomberg......Not only did Michael Bloomberg change the rules so he could run for a third term as NYC Mayor but he spent $110 million of his money to make sure he'd win. According to insiders now on trial Bloomberg was"arrogant" and cared little about how the money was spent as long as he won. This included millions spent on what he calls"Ballot Security." Others like his 2005 opponent Freddy Ferrer call it"Ballot Suppression." Bloomberg paid lawyers and thugs who manned polling places intimidating poll workers and allegedly attempting to stop anyone they thought was voting against Bloomberg from either voting or having their votes counted. Piles of cash were allegedly funneled through his campaign staff at rates that defy logic, like paying his Deputy Mayor Patty Harris $450,000 for 3 months work doing what was described in court as"who knows what." Witnesses have testified there was"little accounting" for money and the fact that his campaign"consultant" John Haggerty somehow got $1.1 million which he put towards buying himself a huge new home to live in after the election was not surprising. That cash was funneled through the state Independence Party's account where it would not be required to be reported until after the election was over. Bloomberg is said by many to be eyeing the 2016 race for President. Imagine how much money and corruption he'll be bringing to the process if that happens.
Haitian convicted......Following up on my story last month about the illegal criminal activity smuggling Haitians thru Singer Island and then using our own government offices to get them phony documentation, Lorigene Jean Baptiste has been convicted of conspiring with other Haitians to bribe DMV employees into handing out drivers licenses to illegal immigrants from Haiti. For the next three years taxpayers will foot the bill as he sits in jail after pleading guilty to"unlawful compensation for official behavior." This guy lived in WPB and ran a gang of Haitians who paid DMV employees $800 per license for putting illegal immigrants on our roads who can't read English, understand road rules or care to have insurance. He is now set to testify against about 12 DMV employees who took part in the scheme, many of whom are also Haitian. Nothing has been done about the many illegal operations along the Broadway & Dixie Hwy. corridor posing as churches and bookstores where illegal immigration activity is openly organized. Last Saturday night at 1AM I drove by the"Bookstore" just north of Blue Heron on Broadway and the Haitians were streaming in & out of the building. What type of church bookstore stays open until 2AM on a Saturday night?
The lost generation of playboys......I was at a party last weekend at a home obscenely too big in a room filled with at least $100 million of art sitting on a $240,000 Ivory couch next to a lady whose best nights were in the 1970's. She waxed on about how, despite there being much more money around, the class of playboys on the world scene is nothing like it used to be. She told me stories of the playboys of yesterday, fellows like Opel Auto heir Gunter"Sexy" Sachs, who told Bridgette Bardot he would"Rain roses on her life forever" if she agreed to go out with him. She smiled and walked away. He hired a helicopter and dropped $10,000 worth of roses on her villa on the French Riviera. She ended up marrying him during the height of her stardom in 1966. In May of this year at 78, suffering from Alzheimers, he felt his presence was undignified so he shot himself in the head in his chalet in Gstaad. He claimed to have never worked a day in his life and left behind $400 million. There was the"Dominican Stud" Porfirio Rubirosa who bedded Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jayne Mansfield, Rita Hayworth & Ava Gardner during one season in Hollywood, then married Doris Duke & Barbara Hutton. There was Peter Beard, heir to railroad millions, who married Cheryl Tiegs, dated Candice Bergen & Jackie O's sister Lee Radziwill. There was Dodi Fayed, who eventually died with Princess Di but previously dated a roster of royalty from France, Brazil & Germany. There was Gianni Agnelli, heir to the Fiat auto fortune who was put on a $1 million-a-year allowance by his father which he spent chasing women around the globe. She said"these men carried themselves with class and dressed well, smelled of $900 an ounce cologne and spoke 6 languages while exuding unmatched charm." Today we have Charlie Sheen, spending his millions free-basing coke and ordering cheap hookers. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin staying in a $8,000 a night suite in St. Tropez and spending $50,000 in a bar with 10 models while wearing shorts and a baseball cap on backwards. Phonies like Sean Combs who have enough money to get into the right places but not the character to converse with the well educated jet set. As she told it,"the playboys of today got their money so fast & easy they hadn't the time to pursue hobbies of literature, opera, art or world politics, they are just boring men with money." And the beat goes on.
Have you heard about.......The scandal brewing about our future Florida Speaker of the House State Rep. Chris Dorworth from the Orlando area. Two years ago he was facing foreclosure on his Lake Mary mansion, his salary of $2,600 a month couldn't come close to covering the $10,000 a month payment. He had a $1.3 million judgment against him from a failed business. He had no assets. Then he was elected by his GOP peers as the next Speaker. Now he has a $700,000 stake in an out of state Delaware Holding company with no website or phone number that's paying him $70,000 a year. His mortgage payments have been caught up. He refuses to answer question about the out of state company. He is set to become Speaker in 2014.......The trouble brewing at City Hall in WPB - Mayor Muoio is being undermined by numerous department heads who say she is"unable to hold an intelligent conversation about anything complicated" and"knows nothing about how city finance works" - others say former Mayor Frankel"still has her claws controlling certain departments and will continue to unless she is defeated in her Congressional race" and"people are still scared of her." .........The recently arrived 40-ish Palm Beach stock market trust-fund snowbird who got hooked on heroin while in Brazil this winter - he brought"at least $200,000 worth of it" back with him on his private jet and has been hosting heroin snorting binges with"an assortment of the islands richest sons and daughters" at his oceanfront mansion, according to a well known Palm Beacher party girl.......Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
HAITIANS BEING SMUGGLED THRU SINGER ISLAND IN MASSIVE NUMBERS
If you're seeing more Creole speaking Haitians around town there's a reason - they seem to have an open invitation to be dropped off on Singer Island. The only time they're caught is when the boat captain is too stupid to tell the difference between Singer Island & Palm Beach. You may have heard about 67-year old boat captain Tom Joerger being caught dumping 18 illegal Haitians on North Ocean Drive in Palm Beach. This idiot tried to drop them off at 3 in afternoon. Obviously 18 Haitians being unloaded onto the beach in broad daylight and walking down North Ocean Blvd. in Palm Beach would attract some attention. The going rate for smuggling Haitians from the Bahamas to the Florida coast is $2,000 each. What's happening is they have found safe nighttime routes thru condos & hotels on Singer Island and Haitian employees of certain buildings are coordinating the smuggling. After arriving they are picked up and taken to any one of the Haitian bookstores, churches, and other front businesses on Broadway in Riviera Beach & WPB that operate solely for smuggling. Then they are taken to a relative's apartments or driven to the Ft. Lauderdale area. They are schooled on how to apply for every kind of financial benefit offered by the U.S., State, County & City. Haitians that have found jobs off the books around town are charging fees to bring other illegals to their jobs and introduce them to the boss for a possible job. Some entire fast food restaurants have already been taken over by Haitians, like the Wendy's on Northlake near US-1. Service is horrible as the Haitians have made it a gathering place and employees are often in the dining room talking in Creole and ignoring customers at the front register. Keep in mind these are third-world people with no sense of cleanliness or care about what they serve you. They have no knowledge of U.S. food safety standards, no knowledge of American food and many can't communicate in English, so managers are using the few who do understand to translate to others. This results in a third-world kitchen serving food not fit to eat in my judgment. With a huge ICE compound right on Broadway I wonder how they have let this go on for nearly three years. A Haitian involved told someone he thought he could trust at a hotel on Singer Island that he makes"5 times his pay every night" using a flashlight to signal boats and then walk groups across the property and into waiting cars. When asked how many Haitians are coming thru Singer Island he rolled his eyes and said"at least 5 boats totaling 100 every night."
The greatest Palm Beach gold digger of our generation........Those of you who enjoyed a snicker when Roxanne Pulitzter was reduced to teaching aerobics after her divorce from the Pulitzer family money & Herbert Pulitzer, her history since then has been a string of millionaires. Today she lives in a 23,000 square foot Colorado 7-bedroom pad with a bowling alley, indoor shooting range, lap pool and husband # 5 Tim Boberg, a trim 64-year old retiree with cash to burn, who she met in Palm Beach. Prior to that she had a Vegas wedding to Palm Beacher & Yellow Page Heir John Haggin that lasted 8 weeks. Haggin's mother Naoma disinherited him from a $200 million trust one week after she found out about the quickie wedding. Pulitzer announced she"didn't want to be married anymore" and the marriage was over. No one ever found out what the payoff to Pulitzer was to walk away. Pulitzers current lifestyle was recently the subject of a Wall Street Journal story headlined"The Mansion of Grown-Up Toys" which detailed her massive home and daily habits of rising late and drinking wine in the afternoon while enjoying panoramic mountain views. Remember, it was way back in 1982 when this gal divorced Pulitzer. She's had quite a run since she first started fishing for men in Palm Beach during the 70's.
It's official - Wilton Manors gay capital of Southern U.S.....There is only one city in the nation with a bigger percentage of gay households than Wilton Manors - Provincetown, Massachusetts. The UCLA Law School released their findings from the Census data and it shows Wilton Manors having 160 per 1,000 homes that are resided in by"same-sex couples." Next door is Oakland Park, which has 56 same-sex households per 1,000. Florida as a state has 8.8 per 1,000. Anyone whose been to Wilton Manors lately might say the number is much, much higher. There are entire condo buildings where every resident is gay. The"gay strip" of Wilton Drive is nothing but gay-owned businesses. Gay retirees are flocking to Wilton Manors from all over the world with Germany leading the way. The Palm Beach elite gay crowd has been going to Wilton Manors clubs for a decade, many in an effort to hide their gay clublife from fellow Palm Beachers. Several city council people who hide their sexuality from voters in North Palm Beach County are known regulars in Wilton Manor bars. By the way, Wilton Manors today is a clean, friendly city with a booming economy.
A real political fraud......Mike McCalister is a Republican running for U.S. Senate in Florida. He served in the Army Reserve. When talking to him one would think he is the most decorated war hero in history. He claims he was a"special operations colonel" - then the Army told reporters there is no such position, so he took it off his website. He claimed he"testified before Congress in the bright lights of Capital Hill with General Tangney." General Tangey doesn't remember him at all and says"He could've been in the back of the room someplace holding a briefcase. It's a gross embellishment and exaggeration, if he was indeed even there." McCalister tells people at fundraisers he was involved in"black ops" and has seen"scary things." Jeffrey Shera, a former Sergeant Major who worked with McCalister says"he never served in combat and was really a paper pusher" and that"McCalister spent most of his time going to the MacDill Air Force Base gym and sitting at the juice bar at the time." Veterans Group Stolen Valor has stated McCalister's active duty service was about 3½ years and was"extremely limited" to training. Stolen Valor analyzed McCalister's record and said"there's a good chance McCalister, like many others, enrolled in the National Guard to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War in 1971." The Army has told McCalister to stop wearing his uniform to political fundraisers as it is a violation of policy. General Tangey offered more - "It is not all uncommon with these guys in the reserve components to blow themselves up to be a hero that they never were and never could be, this is just nothing but a case of someone claiming to be what they're not for personal and political gain." And spare me your emails & letters, if the guy was a democrat I'd have written the same thing.
Mob rat on the run.....Gambino crime family rat Michael"Mickey Scars" DiLeonardo has testified in 14 mob trials and gotten jail time for 80 gangsters. After being arrested in 2002 he immediately began talking and last month he walked away with a sentence of time served. He served his time in the company of FBI Agents in hotel suites across the nation ordering room service. He admitted having a hand in the murder of three people along with extorting labor unions, construction companies and others. He claims it was John Gotti Jr. who ordered the hit on Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, which was botched badly as Sliwa was able to escape death despite having a gun pointed at his face in a cab when the hit man popped up from the front seat floor. Word is out that Mickey has been placed below Orlando in Florida, in a western community on the east coast with a new name. After putting away people like Alphonse"Allie Boy" Persico, Underboss John"Jackie" DeRoss, Anthony"Sonny" Ciccone and Louis"Big Lou" Vallario, there is allegedly a $1-million price on his head from the Gambino family from now until he turns up dead. Happy days you rat.
In life, the oldest person wins!......She was born when Grover Cleveland was President. Crossword puzzles had not been invented yet, neither had crayons or corn flakes. Besse Cooper turned 115 years old on August 26th in a Monroe, Georgia nursing home. The Guinness Book of Records flew in a representative to attend the party, and then made it official that Besse is the oldest living human on earth. Her son Sidney is 76. Her husband died in 1963. Her secret may be laziness. Her son says"she sleeps 80% of the time."
Another taxpayer rip off....Orlando area Orange County Tax Collector Earl Wood makes $153,082. He is 92. He has stated that he"tries to make it to the office three times a week." That would be $981 a"work" day. His office keeps no calendar or appointment book recording him performing any actual duties. Orlando residents in the know say his top assistant, Kelly Goodwin, does his job and has for years. But running for office in her own name may result in a loss and jeopardize her salary, and the salaries of the other office people appointed by the Tax Collector, so they just leave Wood in charge. This guy has been in office for 46 years, and is now collecting social security, his huge county pension and taking his full pay of $153,082 a year for trying to visit the office three times a week.
The German solution.......Tired of street prostitutes not paying taxes on their earnings Germany has come up with a plan. The city of Bonn has put"Prostitute Parking Meters" on streets. Hookers must buy a $8.60 ticket good for one night turning tricks on that street. If they are caught walking the street without the ticket they face huge fines. The ticket is good from 8PM to 6AM. City Officials say they expect $280,000 a year from the meters. I can hear the hookers saying"Hurry up, my meters running."
Have you heard about........Our Governor Rick Scott turning down $106 million in grant money to fight cancer & transfer long-term care patients into their homes because it was part of the Affordable Health Care Act tea partiers don't like, but he kept $13 million to teach kids abstinence........Christies Auction House is now selling Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry collection including the 33.19-carat diamond ring Richard Burton gave her........A recent study found the average paycheck for the CEOs of America's biggest 500 companies was $10.7 million and their average employee made $33,121 - a 325-to-1 gap, up from a 263-to-1 ratio in 2009. When Republicans defend their stance on not taxing the top earners & companies consider this - Stanley Black & Decker CEO John Lundgren was paid $32.6 million last year and thanks to loopholes his company got a $75 million tax refund........The founder of Weight Watchers, Jean Nidetch, now lives in a Broward Seniors complex and at 87 still weighs 142 pounds, the goal she set for herself in 1962......The former Washington D.C.-area male prostitute who is romancing one of Palm Beach's most wealthy widows, she knows nothing of his past and neither do her friends, who say she is"in love." Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
AUTHOR JUDE DEVERAUX GAVE $20 MILLION TO LAUDERDALE PSYCHIC
Local psychic Rose Marks convinced millionaire author Jude Deveraux the only way to get over losing her 8-year old son in a motorcycle accident and making sure he got to heaven was to give Marks money to"cleanse." Deveraux has written 37 books that made the NY Times best seller list. Scarlett Nights and Days of Gold are just two of her hit books. She allegedly gave Marks more than $20 million. Rose Marks is the matriarch of the most famous Gypsy family in America - the Marks. They have been operating for decades, always keeping a South Florida presence and a storefront near the Plaza Hotel in NYC. Rose is now 60, she also goes by Joyce Michael. There's Cynthia Miller, Rosie Marks, Vivian Marks, Michael Marks, Donnie Eli, Nancy Marks & Ricky Marks - they are known members of the Romanian Gypsy family, all born in the U.S. They have at least 4 storefronts operating in their names now - Astrology by Nancy, in the Coral Ridge area, Astrology Life on Sunrise Blvd. in Ft. Lauderdale, Joyce Michaels Consulting and a Davie psychic storefront on the Davie Road Extension. The clan has various members allegedly working the Palm Beach market from Boca to Tequesta. The family members mentioned above were all arrested and a search of their homes turned up 400 diamond rings, over 100 high end watches and 200 gold & jeweled necklaces. For years complaints have been filed from around the world - a Japanese person gave them $496,000 with promises of getting it back after it was cleansed, a tourist from Denmark gave them $180,000 he thought was going to charity. Now it appears Rose Marks was a sought after psychic for wealthy Palm Beachers, who are refusing to come forward and admit they were fleeced. The Marks family members are being held without bond - labeled as"dangers to the community." It's doubtful any of them will talk, even though they are facing up to 27 years in prison. But prosecutors are shaking the trees and looking for more victims and the trail has allegedly led to prominent Palm Beach winter residents. Stay tuned.
Florida justice........18-year old Eric Perez got busted for what police said was a"small amount of marijuana." He was held for two weeks in a P.B. County juvenile detention center. He died on July 10. He allegedly begged for medical help from staff as he vomited and said he had a severe headache. The entire episode is on tape. Our state government refuses to release the tape. Unknown to many, Republicans passed a law that denies the release of video that shows a person dying. This law was pushed by private prison lobbyists & has one exception - parents or spouses of those who die while in state custody can get copies of any video relating to the death. The Palm Beach State Attorney's office is now refusing to release the video to Maritza Perez, the boys mother. He claims it"will cause harm to the investigation." Perez made her intentions about the video known -"I'm going to show it to the world." So an 18-year old kid gets popped with a couple of joints, was jailed for 2 weeks, denied medical help, and died. To cover up the neglect the state refuses to release the video tape even though the law says they have to. We have state Republican lawmakers doing the bidding of private for profit prison companies who want to stop any video or photo records from being made available to the public when a prisoner in their care is abused, neglected or denied medical help, resulting in death. Then we have the Palm Beach State Attorney's office fighting against a mother whose son wrongfully died in jail. So if you're arrested, even if you're innocent, taken to jail and beaten to death by guards or another inmate, Florida law says if you have no direct spouse the tape of the incident will never be seen by anyone but the government.
I told you so.....In June I told you in this column about Palm Beach Island's Lydian Bank getting ready to go under. My headline asked"Is Lydian Private Bank going under?" Now we have the answer - yes. Federal Regulators shut down the bank on Friday, August 19th. Lydian was no small local Palm Beach bank. They had $1.2 billion in deposits, $1.7 billion in assets and managed over $1 billion in their advisory investment business. The scramble is raging on Bankers Row to see who will snap up their wealthy clients.
Another two-faced Mayor........As Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez tries to cut the pay of county workers he has been handing out lucrative pay packages to his pals. Here's a hypocrite statement from Gimenez -"I want the best people available to help me reduce the size of this government and reduce costs, sometimes that doesn't come cheaply." Here's what that means - Gimenez created a new position called"Deputy Mayor" and hired 4 of them. Ed Marquez will be paid $267,00 a year, which is $5,134 a week. Jack Osterholt will get $250,000 a year, which is $4,807 a week. Genaro Iglesias will get $225,000 a year, which is $4,326 a week. Alina Hudak gets $259,000 a year which is $4,980 a week. Gimenez says he needs one more Deputy Mayor to round out his team of five Deputy Mayors. So citizens elected one Mayor and he hires 5 Deputy Mayors to help him do his job, then tells all the county employees they have to work harder. The four new Deputy Mayors he hired will cost citizens $1,001,000 a year, or $19,247 a week. Carlos Gimenez was supported by the Tea Party as he campaigned to"cut government size & waste." The five Deputy Mayors will also get $16,375 each in health & pension benefits per year. Gimenez also hired Lisa Martinez as a"senior advisor" making $130,000 and an"aide" named Inson Kim, who will make $105,000. Dade County taxpayers will foot the bill while Gimenez demands county employees double their health care contributions, pay more for their retirement fund and take a pay cut.
Coco Chanel was a Nazi spy......A new book claims Coco Chanel was a high level Nazi spy in the 1940's. Chanel was recruited in 1940 by the German spy organization Abwehr. She was Agent F-7124 in Abwehr records and her code name was Westminster, a link to her lover the Duke of Westminster. It was a German lover, Baron Hans von Dincklage who made her a spy. She was permitted to stay at the Hotel Ritz in Paris when the Germans controlled France. Chanel wanted to regain control & ownership of the biggest selling fragrance in history - Chanel No. 5, from her Jewish partners, the Wertheimers, who originally produced and marketed it around the world. But they outsmarted her and fled to America shielding all their business assets. When the war started going badly for the Germans Chanel fled to Switzerland with Baron Dincklage and lived with him for 9 years. She returned to Paris at 70 in bad health and died at 71. The book is called -"Sleeping With the Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War."
Another Tea Party fraud......After firing more than 1,000 state workers Governor Rick Scott is on a hiring spree of campaign hacks to help him get re-elected - and we're paying for it! He hired Robin Stublen, a tea party"activist" at $70,000 plus benefits, to be a"Deputy Director of Public Liaison." Scott hired another"public liaison deputy director" and five other people to work under them doing the same thing according to Scott - "hearing from individuals around the state, about what their issues are." I thought that was his job. The starting pay for these jobs is $45,000 a year, but most are in the $60,000 range. The seven new hires will cost taxpayers over $400,000 a year. Stublen and the others are in reality doing what they did when they worked on Scott's campaign staff (which all of them did) - advance work in cities to drum up support for Scott and get people to attend meetings in support of him. How Robin Stublen can accept taxpayer cash of $70,000 a year to campaign & politic while calling himself one who believes in the Tea Party values of smaller government and fighting against government waste is beyond imagination.
The last living TV legend.....At 85 Jerry Lewis may be the last true TV star of the"New Age of TV" from the 50's & 60's. He appeared with his son Gary singing on the Hullabaloo Musical Variety show way back in 1966. After being dumped as the host of MS Labor Day Show he spoke out at a press conference. Talking about the modern business of producing TV Shows he said "A sponsor like Proctor & Gamble says, are you nuts? You want me to spend $1.6 million for that variety show when I can get the fat lady to lose weight for $62,000. Let's go with that one. We'll call it reality. The TV industry has destroyed itself, we don't have the soul in our industry that we had when I was working. and the soul has been desperately deteriorated." Jerry Lewis is a legend, and he is right. How could it be that a show like All in the Family aired on prime time in the 1970's but is now censored in 2011 when it runs on cable? Our social fabric is now too soft & politically correct to handle TV shows from the 1970's.
New Gambino Boss.....The new boss of the Gambino crime family is a salesman for a NYC bakery. His name is Domenico Cefalu, nicknamed"Greaseball" &"Dom from 18th Avenue." He was made in 1991 during John Gotti's tenure. He rose thru the ranks beginning in the feared"Zip" crew based in Queens run by captain Pasquale Conte. Cefalu did 6 years in prison from 1982 to 1988 for heroin smuggling and in 2008 he got popped for extortion in a trucking construction scam and did another 20 months. Cefalu is the first person to run the Gambino's that is not a Gotti since John Gotti took over in 1986. Gotti's brother Peter had been acting boss from prison, along with a"ruling panel" until the panel agreed to name Cefalu as boss. Peter Gotti is doing life for heroin trafficking. Both Cefula and his main ally, Jackie D'Amico the"Street Boss" of the family, allegedly maintain residences in the Ft. Lauderdale Galt Ocean Mile stretch of condos and are seen around town during the winter season.
He was a great one......He played for the Baltimore Colts in one of the most famous games in history, when Joe Namath led the Jets to an upset victory in 1969. He was the first pick in the 1967 NFL draft. He was the best defensive player ever at Michigan State, where he led his team to a 19-1 record in 1965 & 66 winning the Big Ten both years. He won the Super Bowl in 1971 with the Colts. He went to Hollywood and became one of the biggest football transition to acting stars in history. He was on Charlie's Angels, Good Times and made the Miller Lite"Taste Great - Less Filling" commercials famous. He became an iconic figure as"Moses Hightower" in the Police Academy movies. Charles Aaron Smith was born in Beaumont, Texas. His father Willie Ray coached him in high school. He was 6-foot 7-inches when he arrived at Michigan State in 1963. You know him as Bubba Smith. He died last month at 66. Bubba Smith was a great one.
Have you heard about.....32 Army active-duty & reservists committed suicide in July, the most in a 1 month period in history........The worst local celebrity tippers list - Madonna - last season left $18 on a $400 check, Usher left his autograph as a tip, Bill Cosby left a $3 tip on a $300 bill, LeBron James left $10 on a $800 check......The 2 Duffy's waitresses who also walk the streets turning tricks for $20 - when recognized they say"It's been slow this summer, I‘m not getting many shifts, come see me when football starts!" Remember, don't repeat a word if this! It's all on the QT!
PAT KLUGE GOES FROM RICHEST DIVORCEE IN HISTORY TO BANKRUPTCY
It was 1990 that Palm Beach resident Patricia Kluge became the 1st billionaire-by-divorce in history. MetroMedia tycoon John Kluge, who died in September of last year, agreed to a then record $1 billion plus settlement to divorce Patricia. He also gave her the historic 45-room Albemarle House and the 3,000 acres that go with it in the most expensive area of upper class horse country in Virginia, along with a stable of exotic horses. Once the divorce was finalized the party started. Patricia hosted royalty, celebrities and moguls from around the globe at lavish parties that went for weeks on end. Champagne & caviar was offered to guest 24 hours a day and some hard on their luck European Princes allegedly lived there for years. Patricia was a former pin-up girl who appeared in the British adult movie"The Nine Ages of Nakedness" and landed the biggest fish on the planet when she married Kluge, who in 1986 was the 2nd richest man in America, Sam Walton was #1 at that time. As cash ran out Patricia decided to use the estate to produce wine, which after a large investment failed. Now 62, Patricia will watch as her home is auctioned off along with the millions in artwork and furniture inside it. Mar-A-Lago owner Donald Trump has purchased the Wine Vineyard - so look for Trump Wine coming to a restaurant in Palm Beach soon. Patricia's other known assets have been seized to settle $46 million in debts that she has. This woman spent 1,046 million dollars in 21 years. That comes to about $50 million a year, $961,500 a week, or $137,000 every day. John Kluge lived out his final years on his 3-home oceanfront estate at the end of Middle Road in Palm Beach entertaining folks at huge dinner parties like the Dalai Lama and Tony Bennett, both of whom often stayed at his oceanfront guest house. He was flown to one of his homes in Virginia, where he wanted to spend his final hours shortly before he died. He left his Palm Beach Estate to Columbia University, which now has it listed for sale. His artwork collection at the Palm Beach estate was said to include one of only 2 Statue of Liberty prototypes created by the French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi in 1870. All of Patricia's assets are now under the control of a trustee and she is said to be calling in favors from wealthy friends for subsistence. The party is over.
Another party has started...........I told you about gambler Don Johnson last month. He won a record $15 million playing blackjack in Atlantic City in 6 months. Now allegedly banned from playing in Atlantic City, where casino authorities are claiming he cheated but they can't figure out how, Johnson has been spending their money. Hanging out with Jon Bon Jovi in London he bought a 30-liter bottle of Armand De Brignac Midas champagne for $192,000 to get the party started. By the time he asked for a check his tab was close to $250,000 and he left a $35,000 tip. Next he is going to Vegas to throw a huge bash for sexpot Pamela Anderson's birthday. Party on dude.
Then there's a loser..........Banker Andrew Beal is known as the richest man in Dallas, worth over $6 billion. Word is spreading that he lost close to $50 million in just three poker games in the last 4 months. The games allegedly included Spider Man star Tobey Maguire, who walked away with millions of Beal's cash. The games were legal because law in Texas states if the house takes no cut it's ok. Beal is a massive gambler who still holds the single-day blackjack win record in Las Vegas - he won $11.7 million at Bellagio in 2004. In 2006 he lost $16.6 million in 3 days. A book called"The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time" detailed one of his 2005 games, where he lost another $15 million.
The most dangerous nightclub in South Florida closes.........In 2007 Leonard Del Percia bought Goldfingers Gentlemen's Club in Riviera Beach near I-95 and thought he had a goldmine. I can't remember hearing about more violence at any other parking lot in Florida. A woman stabbed her husband in the strip club parking lot after an argument about money. 26-year old Richard Dumas was shot multiple times in the parking lot. 29-year old Haitian Himberson Alridor was shot in the parking lot. 27-year old Reicko Jones was shot dead by a security guard in the parking lot after drawing a gun on the guard after he was thrown out for fighting. It was no safer inside the club. A guy was found shot in the stomach inside the bathroom bleeding to death. Then 3 weeks ago the club had a drive by shooting where the entire front of the building was shot up, bullets hit 2 men and 2 women were injured by flying glass. Unbelievably the 2 women where told by PBSO officers to drive themselves to the hospital. Percia closed the place. It's now for rent. Want to open a strip club?
News Corp's big bath......The next time someone's telling you about the all the money being made on the internet throw this one at them. Six years ago Rupert Murdoch's now flailing empire News Corp paid $580 million for Myspace, then a hot internet site. About 45 days ago they quietly sold it for $35 million to a group of investors including teen idol Justine Timberlake. That's a $545 million loss in six years. Timberlake is going to attempt to turn Myspace into a platform for aspiring artist to show their work to the world.
Our tax dollars fund another golden parachute....49-year old Hollywood City Manager Cameron Benson was fired on June 15 after city officials learned they had a $10.3 million budget shortfall causing the layoffs of 18 people and pay cuts for all 1,300 employees. Police have seen their pay cut by more than 15%. Benson, who became city manager in 2002, was given nearly $300,000 to resign. He got one year's pay of $205,000 and $83,000 in unused sick leave & vacation time. Here's the golden part. When Benson turns 55 in 6 years, he'll start collecting a $9,250 a month pension every month for the rest of his life. If he lives to be 70 he will have gotten $1,665,000 in payments. He also has $141,000 in another retirement account provided by taxpayers. All this pay for serving less than 10 years as a city manager in a town the size of Hollywood.
What they won't tell you.........Where was the most likely place to get attacked by a shark in 2010? Florida. In 2010 there were 13 documented shark attacks in waters off Florida. 3 people have already been attacked in the now named"Red Triangle" - the area of beach next to New Smyrna. In 2008 there was a record 19 shark attacks in New Smyrna beaches. On average for the last 6 years nearly 1/3 of the worlds' shark attacks have occurred within 600 feet of the New Smyrna shore. The"Red Triangle" was a name originally given to the area of water between San Francisco & Monterey, where Great White Sharks migrate every year to feast on sea lions.
South Florida justice.....Linda Sampson was a hard working woman trying to make ends meet in her Australian Avenue bakery in WPB that she operated out of her home. Her husband Aaron helped her every day. On November 6, 2008 two men, Michael Simmons & Bryant Vaughn walked in and shot them both to death. The home invasion killing netted them less than $500. A week later police did their job and arrested Vaughn who immediately ratted out his partner Simmons and said he was the shooter. Assistant State Attorney Barbara Burns offered them a plea deal because she claimed she did not have enough evidence for a trial. Vaughn was offered a deal that got him only 10 years in prison. He will be free and be back on the streets of WPB before he turns 30. His partner Simmons took another deal that will mean he walks free before he turns 50. Both were under 20 when they killed 2 people in cold blood. Do you think if they had killed 2 prominent white business people in a Palm Beach Island store they would have been offered the same deal?
Florida's corrupt Attorney General Pam Bondi......You may have heard that foreclosure fraud by banks was uncovered by 2 attorneys in the State Attorney Generals office. Theresa Edwards & June Clarkson made national news when they exposed "foreclosure mills" where phony signatures, bogus names, signatures from fake bank"officials," fake witnesses and many other fraudulent practices were instituted by banks using sub-contractors. 60 Minutes did a segment on the practices and interviewed employees who admitted signing thousands of documents. The two attorneys that exposed the fraud were recently called into the State Attorney Generals office and told to either resign or be fired. Calls to the AG's office resulted in claims that the two resigned and that"We are aggressively pursuing these investigations." How that is happening is a mystery as Edwards has stated that neither she nor Clarkson were permitted to brief anyone about the investigations and barred from writing even one memo to staff about any of the cases - they were just told to clean out their desk and leave. It's obvious what happened. Big banks went to Gov. Scott & Pam Bondi and complained about the investigation so they fired the two attorneys that started it. Now they will stop the investigations and allow the banks to go back to the fraud and stop any new cases from reaching the courts about the fraudulent activity that ripped off homeowners.
Have you heard about.......The $100,000 razor being sold by Zafirro, the blades are made from artificially grown sapphire which makes them hypoallergenic and able to stay sharp for 10 years, the handle is made of iridium, a rare expensive metal that comes from crashed meteorites and is so strong it could be submerged in molted lava and not be harmed.......The oldest stockbroker in America - Irving Kahn is 105 & still working, he started when he bet his life savings of $300 on a short position in copper 2 months before the great depression was triggered by the stock crash - he's now Chairman of Kahn Brothers with an office on Madison Ave.....The Rainbow Room is looking for a restaurant operator - shuttered in 2009 after the Cipriani restaurant family didn't pay the rent the 65th-floor space at 30 Rockefeller Center is being renovated by management in hopes of finding a new tenant......Irving Picard is finally paying some cash to Madoff victims and many Palm Beachers may get checks by the end of summer - despite collecting $7.6 billion, only $272 million is being paid out while Picard's firm churns up fees and holds cash claiming that due to ongoing litigation it can't be released, the firm has paid itself $180 million since they got the case.......Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
PROVIDENT JEWELRY ROBBERY SOLVED?
In April I told you about the stunning robbery at Provident Jewelry store in Jupiter. Somehow this small jewelry shop had $15 million in jewels sitting in it when it was cleaned out despite having a Class II Vault and multiple alarm & camera systems. Many locals thought this was an unusual amount of jewelry to be in a shop that size and the theft was an inside job designed to cash in on an insurance claim. The thieves knew where 16 different camera video recorders were and managed to remove every tape and it took at least 8 hours to burn thru the safe at heat so hot several fires had to be put out. They obviously were very comfortable in the shop. Now a group of 8 thieves has been busted in a Miami-based ring that had the same M.O. as the Provident robbery. They cut holes in the roof, disabled alarms & removed tapes from camera-recording equipment, used torches to burn thru safes and left the place a giant mess of destruction. Juan Collado-Miranda, 44, of Coral Gables was the alleged ringleader and the other 7 were all from Ft. Lauderdale, Hallandale & Dade County. But authorities have not named them as suspects in the Provident robbery and they are still being questioned as investigators try to get one of them to flip. This group of 8 may have stolen over $30 million in jewels!
Is Lydian Private Bank going under?.......Bankers Row in Palm Beach is reeling after Lydian Private Bank was reduced to a rating of zero stars by the famed Bauer Financial ratings after the 1st quarter of 2011. Lydian was rated"problematic" in the 4th quarter of 2010. The bank was reported to have assets of $1.7 billion on the books but only $53 million in Tier One capital. Lydian has long been home to some of the greatest fortunes in Palm Beach, with some going back generations. As one Bankers Row operator told me -"Lydian has always been the snottiest of all the snotty banks on the street." Most of the banks require a $5 million deposit to open an account. But one insider says counting Lydian out is a mistake, saying"Lydian is not going anywhere, I think they've parked massive amounts of cash somewhere to keep it earning at high rates - they're up to something." The last bank I mentioned that may be going under was Riverside National Bank, 2 months after I wrote about it Federal Regulators closed it and TD Bank took it over. Bankers Row operators in Palm Beach are salivating at the chance to take over the accounts at Lydian. Stay tuned.
This treasure may be yours.....One office Gov Scott did not cut is the Bureau of Unclaimed Property. This obscure office currently has more than $1 Billion in cash & property that belongs to thousands of former & current Florida residents who don't realize where it is. The money has piled up from unclaimed accounts in banks, utility & power companies, lost & found from airports & bus station lockers and literally money found in all sorts of places. To see if your lost cash is there just go to the state website and type in a name - if it hits anything you'll be asked to fill out some forms to collect your booty! There are 721,000 accounts from Palm Beach County listing cash assets worth over $105 million!
Supreme Court for sale.......How bad is corruption in our nation? It's reached all the way to the Supreme Court. The Heritage Foundation, a right-wing group fighting against health care reform and now trying to overturn the recently passed laws that force insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions and not be able to kick people off plans when they get sick or injured, has paid Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's wife over $686,000 in"lobbying fees." If she was not married to a Supreme Court Justice who may soon be hearing this case does anyone believe they would have paid her this much money to"lobby." And who exactly is she lobbying? Imagine the wife of a Supreme Court Justice going to the offices of Congressmen and"lobbying" them on issues that will soon be on her husbands desk at the Supreme Court. What makes it worse is that on his annual financial disclosure report Clarence Thomas neglected to mention that his wife got all this money from one group. Even after more than 70 members of Congress sent Thomas a letter demanding he recuse himself from voting on the case he refuses to do so. So corporations, thru donations to advocacy groups like the Heritage Foundation, can pay massive amounts of money to the wives of Supreme Court Justices prior to their cases being heard by the highest court in the land. That is absolute corruption of government and our judicial system.
Huguette Clark dies at 104.......If you're a regular reader of this column you may recall my story about heiress Huguette Clark, the only daughter of U.S. Senator & copper mining magnate William Clark from Montana who left her upwards of $600 million in the 1930's. Her 42-room 5th Ave pad in Manhattan along with mansions in California & Connecticut have sat empty for 50 years at costs into the millions for maintenance & taxes while Huguette lived with her doll collection in a single hospital room. She died May 24th at 104 years old - there are no heirs to what is now a $500 million fortune. One lawyer, Wallace Bock, has handled her estate for years and has received millions in gifts from her - among them a $10,000 Dollhouse for his Granddaughter and $1.5 million for a bomb shelter in Israel where his daughter lives. The Manhattan D.A. is currently investigating Bock & his accountant for allegedly mismanaging her millions.
Blackjack player busts Atlantic City.......During the last six months Don Johnson of Bensalem Pa. has won $15 million playing blackjack in Atlantic City. Wearing jeans and T-shirts he won $4.2 million from Caesars, $5 million from Borgata and a house record $5.8 million from the Tropicana. He was permitted to play $100,000 a hand and pulverized the casinos causing their public stocks to drop. At 49 years old Johnson insist he is not cheating or part of an organized ring - he says he's just been on a lucky streak. He walked into Caesars 6 months ago with $2,000. The Tropicana win cost the CEO Mark Giannantonio his job, he was fired after the Trop posted a $1.8 million loss in April. Atlantic City casinos still think Johnson was cheating and now refuse to let him play.
How long will you live? .........Imagine being able to know tomorrow how much longer you will live. A new test has gone on the market that will tell you just that. On sale now in Britain it cost $703 and measures structures on the tips of your chromosomes called"Telomeres" that indicate how fast you are aging. People born with shorter Telomeres have a shorter lifespan. The test has drawn outrage from religious groups who are lobbying Congress now to stop it from being available in America. High profile media stars & business tycoons have allegedly been flying to Britain to take the test since it became available several weeks ago.
What they won't tell you......The truth about the Libyan war and NATO's efforts to kill Gadhafi originates not in the"Arab Spring" but with the CIA and Gadhafi's quest to use a single currency in Africa backed by gold. It was in 1971 that the U.S. got Saudi Arabia to agree they would only accept dollars for the purchase of their oil. This solidified the U.S. dollar as the currency of the world and has been the tool that allows central bankers to control economies on this planet. That is another reason why the Euro was introduced on the European continent. Having one currency helps maintain control. Foreign leaders are well aware of this. 1 year ago Gadhafi created the African Investment Bank and the African Monetary Fund which would replace the U.S. controlled IMF (International Monetary Fund) in Africa. His vision was to create a single currency on the African continent and demand all purchases of oil be backed by gold. That sealed his fate. CIA agents were dispatched with orders to create an uprising that would be used for cover in an invasion to replace Gadhafi. If he was successful in replacing the U.S. dollar with a gold-backed currency in Africa U.S. oil companies would be forced to pay with gold-backed bonds or gold itself to purchase oil from African nations. Other continents and nations could then stop using U.S. dollars for oil purchases and demand the same. This would drop the value of the dollar overseas to its gold backed value - next to nothing. Libya's Central Bank has over 144 tons of gold. The families that control the Federal Reserve, the Rockefellers, Rothschilds & Warbugs and the power elites around them know that if oil is ever sold on the world market for a currency other than the U.S. dollar their ability to control world financial markets is over. The first move of these powerful men was not to find peace in Libya but to freeze $70 Billion in assets belonging to Libya in their Libyan Investment Authority, which is the 13th largest investment fund in the world. This move was designed to stop Gadhafi's ability to trade on world markets. No one now dares trade with Libya as they think they will not be paid. This has sent another signal to oil producing nations that if you play games with the U.S. dollar you will face military intervention. If a cover story of"civil unrest" or"Arab Spring" is needed - it will be arranged. The powerful families that control the globe will not stop until Gadhafi is dead or deposed and held under house arrest somewhere, where he can't stop the almighty dollar from being the only currency accepted for oil purchases. Then a new regime will be installed in Libya - they will gladly accept the U.S. dollar for oil purchases.
Iconic homes for sale........Elizabeth Taylor's Bel Air estate is on the market for only $8.6 million. Formerly owned by Frank Sinatra's daughter Nancy, Taylor lived in the home for the last 30 years. It's 7,000 sq. ft. with 6 bedrooms and the master bedroom is upholstered in violet......Then we have the sale of Aaron Spelling's 57,000 sq. ft. mansion on 5 acres in Holmby Hills called"The Manor" that has been listed at $150 million for 3 years. 22-year old socialite Petra Ecclestone, who has never worked a day in her life, used daddy & Formula One racing big wig Bernie Ecclestone's money to buy it. Petra will split her time between her new home and her $90 million 6-story London mansion she bought when she turned 20.
Have you heard about......Elaine's in NYC is closed. Since owner Elaine Kaufman died 6 months ago her East Side hotspot which opened in 1963 and was immortalized by Billy Joel's song"Big Shot" had not been the same. Elaine worked as a waitress for years in Queens and put her life savings into buying the building at 88th Street & 2nd Ave........The porn company that has set up shop in an upstairs apartment on Clematis and is scouting female & male talent at night in Clematis bars offering $500 to women for each scene - the scenes are now on the internet called"Nightclub Sluts" ......The prominent Partner at a major local law firm that just went into rehab for a pill & cocaine habit after an intervention was staged by his law firm partners......The flood of Russian hookers that hit town last month and can be found nightly in hotspots on P.B. Island, the Gardens & City Place - watch yourself they've been using knockout pills and copying credit card & drivers license numbers (but not taking the card) and maxing them out by noon the next day. Remember, Don't repeat a word if this! It's all on the QT!
HAITIANS BEING SMUGGLED THRU SINGER ISLAND
Once again a group of illegal Haitians was caught arriving by boat on Singer Island recently. They arrived via speedboat from the Bahamas. Singer Island condo residents who are night owls and those who wake early before 5AM have told me they often see boats drifting close to shore under the cover of darkness. A source in the ICE division told me"we now believe Singer Island has become a main drop-off point for smugglers of illegal Haitian immigrants and we think there are employees at a resort involved." The recent boatload was captured behind the Marriott Hotel, which employs"many Haitians."
The Haitians are then driven to one of the many storefront"churches" that have popped up in the last two years along Broadway from Blue Heron to Northwood Road. Some are called bookstores and labeled as other businesses but all seem to draw large crowds of Haitians late into the night. The next step is documentation, you may have heard that several Haitians have been arrested over the past 5 years at the DMV for selling real drivers licenses to undocumented Haitians who may or may not be able to read English or have any understanding of American traffic laws. During the last bust authorities said as many as 3,000 illegal immigrants may have received real drivers licenses. Where do they live? There has been a huge influx of Haitians in Lake Park. An insider in the Haitian community told me that the recently arrived Haitians have to pay $500 to get into one of the"Haitian houses" - apartments and small homes rented by legal Haitians who make money allowing illegal Haitians to live in them. Most are occupied well above the legal limits, usually 6-8 people per room, and the Haitians understand they have two months there and then must find somewhere else to go live. As my confidential ICE source told me -"we catch only a fraction of what is actually coming in, the route has been established - from Haiti to the Bahamas to Singer Island."
Another 1st for Florida........It's hard to believe but the 1st completely full service gay resort opened this century in America celebrated their Grand Opening on April 11 in Ft. Lauderdale. The Royal Palms Resort & Spa is humming along at 80% occupancy at its location on Breakers Avenue. Fort Lauderdale also just hosted the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association for the first time this century. With Wilton Manors leading the way the Ft. Lauderdale area has arrived as the most visited destination on the east coast for gays in the world, 2nd only in the U.S. to San Francisco. So along with the Rooftop Resort in Hollywood - the nations only full service swingers-only hotel, no matter what your lifestyle is South Florida's got you covered!
Palm Beach Koch brothers buy off staff at FSU......A year ago I told you about the Koch brothers - billionaires who make a lot of their money on no-bid government contracts and now have decided to use it to destroy any form of government regulation. They funded the Tea Party and other right-wing groups. For a paltry $1.5 million donation they have infiltrated the FSU staff. Their donation comes with a contract, which was accepted by their pal, Bruce Benson, the Chair of the Department of Economics at the school who stated"I agree with what they believe" - referring to the Koch brothers. That itself is a very troubling statement for a university department head. The contract allows the Koch's to appoint an advisory committee that signs off on the hiring of teaching staff. They can veto the hiring of any teacher they don't like. FSU must also provide"information on publications, presentations, courses taught, students supervised and outreach activities" to the Koch advisory committee along with access to"files, reports, accounts, or personnel." So we have one Koch brother starting a right-wing high school in town, another buying control of faculty and teaching at a college.
The true story of corporate taxation in Florida.........While our Governor rails about cutting taxes on corporations to create jobs, a check at the State Department of Revenue revealed some interesting facts. Of 1.2 million for profit companies in our state only 24,112 paid anything in taxes last year. So more than 95% of corporations and companies in Florida paid no corporate income taxes at all. As it stands now corporate income taxes account for less than 3% of our states revenues. At our current rate of 5.5% Florida has one of lowest corporate tax rates in the nation among states. Cruise company Carnival posted over $1 billion in profits last year and paid not one penny to Florida in corporate taxes, even thought the majority of their customers board their ships in Florida. Darden Restaurants had their lobbyist convince legislators in Florida to get them a tax break - the break turned out to be more than their tax bill. So while Gov. Scott cuts funding to veterans, public schools, adds fees for you to get your drivers license and register your car while claiming we must cut corporate taxes - remember that there's very little left to cut before we get to all 1.2 million corporations paying nothing at all.
Why are healthcare cost so high?........Over the past 2 years Jackson Memorial Hospital has lost more than $350 million. It is a public hospital. They recently hired a CEO, Carlos Migoya. His hospital experience? Zero. He was politically connected banker for 30 years in Miami, then served 10 months as Miami City Manager last year. He now will be paid $590,000 a year with a benefit package valued at $107,000, plus a bonus package of up to $295,000. Add that up, this guy with no previous hospital administration experience will earn $19,076 a week to run a public hospital. If he works 5 days a week that's $3,815 a day, or at an 8 hour shift - $476.00 an hour.
What they won't tell you..........Our state nursing home industry is a disaster right now. A 75-year-old Episcopal priest with dementia wandered off unsupervised from a nursing home and was found in a lake after his body was eaten & ripped apart by gators. The owner of an assisted-living facility threatened disabled residents with a stick and refused to give them food and drugs. A 71-year-old man with schizophrenia died from burns he received in a bathtub and at the same facility the staff failed to keep residents from beating one another to near death. Throughout the state nursing homes are caught using illegal restraints - on a weekly basis. At least one resident a month is found to have died from neglect & abuse and those are the few we know about. This has all escalated since Gov. Rick Scott got control of the system. He fired the head of the state's watchdog agency, Brian Lee, at the behest of the nursing home industry, who said Lee was"irritating." Lee had assembled a group of volunteers who visited nursing homes and reported on cases of abuse, filth & neglect. Lee would then visit the facility and insist they make changes to correct the problems. The group of 400 volunteers had conducted 9,000 investigations in one year. Scott solved the problem, he dismantled the volunteer program from the top down, firing the head spokesperson and replaced Lee with a crony. Republicans just passed a bill reducing the amount of mandated time per day that must be spent on nursing home residents from 3.9 hours to 3.6 hours and they supported a bill that would have denied access to nursing homes by volunteer groups like the one Lee set up. Surveys had shown the program under Lee had a 98% satisfaction rating from nursing home residents. There was a time in the 1950's when landing in a Florida nursing home was worse than the state prison. With our aging population it would seem we should be paying more attention to nursing homes, not less.
Odds & ends.......Robert De Niro is allegedly set to play Bernie Madoff in an HBO movie based on the book"The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust." De Niro lived near Madoff in the Hamptons and is now 67 - Madoff is 73..... Willie Mays just turned 80 - at 5'8" and 180 pounds he hit 660 home runs, had a .302 lifetime average and is known as the greatest all-around baseball player in history - the son of a steel worker who grew up in Westfield, Alabama he still lives on in a healthy state of being today - a testament to a drug & steroid free era of professional sports, he played his last game 40 years ago........ The home made famous in the film"Home Alone" is up for sale. Located north of Chicago, the house has 4 bedrooms with a huge 4-room master suite, where the family lived throughout the shooting - Coldwell Banker got the listing if you're interested..... Another iconic home just on the market is the gated Beverly Hills pad of Psycho star Janet Leigh. Her famous shower scene is one of the most watched horror movie clips of all time and she reportedly had psychological problems taking showers for the rest of her life after watching herself in the movie, insisting that a friend or staff person sit in the bathroom when she took one. It's 4-bedroom, 4,400 sq. ft. with a tennis court & heated pool.
Best contract ever.....Bradenton resident Bobby Bonilla was a pretty good baseball player. His contract belongs in the Hall of Fame. The NY Mets wanted to get rid of him but didn't want to buy out his contract for $5.9 million in 1999. So they signed a deferred payment deal that delayed any payment until 2011, at 8% interest. Now Bonilla will get $1.2 million every year until 2035. With the accumulating interest he will get a total of $29 million, more than Willie Mays earned his entire career. Bonilla has not played a game since 2000.
Mob news......Colombo family mobster-turned-Christian motivational speaker Michael Franzese, who was busted for writing bad checks had the charges dropped after paying court fees and honoring the check in Tennessee. Called the"Prince of the Mafia" Franzese was given the key to the city of Miami in the 1980's while he made a breakdancing movie there. Franzese and his half-brother Andy Balash Matdes, who has controlled the Hotel Employees Union in Miami for the last 15 years thru intimidation, alleged election fraud and the firing of anyone who threatens his power are both the sons of a now jailed Columbo Captain, the legendary 93-year old Sonny Franzese.
Have you heard about........The mountain of ecstasy pills that landed on the WPB club scene. There's a new group of young Germans in town that have dumped thousands of pills into the scene using gyms, restaurant workers & bartenders to deal them........The James Brown will saga roils on - since dying in 2006 the will is still not settled despite a 2009 agreement between the trustee and the known heirs. Al Sharpton has sided with a few of Brown's children and the battle rages on with no one getting a dime yet...... Madison Avenue advertising agencies are pushing for companies to go after the 50-70 market, saying they are now the ones with spending power as median income for the once coveted 25-40 market has shrunk due to unemployment and low wages.......The Delray-based upscale escort gal who has serviced many wealthy married big shots in Palm Beach is now writing a book, naming names, sexual preferences and wives who liked to watch. She's shopping the book and has a literary agent in L.A.........Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
One of the most brazen thefts on our area has law enforcement stumped and people talking about who did it. In late January owner Rob Samuels came to work at Provident Jewelry in Jupiter and found that $15 million in jewels had been stolen. The thieves had done something no one else ever had - break into a Class II Vault. Made of concrete & steel, the goods in the vault were insured by Wexler Insurance, whose owner Steve Wexler said he had never seen a Class II Vault successfully penetrated since the company began insuring in 1968. Over 1,500 items were stolen. The cases were emptied. Even on the hot market someone has cashed in on a payday of at least $3 million. The FBI has been brought in to help the investigation. The thieves came in thru a back door to another unit then busted thru the wall to get into the store. They had disabled the alarm and took the security tapes from 16 cameras. The joint had obviously been cased. When they torched thru the vault, it was so hot that small fires started and it must have taken hours to burn thru the steel. Some are pointing to the old dinner set crew that robbed many Jupiter Island & Palm Beach homes over the past 20 years during dinner time - but they are old and 1 is in jail. But were they the architects of the job, using younger muscle to pull it off? For an out of state pro to pick this shop in tiny Jupiter seems unlikely, it had to be locals. Local organized crime figures are having a laugh and claiming they know nothing about it. Some claim the jewels are already in a foreign country somewhere, as pros would not try to fence them in the states. Or were the jewels broken down and sold as stones and scrap? There's many unknowns. One things for sure - $15 million in jewelry is gone and if a Class II Vault is not safe from burglary there's a lot of nervous jewelers and insurance companies.
Lawrence finally goes down...... Many Palm Beach & Lake Worth residents have known Lawrence Hamel for years. Always shady, always with cash to burn, he finally got busted and is going to prison. He is due to be sentenced May 27th for stealing over $2 million in a bogus real estate scam. At 66 years young, he may do at least 3 years of a maximum 5-year sentence. His scam, which some people say he has been doing for years, was to offer big but not excessive returns (usually around 12-15) on investments to buy homes and flip them. The scam changed with the times, this company, Coral Real Estate Trust LLC, told people their money would be used to buy, rebuild & remodel, then resell homes at a profit. But it was always just a Ponzi scheme in which he kept the payments up with new investors as long as could, then shut it down and hid out for a while until the cash ran out, then started again. Before Coral Real Estate Trust LLC there was Coral Springs Real Estate Investment Trust, which he opened in 1998. Allegedly you can go back in time and find one company after another, averaging a new one every 5 -8 years. Hamel plead guilty this time and is looking for leniency from Judge Kenneth Marra.
WPB City Hall reeling.....Well it took less than 2 weeks. Staffers at WPB City Hall are claiming that new Mayor Jeri Muoio has in"coded language" spread the word that"this is a new administration" - meaning Lois Frankel's people will be pushed out. Frankel's alleged"special friend"(code for lesbian lover) Joan Goldberg was supposedly told in a private meeting with Muioi that she was expected to resign. She did. What is scaring Frankel more than anything is the talk of a complete audit of the DDA, Northwood CRA and the City Financial Department. There is also word that the State Attorney's Office is looking into WPB finances and the money spent building the new City Hall as part of an"ongoing" investigation. Staffers are privately claiming the"cover up began months ago when Frankel realized she would not be able to change the charter and run again." Muoio, who was backed by Frankel & her developer friends - is"doing to Frankel what Frankel did to Nancy Graham" according to a well-placed city official."The only difference is she's not waiting 3 months to initiate her plans to rid herself of everything and everyone closely tied to Lois." Stay tuned.
Hookers move back over the bridge.....A few years back Riviera Beach's Broadway strip between Blue Heron & Silver Beach was known as the biggest prostitute track in Palm Beach County. Supported by a flop house motel where rooms rented for $30 a night, which was allegedly owned by four PBSO Cops, crack dealers could set up shop for days at a time in the motel and girls could get their fix and turn tricks without walking more than 3 blocks. The good times are gone. The motel, Harbor Lights, was torn down and now is an empty lot. With no home base, the girls who tried to hang around have been routinely arrested & jailed by Riviera cops. Several have wised up and when given the choice of more jail or time in a treatment facility have chosen treatment. But the oldest profession in the world does not go away - it moves. Now it has moved to the WPB side of the port bridge - down close to the Northwood area of 25th street, outraging residents there who had successfully chased them away. A recent article in New Times about the Riviera Police Department claimed that cops take payoffs from crack dealers. But with no customers there can't be any payoffs and business has dried up. As one smiling local business owner said -"the crack party's over."
Too bad for Harry Baals......Fort Wayne, Indiana residents have always held Harry Baals in high regard. He was their Mayor 1934-1947 and from 1951-1954. When the city built their new Governmental Center building they conducted a poll to determine what citizens wanted to name the building. 24,000 people of the 30,000 who voted agreed - name the building after our beloved former Mayor. But something about the Harry Baals Building just didn't seem to click. Apparently city officials thought people might make fun of the name. So they went against their own citizens and named the building the Citizens Square. That's government for you, they just won't listen!
What they won't tell you...........The U.S. Government just paid millions of dollars to free an alleged CIA operative who killed two civilians on a street in Pakistan. Raymond Davis was stationed at the U.S. Consulate in Lahore. It started this way on January 27th- Davis was driving a Honda Civic in Lahore, Pakistan's 2nd biggest city. He saw 2 men coming towards him on motorcycles. Thinking they were assassins (he later said he thought they were robbers - an absurdity since no one kills for a Honda Civic, even in Pakistan) he pulled out a pistol and with amazing efficiency killed them both. Jumping out of his car he snapped face photos of them & made a call. A Land Cruiser with other CIA Agents sped toward the scene and clipped a guy on a bicycle, killing him. When they called Davis to alert him he decided to flee on foot. But traffic cops tailed & caught him 2 miles away. The Agents in the Cruiser fled & got away. This has been big news around the world, but our media has ignored it. A London paper outed Davis as a CIA Agent and the 2 men he killed as Agents of the ISI - Pakistan's version of the CIA. The widow of one the ISI men killed committed suicide and while dying in a hospital her final words were demanding"blood for blood." Davis was imprisoned and called"The American Rambo" by the Pakistani press. High level CIA officers called the incident"a disaster." The Pakistani court submitted murder charges against Davis and was preparing for a quick trial. Then a"high-level State Department official" - allegedly Hillary Clinton, met with her Pakistani counterpart and told him if Davis was not freed she would have Congress put a hold on $3 Billion in aid that was scheduled to be wired into Pakistani government accounts this month. Senator John Kerry took a hushed trip to Islamabad & met with Pakistani military officers to reinforce the message. Davis was recently freed and flown to Afghanistan. Now comes word that over $2 million was paid to the victims families and millions more to government officials to get Davis released. The incident has led many Muslim groups to denounce America and demand that all CIA Agents be expelled from Pakistan. There are allegedly more than 2,000 CIA agents operating in Pakistan now. But the American public was again kept in the dark, unaware of the furor this incident caused overseas.
Don't give away used sex toys...... Mitchell Tice, a cook at the Banana Bay Resort in Marathon wanted to win his ex-girlfriend back. So he broke into a trailer behind the resort and found a box of sex toys. He gave them to her as a gift. But the cops were on to him and showed up to interview him, instead finding his ex-girlfriend who promptly turned over the sex toys saying they were"already used" and said Mitchell had given them to her as a gift. He was booked into Monroe County jail.
Mob news......Get ready for Karen Gravano, daughter of rat Sammy Gravano. She's signed a book deal to tell about living with Sammy, helping him form an ecstasy ring in Arizona while he was in the witness protection program, getting busted and put on probation for it, and then becoming a make-up artist. She will also be seen on"Mob Wives" being filmed now in NYC about Mob wives & daughters who have to fend for themselves when their husbands go to jail. Sammy got 19 years for the drug ring and sits in an Arizona jail now.
More news from Wacko Texas.....Waco, Texas has had its share of bad publicity. Here's more. A girl named Lakita Evans opened a new burger joint there called"Fat Ho Burgers." You can enjoy a Supa Fly Ho with Cheese, the Sloppy Ho Brisket or the Fat Chicken Ho. And for your children there's Tiny Ho Meals. When confronted by religious groups Evans said -"I'm not calling people a ho. It's just like they say, 'Oooh, that ho is big" and"That ho is tight!""The economy is bad. Somebody gotta keep a sense of humor around here." Only in Waco.
Have you heard about..........Billy Joel canceling the release of his autobiography and giving back his advance money to Harper Collins. After writing the book he decided not to open old wounds.........G.E. making $26 billion in American profits but paying not one cent in taxes due to manipulating the tax code and leaving profits in offshore accounts.......Cary Grant's Palm Springs pad on the market for $2.9 million........The brothel/sex party pad operating south of Southern on Flagler in a hedged-off home. Ads have surfaced in swingers magazines for"open-sex parties" at the address and attendees have reported young Latin girls from Miami selling their services at the parties......The richest playboys in town no one knows - the Ziff brothers - Dirk Ziff, Robert Ziff & Daniel Ziff - all under 46 years old and worth $4 Billion each. They own homes on the island listed under trusts - most of it came from inheritance and hedge funds. They party around town unnoticed as billionaires. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
In Egypt Mubarak turned off the internet to stop citizens from being able to hear each others thoughts on their revolution. In Riviera Beach the City Council, led by Chairperson Dawn Pardo, turned off the TV during public comment so residents could not hear each others thoughts about their own city government. Council woman Judy Davis made this absurd statement -"People come just to talk with the people in TV land. That should not be.""TV Land" is the citizens of Riviera Beach who pay for the TV station with their tax dollars. So Davis thinks Riviera citizens should not be allowed to speak to their fellow citizens. This crackdown on free speech has led many to label Dawn Pardo a"dictator" who has run roughshod over public comment for 2 years. One residents said"She sits up there shuffling the comment cards and letting people speak in the order of her personal political agenda, it's disgusting. Now she decides not to have public comment heard at all, that's the move of a desperate dictator." Pardo is the person who has been accused of violating the sunshine law repeatedly in her push to give away public land to private companies and to deny late shift workers a right to have a beer at Buddy's Cafe when they get off work after 2AM. For years Buddy's was the place for late shift workers to relax and have a beer as it was open until 5AM. Pardo allegedly conspired with 2 other council people in secret to deny Buddy's the license renewal to stay open until 5AM. Recently Pardo defied the Riviera Beach City Charter by placing a question on the ballot reversing the November vote on giving away public land at the Marina and refusing to follow City Charter protocol by letting the Council investigate the City Clerks refusal to allow over 700 signatures that were improperly obtained & submitted for putting that question on the ballot. The City Charter specifically states the matter is to be brought up at the next scheduled City Council Meeting. But that would have been too late to put the question on the ballot, as they were being printed that week. So Pardo, like a dictator, ignored the City Charter and did what she wanted. Riviera Beach citizens, even if they support Dawn Pardo & Judy Davis, should be outraged at the act of turning off the cameras so no residents in the city can hear what their fellow citizens say. Let the residents make that decision with their remote control, they pay for the TV Station and they should decide when they want to watch it.
Pill popping Palm Beachers always get off........First we had Rush Limbaugh buying over 2,000 pills illegally and not spending one day in jail even though he said on his own radio show that all illegal drug users should be sent to jail. Now we have Turner Alexander Benoit, the son of Palm Beach socialite Nellie Benoit. This guy allegedly posed as a doctor, wrote prescriptions and pocketed the cash. Not once.179 times for over 6,500 pills. Hundreds of the pills were for him and his pals. All were filled at one place - Greens Pharmacy in Palm Beach. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office quietly filed a"no file" in his case claiming"there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction." What? You've got 179 written scrips filled out by him, 29 people who got them that could be put under oath and asked who gave them the prescription, Greens Pharmacy providing the documentation of them being sold and the person he stole the prescription pad from (WPB psychiatrist Johnathan Greenfield) claiming it was Benoit who wrote the scrips. A check of the PBSO booking blotter found a Kimberly Peregoy in jail. She was caught with one (1) pill. She went to jail on 3/4/11 and was still in jail as of press time. Obviously she does not have enough money and stature to avoid jail in our legal system.
Epstein may be charged again.........Palm Beach sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is now sweating a new investigation into his sex life. Seems a woman has come forward named Virginia Roberts claiming she was recruited to have sex with him and his friends at age 15. She claims the daughter of former media mogul Robert Maxwell introduced her to Epstein and that age 17 she was traveling with Epstein and also met Prince Andrew at Maxwells' London home. Roberts explicitly says she was a"prostitute for him and his friends who shared interests in young girls."
The man who destroyed the Sentinel newspapers.........It was 2007 when Sam Zell bought the Tribune Company, which includes the Sun-Sentinel and the Orlando Sentinel, for $8.2 billion. He accumulated $13 billion in debt to make the purchase, using only $315 million of his own cash. More than 4,000 people have lost their jobs at his company since then. Morale at both papers is said to be"a sense of desperation" as employees expect to fired every day. Now comes word that another of Zell's investments is in trouble. In 2006 he paid over $220 million for a 10% stake in East Mediterranean Gas Company, whose main profit center is a pipeline that transports natural gas from Egypt to Israel. The majority owner of that company is Egyptian businessman Hussein Salem, a close associate of former dictator Mubarak, who has reportedly fled Egypt in fear for his life. Egyptians have always been upset about the pipeline, to say the least, because they are suffering thru gas shortages. Most analyst expect the pipeline to be turned off at any time and it has already been sabotaged. This will make Zell's investment worthless. Meanwhile his employees at the Tribune are rooting against him, have blogged that they hate him and that his new culture is one of sexual harassment and political witch-hunts where journalist are told to"go after" certain elected officials in print. No current staffers at the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel will speak on the record only saying"this place sucks."
Nice money for a job not well done..........The wife of politician Adam Hasner of Boca Raton, who many claim will run for US Senate in 2012, was paid over $950,000 for about 18 months work on the campaign of loser Meg Whitman's try for Governor in California. Jillian Hasner managed Whitman's campaign, which many there called a"complete train wreck" and her pay breaks down to over $52,000 a month. Think about that the next time you cash your paycheck. These are the people we have today in politics.
South Florida Cuban Mafia........A gang of well connected Cubans is being alleged to have created an east coast empire of airport cargo theft. The massive operation initiates in Miami Airport and tracks cargo up the coast, where accomplices steal from cargo shipments to the point where when they reach their final destination the crates are empty. Sources claim the Cuban Mafia has soldiers in every airport, including Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach International, where they steal a little at a time so authorities won't notice. The operation extends inland as far as Tennessee and Ohio and has accounted for over $200 million in thefts over the past 2 years. If you're going to ship something valuable thru Miami get insurance.
What they won't tell you.........America's new Iraq is no bastion of freedom. The guy who threw 2 shoes at George Bush, Muntazer al-Zaidi, was recently arrested for"inciting" fellow Iraqis to demand an end to food and power shortages, unemployment and government corruption........A new book claims President James Buchanan was a known homosexual who had a 32-year affair with Alabama Senator William Rufus King that led to Buchanan's pro-slavery stance that some say led to the Civil War. The book also claims Franklin Roosevelt kept 2 mistresses, Lucy and Missy, throughout his time in office......850,000 people along the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh had no drinking water due to natural gas drilling wastewater being dumped into municipal water treatment plants then dumped into the river. A new source says efforts to police fracking, a form of gas drilling, have been blocked by oil & gas industries for the past 25 years, who had EPA superiors narrow the scope of any investigation to the point where any report would be a total whitewash of what actual environmental damage occurred.
The trade........It was 1972 when two NY Yankees pitchers decided to swap wives. Not for the night, forever. Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson traded wives in mid-season. Susanne Kekich and Fritz are still married to this day and live in New Jersey, Marilyn Peterson left Mike years ago. Now Yankee haters Matt Damon & Ben Affleck are making a movie about it and the two former Yankees are calling their old teammates begging them not to participate in helping with the script. The working title for the movie is"The Trade."
$800,000 Cab Ride......It is the most expensive cab ride in American history. Peter Rahhaoui, a New York cab driver, has pleaded guilty to fraud after billing a Hong Kong businessman's credit card $800,000 after driving him less than 14 miles from the Airport to Manhattan. Tony Chan, a millionaire feng-shui master never noticed the charge until a bank official called him to inquire about it.
Tipping report........Word from local servers in the area about celebrity tippers - Professional wrestler"The Rock" came into a local restaurant, ran the server to death with 8 soda refills, sending back the garlic bread for"too much butter" and left $7 on a $80 check - the staff now calls him"The Cheap Pebble." Jimmy Buffet and his Mom visit an island joint - waiter says when they come in servers quickly mess up their tables so he won't sit in their section,"he's notorious bad tipper who once left $2 and change on a $30 check." Famous bad tipper & former NBA star Scotty"No Tippen" Pippen is at it again. He came into a sports bar the night of a fight. The owner said he didn't order it due to the $750 charge and his place can't support it."No Tippen" Pippen said no problem he'd cover it. The owner ordered the fight. The fight lasted 1 round."No Tippen" Pippen refused to pay - said he didn't get"his moneys worth." Owner argued with him and he agreed to pay half. On the classy side Rush Limbaugh is now the undisputed king of Palm Beach tippers, regularly leaving $500 to $1,000 on dinner for two. Burt Reynolds is a consistent $100 to $200 tipper, always leaving $100 bills.
Have you heard about..........The notorious Miami-based brunette porn star who is now living at a PB Island hotel. She is hanging out at an off-Worth bar all day texting. Word is a local married hedge-fund guru is paying her $30K a week to be on his beck & call........That former Health Care king & nice guy Abe Gossman has run out of money and was forced out of his luxurious condo at the Watermark........That staffers at WPB City Hall & the DDA are sending out resumes at lightning speed thinking the new Mayor will clean house........The well-known Clematis Street & City Place nightclub coke dealer who has not been seen in 3 weeks - he got busted in Miami with 8 ounces and is sitting in Dade County lockup on a no-bail warrant. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Freedom of speech in America took another hit on the chin recently when Palm Beach Town Manager fired the Fire Chief William Amador. He was not fired for doing a bad job, the Town Manager admitted openly and in print in the PB Daily News that he fired the Chief for"involvement in the construction and maintenance of the website, PalmBeachPensions.com." Amador denies the accusation saying"I'm being accused of something I didn't do." No proof of Amadors"involvement" has been offered by the Town Manager. But what has PB residents talking, many of whom are very wealthy, is the old"so what." What if he did provide public information that was used in this website? A close look at the website fails to find anything of a"Wikileaks" nature, just well thought out rabblerousing about the pension issue and the firefighters version of why their current pension plan benefits everyone, including taxpayers. The website does not even engage in the typical name-calling that usually surrounds labor negotiations. Are we now going down a road in which any city employee can be accused of"involvement" in any website by the Town Manager and be fired for it? Without proof that it caused any damage to the town? Even a few notorious super-rich right-wing advocates have stated privately this was wrong. One, who owns a massive ocean-front property near the Breakers, said"In this age, if you can't take the heat of an internet website get out of the kitchen." A smolder is turning into a bonfire over this termination - stay tuned.
Idiot Florida criminals.....Out looking for a good time, 3 teens named Waldo Soroa, Matrix Andaluz & Jose Marrero broke into a house and spotted an abundance of white powder. Thinking it must be some high quality coke they started snorting it. Thinking they had a good buzz going they took the containers of powder and split the scene. The containers were urns, the contents were the remains of the father of the person that owned the house and her 2 dogs. The 3 idiots spent the evening snorting cremated dogs and human remains. And then to cap it off, they got busted for the crime.
Another 9-11 Rip-off......The purported"official" Memorial Fund for the 9-11 catastrophe is the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, located in NYC. Schools have allowed schoolchildren to collect donations by having bake sales and going door to door, often a penny at a time, to fund building a Memorial at the Ground Zero site. $370 million has been raised and taxpayers via the US Government & NY State have kicked in another $330 million. Where's the money gone? The Foundation President, Joseph Daniels is paying himself $371,300 this year. It seems the more cash that came in the higher he raised his pay. He gave himself a 28% raise in 2006, 12% in 2007 and 6% in 2008. The Director of the Museum that does not yet exist, Alice Greenwald, pays herself $351,000. The"capital planning" VP Joan Gerner got a hefty $337,000 a year before she left. The"Development Director" Cathy Blaney is paid $322,000 a year. There are 11 people in this organization making more than $160,000 a year. According to the nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator, the usual salary for the CEO of a mid-size foundation like the memorial is about $160,000. Managers after that level usually make much less - normally under $100,000. The Museum is expected to open in 2012, two years late.
The American bankruptcy......Right now each person in America is on the hook for $45,300 in debt. That's the $14 Trillion in total debt we as a nation carry. Now smart investors are silently bailing out of what's called"Munis" or Municipal Bonds that cities, states and the Federal government sell to fund themselves. The Securities and Exchange Commission has quietly launched an investigation of whether states and cities are properly disclosing budget issues to investors when they sell these bonds. West Palm Beach is a perfect example. Under soon to be former Mayor Lois Frankel, the city has engaged in a Madoff-like scheme in which hundreds of millions of dollars have been borrowed for the new City Hall, the waterfront, the CRA's and the DDA. These bonds carry huge balloon payments in the future, which Mayor Frankel has refused to publicize. Some of the payments are higher than $50 million in one payment during one year. Many of the bonds sold under her two terms are scheduled not to be paid back for 30-50 years, accruing huge amounts of interest on top of the original loan amount. WPB is a city that now pays its bills secretly with credit cards and in which one person reporting directly to Lois Frankel is the only one besides her who knows the true story. Trying to look at WPB finances is very difficult due to them making it a maze of confusion in very small print scanned documents online. But it reveals a house of cards that Madoff would be proud of. For now everyone got rich off the bonds - those who sold them, the developers like Catulfumo who built the projects and got paid, and the many overcompensated CRA & DDA employees, one of whom gets paid $130,000 a year to work part-time. Respected banking analyst Meredith Whitney, who predicted the banking crisis in late 2007, is warning that 50 to 100 municipal-bond defaults will happen over the next year, likely amounting to more than $100 billion in defaulted debt. This will cause an avalanche of investors selling bonds. And just like individuals can't get a home loan now unless they've got perfect credit and lots of cash on hand, cities and states won't be able to sell bonds to anyone, except for those states that have"perfect credit" - which most analysts now say are none of them. Cities like WPB will have to rely solely on property tax revenues from homeowners, money they usually spend in 3 months of operating. This is the great financial crash coming late this year and in 2012, when the debt really will hit the fan.
Stallone out, Travolta in........After getting the role of playing John Gotti in the new film being pushed by John Gotti Jr. about his gangster dad, Sly Stallone set about trying to hijack the script and the production. Bad move. Junior Gotti decided dealing with Stallone was too much and has replaced him with his 2nd choice - John Travolta. They had a much publicized dinner together in Hollywood to make everyone forget about Stallone having the role.
A man and his country.............Love cult guru Keith Raniere is at it again. I've told you how he has suckered in wealthy heiresses like the Bronfman sisters, Clare & Sarah, heirs to a billion dollar fortune originated by Seagrams booze, to his NXIVM"Group." The Bronfman sisters have allegedly given over $200 million to Raniere's group. Now a deposition given by Barbara Bouchey, a former lover of Raniere's has blown the lid off his operation. Bouchey claims that Raniere was paranoid the government was watching him so he refused to get a drivers license or file taxes and encouraged his followers to do the same. Raniere considers himself a"higher power" than us normal humans and while Bouchey was serving his sexual needs he was also"intimately involved" with"at least 7 other women." Raniere has allegedly been busy recruiting Native Indians, both women & men, hoping that when he has enough of them he can buy a huge tract of land and form his own"Indian" nation in America somewhere. The rumor is that Raniere recently fled his rented oceanfront home in Palm Beach after getting unwanted publicity and a visit from the landlord's realtor who pointed out a section of the lease that made"operating a business" on the premises a violation that would result in"immediate eviction." The realtor, who did not want her names used, told me"Raniere, if he was there, refused to show himself, and all I saw were about 15 women in sundresses with no undergarmets on and bare feet who had moved all the furniture into the corner of the room so they could sit on the floor."
The dirtiest hotels in America.......The new list is out and Florida has 2 hotels on the top 10 list of scumpit hotels. # 3 on the list is the Desert Inn Hotel in Daytona Beach where a guest said they had"Dead roaches all over the hotel." Better dead than alive. # 6 is the Atlantic Beach Hotel in Miami where a guest said it's"Probably more sanitary to sleep in the bathroom of the room." # 1 was the Grand Resort Hotel & Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where a guest said"There was at least a 1/2 inch of dirt in the bathtub which was filled with lots of dark hair." The worst of the bunch to me was the Rodeway Inn, Williamsville, NY where a guest took photos of"Crusty white stains on the blankets and sheets." Yum!
Condo Association fights back....The Quail Run Condominium Association figured out a way to punish residents who refuse to pay condo fees. They changed the lock on the pool, clubhouse, tennis court, gym and other facilities doors and only issued new keys to residents paying condo fees. Residents were told if they sneak in they will be arrested for trespassing. The new law allegedly lets them take this action. A lawsuit by upset condo owners was filed with a hearing scheduled for this March.
Have you heard about......Local big shot Chef Daniel Boulud was slapped with a lawsuit by a Cafe Boulud bartender who says he was fired after complaining about a manager who scooped ice with her bare hands. The bartender claims Boulud and his management team deny workers overtime wages, steal tips from staff and violate labor laws........Internet porn will continue to be free after an appeals court ruled against a company trying to sue RedTube.com for showing their videos........The Tucson Arizona restaurant called Boca Tacos y Tequila now serving Lion Meat Tacos, they also serve python, alligator, elk, kangaroo, rattlesnake and turtle. Lion Tacos go for $8.75, other exotics are only $4....... The NFL player from a southern team who is gay and in love with a well know country music star - they are holed up in a Juno Beach condo love nest the NFL player purchased. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
You may know that Citgo gas stations are owned by Venezuela and controlled by their leader Hugo Chavez. Venezuela also owns three oil refineries located on the Gulf Coast in America and a fleet of oil tankers currently being held in Houston. 25 years ago, long before Hugo Chavez, Venezuela sold $6 Billion in bonds to investors in America. The bonds came due in 2005 but Chavez refused to pay. As late as 2002 Ohio investors had spoken with Venezuela officials and got a 50-page letter from Venezuela Attorney General Marisol Plaza defining that the bonds were guaranteed by the Treasury. It seems no one expected them to be cashed in. When the investors demanded payment, Chavez fired Plaza and replaced her with a new Attorney General who wrote a 3-page letter saying the bonds are fraudulent and they would not be paid. The investors sued in U.S. courts and now the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the appeal by Venezuela. The six year legal battle has cost upwards of $40 million and has resulted in an order to begin seizing assets in the U.S. belonging to Venezuela if they refuse to pay what is now an $8 Billion tab, including interest. If these seizures begin it may affect every American. Chavez could shut down 14,000 gas stations in the U.S. creating gas lines and shortages, he could stop the flow of oil from his nation to ours, driving the price of gas thru the $10 a gallon mark in a matter of weeks. If his tankers are seized he could cry to OPEC countries and create more oil problems. The U.S. State Department is allegedly scared stiff about what may happen if seizures begin to U.S. foreign assets in other nations which may be sabotaged by Venezuela secret services with the aid of our foreign enemies. The U.S. media has backed off the story for fear of creating fear. But panic has set in at the highest levels of our government. Stay tuned.
Nude reality show from Florida...... Filming has begun on a nude reality show at Caliente Resort in Land O' Lakes. Called"The Nak'd Truth" the show follows 8 young buffs under 30 who work at the resort while living together and being nude all the time. Their genitals will be digitally buzzed out for TV - imaging being the graphic artist with that job. The 8 people include 4 women and 4 men. A producer from the show says -"Our hope is to show the world the differences between people, when they are diminished of their clothing and become the same." The show has not been picked up, but if it airs look for a stampede of nudists to Florida. I don't know what pocket they keep their cash in but I suppose it spends the same as anyone else's.
Takeover at 2 condos......... Times are getting testy at big condos and being President of your Condo Board has become dangerous. Two large local buildings have recently undergone what one caller told me was a"Ku De Ta" takeover of their boards by outraged residents, even requiring armed police officers being present to stop ousted Board Members from rifling thru the condo office and destroying documents after being thrown off the board. Condo residents are now much more interested in how their maintenance dollars are being spent and who is getting the money. Presidents and Board Members are being accused of funneling thousands to friends and kickback schemes have been uncovered. Fistfights have broken out at condo meetings as snowbirds have arrived to find out their condo treasury has been looted and assessments are on the way. Condo residents have found out the hard way that you can't just step up and ask any financial question you want to - if it's not on the agenda it can't be raised, according to Florida law. The law says board meetings are restricted to agenda items and in most circumstances neither board members nor owners have a right to talk about anything not on the agenda. So if the board does not put, for instance, an item called"Overtime pay to staff" on the agenda, owners have no right to ask why 1 employee got $20,000 in overtime pay last quarter. The inability to get answers has frustrated owners who are facing increases in monthly fees due to foreclosures and non-payment from empty units. Get ready to rumble.
Palm Beach Moron for president........Serial adulterer and PB Island condo resident Rudy Guiliani is starting to make noise about running for President again. After running a truly half-assed campaign last time in which he bet on winning Florida and got trounced, Guiliani has found the need to stay relevant by running again. Even his close friends are telling him it's a dumb idea. As one political analyst said -"Nobody is paying $100,000 to hear the same warmed-over 9/11 speech. His speaking fees have dropped as well as his consulting fees." This is a man who made his wife stay upstairs at Gracie Mansion while he walked around a city event downstairs with his girlfriend. He refused to ok paying for new communication equipment for 1st responders before 9-11 that may have saved lives, yet claims to be strong on national security. If he does run, count the number of times he brings up 9-11.
Party boy gone wild.....Those nutty Russians are at it again. Notorious party king billionaire Roman Abramovich threw a NY's Eve bash at his $90 million pad in St. Barts featuring the Black Eyed Peas celebrating both the New Year and delivery of his new yacht - the 534-foot Eclipse. That's not a misprint - the thing is about a football field and a half long. The party allegedly cost more than $15 million, the price of the new yacht is unknown. Spend, baby spend!
The old switcharoo.....Who would think of trying to hide cards up their sleeve in a casino nowadays with video cameras that can spot a tic on the carpet. A fellow named Young Su Gy"won" more than $870,000 at the Foxwoods Resort playing baccarat doing just that. He had a gadget in his sleeve that whipped the card from his hand and replaced it with another. Called a"holdout device" it worked like a charm until he made one stupid mistake - coming back to the same place, the same table and doing the same thing for 3 weeks. He sitting in jail on $500K bond waiting for his trial in February. Cops are still looking for most of the $870,000.
What they won't tell you.......That Obama just sent another 1,400 Marines to Afghanistan after one of the worst years for troop deaths & injuries in the war. 499 U.S. troops died last year in Afghanistan, the worst year by far. In 2009 317 U.S. soldiers were killed after 155 died in 2008. The trend is horrible and as of press time 3 U.S. Troops had died so far in 7 days of January. Insiders say privately the military industrial complex is still running the war and Obama does not have the backbone to stand up to them, fearing the old"soft on defense" routine in 2012 from Republicans. That's one reason Secretary of Defense Gates, a Bush appointee, is still in office running the show. I thought we went to Afghanistan to kill Bin Laden and rout the Taliban, we've done neither. But we do have cheap heroin on our streets........The four major oil companies made profits of $59.7 billion in the first 9 months of 2010 and Exxon, Royal Dutch Shell, Total SA and Chevron expect to make $80 billion for the entire year of 2010........For 2 years now Sarah Palin has been fighting in court to stop Alaska from releasing emails from her time as Governor. Usually these emails are released within months of leaving office. Her lawyers have again asked for a delay, this time until May 30, 2011, the 15th time they have asked for a postponement. Insiders claim the emails will show that her husband Todd actually ran the state and dealt directly with many state authorities and legislators. Palin's lawyers are claiming its a"logistic problem" - they need time to figure out how to release the emails in a"secure electronic form suitable for review." ...........A new report from the U.S. Senate claims that Libya threatened to cut BP out of an oil deal worth billions if they did not get Scotland to release the Lockerbie bomb plotter that blew up Pan Am Flight 103. In August of 2008 American victims were horrified that at only 58 years old Abdelbaset Ali Mohammed al-Megrahi walked away from a lifetime sentence and was allegedly sent home to die. He still lives on today in a luxury villa in Tripoli showing no signs of any debilitating disease as a national hero for killing all 259 passengers and 11 people on the ground. BP allegedly used its influence to get the bomber released by paying off various British and Scottish politicians and convincing them to allow it in the name of"national security."
Kennedy's stop miniseries from airing...........The History Channel spent millions on actors like Katie Holmes (playing Jackie) and Greg Kinnear (playing JFK) and filming an epic 8-episode miniseries about the Kennedys. Caroline Kennedy spent weeks pressuring Disney, Hearst & NBC not to show what she thought was a vindictive & malicious script. History Channel now has put out a statement -"While the film is produced and acted with the highest quality, after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand." But it's good enough to air in Canada where it will be shown starting in March and in other nations around the world - while we Americans will not see it. It is being shopped to pay cable channels. Another chip in the wall of alleged"American freedom."
A great one....At 17 years old in 1936 he pitched in his first game striking out 15 Major League hitters beating the St. Louis Browns 4-1. In 1938 he struck out 18, setting a record that would last until Nolan Ryan broke it in 1974. He is 1 of only two men in history to strike out his age - he struck out 17 batters at age 17 in his 3rd game. He pitched the only opening day no-hitter in history. He was signed by Cleveland at 16, it was kept secret because he wanted to keep playing high school basketball. The contract was for $1 in cash & a baseball signed by the Cleveland players. He never spent a day in the minor leagues. He pitched a no-hitter against NY in Yankee Stadium and by age 22 he had won more than 100 games. His fastball was clocked at 107 mph & he was honored in 1969 as the best right-handed pitcher ever. He said his arm strength came from milking cows, picking corn, and baling hay on the Iowa farm where he grew up. After being struck out, Ted Williams once said to a reporter as he walked back to the dugout -"That last one sounded a little low." He died on December 15, 2010."Bullet" Bob Feller was a great one.
Have you heard about........When the Heat played the Knicks in NYC at the Garden courtside seats were being scalped for $75,000.......Honey Buns, that sugar-filled junk bun can thank felons for their survival - Florida inmates buy 270,000 Honey Buns a month in our prison system, it is the top selling item sold to inmates..........The well-known TV actor (not Sheen) who's been holed up at a PB Island hotel on a coke binge for 5 weeks. His tab is said to be approaching $60,000 not including the 2-3 escorts that show up every day......The young hookers from NJ in for the season that call Bradley's in WPB their home - one guy said"I chatted up 3 women at the bar, they all quoted the same price - $150 for a date" - their young 25-ish pimp wanders the place finding customers for them. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Lending money to Riviera Beach Councilman Cedrick Thomas has not been a great investment for the Business Loan Fund of the Palm Beaches. Now known as the Center for Enterprise Opportunity, the non-profit lender receives public money to make loans to emerging businesses. Usually those seeking loans are asked to put up collateral such as their homes or other hard assets. In the case of Cedrick Thomas he put up nothing but his signature. Why he was allowed to do that remains a mystery. Thomas got the loan which as of March showed a balance of $175,440 plus $29,631 in interest. The interest may have been piling up due to Thomas not making the payments. In October of 2009 the Loan Fund got a court judgment against Thomas in an attempt to force him to come up with financial records of where he actually spent the money and how the Loan Fund could collect the debt. Not only did Thomas not put up any collateral he also refused to turn over financial records. What residents want to know is where did Thomas spend all the cash? A representative for the Center for Enterprise Opportunity said"we don't know what he bought with the money." In March of 2010 he won election to his current seat on the council by 11 votes. Many residents claim Thomas, who has a $97,000 a year"bus contract" with the Riviera Beach Maritime Academy, is in the pocket of Viking Yachts. Viking Yachts is the Master Developer in Riviera Beach and pushed hard for the Rybovich Boat Repair Yard at the Riviera Beach Marina, which was defeated in a recent referendum. Residents objected to giving a private business 40% of their public marina and the removal of 400 boat slips used by the public to make way for 4 super-yachts getting repairs. Now Thomas, sitting on the council and insisting on voting on matters involving Viking Yachts, is allegedly leading the charge to use taxpayers money to overturn the referendum by filing an appeal on the language. Why the Feds have not intervened and stopped him is another mystery. Now Thomas has quietly agreed to a settlement on the loan and a resumption of payments. Residents are still upset over the way Thomas blatantly pushed the Rybovich takeover of the public Marina, going so far as to stand at the polling place on Singer Island and intimidate voters arriving to vote, which my publisher witnessed firsthand. During several council meetings before the referendum vote took place Thomas spoke often about the need for more revenue at the Marina. He failed to mention that he voted to give away the Tiki Bar lease for about $6500 a month, even though there was an offer of $22,000 a month from another bidder. That vote has cost the city residents $186,000 a year. Then there are allegations, allegedly made in sworn depositions, that Thomas attempted to shake down the high bidder, telling him they'd have to meet somewhere and the bidder would be required to"take off all his clothes so I can make sure your not wearing a wire" and then"I'll tell you how the Tiki Bar lease works." Now there are allegations that Riviera residents have been paying the bill for power & water at the Tiki Bar, and several council members have known about it. Some residents claim the Tiki Bar owners have been making monthly payoffs to council people in return for the cheap rent deal and free power & water. Tiki Bar employees claim numerous city officials including certain council members are often drinking & eating at the Tiki Bar with large groups and they are told to comp the check, which usually results in them getting stiffed on their tip. This whole thing stinks and makes me understand how Cedrick Thomas got his nickname -"The Great Corrupter."
Loxahatchee Nudist camp under fire......If you think Loxahatchee doesn't swing think again. A place called Sunsport Gardens is known world-wide for their 130 trailers of nude loving residents. It started in 1965 and has grown every year since with 40 acres for people to wander around nude. Their website displays a letter from Northwood resident and well-known nudist Carl Flick supporting the no-smoking policy along with photos of families including children standing around the pool in the buff. Loxahatchee Groves incorporated in 2006 and is now enacting a density land use of 1 home per 5 acres, which would only allow 8 home sites. The local Mayor Dave Browning indicated he will support the nudist camp saying-"My thought is we will probably allow them to keep the intensity they have now, we really don't want to put businesses out of business."
Phony modeling agency..........Watch out for InterFACE Talent Agency at your local shopping mall. The company has allegedly hit our area with sales reps who hang out at the mall and approach parents with children. Reps allegedly tell parents their child"has the look" they are seeking for a national company. Parents are then invited to quickly take advantage of the national search by coming to their office and doing a photo shoot (up to $1500) and paying to be on the firms database ($2300 for 4 years) so national advertising agencies and casting directors can view their photos. The company arrived in South Florida after New Jersey's Better Business Bureau had 230 complaints and rated the firm with an"F". Last year Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection got $20,000 in refunds for 18 families amid complaints about InterFACE's cancellation policies.
Serving Rotten food to our troops.........U.S. troops serving in Iraq were served rotten food by a Texas businessman and his company American Grocers. If our troops knew while they were in Iraq serving they were being served food from a man named Samir Mahmoud Itani it may have raised an eyebrow. Itani and his family members own American Grocers and just paid a $15 million fine for buying food at huge discounts that was expiring from Kraft, Hershey, Frito Lay & Sara Lee and ordering employees to use acetone and spray paint to change the expiration dates on the product labels in Texas. The food was then shipped to Iraq. The food included hamburger patties, lobster, potato flakes and turkeys among other items. Itani charged the government $36 million for the rotten food, making the fine of $15 million a joke. What makes it worse is that this company"American Grocers" owned by this guy Samir Mahmoud Itani, may still be providing food to our troops. Where is our national media on this one?
A fall from sports history...... NY Giants Superbowl star Dave Meggett has been sent to prison for 30 years following a rape conviction. The 44-year old football star led the NFL in punt returns during his first two seasons and had 129 yards in combined yards in the Giants' 20-19 Super Bowl XXV victory over the Buffalo Bills. He is 2nd all time in NFL record books for punt returns with 3,708 yards. Meggett raped a 21-year old girl after she couldn't repay him some money he lent her in North Charleston, South Carolina. Sex and Dave Meggett never seemed to work well after he retired from the NFL in 1999 and returned to North Charleston, where he attended high school. In 2007, he pleaded guilty to the sexual battery of a girlfriend and over time faced 5 different sex charges with various women. Meggett will not be eligible for parole until 2035.
The world of money......A trial in Manhattan is revealing what life is like for oil rich Saudis born into royalty. The Bolkiah family rules Brunei, a nation of 350,000. They have accounted for 50% of all Rolls Royce sales since the 1990's. Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei was once famously sued in 1997 by former Miss USA Shannon Marketic for keeping her and a group of American beauty queens captive in the 1,788-room Royal Palace in Brunei. Now 56, Prince Jefri was once sued by his brother for stealing $15 Billion from their bank accounts. Prince Jefri moved to Long Island, living in a mansion on 28 acres where he allegedly spent billions on hookers, paintings, a yacht named Tits with 2 speedboats called Nipple I & Nipple II and over 2,000 cars including the latest Ferraris and Aston Martins. He had the toilet brushes plated in gold and a $250 million-a-year budget for call girls. He once had 40 of them flown to London's Dorchester Hotel, owned by his family, to dance around his room. NYU student Jillian Lauren, now 37, wrote a book"Some Girls: My Life in a Harem" that claimed the average rate was $10K a day for girls and the family preferred blond Beauty Queens with trumped up titles like"Nebraska Corn Husker Queen." The real comedy is that all this stuff has come out during a lawsuit filed by Prince Jefri claiming two NYC financial adviser cheated him out of a paltry $7 million. The trial was still going on at press time.
Antique screwup.....A poor working class British family brought a Chinese vase that they had owned for 60 years to a show called"Going For a Song" on the BBC that was remade into what is now"Antiques Roadshow." The arrogant curator told them it was"nothing more than a clever reproduction" and sent them away as idiots. That was 40 years ago. When a family member recently inherited it he sent it to the Arts Club of London where it sat for months among other junk collecting dust. An expert then got around to evaluating the piece and estimated it could sell for big money, claiming it was made in 1740 for the royal court of Qianlong, the fifth emperor of the Qing dynasty. So they sent it to an auction last month at the house of Peter Bainbridge, a very small business with just three full-time employees. After a 30-minute battle by billionaires phoning in bids the final price was $85.9 million by an anonymous buyer in China. The auction house will get $13 million and the family gets $69 million. You might want to refrain from throwing out any old vases.
Have you heard about..........The U.S. launched what allegedly is the biggest big-brother eavesdropping satellite in history recently at Cape Canaveral using for only the 4th time what's called a"Delta-4 Heavy" - the most powerful rocket booster ever made with 2 million pounds of thrust.........Rod Stewart's wild child Sean Stewart is marrying a woman 9 years older that he met in rehab. Sean, now 30, lives with Chantel Kendall who is loaded with cash and has a Malibu mansion, which should work for Sean as Hot-Rod allegedly cut him off in an attempt to break his cocaine habit......Willie Nelson, now 77, was busted for weed again in Texas last month on his way to Austin for a show. This follows his 2006 bust for over a pound of pot and mushrooms which got him 6 months probation - party on dude......Word's out the Feds are close to announcing charges against the top leaders of the Columbo Crime Family in a multi-state case that includes Palm Beach area members and a made guy named Sebastiano Saracino who has allegedly turned rat after being popped for a murder......Remember, Don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
A scam perpetrated by Governor Charlie Crist has been completed. South Florida property taxpayers will foot the bill for $197 million that was paid to U.S. Sugar to allegedly"buy" 26,800 acres of useless"farmland." The deal that Charlie originally proposed was $2 billion to buy 180,000 acres. The real estate crash stopped that absurdity. The state is keeping $3 million of the cash as a"contribution to environmental cleanup costs of dealing with pollutants left on the land." Experts have stated the environmental cleanup costs to deal with pesticides, petroleum and other pollutants will reach at least $7 million. So we will pay $4 million to clean up the mess that U.S. Sugar left behind. Now for the rest of the scam. This rotten deal is the brainchild of political hacks in the South Florida Water Management District close to Crist looking to cash in on taxpayer funds any way they can. It was initiated by George LeMieux, whom Crist appointed to the U.S. Senate to serve the remainder of Mel Martinez's term after he quit. LeMieux was Governor Crist's Chief of Staff and formerly worked with the law firm handling this sale to U.S. Sugar. That firm likely earned a hefty fee for their work. Even though the taxpayer's cash has already landed in the U.S. Sugar bank account, and they can spend it as they wish, the district does not get to take possession of the land it paid for. The earliest the district can take possession of the largest piece of land, almost 18,000 acres, is June 2012. The district can't use the remaining nearly 9,000 acres of sugar cane land until May 2013. After that, the district must give one-year notice to start using the 18,000 acres and two years notice to use the sugar cane land. U.S. Sugar can keep using the citrus land rent free until the district is ready to take possession, of which no timetable has been set. As for the sugar cane land, U.S. Sugar pays $150 per acre per year to lease that property for up to 20 years. That means we paid $197 million for nothing. U.S. Sugar can keep using the land, polluting the land, and pack up and leave whenever they want, leaving taxpayers the bill to clean it up, as their liabilities are now capped at the $3 million they paid us, which was deducted from the $197 million we paid them. Who ever heard of paying $197 million for property and not being able to set foot on it for years? I wish I could blame Obama and the democrats for this, but I can't. This is a republican deal done by a republican governor, a republican Senator and a notoriously republican law firm. You'll find"South Florida Water Management Dist." listed on your property tax bill that just arrived. Look for a big increase next year.
The billionairess cult.......I told you about the Bronfman sisters Sara & Clare, they are heirs to the Bronfman Seagrams liquor fortune, worth billions. Their father Edgar Bronfman Jr. claims they have been conned into living in a cult which has taken over $200 million in cash from their trust. More of this story has surfaced and it is wild. The cult, called NXIVM, is run by Keith Raniere. He is said to exhibit a control over women not known since Charles Manson. He lives in Halfmoon, NY, a town north of Albany where the cult owns homes grouped into compounds. He is often seen at night walking the streets surrounded by a flock of women. He originally started what was basically a self help group called"ESP" that charged $7,500 for 5 day programs. People like Palm Beacher Sheila Johnson the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, Virgin Founder Richard Branson and Emiliano Salinas, the son of Mexico's former president Carlos Salinas have taken the courses. Raniere has allegedly fathered a son named Gaelen with an unknown woman who is being groomed as his heir. The 3-year old boy is limited to a raw diet and tended to by five nannies who each speak to him in a different language - Russian, Spanish, Hindi, English and Chinese. Since 2003 the Bronfman sisters have been removing money from their trust in chunks as large as $60 million and allegedly giving it to Raniere and his associates. This followed a story in Forbes magazine in October 2003 with Keith Raniere on the cover. The article was highly negative painting a dark portrait of NXIVM and stating Raniere has no driver's license and no bank accounts in his name even though NXIVM appeared to be raking in millions from gifts, donations and expensive seminars. Raniere wears dirty t-shirts and stringy, long hair, making his followers call him"Vanguard" and bow when he enters a room. Raniere has been investigated for fraud in 23 states and for operating an alleged illegal pyramid scheme. Now comes word that he has set his sights on Palm Beach for the winter season, already having paid cash to rent a huge oceanfront mansion for 4 months. His followers, known for their sundresses, flip-flops or bare feet, no makeup and earthy 60's look have been seen around town wandering into shops with huge wads of $100 bills. Stay tuned.
Don't mess with J.R.........Larry Hagman is one of the great TV actors of this generation. Apparently Citigroup didn't understand that no one screws J.R. and walks away without scars. The 79-year old Hagman had invested with Citigroup and ended up losing over $1 million. He sued claiming fraud by misrepresentation and omission, failure to supervise, breach of contract and violations of state and federal law. In other words J.R. punched Citigroup in the face. He won the lawsuit and Citigroup has been forced to pay $10 million in punitive damages, return $1.1 million to Hagman's account, and pay $440,00 towards Hagman's legal fees. Hagman is now an avocado farmer - here's some trivia info - the girl who famously shot J.R. on Dallas was in real life the daughter of Bing Crosby, Mary.
He was a great one.....He never used drugs or drank - even during the wild 1970's. In 1965 while scraping by in London he got a loan of $1,170 for an idea he had. By 1982 he was worth $400 million. Over a 30-year period he took in more than $3 billion in revenue. He hired 80 scientists to develop a small nuclear reactor as a low-cost energy source, but it never worked and lost $17 million. He maintained one of the most expensive private art collections in the world valued at over $150 million with works by Dali, Degas, El Greco, Modigliani, Matisse and Picasso hanging on the walls of his 22,000-square-foot mansion with 30 rooms in Manhattan. He printed anything he thought would sell and fought anyone who was offended by it. He was sued by Jerry Falwell, a California resort, a former Miss Wyoming, Vanessa Williams and an employee who accused him of forcing her to perform sexual favors for business colleagues. He produced one of the top cult films in history, Caligula, paying top salaries to A-list actors of the time like Peter O'Toole & Malcom McDowell in the $18 million box office dud that is now General Media's top selling DVD. At its peak his Penthouse magazine had a monthly circulation of 4.7 million in 16 countries and he owned 15 other magazines, including Omni, Penthouse Forum, Viva and Spin along with bodybuilding, photography and computer magazines in addition to book, video and merchandising divisions. He used that $1,170 loan to print his first magazine and send out promotional brochures with nude photo samples. The old mailing list he used included clergymen, wives of members of Parliament, old-age pensioners and schoolgirls. He was fined $264 for mailing indecent materials, but the uproar led to sales of 120,000 for the first issue. The rest is history. Robert Charles Joseph Edward Sabatini Guccione - Bob Guccione, was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 17, 1930 and raised in Bergenfield, N.J. He made it to 79 years old. Bob Guccione was a great one.
Another dynasty shrinking away.........George Hartford & George Gilman started The Great American Tea Company in 1859 on Vesey Street in NYC selling teas, spices and coffee. By the 1930's they had 16,000 stores with annual sales over $1 billion - a ton of cash in the 1930's. The company stores were called A & P. They were the first national supermarket chain in America. Their heirs built famous Mizner's in Palm Beach and Manalapan. Today they are left with 429 stores mostly in the northeast. Their weekly store sales of $400,000 are well short of the $650,000 averages necessary to stay in business in today's tough grocery store market. Grocery stores average $1.50 of profit for every $100 in sales. Ron Burkle invested $115 million in A & P last year for a 27% stake and things are teetering towards bankruptcy. This 150 year-old American dynasty may soon be gone.
NFL 2-minute scam........Ever wonder what the purpose of the"2-minute Warning" was in NFL games? Now we know. It has come out that during a recent game the Ref told the 2 coaches during the 2-minute warning that he had"3 more to get in"- meaning 3 more commercials. The plea was for coaches to call 3 more timeouts so sponsors could have their commercials run. The coach of the Jacksonville team called 2 timeouts, even though the game was well out of hand. This puzzled the announcers who openly questioned the move. It appears the networks can call into the Refs thru their earpieces and tell them how many more timeouts they need to get their commercials in prior to the 2-minute warning. The Refs then request the coaches to use any left over timeouts. The NFL League and it's teams are carrying $8.5 billion in debt. 20 years ago teams were only allowed to have $20 million of debt, today it's $150 million. No wonder they need to run more commercials.
Have you heard about.........American Morning's John Roberts has knocked up CNN anchor Kyra Phillips after a steamy affair and is being targeted by CNN insiders for dismissal. Word has leaked that staffers claim Roberts is a"tyrant who freaks out over stories and the guests he gets to interview" and is still"pissed off that he was not chosen as the heir apparent to Dan Rather at CBS".........You may know that at least 2 former heads of the CIA own homes on Palm Beach Island. Now comes word the island is hopping with CIA agents in relation to a mysterious Venezuelan banker who lives part-time on the ocean south of Mar-A-Lago and is allegedly conducting meetings with various world-wide oil cartel types at his residence........The well-known former Tiger Woods mistress who was discovered doing lines of disco dust on the table of an Island restaurant - the owner was alerted that she and her 5 pals were cutting up lines on their table as a former PB Town Councilperson looked on from the next table. She was given a check and asked to leave......PBSO officials are allegedly twisting arms in Riviera Beach in their never ending bid to take over policing duties. Critics claim the State Attorney is doing their dirty work trying to indict as many Riviera Officers as possible whether they have charges that will stick or not, and lending a hand in lobbying Riviera Beach to give up their force. But Riviera Beach Officers are fighting hard behind the scenes and threats of every nature are allegedly being made both ways as Riviera Officers line up support against the PBSO Sheriff. Remember, Don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
It was over 2 years ago I told you about an investigation that included a rat in the lucrative escort business that seemed to have a monopoly servicing Palm Beach Island. My sources claimed the rat was working with PBSO and the investigation was"ongoing." Apparently some idiots on the island don't read my column, otherwise they would have backed off using escort firms from the Broward County area. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said a 32-month,"joint investigation that began with information from the Palm Beach County Sheriff" has busted"All Perfect Tens" escort service and the operators David Naftaly & Mike Mitchell have been charged with racketeering, money laundering & deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution. This was no fly-by-night business. I was told some Palm Beach playboys were spending $20,000 for up to 10 girls at all night parties that included lots of disco dust. This went on for at least 6 years as the company advertised in numerous sex-trade magazines along with many other escort services. Word of mouth spread about All Perfect Tens attractive girls and they soon were getting so many calls from Palm Beach Island customers they allegedly rented an apartment above a store on Royal Poinciana so girls could arrive within 20 minutes. Why was it that only this service was busted? That tells the insiders of All Perfect Tens the answer of who the rat was. Now they are all allegedly talking and the customer list has been found by law enforcement authorities. That has allegedly led to the bell ringing at the front gate of estates on Palm Beach Island with detectives standing out front. One problem - no one's home but the maid and estate manager. Many well-known Palm Beachers are sitting in their Park Avenue town homes wondering what will happen when they return for the season. One young inheritance billionaire has told pals he'll be spending this season at his pad in Hawaii until things blow over. Stay tuned.
Madoff rip-off continues........The beating of Madoff victims marches on. As I told you a few months ago the court-appointed Madoff Trustee is enriching himself and his law firm at extraordinary levels. His latest bill is $34 million for 4 months of work. That comes to over $2 million a week, or $287,000 a day for Irving Picard and his firm, Baker & Hostetler. If paid at this rate over 12 months time it would be more than $100 million a year. Victims have filed suit to stop it. Despite wanting millions for his work there are still close to 3,000 victims who have gotten nothing and allege they have lost $14 Billion of the $20 billion in claims Picard says he will"recognize." While Picard has made claims that he"found" $1.5 billion in assets victims say there was at least $10 billion just sitting in bank accounts in Madoff company-held names. So millions continue to flow from a swindler to a lawyer, it's just another day in financial America.
Bankruptcy blues........Remember the fabulous estate in the movie Godfather where the studio head found a horse in his bed? The home was originally built for Randolph Hearst in the 1920's. Hollywood gambler Leonard Ross owns it now - but maybe not for long. He filed for bankruptcy and owes $40 million in mortgages on it, along with $350K to the Bellagio Casino in Vegas and $3 million to his ex-wife and the list goes on. He put the property on the market for $165 million in 2007 but found no takers. Easy come- easy go - it's the gamblers life........Then we have the Testa's property in Palm Beach. If there's a real estate speculator who has cash this is a steal. There's only about $8 million owed on it and a final judgment of foreclosure has been filed. If Testa's can't come up with the cash it will be sold on the courthouse steps in March of 2011. The property includes Via Testa, the cluster of 7 shops next to Testa's Restaurant.
Maybelline founder outed........It was 1915 when Tom Lyle started his make-up company. A very private person who shunned the spotlight he built Maybelline into a giant by 1950. He purchased Rudolph Valentino's palatial home in Hollywood and moved away from his wife and son. Lyle then lived with Hollywood Ad executive Emery Shaver until 1964, when a heart attack killed Shaver. Lyle never recovered, remaining depressed until he died in 1976 and never revealing his homosexuality. A new book called"The Maybelline Story & the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It" by Sharrie Williams blows the cover off his life and the family that has controlled Maybelline for nearly a century.
Dole fruit company heir in hot soup.......Things were looking up for Justin Murdock, the 38-year old Dole pineapple heir worth millions whose family has vacationed at numerous homes in Palm Beach thru the years. He was dating pop star Avril Lavigne, hobnobbing with Hollywood stars, beating up oil heir Brandon Davis in a bar brawl and playing the big-shot roll world-wide. Now Carissa Shumacher has claimed he threatened her life, made inappropriate sexual comments to her, ordered her to book sex dates for him on her credit cards - all while she worked for him. She has filed suit in L.A. making graphic claims like -"he forced her to open a Facebook account for him under the name Cobra McJingleBalls" and told her"You look like a whore" and"You need a good pounding" and told her at a meeting her job was to"be under my desk [bleep]ing my [bleep]." He has no comment. And the beat goes on.
The richest man in the world.........Is not an American. His name is Sir Evelyn De Rothschild, the now elder of the Rothschild family fortune that began in the 1760's. It is claimed his fortune is between 2 and 8 Trillion dollars in American value. He is alleged to have $5 Trillion in gold and diamonds hidden in special vaults within the underground Vatican vaults, which are said to be the largest in the world. Now 79, many in the world are speculating about what will happen upon his death and who will take his place as head of the largest family inheritance in the world. Sir Evelyn is and always has been treated as if he were king of the world. His family has a controlling interest in national Central Banks everywhere on the planet including our U.S. Federal Reserve, where they are allegedly majority shareholders with the Rockefellers. In 2000 when he wed for the third time President Clinton personally called and invited him to stay in the White House for his honeymoon, Sir Evelyn accepted and stayed for one night. Arabian Sheiks have been photographed bowing to him as he arrived, and the richest men on the planet along with world leaders know this is one man you must not piss off. Sir Evelyn married American Lynn Forester after two previous wives, British-born Jeannette Bishop & Victoria Lou Schott- who is the step-sister of news corresponded Felicia Taylor. Forester is the former wife of wealthy NYC political figure Andrew Stein. She dumped Andrew like a rock. They now live at Ascott House outside of London, and financial markets are awash in rumors of his bad health.
Mob news..........Philadelphia's first casino is set to open and the mob is welcome. Unlike when Atlantic City opened and the Mob was told to"keep their filthy hands off" casinos there, Philly is refusing to add blacklisted Atlantic City gangsters to their black book of unwelcome people. Today there are over 200 people on the Atlantic City blacklist. But even known South-Philly mob boss Joe Ligambi, who is barred from Atlantic City, is welcome at the new Philly casino. His underboss Marty Angelina can visit the casino, as can former Nicky Scarfo family gangster Joey Merlino. That will be some grand opening party!....... Vincent"Vinnie Gorgeous" Basciano has U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder fighting to see that he gets executed. The former boss of the Bonnano Crime Family is doing life without parole for killing mob soldier Randolph Pizzolo and made news when a death list he wrote up was discovered and included the name of the judge presiding over his trial. No one seems to be shedding a tear as Vinnie allegedly ran the Bonnano Family businesses into the ground, killed his own soldiers and left the Bonanno Family in total destruction by the time he got busted. But he had a good nick-name.
A Hollywood generation dies off........2010 has been a year that may be remembered as the year the final generation of Hollywood greats died off. Hollywood used to be a place where you had to have talent to become famous. Now it's a trash heap of untalented bozos who are famous for being stupid & ignorant. This year we've already lost Tony Curtis, Dennis Hopper, Jean Simmons- who played opposite Laurence Olivier in Hamlet along with starring roles in Guys & Dolls, Patricia Neal who won an Oscar for Hud and then was the most beautiful woman in Hollywood, Art Linkletter of TV fame, pop-star Eddie Fisher, Lynn Redgrave, Jimmy Dean, Ilene Woods - the original voice of Cinderella, Pernell Roberts who played the eldest son on Bonanza, Dixie Carter of Designing Women, Rue McClanahan of the Golden Girls, Peter Graves of Mission Impossible, Fess Parker who played the original Daniel Boone & Davy Crockett, Harold Gould - the great character actor who 2 years ago appeared at the Cuillo and was on just about every TV show in the 70's and 80's, Robert Culp of I Spy fame, Kevin McCarthy - another great character actor who played the doctor in Invasion of the Body Snatchers and guested on TV drama shows for years and John Forsythe of Dynasty fame. Now we're left with reality idiots like Snookie and Paris Hilton and remakes of Hawaii 5-0.
What's up your butt?......Raymond Stanley Roberts gets pulled over for speeding in Manatee County. The Cop smells weed and ask him if he's been smoking. Roberts say he smoked weed"last night" and"there's nothing in the car, go ahead and search it." They search the car and Roberts body finding a soft object between his butt cheeks. Roberts says"Let me get it" and pulls out a bag of weed. Roberts claims there's nothing else there. Cops pat his butt and a bag with 27 crack rocks falls out of his rear. Roberts says"the weed is mine but the white stuff is not, I don't know how it got there." This begs a question from the Cop -"Is there anything else in your butt you don't know about?"
Have you heard about.........South Florida stations, WPLG-ABC10, WFOR-CBS4,WPEC, WTVJ-NBC6, WSVN-FOX7 and WSFL-CW39 refusing to run an anti-McDonalds ad created by a doctors group that shows an overweight man in a morgue holding a half-eaten hamburger with a woman crying over his body and golden arches over his pale feet with the words"I was lovin' it." So much for freedom of speech in corporate American media........ Fiore Films has agreed to do the John Gotti film I told you about 3 months ago that John Gotti Jr. has been pitching, with Sly Stallone close to being both the director and star, playing Gotti Sr., filming is set to start March 2011 in NYC with a production budget of $15 million....... The former Singer Island billionaire hedge-fund king who left the country to live in the Cayman Islands has now attracted the attention of the Feds, they are allegedly investigating his former friends and ex-wife who lives in the area and has numerous real estate investments in South & North Florida - Fed insiders are calling him"another Marc Rich" referring to the guy that Clinton pardoned who is the former husband of NYC, Monoco & Palm Beach socialite Denise Rich. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
About 16 months ago started spreading about a swingers hotel opening in Hollywood. Broward County, Florida's capital of swinging, was being pushed to the extreme with a new swingers hotel concept. The location, right on Ocean Drive in Hollywood Beach features a roof-top pool that has been the subject of aerial photos on the internet. The entire hotel building is clothing-optional, along with the roof-top pool area. Called the"Rooftop Resort" they have just started a massive advertising campaign to get the word out. Some locals suspect their next guests will the Broward Sheriffs office or some right-wing anti-sex lifestyle citizens groups. Locals in Hollywood claim the"whole beach area is sleazy" as the Adult Video companies flock to the massive Diplomat Hotel every summer for their"convention" and porno companies have set up shop at locations up and down the beach, constantly being sighted filming scenes outdoors. On the internet, the Diplomat Hotel is in plain sight, along with many Hollywood Beach hi-rise condos in porn scenes. One industry executive from California's San Fernando Valley, long the world-wide center of porn production told me -"Hollywood Beach is what the Valley was 10 years ago, the difference is the business there is growing at 20 times the rate of what the Valley experienced." At least one industry is growing in Florida. Watch your step when walking the beach in Hollywood!
Palm Beach love triangle talk of the town..........So much money, so many women, so many headaches. The millionaire widow of diet-king Dr. Robert Atkins is close to being blacklisted on the Palm Beach Social scene according to insiders. At a recent Birthday Bash for millionaire Pantone hair products honcho Lawrence Herbert, Veronica Atkins"went bonzo" according to a Palm Beach socialite in attendance. Veronica Atkins is fighting the"other woman" complex in regards to her recent marriage to Alexis Mersentes, who many allege is nothing more than a gold-digger of the worst mold. Former Worth Avenue shop owner and stunning blond bombshell Ildiko Varga claims she was the kept woman of Mersentes, who used Veronica Atkin's money to keep her on a monthly allowance, so she was available for sex sessions with Mersentes whenever he called. She claims she even had sex with Mersentes on the day he married Veronica. Inviting both of these women to the same party is a sure way to make the event memorable. That hasn't happened yet but someone made the mistake of inviting both Atkins and Michael Griffith, who is Ildiko Varga's attorney in the lawsuit she's filed against Mersentes for cutting off her cash flow. The result was explosive, with Veronica Atkins allegedly letting go a string of profanity directed at Griffith while Mersentes stood by her side trying to calm her down in the Breakers Hotel Ballroom. A red-faced Atkins was allegedly asked to leave the room, while those in attendance discussed her behavior for the rest of the evening. Stay tuned.
Floridians paying for extravagance at FPL..........Recent filings with the SEC show that Florida Power & Light executives are living like kings while claiming poverty and asking us for a huge rate increase. FPL CEO Lewis Hay, while the rest of nation was mired in recession, raised his pay 9.5% from 2007 and got a whopping $11.7 million in pay & benefits. That's $225,000.00 a week! FPL President Armando Olivera paid himself $3.6 million. He scraped by on $69,230 a week. As I told you in this column a few months ago these pirates continue to charge us a"Storm Charge" every month, adding hundreds of millions to the company coffers, even though there has not been a major storm in years. Then there are the listings of the numerous and outrageous personal expenses being paid for by you & me. To have their annual physical exam, rather than going somewhere here in town the FPL executives used the company jet and flew somewhere, with the company picking up the tab for lodging, meals and travel. We also paid for their personal cars, personal country club memberships, personal home security systems and CEO Hay even had the audacity to charge the company $45,999.00 for changes his attorney made to his own employment contract. You might think at $225K a week he could pay for his own negotiating representative, but you & I paid for that. Remember all this when they raise our rates this summer, they'll most likely raise their pay as well.
Kravis Center's bad reputation lives on...........Palm Beacher Henry Kravis is well known among labor leaders as a rat-faced pig. Kravis has a reputation for screwing American workers when he uses his Wall Street tactics to get control of companies and destroy them to line his own pocket. Now our local arts-performance center, the Kravis Center, is using his business practices. The Kravis Center has been in a long running feud with the Stagehands union, a strike action that has lasted years due to Kravis management refusing to pay living wages to their workers, who set up the shows that the gilded rich come to be entertained by. Now a recent collapse of scaffolding has seriously hurt workers and OSHA has fined the contractors the Kravis Center hired close to $10,000 for violating safety standards. Again preferring cheap non-union contractors who hire unskilled immigrants, OSHA found the contractors had them working on scaffolding frames not properly braced which were set up by workers who were not properly trained and without any qualified scaffolding supervisor, and had workers handling hazardous chemicals without respirators or training on how to protect themselves. The result was about 15 workers being rained on by scaffolding when the thing collapsed. The Kravis Center is another example of the greedy rich exploiting others with no regard for anything but profit, even if it means serious physical injury or our citizens being paid sub-standard poverty wages.
Ft. Lauderdale Police Chief's gun-toting wife...........Is getting unbelievable special treatment. Eleanor Adderley, the wife of Police Chief Frank Adderley, held a gun, shot at her husband while he lay sleeping, then when he awoke and ran away she followed him and took two more shots at him. She was upset when she discovered he was having a sexual affair with another woman. Under Florida law she faces a mandatory 20-year prison sentence. After multiple delays (it happened in 2007) her attorney and her powerful Police Chief husband are negotiating a plea deal with State prosecutors. Anyone else (without money or connections) would have already gone to trial and been sent away, as the facts are undisputable - she admitted to firing at him. We'll see what punishment she gets. I can understand her being upset, I can understand her husband using his power to help her. That does not make it right.
She was a great one........... She first appeared as the wholesome model on the box of Ivory Snow. One of thousands of pretty young girls who move to Hollywood to become famous, her star did shine bright, but not as she planned. After getting the Ivory Snow gig, work dried up and she drifted to San Francisco where she hooked up with two brothers who were opening a theatre downtown. Jim & Artie Mitchell became famous, some say, for inventing the video porn industry. Their first star was the Ivory Snow girl and a movie called"Behind the Green Door." Proctor & Gamble was unaware of her starring in the movie and rushed to pull the Ivory Snow boxes off shelves when they found out. She would go on to make hundreds of blue movies and the films took off when video players became available to most of America in the 1970's. She was now a star, enjoying fame in L.A. and living the fast life. Two months ago she was in NYC, meeting with a Broadway producer who signed her for a play about the original blue hit Deep Throat. She returned to L.A. and had a massive heart attack, dying alone with her dog & two cats. She was working at an animal shelter - she always loved animals. But this play -"Deep Throat The Play" was her ticket back to a cash flow. Marilyn Chambers, only 56, was an original, one of the first stars along with John Holmes & Linda Lovelace in the blue business. Playboy Magazine ranked her in the top 100 sex stars of the 20th Century. She leaves behind her daughter, McKenna, 17 and attending her prom this year. Marilyn also leaves behind the modeling industry's"Marilyn Chambers clause" which forbids models from appearing in nude photos or porn movies of any kind while under contract. A memorial was held in L.A. on April 22.
What they won't tell you.........About 120 miles from Spokane is a place called Hanford. It's this country's biggest plutonium production complex, about half the size of Maryland. The plutonium that exploded on Nagasaki came from Hanford. In 1991, nearly 2,000 local residents filed a lawsuit regarding their community, which was contaminated by radiation that came from the plant, resulting in death and disease for 2 generations. Our government has picked up the legal tab for defense contractors and spent about $60 million in attorneys fees defending the lawsuit, so far not one sick person still alive has received a penny in compensation.......The government prosecution of the W.R. Grace & Company in what many say is the nations biggest environmental disaster in history is half over, after nearly 20 years of litigation. The prosecution called it's final witness last week in the case involving over 1,200 workers going back to 1963 in Libby, Montana. The company and five former executives are charged with knowingly exposing workers and the public to vermiculite ore contaminated with asbestos, Libby is the worlds biggest vermiculite mine and supplied 80% of the product, used in insulation and contaminated with asbestos, all over the planet.
Have you heard about.............Natalie Cole, Nat King Cole's daughter, is desperately trying to find a kidney donor. Her kidneys are diseased from years of heroin abuse and contracting the Hepatitis C virus from dirty needles.........That Filmmaker Edmund Druilhet is doing a documentary called"Madoff: Made Off With America" which will detail Madoff's life from childhood to thief.........A book coming in July -"The Supremes: A Saga of Motown Dreams, Success and Betrayal" will detail Diana Ross's backstabbing and sleeping with record executives to make it to the top and get airplay for her solo records..........That Paul Newman was a hopeless alcoholic, wearing a bottle opener on a chain on his neck and drinking more than a case of beer a day, and that many women he had on the side left him because he could not perform in bed due to constant drunkenness...........A new study shows that Florida right now has over 50,000 homeless children, mostly in Dade & Broward county..............That several biker gang meth-dealers have left town, giving up on this area after being unable to move product - they learned this is a disco-dust town, not meth-head bangers.........That 3 major escort service operators from Miami have started operating out of Jupiter, promising"30-minute arrival guarantees" to Palm Beach & Jupiter Island clients...........Remember, Don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
The man serving a local congressional district here in Palm Beach County is not only a disgraced former judge who was impeached and removed from the bench in an alleged bribery incident, but he is using our tax dollars to pay his girlfriend, Patricia Williams, a massive $160,000 a year salary as his"Deputy District Director." On top of that, she is a disbarred lawyer! So we have a Congressman who was accused of taking bribes as a judge and his disbarred attorney girlfriend running our local congressional office. House rules state specifically that Congressman can not put relatives or spouses on their taxpayer funded payrolls. But there is no rule stopping them from putting their girlfriends on the payroll. This news comes on top of the little reported fact that Hastings has been denied any of the top Committee Chairmanships or leadership positions despite his seniority and the Democrats control of Congress. A congressional insider says Hastings will never get any significant positions because House Members"think he's a crook." One local citizen who lives in this congressional district told me they called Hastings office repeatedly last year, after sending a detailed document about a union corruption issue, but staffers refused to even let him speak with Hastings. How does this bum get re-elected? His district is carved up to make it certain an African-American will represent it and big labor supports Hasting even though I can find no real evidence that he has done anything for them, other than refuse to respond to citizens in his own district who have legitimate complaints. So while the rest of us faced this recession, Hastings girlfriend has seen her pay go up by a whopping 30% since 2002! What does she actually do? That's a question Alcee Hastings should answer.
Palm Beach wives take notice.......The wives of wealthy Palm Beachers who have caught their husbands fooling around usually resort to cleaning them out in divorce court. Here's a new twist - sue the mistress! 60-year old Cynthia Shackelford has won a groundbreaking lawsuit in North Carolina in which she sued the woman who destroyed her 33-year marriage. The severe emotional distress added up to a cool $9 million judgment against the mistress, Anne Lundquist. The suit leveled"alienation of affection" and"interfering in a marriage" charges using a rarely if not ever used code in North Carolina law dating back decades. Not only will she take her husband to the cleaners, Shackelford will send his lover to the poorhouse too! Good times!
Councilman Cedrick"Get naked to speak with me" Thomas.........To the chagrin of many Cedrick Thomas was re-elected by a slim margin of under 12 votes to serve again on the Riviera Beach City Council. Thomas is known by many as the great corruptor of Riviera Beach City business - case in point - the Tiki Bar lease at the City Marina. When a local businessman named Micheal Goelz contacted Thomas and said he was willing to pay"North of $25,000 a month" for the lease, Thomas, according to Goelz, said they must meet someplace where Goelz could"take off all his clothes so Thomas could be sure he wasn't wearing a wire." Goelz claims Thomas also said directly"I'll deny this if you tell anyone I asked you to do this." Goelz eventually offered $22,000 a month for the lease, after refusing to meet the demands of Thomas to get naked. Thomas then voted to award the lease to the current leaseholder for a paltry $6,500 a month - which continues to cost the Riviera Beach residents $15,500 a month in lost revenue. This from a council that voted to force their own employees to take mandatory extra days off without pay to save money. This from a council that voted themselves a $500 a month car allowance with no provision that they even drive American made cars, which several of them don't. Meanwhile my contacts claim Thomas has been the recipient of numerous free meals & drinks at the Tiki Bar, as have other Riviera Beach City officials. To accept this cheap bribe in front of a patio full of onlookers is pure arrogance. When Thomas denied the allegations from Goelz, Goelz offered to take a lie detector test. Thomas waffled when asked to do the same saying"If I have to."
Seagram's heiresses go wild........The Seagram's liquor fortune has funded some real morons. Now heiresses Clare, 30, and Sara, 33 are close to having their access to the fortune cut off after blowing thru $100 million in about 8 years. Trust fund insiders claim they lost over $65 million in a commodities trading scam run by a well known Brooklyn con-man named Keith Raniere. Court papers have described him as a compulsive gambler who now heads a group called NXIVM (Nexeeum) that does group awareness seminars and other goofy meetings. Not only did the gals give him $65 million for the commodities scam that went bust but they have lavished him with $26 million in real estate purchases and lent him their private jet to tour the world. Daddy Edgar Bronfman, who owns Sony Music, has allegedly been furious with his daughters and has restricted their access to their trust funds, which has led them to whine and complain. And the beat goes on.
Manwhore's a bust.............The first legally licensed male prostitute in this nation has packed up and moved back to his original career - porn."Markus" who worked since January at the Shady Lady Ranch in Nevada had less than 9 women visit him for his services. Many female prostitutes in Nevada brothels do that much volume in 1 day. But the Shady Lady just announced they've recruited another male to fill his"shoes." I guess they'd have to have someone to take care of any repeat business that comes back for Markus. You ladies can google Shady Lady Ranch if you want an appointment.
Mob news.........It was 1957 at the Park Sheraton Hotel Barbershop when Gambino Boss"The Mad Hatter" Albert Anastasio was famously shot dead getting a shave. Now his son Anthony Anastasio, at 81 years old, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for racketeering. The case involved the torching of a Dunkin Donuts to collect insurance cash. He forgot about the family of four that lived upstairs in the same building and escaped with slight burns. Albert has remained a soldier in the Gambino family for years, refusing any promotions and telling people he did want to be the boss, knowing the job usually carries a death sentence......You may have seen born-again Christian mobster Michael Franzese on religious TV shows - he tells his version of mob life and how his wife & Jesus changed him. In his heyday running a gas-tax scam that netted the Columbo Crime family millions he was known as the"Prince of the Mafia." In the 1980's he came to Miami and made a Breakdancing movie and was given a key to the city by the Miami Mayor. He speaks little of turning rat and testifying against his former pals. Now he's been busted for writing bad checks amounting to $5,400 to his former business manager. Rolling with this guy will get you in trouble. Michael's father is legendary Columbo Crime Family Capo John"Sonny" Franzese, who also has a son that controls the Hotel Employees Union in Miami named Andy Maddis. Maddis used to go by the name Balash, but changed it prior to a union election after being thrown out of office for 2 years for stealing thousands in union funds. After being told about Andy Balash being busted, union members, mostly Haitians & Spanish immigrants, voted for Andy"Maddes" as their"new" Secretary-Treasurer. Finally it appears Ralph Deleo has become the new boss of the Columbo Family, as former boss Michael Persico, son of Carmine"The Snake" Persico sits in jail with no bond.
Top 5 nude beaches in America........The list is out and again Miami's Haulover Beach is the top nude beach in America. Hot bodies, shower stalls, food venders & BBQ grills make it the best. The rest of the list is San Gregorio in San Mateo, California, the oldest nude beach in the U.S. - founded in 1967, Gunnison Beach in Sandy Hook, NJ, which packs in over 4,000 nude bodies on weekend days during the summer, Little Beach in Maui, Hawaii, which began attracting nudes during the hippie generation of the late 60's, and Blacks Beach in San Diego which is by far the largest nude beach in America and is set against 60-foot rock cliffs.
Grandpa's lighting up......A new study finds that 1 in 10 Americans aged 50 to 59 smoke pot. 10 years ago it was 1 in 20. In California today getting caught with an ounce of weed means a $100 fine - no jail time. In Florida we pay more than that for a speeding ticket. The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act will be on the ballot in California, the cash-strapped state is looking to boost revenues. If this act passes there will be a push in many states to do the same thing. Will buying weed at the local convenience store be happening by 2015? I wonder what the Tea Party folks think about that.
Have you heard about...........Mickey Rourke claims to have slept with 14 women in one night recently while in London......The late Brooke Astor of the blue-blood Astor family, who created Societies original top 400 list, which were those invited to the parties at her Newport Estate Ballroom that held only 400, is watching from the grave as her Park Avenue palace in Manhattan has dropped in price from $46 million to $24.9 million - still no takers........That Cher's daughter Chasity is now Chaz, her surgery to become a man is complete and she has filed documents with the court to change her name and gender.........The local white power group with a website that is said to be the most popular of its kind in the world, with views and posters from Australia to Russia to Ireland and all over the globe - stormfront.org is run by Don Black from a house in WPB.........The WPB female lawyer who is conducting a secret affair with a judge, they are shacking up together but doing it on the sly, as she has cases in front of this judge. She goes so far as to drive to her home every night and catch a cab to his house, ducking in after dark because another local attorney lives nearby and would out them if he knew..........The high-end strip club owner whose crack habit has gotten so bad his partners are getting ready to set him up to be busted so they can get rid of him without paying him off............Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Word is flying around that numerous crimes occurring at the Indian-owned Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Broward are being covered up by Indian police. There have allegedly been many murders at the complex that have never been made public. One source claims a man with the last name of King who has some association with the Oprah Show was found dead in his room with a knife in his chest. Some say the Seminole Indian police are working hand in hand with criminal elements and setting up victims for robbery if they are known to be carrying large amounts of cash. Recently there was publicity regarding people being followed home after winning big and being robbed as they got out of their car, but my sources say that's only a small fraction of the robberies and murders that take place. The Seminole Police are under no legal obligation to tell the press anything or to report crimes to outside police agencies. With thousands of people visiting the complex daily bringing cash to gamble the opportunities for robbery are endless. Then there are the daily"Drawings" which slot players earn points to get into. Many players claim the drawings are fixed and the"winners" are often Indian plants paid to act surprised who never actually get anything. A recent winner claims he won a car only because he figured out how the envelopes were being placed on a table to tip off the person the casino wanted to win. He picked first and beat them to the winning envelope, which netted him $10K after he turned down the new car and took a cash payout. The casino then changed the way they laid out the envelopes for the finalist to choose from. Beware when visiting the Hard Rock, your life could end and no one will ever know what happened to you.
Senator from Palm Beach?......As Palm Beacher Jeff Greene gets closer to buying himself a seat in the U.S. Senate people are starting to dig into his background and it's getting interesting. Seems Greene spent years on the wild Hollywood-to-New Jersey Jewish party scene, hooking up with the likes of Heidi Fleiss & Ivan Wilzig, known for wearing a cape at the parties he throws at his castle-like mansion in the Hamptons. Ivan is a spoiled party-boy who inherited millions from his father's banking business and is known for supplying ecstasy at his parties while he plays his remixed versions of free-love music from the 60's while dancing around guests in his cape. Greene admits Ivan is a good friend. So good a friend that Greene married Ivan's former girlfriend, Mei, who is 35 and married Greene in 2007. While living in L.A. Greene held court at his mansion in Hollywood Hills which allegedly had a"Morroccan love den" used for orgies and sex during his parties that were attended by Hollywood trash like Paris Hilton and Kato Kaelin, this all allegedly took place until Greene moved to Palm Beach. Greene is despised by some former employees who claim he is a bully who would cheat them out of their pay. Greene was sued by his Chef James Battles just last year, who alleged Greene would"berate and humiliate" Battles when he sought reimbursement for food paid for out of his own pocket to feed Greene. The general word is that Greene, if given the chance, would stiff anyone until a court ordered him to pay the bill. Greene's campaign suggests anything but a hard worker. He takes several days off a week (unusual when running for statewide office), rarely attends any events prior to 11AM, and has churned thru campaign staff creating a reputation for arguing with them for hours to reduce a fee by a few hundred dollars. Greene has also made the mistake of allowing reporters to visit him for interviews at his $24 million oceanfront Palm Beach mansion while he sits watching the waves roll in- not a good omen for a position that should be represented by a"man of the people." Stay tuned.
27,000 Leaks in the Gulf......The BP spill is just one leaky oil well in the Gulf, there are 27,000 more. Yes, twenty-seven thousand! After an oil well is abandoned federal regulators don't inspect the plugging of offshore wells or check for leaks. Regulations that prescribe how oil companies are supposed to plug wells have been ignored for decades. BP alone has over 600 wells they have walked away from. Are they leaking? No one really knows. Sometimes the price of oil drops and oil companies just plug the well and wait for the price to rise before they open it back up. This has been happening since the 1940's. It was Nostradamus who wrote centuries ago that the"oceans will run red" as a signal that the end of time is near - now I see what he means.
He was a great one.......It was 1973 when he and 15 limited partners paid a paltry $8.8 million for the NY Yankees. He only put $168,000 of his own money in the deal. It almost never happened. His first choice was his hometown team, the Cleveland Indians. In 1971 he offered $8.5 million for the Indians and was rejected. A true rebel, from 1983 to 1995 he paid $645,000 in fines from the league brass for various stunts and shady deals. In 1989 he was banned from baseball for life, only to be re-instated in 1993. Along the way the company that his father left him, American Shipbuilding Company, went bankrupt. He eventually bought out all his original partners, one of whom, John McMullen, said"I came to realize that there is nothing quite so limited in life than being a limited partner of George Steinbrenner." His $168,000 investment is now worth $1 billion. George Steinbrenner was a great one.
Lost millions.........Jean Carruthers, a Canadian eye doctor, invented Botox. Originally used to stop eye spasms, she found it also got rid of wrinkles. After testing it in 1987 on her receptionist Botox was born. But she never got it patented and told everyone she knew about it. Now the most popular and frequent cosmetic procedure in the world, Carruthers has made not 1 dime on the use of Botox by others.
Eating gets expensive..........The most expensive beer in the world is now made by Brew Dog, a Scottish company. The cost is $762.00 for one beer. It has an alcohol content of 55%! It's called"End of History" and has animal rights folks in an uproar. They've made 12 bottles so far and each bottle is encompassed by a squirrel skin. Check it out at brewdog.com Then we have the worlds most expensive Hot Dog. Sold in Manhattan at Serendipity 3 on E. 60th St. it cost $69. It comes with truffle oil, a salted pretzel bed, truffle butter, duck foie gras, Dijon mustard, Vidalia onions and ketchup. Try it the next time you're in NYC.
What they won't tell you..........Here in the land of freedom of speech a 20-year veteran CNN reporter was fired for a Twitter message that showed normal condolences for a Lebanese cleric, Muhhammad Fadlallah, who had died. Octavia Nasr was the most senior reporter CNN had in the middle east, she had posted that she was"Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, one of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot." It is alleged that U.S. State Department officials demanded the firing. So much for CNN having a backbone.......Then we have our State Department denying a visa to a well-known Columbian TV journalist to attend a fellowship at Harvard. Hollman Morris has been critical of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe who is working closely with the CIA and allegedly helping the U. S. military prepare for an invasion of Venezuela. Morris has reported on International TV news shows President Uribe's ties to right-wing paramilitary groups that have committed human rights abuses in Columbia and South America. Morris was selected by Harvard as one of only 12 journalist on the world to participate in the Nieman Foundation beginning in a few months. U.S. officials claimed that"Morris is permanently ineligible for a visa under the Terrorist Activities section of the USA Patriot Act." So now a world-wide respected journalist is a terrorist? The State Department gets one journalist fired and keeps another from entering the country to speak at Harvard - and how many major news organizations reported these stories? None. This is the freedom of press our men & women are dying for in foreign lands?......In Iraq a new audit has documented over $8 billion from 2004 to 2007 that was taken from Iraqi oil revenues and disappeared. The military has held most Iraqi oil wells and their income by gunpoint since the invasion and most of the oil well drilling & operation contracts have been assigned to Dick Cheney and G. W. Bush's Texas pals, including the notorious Hunt brothers that attempted to control the world silver market 25 years ago. Also released but not reported here was a new medical study that found infant mortality, cancer and leukemia cases have skyrocketed in Fallujah, which was heavily bombarded with 500-pound bombs by the U.S. in 2004. The report was big news overseas and in London where the London Independent broke the story - no major news outlet in the U.S. mentioned it.
The rich are different.........In 1952 Huguette Clark bought a 52-Acre $24 million Connecticut home that has been maintained in pristine condition - she's never spent the night in it. Now 104, she also owns a 42-room apartment covering two floors on 5th Avenue in NYC, her lawyer sends a cleaning crew to it once a week - she doesn't live there. Clark has an oceanfront palace in Santa Barbara worth at least $100 million, she hasn't been in it for 40 years. She inherited from her father, William Clark, a U.S. Senator who made millions in Vegas property, copper mines in Montana and railroads in the west. As a young lady during the Great Depression she had the California home torn down and rebuilt to create jobs. After her mother died in 1963 Clark began a fast withdrawal from society. In the last 30 years she has only been seen a few times by staff and moved to an ordinary room in a medical facility to live out her days.
Have you heard about.........The wild weekend parties happening at a new downtown WPB condo building that is 80% empty. One of the floors is occupied by only 1 renter, who has access to the units on both sides of him and has sparsely furnished them creating a non-stop party that goes till noon and results in puking, drug use and sex taking place everywhere, building management knows nothing about it...........The big-time local lawyer that had an intervention by his family & friends last week that included a judge who told him if he didn't enter rehab he would have him arrested for possession and throw him in jail"now"..........The idiot on P.B. Island who thinks his pool is private - the bald fatso parades around naked every Tuesday & Wednesday afternoon with 2 very skinny women smoking what appears to be crack not knowing the whole charade is visible from the top floors of a condo across the Intracoastal in WPB - just another summer in paradise! Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
It was 1919, heading into the roaring 20's when Paris Singer, heiress to the Singer Sowing Machine Company fortune built what is now the most prestigious private club in Florida, the Everglades Club on Worth Avenue. Originally slated to be a hospital for WWI Vets, the war ended before it was needed and Paris turned it into a ritzy club that was opened only 3 months a year. Since then the club's membership has consisted of the richest members of wasp society in the nation. There are no black members. For years Jews have allegedly not been"sponsored" by current members for fear of being expelled themselves. There is a group of old-guard members that allegedly rule the club with an iron fist. Then there are the employees. It seems this group of super-wealthy are not interested in paying decent wages to their help. Many of the employees are undocumented, or illegal immigrants in more concise language. Their own Human Resources director admitted the Everglades Club has received more than 35 no-match responses on Social Security numbers submitted. They also admit hiring Eastern European"work-visa" employees from places like Romania for the winter season who work as servers. It was one of the illegal's that changed the life of a 20-something white American girl named Melissa. She was on her way to a career as a Chef, working in the upscale Club because it would look good on her resume. She was raped in her dorm room by Esdras Cardona and the Club, according to current members, did everything wrong prior to and from that moment on. But members will not dare to complain openly, that would result in immediate expulsion, they claim. The girl sued the club, a settlement was reached, but the investigation caused bad publicity for a club that prefers to go about its life anonymously. Now members say the paltry salaries (Melissa, a culinary arts graduate of Johnson & Wales University was paid $13 an hour, many employees are at or close to the minimum wage), lack of local hiring, and the use of illegals for any position at the club is wrong. As one members aid -"Pick any 20 of the 900 or so members we have and their net worth is over a billion dollars easily, why can't the club pay top salaries instead of us having to see illegal immigrants every time we play golf." Another Everglades member, who is also a member at the Bath & Tennis Club, said"If ICE raided the private clubs of Palm Beach in February they would need 20 buses to haul the illegal immigrants away." I used every method imaginable to persuade just one member to allow me to use their name - the answer was"no." Some things will never be discussed openly in this land founded on"Freedom of Speech", even in the richest club, with the richest members, on the richest Island in the nation.
The law for you and me........By now you've heard about an alleged"drug dealer" Michael Kagdis who was busted for possession of less than a half a gram of cocaine. He's allegedly being squeezed and threatened with big jail time unless he rats out everyone. Then there's Broward State Attorney's Office Prosecutor Elizabeth Scherer-Mercer. Her husband, Anthony Mercer, was busted with an ounce of cocaine and close to a pound of pot. The arrest report stated Mercer saying he had packaged the drugs for distribution and said it was"basically paying the rent." But the seven felony charges against him have been dropped, the State Attorney's office refuses to explain why. The trafficking charge alone carried a minimum-mandatory three-year prison sentence and a mandatory $50,000 fine. Instead he's being charged with two misdemeanors: possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia. Now he faces a faces a maximum of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine on each charge. As far as Michael Kagdis is concerned, the word is that he was no drug dealer at all. Kagdis, like many others, only used drugs to gain access to certain circles of wealthy island pleasure seekers and women, and that was only occasional, not an every day thing There really are no"big drug dealers" on the island, just the worker crowd of bartenders, waiters, limo drivers, butlers and estate managers who procure drugs, mostly cocaine and high-end weed, for the rich. They get it anywhere they can, almost entirely by driving over the bridge, not down the street. As this page reported several years ago there was a notorious bartender who was dealing a lot of coke across a well known bar on the island, he has since left town after business there slowed down. He's now working at the Hard Rock in Broward. His nickname on the island was"Mr. G" - the G being short for a gram of coke.
The truth about Kennedy's"Camelot"........No one can dispute that Ted Kennedy was the greatest Senator of our time. Like others, I have always admired the four Kennedy brothers, Joe, Jack, Bobby & Ted. Here are some specific truths about the brothers that are rarely mentioned. While JFK was President the loft above Bobby's office (he was then U.S. Attorney General) was his favorite place to hook up with Marilyn Monroe, who he had sex with many times there. JFK also had two secretaries- Priscilla Wear and Jill Cowen, known as"Fiddle & Faddle" whom he regularly had threesomes with, it was their main duty. The autopsy performed on Mary Jo Kopechne, who was the sex partner of Bobby Kennedy during his Presidential campaign of 1968 and always got her own single room on the road when everyone else was four or more to a room, and was one of the"boiler room girls," revealed she had survived"for up to an hour" breathing a pocket of trapped air in the car after Ted Kennedy drove it off the bridge in the famous Chapaquiddick incident. Aids later said that Bobby would excuse himself for 30 minutes every day to take a"quick nap" in Mary Jo's room. If Ted had made one attempt to save her he could have come out a hero instead of a bum. Less than 13 months after the incident in 1969, the entire District Attorneys case files on the incident disappeared and have not been seen since. After the death of JFK Jackie usually stayed at the Palm Beach estate of Charles & Jayne Wrightsman, she was not entirely welcome at the Kennedy estate due to Ethel Kennedy's hatred of her for Jackie's sexual affair with Bobby, which lasted for the entire time he was alive after JFK's death. During the 1968 campaign Bobby, upset that Aristotle Onassis was not only wooing Jackie but finding out he had slept with her and bragged about it, personally called Onassis and threatened to"have his oil tankers permanently barred from U.S. ports" if he did not"immediately cease and desist from making public statements about Jackie." Bobby also told Pierre Salinger that"She'll marry that man over my dead body." Jackie's first lover after JFK died was Marlon Brando and during her marriage she had a sexual affair with William Holden, then a famous actor. And finally, it was Clark Clifford, the famed D.C. Attorney and presidential advisor to JFK, who was called into FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's office in 1966 and shown a 3-minute film of Marilyn Monroe on her knees performing fellatio on Bobby Kennedy. Hoover wanted Clifford to get the film to then President Lyndon Johnson, whom he thought would use it to blackmail Bobby into not running against him in 1968. Hoover claimed he was sold the film in 1965 by a former aid to Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa, who had a private investigator install a camera in the actresses bedroom in California, in order to catch Bobby with her. Hoover also claimed Joe DiMaggio heard about the film and offered Hoffa a"large sum of money" to buy it and destroy it. The film is allegedly still in the FBI vault, despite rumors it had surfaced last year and been sold at a private auction.
Frankelstein has no support in the WPB Police department.......... WPB Mayor Lois Frankel obviously has no plans to run again. Not only would the term limits provision have to be changed, the WPB Police Officers are fed up with her. They voted 150-35 they would rather merge with the PBC Sheriff's Office than put up with her any more. Publicly the talk is politically correct, led mostly by the PBA Rep John Kazanjian. Privately cops say Frankel is pure scum, she lied to them over and over and she is trying to cut their pay & benefits while she has refused to cut her own absurd salary of $130,000 a year. One officer said -"She knows we hate her, but she simply does not care, she used us and everyone else to get elected and doesn't need us anymore."
Florida's shrinking............. Now what locals have been noticing is proven - Florida's population is shrinking for the first time in 60 years. Our population is about 18 million now and 58,000 left the state last year. Unemployment in June was 10.6%, the highest since 1975. School enrollment is down 28,500 from last year.
What they won't tell you...........President Obama bringing change? It is becoming very clear that this country is being run by the rich, not politicians. On his recent vacation to Martha's Vineyard, Obama spent 5 hours golfing with UBS Banking President Robert Wolf. UBS is the company that just agreed to pay $780 million in penalties for helping wealthy Americans move cash to Switzerland and avoid taxes. The scheme was outed by another UBS Banker, Bradley Birkenfeld, who was given a 40-month prison sentence, despite providing information that led to the huge fine and the disclosure of over 4,000 UBS clients who may hidden billions, including several high profile Palm Beach residents. The deal with the Feds allowed UBS to avoid any criminal prosecution as a company. From 2006 on, Robert Wolf raised $250,000 for Obama and was rewarded with a position on the White House Economic Recovery Advisory Board. So we have a guy whose company illegally hid billions for rich Americans, got caught, cut a deal that's resulted in the person who blew the whistle going to prison for 40 months, playing golf with the President for 5 hours. That's a lot of face time with the President for a fellow whose company just paid a $780 million fine for violating the law..... A huge fight is close to hitting the headlines over the Israeli settlements and actions of the Israeli army in the disputed Palestine. The Obama administration is getting ready to pull the plug on decades of nearly blind support for Israel. Former President Carter has been tagged to start the campaign for public opinion and gave a recent statement -"Although it's very important now to stop all the settlement building and expansion in all of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, that's just a first step. The final step will have to be for all Israeli settlements to be removed from Palestine." Powerful Jewish businesspeople are demanding meetings with Obama and getting rebuffed while the plot, allegedly hatched
by Christian right-wingers within the State Department and influential Christian donors to the Obama Presidential campaign unfolds quietly - for now.
Have you heard about..........Florida is home to the number one high school football team in the nation, St. Thomas Aquinas, ranked at the top by USA Today......Jethro (Max Baer Jr.) from the Beverly Hillbillies TV Show is trying to open Jethro's Beverly Hillbillies Hotel and Casino in Reno......Tennis great Martina Navratilova, who has been sued for galimoney by two previous flames including Floridian Toni Layton and Miss Texas Judy Nelson has taken up with former Miss USSR Julia Lemigova, at least she has good taste in women........The local stripper who is now being kept at the Palm Beach Hotel by the wife of a brand name Palm Beach Islander, she appears regularly in society photos and is Chairwoman of a prestigious charity ball coming up this season. None of her friends are aware of her affinity for girls 30 years her junior. But her new girl-toy is talking up a storm after nightly lubrication at a nearby watering hole and bartenders are spreading the story around. Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
It's good work if you can get it. While Bernie Madoff's victims face bankruptcy and ruin the man in charge of finding their stolen money has made a huge fortune sitting at a desk and making phone calls. Irving Picard and his law firm have made a stunning $37 million so far for their accounting and collection duties. Lawsuits are now flying all over the nation as investor victims are furious over the way Picard has awarded the money that has been found. Some say the only one being rewarded is Picard, who just recently got a judge to award him his most recent fee - $22 million! The biggest dispute is that Picard has allegedly decided that victims be given funds based entirely on how much they invested - others say they should be given funds based on their last account statements. Blood began to boil once word spread that Picard is now a multi-millionaire from this case alone, which he has worked on for less than 14 months while others have been pawning off family heirlooms and losing their homes to foreclosure. Now look for a massive fight by all involved about every move Picard has made and every penny he has put in his own pocket from this case. Stay tuned.
Casey Johnson's pain is over........Last month I told you about Casey Johnson, the baby-oil heiress who is in line for the massive fortune that comes from the Johnson & Johnson corporation founded by her great-Grandfather 123 years ago. At 30 her drug use was finally catching up to her. Casey died sometime between January 1st and 4th - no one is sure when. She was found in her L.A. home, where the power and water had been cut off due to non-payment, as her father had cut off her funds in a final attempt to force her into rehab. Casey had every financial advantage a woman could have but it only led to sadness. She told friends her money was the"golden handcuffs" that kept her from being something of substance. The Johnson family has had other children who could not cope with the fortune - Casey's father Woody owns the NY Jets, but one of his brothers, Keith, died of a cocaine overdose in Ft. Lauderdale in 1975, then another, Billy, died in a motorcycle accident in Santa Monica one month later. The next time someone says money can't buy happiness, believe it.
Is there a crime problem in Riviera Beach?........How do you measure whether or not you have a crime problem in your town? When the Police Chief's wife is robbed in her own driveway you have a crime problem! You would think that local crooks know the Police Chief lives in a house on their own street. At 9:30 on a Monday night in Lone Pine Estates 3 dudes walk up to Ethel Williams, the wife of Riviera Beach Police Chief Clarence Williams, pull a gun on her as she gets out of her car and rob her of her purse. They must have known who they were robbing. They must have been waiting for her to pull up in her car. When crooks are willing to disrespect the Chief of Police at this level, the nuts are truly in charge of the asylum.
High society goes to jail.......John Jacob Astor left one of the largest fortunes in world history when he died. The Astor's had also become the absolute top of society in America. The original"Society 400" was based on who got invited to the Astor ballroom for their New Year's Eve party - the ballroom held only 400. If you were included on any guest list to an Astor event you were immediately considered high society. Brooke Astor was until her death was the leading society maven in the world. But her death did not come soon enough for her son and his money grubbing wife. Now Anthony Marshall, 4 generations from Jacob Astor, will serve time in jail after being convicted for swindling his own mother out of millions. Marshall was convicted of grand larceny for stealing at least $2 million from his Mom. Insiders claim Marshall"married out of his class" and his wife Charlene was the cause of the whole sordid affair. She allegedly endlessly pestered Marshall to get more and more of his mothers money before she died because after her death the bulk of the trust was to be given to charitable foundations. Marshall was already set to inherit $23 million when Brooke Astor died, and had been getting $450,000 a year to"manage" her estate. He lived in a $2 million Manhattan apartment purchased by the Astor estate. Jacob Astor, known as a supreme tightwad in his day, must have turned in his grave as his great-great-great grandson Philip testified in open court against his own father (Anthony) that he had stolen money from his mother and the Astor estate. Of course his money may mean he never goes to jail, the judge granted him the right to remain free until mid-January while he files an appeal. Anthony Marshal is now 85. As one prosecutor said -"How much money does an 85-year-old man need?"
The Astor generational name is now dead.
Mayor's office for sale..........A billionaire spends $102 million of his own money to run for Mayor in his town. He pays over a million dollars to his staff in bonuses and pays them hefty salaries to run and work on his campaign. His spending serves to crush most opposition. This is democracy? This is America - New York City - and that's what Michael Bloomberg did again for the third time. Where will this pattern take us?
Bet on America........ While much of America was reeling from the financial crisis in 2009 David Tepper made $2.5 Billion. Yes, billion. Tepper dumped what he had into buying shares of bank stocks like Citi Group and Bank of America in February and March while investors sold and ran as the stock tanked. Many thought the banks would crumble or that they would be taken over by the government and the shares would be worthless. In a matter of 9 months the stocks rebounded and Tepper cashed in. In 2003 Tepper was called the hottest trader on Wall Street and made millions on junk bonds, but also allegedly lost $200 million betting on auto-parts supplier Delphi during the GM strike. Easy come easy go.
It's a wide world of...... Patrick Disney Miller, the grandson of Walt Disney has fallen a long way from the tree. He was busted again, this time in the L.A. community of San Fernando Valley for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon or addict. On December 9th he was arrested and held on $70,000 bail. After sitting for a spell while local media reported on his plight he was bailed out. In 2005 he was convicted for drug possession. This time he faces 23 felony counts including possession of a controlled substance with a firearm. Patrick is the son of Walt's beloved daughter Diane Disney Miller.
What they won't tell you.........International corporate interest are being blamed for the murders of 2 anti-gold mining activist in El Salvador. A 32-year old woman, 8-months pregnant, was shot dead with her 2-year old son trembling in her arms, a few blocks from her home. Her name was Dora"Alicia" Recinos Sorto. Of course US media refused to report the story. 2 weeks ago a man named Ramiro Rivera Gomez was shot dead by heavily armed men. They were both leaders in a community protest against an international company. People there claim the killings are due to the Pacific Rim Mining Company, a Vancouver and Nevada based company that mines gold around the world. The company is trying to start a massive mining project in El Salvador, but so far the government has denied them a permit, thanks to locals who claim that the exploratory drilling alone in El Dorado caused their rivers to dry up which led to their crops and cattle dying. Now the company is using CAFTA, the US Central American Free Trade Agreement, to force the government to allow them to start mining. Pacific Rim Mining Company is initiating what CAFTA calls"investment rights" - contained in Chapter 11 of the agreement - it essentially gives transnational corporations tremendous legal access to the natural resources of nations in Central America and Mexico and defines investors with more rights, literally, to land and water than even local or national governments have. What outsiders don't know is that Pacific Rim is proposing to use cyanide extraction, which presents a tremendous health and environmental danger to the community and is known to contaminate rivers and streams. Imagine the outcry if they tried to do this in Florida? But if Americans are not told about it, they won't know about it, and when massive protests against America take place, our politicians will claim the"left-wing radicals in the region led by Hugo Chavez are against our way of life." That's if the protests are even reported on U.S. media.
You can't take it with you.........Roman Abramavich, the 43-year old Russian steel & mining tycoon who placed 51 on Forbes richest in the world list last year, had a New Year's Eve party at his $90-million estate on St. Barts island. He paid close to $600,000 each to Prince, Beyonce & Gwen Stefani to perform. A fleet of over 20 private jets ferried guests from around the world to the location. Over $2 million was spent on food & champagne. The 70-acre estate has an ocean-front swim up bar among other luxuries. Abramavich is the owner of the Chelsea Football Team in London and made news when he sat down for dinner at Nello in NYC with 5 pals and spent $47,000 on wine & truffles. He also owns the longest private yacht in the world which is large enough to house a submarine for those late night getaways. He's single.
Scam man finally caught......... A notorious six-foot six-inch scam artist that grifted thru Florida has been busted. 35-year old Robert Schnepf charmed the ladies with his massive build and tales of being either a motor-cross champion, record producer, decorated Iraq war vet or heir to a great German banking fortune. Since April of 2008 Florida has had an arrest warrant out for Schnepf, who was attempting to lay low in Staten Island, where at least 10 women claimed that Schnepf got them to fork over thousands of dollars since May of 2008. In the beginning he often would present himself as a rich dude in need of administrative assistance and ask wealthy women for help staying organized. He would name drop about partnerships with everyone from Rihanna to Heineken and even gave a speech last October at a Staten Island domestic-violence shelter after promising to build it a $3.5 million facility. His trip thru Florida allegedly included ripping off several well-known society gals and appearances at high-end charity balls on the island, where gushing socialites presented him as a"Special Forces Green Beret." Too embarrassed to tell only but their closest friends about being taken to the cleaners by the con man, several socialites may be called to testify in open court. Stay tuned.
Have you heard about.........Actor Warren Beatty is alleged to have slept with over 12,000 women in a new biography, but was turned down by many including Fran Drescher, who rebuffed his offer of a threesome with actress Isabelle Adjani..........52-year-old toy magnate Terrance Watanabe lost $125 million last year playing blackjack, roulette and slot machines in Vegas. Known for $20,000 tips to cocktail waitresses, he is suing Ceasars claiming he was provided with drugs and alcohol before gambling, proving again that the only thing that stays in Las Vegas is your money......The Genovese gangster who has set up shop in an ocean-front rental home on Palm Beach Island for the next 3 months - gangsters from all over the east coast made appearances for his NY's Eve party, which allegedly featured a sex act show he flew in from Rio de Janeiro, I don't know for sure because of course I wasn't there..........Remember, Don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
In 1952 some Palm Beach Jewish residents, tired of being denied entry to the Bath & Tennis or Everglades Club, decided to pool close to $1million and purchase what is now the Palm Beach Country Club. Founding the club where people like Samuel Paley, then a cigar distributor and father of media king William S. Paley. One of the first non-Jews who joined was an Irishman named Joe Kennedy, who was denied membership at the other clubs because he was both Irish and Catholic. Palm Beach then was a very Christian place. Initiation fees at the club are now in the $300,000 range and there are about 300 members. Over 100 of them allegedly invested with Bernard Madoff, who has been busted for running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Word is trickling around that some of the big investors were protected at the last minute by Madoff, who moved their money into Israeli bank accounts. They have allegedly been told in order to get their cash they need to keep quiet. But this rumor may be unfounded, its origin is a computer disc allegedly leaked by a Swiss bank worker that shows Madoff and top clients as the largest account holders in a series of transfers to Israeli banks. Many have lost all their cash and their homes will soon be on the market. The club itself has become a morgue-like atmosphere. According to one member -"This was a place where people showed off. They showed off their cars, jewelry and bragged about their wealth and how much of it they gave away. Now no one can trust anyone else, everyone wants to know who lost how much and where the money went." You've probably heard about the near fist-fight at Mar-A-Lago between Bob Jaffe and Jerome Fisher. Fisher was mad when he found out Jaffe was paid a commission for getting Fisher to invest over $100 million, which is allegedly gone. That's just one fight we heard about. Heated conversations with big names have been taking place for the last 2 weeks in homes all over the island. Statements and affidavits are being taken by powerful NYC attorneys, who flew into town with a team of stenographers and accountants. Some members are concerned about the future financial viability of the club. It was originally built in 1916 by the Florida East Coast Company and drew names like Peabody, Hutton and Whitney to play the golf course and entertain in the dining room. After all that time, the Island Jewish community was now as strong as it has ever been. Millions is given to charities each year from members of the club. An elderly member said -"This group of members went from thinking we could trust each other with our lives to a level of hate and anger I thought would not be possible." She went on to say -"This generation of members at the club will never get over this, it will be years before it returns to what it was, a fun place for Jewish high society."
Two City of Deerfield Beach leaders busted in corruption case........Four-term Mayor Albert Capellini and two-term City Commissioner Steve Gonot have both been arrested for pay to play schemes. Using terms like"unlawful compensation" and"theft" officials have described a scene that is familiar to us all. Capellini has been in power since 1993. Over the years locals have cringed as they discovered that allowing elected officials to have side businesses creates massive conflicts of interest. Sound familiar? What's got city officials across the state whispering is that with Obama on the way, politically appointed U.S. Attorneys are cleaning off their desk and will bring charges wherever they can to finish what they started and to prove to the new administration they are worthy of staying put. This way, if major case charges have just been filed, it's harder to replace them. The rumors around Palm Beach County have heated up in recent days, with many expecting blockbuster announcements of corruption cases prior to mid-January. Stay tuned.
The insiders of bail out politics......You've heard about bailing out the auto industry. You may not have heard who really owns Chrysler. Cerberus investment house took Chrysler private, so who owns Cerberus? The Vice Chairman is a guy named Dan Quayle, former VP under daddy Bush. The Chairman is former Secretary of Treasury John Snow. Like these 2 guys need a bailout.
Rod Stewart's daughter poses nude for cash...........It has been said many times that part time Palm Beach rocker Rod Stewart is tight with a buck. Now daughter Kimberly has apparently decided to draw a paycheck on her own. She's posed nude with Ron Woods (Rolling Stones) daughter in Britain's notorious Tatler Magazine. The cover's title is"Rock Babes."
The original porno pin-up girl is gone...........She was featured in the 1955 Playboy magazine. Her S & M photos shocked America. She was porno when porno wasn't kool. Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee had a congressional investigation into the"morality" of her photos. No less than 3 feature films were made about her life. In 1959, while spread eagle on a sea wall in Key West she saw a church cross glowing in neon. She walked inside and became a born-again Christian. She attended Bible school and then worked full-time for Billy Graham's ministry. In 1979 a fight with a landlord in California resulted in her being placed in a mental ward for 20 months, diagnosed with acute schizophrenia. In the 1990's a promoter invited her to an autograph signing event. She was the hit of the event, selling 3,000 photos at $200 each. Betty Page, the woman who started what became the sexual revolution of the 1960's, was 85. She was a great one.
Warren Buffett cuts kin out of cash.........Many of the super rich choked when Jaime Johnson (of Johnsons band aid cash) produced a movie about the offspring of wealthy people called"The One Percent." One who participated has allegedly lost her inheritance as a result. Nicole Buffett, the adopted daughter of Buffet's son Peter has a twin sister. It appears she's out and her sisters still in. After making appearances on Oprah to promote the flick and going on about all the money she has, grandpa sent her a letter saying"I have not emotionally or legally adopted you as a grandchild, nor have the rest of my family adopted you as a niece or a cousin" and allegedly telling her there will be no inheritance at all. Now Nicole is broke, allegedly unable to afford health insurance or even cable TV. Welcome to the real world baby.
What they won't tell you...........Iran is claiming it has documents detailing the CIA's involvement in providing arms and money to a terrorist organization that executed 16 Iranian policemen. Calling themselves Jundollah (God's Soldiers) they kidnapped the policemen and killed them. Critics of the CIA claim they have made deals with multiple groups of unsavory middle-eastern terrorist under the condition they attack Iran and destabilize the nation..........Witnesses are claiming that Moscow police have brutally blocked protestors from marching on numerous occasions, resulting in over 150 being imprisoned. Moscow officials claim they were just detained for attempting to march without a permit. With the price of oil plummeting Russia is heading for tough times, creating an opening for leaders like former chess champion Garry Kasparov, whose political organization, the National-Bolshevik party, has been declared illegal by the Kremlin."By the end of 2009 Russia will be in complete turmoil" said one protest leader.....In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans, a band of whites allegedly walked the streets of the Algiers Point area and killed at least 11 blacks with rifles. Several blacks that survived gunshot wounds have finally told their story to alternative news organizations after being turned down by major networks. The killings were allegedly covered up or not investigated at all............A 513-page report called"Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience," compiled by the congressionally mandated Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction has stated that the U.S. has spent $117 Billion in a wasted reconstruction effort that resulted in billions of graft and theft. Kellogg Brown & Root, which was then a part of Halliburton, VP Dick Cheney's former employer, was the biggest beneficiary. They got the highest number of contracts. Most of the contracts went to American companies, providing little work for unemployed Iraqis, who stood and watched as workers imported from neighboring nations and America rebuilt buildings destroyed by U.S. bombings. In many buildings, the wiring is so shoddy you can be shocked by touching the exterior wall. Meanwhile there is a major power grab by Iraqi president Nouri al- Maliki in advance of Bush leaving office. Four Generals have been arrested and dozens of high-ranking political opponents have allegedly been imprisoned or assassinated.
WKRP back on the air!........And just like the TV show, it is in Cincinnati. Unlike the TV Show, this time the station is a real TV station. The old call letters, WBOC, just don't pack the same punch so they were recently changed to build publicity for the station and its conversion to digital.
A $15,000 book of photos..........Only in New York. A new book out featuring photos of NYC just went on sale. It's 2 feet tall and has 756 pages weighing in at 26 pounds. It's all yours for only $15,000!
Have you heard about...........Paul Anka, now 67, being hit in the face with a chunk of ice by his wife, Anna, who is 38, during an argument. His head was split open and needed stitches, she went to jail.........The local island married restaurant owner who was caught by an employee having sex with another employee, she snapped a cell phone photo that is now being emailed among PB Island waiters & bartenders.............The Palm Beach socialite with the initials MT whose known as the"Beverly Hillbilly" of Palm Beach due to a trash strewn mansion filled with junky misplaced furniture......The local news part-time anchor that is gay but petrified to come out, refusing to go out with his boyfriend except to a particular restaurant in Boca.........The local porn producer that finally got busted by his condo association after residents saw porn online filmed on their balcony and showing the pool area below, the Board figured out which unit it was after hours of watching the gay porn and freezing background frames...........Remember, Don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
How much longer our leaders will allow Florida Power & Light (FPL) to continue it's monopolistic control over the power resources of Floridians depends on Floridians themselves. At this time, without a storm since 2005, FPL continues to rake in millions every month with its"storm charge" that appears on your bill every month. Calls to them result in a myriad of spin and excuses with no one offering anything but pure B.S. and claiming FPL has nothing to do with the"storm charge." Some customer service reps actually said"this is to prepare for the next storm." What? So we Floridians have to pay our own way out of the storm but FPL as a company is permitted to collect from us in advance of storms that may or may not even happen? Then there is the fact that despite the nearly 60% reduction in fuel cost last year, FPL raised its rates in 2008. While in New York Con Ed reduced its rates almost 5% from January 2008 to January 2009, and in Texas TXU Energy reduced its rates 6%, FPL increased its rates 2.6% during the same time period! When questioned about this fact, FPL honcho Armando Olivera said"I have been through enough of these cycles to say it is way too early in the year for us to be speculating, and remember, a significant portion of our supply comes from the Gulf of Mexico, and so a very active hurricane season can arguably put some upward pressure on prices." So I guess Texas is not exposed to the same futuristic events as FPL. Maybe they use a different crystal ball. What I do know is Olivera and other FPL executives pay themselves millions every year, live in exclusive ocean-front areas like Seminole Landing and seemingly do not have to worry about a down economy affecting their paycheck. Enough is enough. FPL has gouged Floridians for too many decades. Call your State Rep or Senator or FPL and raise hell today. It's time to do things the American way, let every power company in the nation come bid to provide power for the residents of this state. Watch how fast FPL lowers their rates and does away with the storm charge when they think they will actually have to compete for our business. It's a journalistic disgrace that so many major daily newspapers in Florida don't have the guts to expose the huge salaries of FPL executives and the gouging that their monopoly inflicts on Floridians.
Ford Family war may expose secrets...........While the Ford family winter home in Jupiter has been on the market for over a year, local Ford Heiress Kathleen"Kate" Ford has continued to live in regal style, often showing up at the exclusive Club Collette with Frank Chopin on her arm. Now rumors are being spread that Henry Ford II didn't die of Legionnaire's disease, but met his maker by falling down drunk and cracking his head open. Henry II was a legendary drinker with a massive ego and known world-wide for demanding to be treated as if he was a king. It has been said that he often told his wife Kathleen that"There can only be one King and I am it." Apparently a tussle has broken out between another Ford, Elena - who is the granddaughter of Henry Ford II, and her ex-husband Stanley Olender. Stanley was the maintenance man at the Ford estate. Elena saw him working at the estate and married him back in 1991 when they were both in their 30's. Friends said it would never last. It didn't. When they divorced Elena made promises to make Stanely go away. One was a home for life in Charleston, SC. Recently Stanley got served with eviction papers. That prompted him to start calling reporters, telling them"She's got a 134-foot yacht and she is trying to kick me out of a 3-bedroom house" and"I know a lot of secrets." It worked. Stanley was told he can remain in the house. He retracted what he said. And the beat goes on.
Palm Beachers petrified over UBS fallout.........Banking giant UBS has agreed to tell the IRS who they stashed cash for in Swiss Banks to avoid paying taxes in the U.S. Prosecutors claim UBS stashed $30 Billion for American millionaires, helping them avoid $300 million a year in taxes. Feds have been examining some 15,000 accounts at the bank over a long period of time and will go after every American they think evaded taxes. This has allegedly caused a flurry of activity in private banks all over Palm Beach as UBS closes their accounts overseas and wires money back into the U.S. - look for some big local names to get exposed in this one.
Larry"The Welcher" King finally gets his........When he left Miami long ago in disgrace, owing many people money that he borrowed and never paid back, allegedly including numerous bookies around town, Larry King may have thought he was a supreme con artist. To this day some claim he's never paid them back despite earning $7 million a year from his CNN show. It turns out King got hustled himself by Bernie Madoff, who clipped him for at least $1 million and maybe more. True to form, King has not admitted being hustled by Madoff on his show. A true hustler never admits to being beat.
Nude beach creates $400 million economic impact in Florida..........According to nudist spokesman Richard Mason the world-famous Haulover"Clothing Optional" Beach in Miami draws more tourist than any other beach in the state. The nude beach draws more than 1.2 million visitors a year. That translates to over 3,200 nude bodies a day on that stretch of beach. Mason claims the economic impact of people staying in nearby hotels, shopping & dining is more than $400 million a year. Mason said the numbers prove that the nude beach outdraws the Florida Marlins & Dolphins combined. We could use an influx of tourism during the summer months here in WPB, maybe a nude beach is the answer! Call your city commissioner today!
Playboy empire crumbling.............Hefner's run may be ending as the company has hit a major cash crunch according to insiders. The New York office was recently closed and all print & online work is being moved to the Chicago office. The word is that the TV Show starring Hef, along with hotel in-room porn movies services are the only cash producing assets left. Circulation of Playboy Magazine is said to be nearing a breaking point, as Playboy sends 3 free copies of it to just about every bar in major America cities (including WPB) just to keep circulation numbers up. Then there was the revelation by one of his"girlfriends" that Hef is actually an old fuddy-duddy who doesn't sleep with 3 women every night as he'd like you to believe, in fact he rarely"sleeps" with anyone. The numbers show Playboy had a net loss in each quarter of last year. But don't shed any tears for him, even if Hef retired to the old folks home he still had quite a run.
The Outfit gangster goes away...........The man who killed the Spilatro brothers, made famous in the movie Casino by Joe Pesci, just got life in prison for his role as the head of the Chicago Outfit. James"Little Jimmy" Marcello was the man who invited the Spilatro brothers to a Chicago suburban area home in 1986 where they thought they would be promoted to captains in a mob ceremony. Instead they were beaten to death. Unlike the movie Casino, where they were beaten in a cornfield, the Spilatro brothers actually were beaten in the home and then buried at a farm. The only man still alive and not in prison that took part in the Spilatro killings is said to be John"No Nose" DiFronzo, who today is allegedly the acting mob boss of the Chicago Outfit."No Nose" is allegedly a frequent visitor to South Palm Beach, were he quietly has kept an ocean-front condo for years.
Notorious high roller goes bust.............Friends in Atlantic City & Vegas had been telling me for the last few years about a"whale" gambler who would lose as much as $10 million in a day. He worked as a buyer for Fry's Electronics, which is like Brandsmart and huge in the western U.S. At 43-years old, Omar Siddiqui was living the good life. He stayed in the 7,000 sq-foot Chairman's Suite at the Venetion which has 26 television screens among other luxuries. If you've ever had the privilege of making it to that level, a private gamblers suite is on that floor for the high rollers. You'll sip $25,000 bottles of rare Chateau Lafite Rothschild while playing blackjack. $10,000 a night escorts from all over the world sit on couches waiting for you to bed them. Funny thing is Mr. Siddique only made $225K a year at his job and he lost big, allegedly over $160 million since 1998. He often played $200,000 a hand. By 2007 Siddique was in trouble, in massive marker debt to multiple casinos, but due to his reputation, casinos still accepted his rubber checks and gave him markers for a million of dollars at a time. In November of 2007 Siddique persuaded the Planet Hollywood casino to give him $8 million in markers in one day. He lost it all the same day he got it. The checks he wrote bounced. Then the lawsuits to collect started rolling in and the IRS came knocking. Turns out Mr. Siddiqui had been shaking down purveyors who wanted shelf space at Fry's and funneling the cash to a dummy company. He allegedly shook them down for over $65 million. Authorities can't figure out where he got the rest of the money. His whale days are over.
What they won't tell you..........While America bails itself out with borrowed cash the investigation into $125 billion that may have been stolen during the Iraqi rebuilding program is providing a tale of killings to silence Americans who knew about it,"dead-drops" in the millions taking place in the Green Zone to high ranking military officers and huge piles of cash being stuffed into everything from pizza boxes to huge burlap sacks"as if it were Halloween candy" according to former military soldiers. Maj. John L. Cockerham of the Army has pleaded guilty to getting nearly $10 million. One contracting official committed suicide in 2006 hours after admitting to investigators that she had taken $225,000. Dale Stoffel, an American arms contractor, was granted limited immunity by the Special Inspector General to testify about what was going on. He was shot dead within days of talking to investigators on a road north of Baghdad while leaving a meeting at a military base. The meeting was allegedly set up by U.S. military personnel. The military then put out a story that a previously unheard of Iraqi group was taking credit for the ambush. All this is playing out in sealed hearings, allegedly to protect"national security interest."
Have you heard about...............The socialite with the initials C.S. who lives in an oceanfront home on the south end of Palm Beach - her staff says working there is a"living hell" and she went thru estate managers on a monthly basis, finally bringing in a maid from her Hamptons estate who's willing to take her abuse. Staff say her hedge-fund billionaire husband lets her"treat people like slave dirt" and"yell at them constantly".............The"house of death" that CNBC Money-man Seth Tobias mysteriously died in is for sale, the Jupiter home is being sold by his wife Filomena"Phyllis" Tobias, who settled with his other heirs and is said to now be short on cash........16 years after shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the face Long Island trash Amy Fisher is coming to a strip club near you to show her naked body and make money, this after doing some porn now on sale at local porno shops........The big time Vegas strip club operator that's in town looking for big spaces to open a flesh joint while cruising the other clubs promising the best looking girls jobs........The young A-list rocker who rented a lake-front home on the island for a 3 months and has been hosting monster coke parties where"a mountain of coke" greets guests on the dining room table, which has been moved into the living room and used as a stage for strippers and 5-foot lines........Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Local residents were shocked to learn that Riverside National Bank has been targeted by the Federal Reserve and was forced to sign an agreement that may lead to its being taken over. The agreement was allegedly signed by the bank in mid-January but locals just found out about it. Allegedly Riverside posted gigantic losses of $138.9 million in 2008 and $134.3 million in the first nine months of 2009. The bank has some $3.5 billion in assets but its risk based capital is less than half of what insiders say it should be - around $120 million as of last September when it should be at least $280 million. The Fed gave Riverside only 30 days to tell them in writing how they plan to use the cash on hand for operating expenses and 60 days to submit a plan of action to solve the problems. Other banks in this situation have gone under - but a bank insider who refused to be identified in print claimed"that will not happen, we have more than sufficient means of additional capitol to satisfy the Fed." Stay tuned.
Wrong prices at Walmart......Customers have been complaining for months about being shortchanged and ripped off at the Lake Park Walmart. Pick up an item on the shelves listed at one price, get home to find out you were charged another price, always higher. Then there's the shifty scale for produce. A customer bought one banana and got home to see he was charged $1.34 and the scale claimed it weighed 1.5 pounds. Another bought one tiny plum tomato among other things and got home to find out the scale claimed it weighed 1.1 pounds, overcharging her. Items on shelves seem to be routinely placed above price cards that don't match the item, always resulting in a higher price at the register. Those who catch it are made to go stand and wait in the customer service line from hell, taking 30 minutes to get back small amounts of money they were overcharged. Walmart may post low prices - but what you end up paying may be something much higher.
The worst real estate deal in history......Palm Beach titans are circling like vultures after a $5.4 billion real estate deal went bust, making it the biggest real estate deal gone bad in U.S. history. In 2006 a group of idiots got an even dumber group of bankers to back them in the purchase of 110 buildings on 80 acres of property in Manhattan called Stuyvesant Town. Originally built for middle class WWII Vets and families it includes over 11,000 apartments of which 7,000 are rent controlled. Of course the new owners, Tishman-Speyer Properties, had a scheme to bust up the rent controlled units and resell them at hefty profits. After spending $5.4 billion to complete the deal a judge ruled they could not change the rent control agreements after residents sued to stop them. The judge also ordered them to pay the tenants of about 4,000 apartments that illegally had their rents raised about $4,000 each. So they walked away last month after losing some $3.5 billion and unable to keep up the monthly $16 million payment on the debt. So here comes Palm Beach big-shots Donald Trump and Wilbur Ross swooning in to cash in, each claiming they can manage the massive property better than anyone else. Meanwhile what was once a peaceful neighborhood of WWII Vets and their descendants is now a bunch of stressed out apartment dwellers wondering if their rent will go up to line the pockets of more billionaires. Greed is good?
The Fontainebleau course lives on.....The latest word is that the Fontainebleau Miami Hotel has been doing big business, allowing owner Jeffrey Soffer to hang on for now. His unfinished Vegas dream has been scooped up by Carl Icahn. In a stunning deal approved by a bankruptcy judge in Miami Icahn will pay a paltry $104 million in cash plus $45 million in debtor fees for a project that has already cost $2 billion. The project is 70% complete, so in theory Icahn bought a future mega-casino-hotel that will be worth close to $3 billion when completed for $150 million down. Soffer can kiss his money goodbye. Many say he'll lose the Fontainebleau Miami this summer when cash flow slows and he can't cover the loan payments. Meanwhile no one has been arrested in the murder of Ben Novak Jr., beaten to death in July of 2009, who Miami locals claim was killed by someone hired by his wife. Now his adopted step-brother has arrived on the scene to claim an inheritance from his mother after spending years living on the streets as a drug user. Ronald Novak, now 62, is the adopted son of Fontainebleau founder Ben Novak Sr. and his first wife Bella. Ben Novak Sr. had left him $1 in his will, an obvious message that he did not approve of his lifestyle. The fact is while Ben Novak Jr. grew up at the Fontainebleau enjoying the best of everything Ronald was scouring trash cans for food and homeless. When Bella divorced Ben Sr. she got a parcel of land at 3101 Collins Avenue, now worth millions. The land was sold for $7.5 million so now Ronald, the discarded drug addict kid daddy Ben Sr. hated is a millionaire and living it up while his favorite son is dead and the killers are walking free.
Crist raids again.............Governor and Senator wanna be Charlie Crist has just very quietly announced another raiding of the fund created from Florida's tobacco settlement money which is supposed to be spent on health programs for children and the elderly. He proposes to steal $230 million from it in one year instead of using it to help those who really need it. At the same time Crist proposes $100 million in corporate income tax cuts. I wonder who has made the bigger contributions to his senate campaign, corporations or the poor, sick children & elderly citizens of Florida?
A band-aid can't cover this........The recent death of Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune has inspired author Jerry Oppenheimer to do a tell-all biography on the family. The book may have to be 1,000 pages. He may start with the original Johnson bad boy Seward Johnson. He married his Polish chambermaid at the ripe age of 76 and left her $400 million. Family members were a little ticked off about it. Shortly after his death Seward's daughter, Mary Lea Johnson, made claims that her father had sexually assaulted her when she was 9 years old. I guess when you own a band-aid company you can play dirty.
Jimi Hendrix comes back..........For years the"Hendrix Tapes" have been talked about. The worlds greatest guitarist allegedly had an entire album of new material that was partially unfinished and a few songs that were completed. In March this year his sister Janie, who has been holding the tapes for years, finally decided to allow their release."Valleys of Neptune" is among the songs, along with a Hendrix cover of Creams"Sunshine Of Your Love."
Bullet proof fraud..........I told you about this clown 3 years ago. David Brooks ran a company called DHB Industries that sold bullet-proof vest to our military. After 9-11 there was a rush to protect our soldiers and his orders skyrocketed. Rather than make an honest profit and be humble this jerk threw a $10-million party for his daughter's bar mitzvah at the Rainbow Room in NYC. He hired Tom Petty, 50 Cent and Aerosmith to play for the child. He walked around showing off a $100,000 diamond-encrusted belt buckle fashioned as an American flag. It turns out he was allegedly pumping up the company stock from around $2 in 2003 to nearly $20 a share in 2004 by touting imaginary net earnings. Brooks sold his stock before it tanked and pocketed close to $200 million. Now he's finally on trial and faces up to life in prison for insider trading and securities fraud. Good riddance.
What they won't tell you........As energy companies continue to exercise control over America their greedy fingers reach into our justice system. Dick Cheney's pals at war-profiteering Halliburton have done everything possible to smear an American ex-employee in Iraq who claims she was drugged, gang-raped and then kept prisoner in a shipping container without food or water for a day to think over whether or not to press charges. Jamie Leigh Jones stood up to them and now Halliburton is spending whatever it takes - their attorneys are petitioning the U. S Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that would permit her to actually file a lawsuit seeking damages. Halliburton is claiming their workers in Iraq are required to sign an agreement that requires all claims to be settled thru arbitration, so they have no right to file any lawsuits against the company regardless of the crime. Somehow Halliburton has managed to keep this story from getting on any national news media outlets - I wonder how?..............Greek farmers have staged protest over cheap global food imports driving down their prices by blocking roads, border crossings and major highways with their tractors and farm equipment.
Have you heard about.............The explosion of prostitutes on Military Trail. Maybe it's the economy - locals say they are seeing more girls who are not addicted to crack but rather just trying to get some money to pay bills. The result is what one western resident called"a 100% increase in numbers" - leading locals to start calling the street"tail-trail."........ This is what our Federal Deficit amount looks like in print - $1,350,000,000,000...........After posing nude for Playboy Patty Hearst's daughter Lydia has moved to L.A. and is trying to become an actress - her money may help........Florida's celebrity gay porn star & Hollywood Police Officer Michael Verdugo has been fired by the department. After appearing on the TV Show Design Star as"Mickey V" he became a local South Florida celebrity - then a 1996 gay bondage porn film called Rope Rituals surfaced with him starring as"Jeremy Wess"- Verdugo claims he was offered the part after being spotted at the legendary Copa nightclub in Ft. Lauderdale and was paid $700 for his work- the department claims they fired him not because he is gay but that he failed to state on his application he had appeared in gay porno movies........FireRock closes - another landmark location sits empty on Clematis Street as FireRock pizza abruptly cleared out - so now the 3 main corner spots adjacent to Mayor Frankel's grand destruction of Flagler's Library are shuttered and empty - FireRock, Medditerraneo (empty for 3 years)and the huge space at the corner next to the Cuillo (empty for 4 years) sit idle - meanwhile at night the entire block across from the new City Hall Frankel claimed would"revitalize the street" sits completely dark at night. If you were around in 2001 to see what Clematis used to look like you would know that Mayor Frankel has destroyed downtown WPB - the jury is no longer out - the empty storefronts are the verdict. Locals are trying their best to turn it around and thank god for Rodney, Cleve & the Big Time Group or the entire street would be a ghost-town.....Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Who said those 1970's Key Parties are dead? Sleepy Jupiter has always had a few secrets. Now Jupiter is becoming known by folks all over the state for something that does not exist in WPB, Lake Worth, Wellington or even in crazy Riviera Beach. When's the last time you walked into a nightclub and saw naked people having sex right in front of you? It happens all the time at the Sapphire Lounge in Jupiter! Located on Beach Road and tucked into the Alhambra Plaza Office Complex, the Sapphire is where"Elegance, Sensuality & Intimate Pleasures meet" according to their website. This joint is an anything goes swingers club! The lounge is set up with bed areas and all the toys you need for playtime. Friday night is the wildest night according to a female friend of mine who frequents the place, that's the night fellows are allowed in unescorted by a lady for $50 at the door. Other nights are couples and threesomes only, but single ladies are allowed in on any night for only $10! You'll also be required to pay a membership fee as it is a"private" club. They serve booze at a cash bar and also offer a buffet when you need an energy boost after exerting yourself. Check out www.sapphireloungefl.com if you don't believe me. The next time you hear someone say that Jupiter is a dead zone, send them to the Sapphire Lounge! Tell them not to worry about how they're dressed, clothing is optional!
I told you......... In my May column I told you that WPB Mayor Lois"Frankelstein" Frankel would try again to stay in office beyond her term limits. First was the phony"Charter Review Board" which she disbanded 2 weeks after a previous article I did about how corrupt it was. Then Frankel looked all over town for a puppet to prop up and get signatures to keep her in office by changing the rules for herself - again. She found one. Who knows what she promised Katherine Waldron to lead this obscene charge to keep a failure for Mayor in office. Frankel inherited a thriving downtown and destroyed it, there are more empty storefronts on Clematis than in the 1980's. Frankel bent over and allowed her developer pals to overbuild ugly condo buildings downtown that now are in bankruptcy and mostly empty, causing further erosion of home values. Two of Frankel's allies on the City Commission went to jail, one for shaking down building owners downtown allegedly so Frankel's pals could take over the buildings. Then there's her foul mouth. Frankel called Kimberly Mitchell a"piece of shit" at a public meeting for all to hear, walked up to 4 Hispanic Businessmen at a meeting and said"What are you suggesting we do, open a Taco stand downtown?" Frankel corrupted the CRA, among other things claiming it's OK to pay someone $130K a year to work 28 hours a week. Frankel claimed she'd have to"close public parks and lay off Fireman & Police if free parking was allowed downtown." Then 1 month later after downtown businesses complained she permitted it - no parks were closed and no one was laid off. Then there's the many allegations that Chase Scott is nothing more than her bagman and has shook down numerous people trying to do business in WPB. Companies trying to put on events downtown allegedly were told it would cost a $10K payoff to get City approval for the date they wanted for their event. The latest is a beatification project, funded without any tax dollars, that would have provided brand new newsracks throughout the city and on Antique Row. The company refused to make any payoffs or contributions to Frankel and at the last minute, after spending close to $10K on a prototype, Frankel put her own greed ahead of making this a better city and killed the project - offering no reason other than -"I don't like it." Then there's her massive salary of $130K which she changed for herself after never once mentioning it during her election campaign. How many rules must be changed in this city for Lois Frankel? In an absurd statement to the Post Frankelstein claimed she has"A lot of ideas that I'd like to implement." This statement proves she is insane. What are these ideas and why did she wait all this time to claim she has them? Insiders claim the real reason for another term is that if a new administration takes over next year they'll find so much wrongdoing in the Finance Department & CRA books that Frankel will be indicted by next summer for massive fraud and theft. She needs time to cover her tracks. Stay tuned.
Billionare Bum................At a recent Riviera Beach meeting Chairwoman Dawn Pardo told everyone how wonderful a person and businessman Wayne Huizenga is. This seemed to be designed to push thru the crooked marina takeover deal by a company controlled by Wayne. She neglected to mention a few things. Wayne Huizenga is hated by true South Florida baseball fans for selling off the team that won the World Series. Wayne claimed he wasn't making enough money. Owning a baseball team is not supposed to be your source of income, it should be a source of pride. Then there's his drunk 48-year old kid Robert, who now sits in jail doing 18 months after the culmination of numerous drunken driving charges. In 2003 he hit a pedestrian and after spending a small fortune it finally got to trial in 2006 and Robert got 120 days in jail. This time, still on probation for drunken driving incidents, Robert got popped for driving his boat drunk. You have got to be pretty snookered to get busted for driving a boat in Las Olas Isles. It turns out Robert was trying to dock his boat at the wrong house - he was so drunk couldn't tell he was at the wrong home! The word in Ft. Lauderdale is that Wayne wants this deal so when Robert gets out of jail he can move him up here to work at the Riviera Beach Marina where cops don't know his habits.
Spoiled rotten.......... My publisher Baron Beatty worked in Miami during the 80's at several hotspots, one of them called The Forge Restaurant. He shared his experience with me about a woman who made news recently for leaving $3 million to her 3 pet dogs. Gail Posner, who just died at 67, was the daughter of Victor Posner. Victor was one of the original corporate raiders of the early 80's, who played the game ruthlessly. Baron was a Captain at the famous Forge, known then for its 30,000 bottle wine list. Victor Posner was one of his call parties and to say Victor feared for his safety is an understatement. Victor was always accompanied by two bodyguards, both armed with small machine guns and handguns protruding from their jackets, who walked in front of and behind Victor when he entered and left the restaurant. The entire party, usually at least 16-20 people would be walked in and seated and then Victor would be brought in once they were all seated. The bodyguards then stood at the entrance of the room and allowed no one in but staff. Gail usually appeared to be coked out of her mind, making 20-25 trips to the bathroom during dinner and always was dressed provocatively, torn up designer jeans being her favorite. She had more plastic surgery than 10 Hollywood actresses yet never had a boyfriend that Baron noticed. When Victor died in 2002 he left behind close to $800 million, most of which was cleverly hidden around the world. Gail continued to live alone, aside from the help of at least 6 full-time staffers and her pets, in a 7-bedroom $8-million mansion in Miami. Being around Victor or Gail meant money. Victor always left a minimum $1,000 cash tip at the Forge and in her will Gail gave nearly $26 million to her household staff. And the beat goes on.
What they won't tell you..........In my lifetime I have never seen a war so under-reported than the Iraq & Afghanistan wars. In this day of advanced technology where are the videos of the damage our bombs did in Iraq? Or the dead bodies of women & children that according to soldiers were strewn all over the streets of cities when we did our"Shock & Awe"? Now in Afghanistan, anyone even perceived to be Christian is being executed on the spot. High-level Afghan government officials are allegedly behind the movement to institutionalize the killing of Christians. Most Afghan Christians have fled to India to escape certain death. Why isn't this being reported? Because the military under both Bush and Obama has insisted that reporters be"imbedded" with troops. This leads them to be held back and removed from any areas of conflict the military brass does not want them to see. Yet the network idiots actually brag about having reporters"imbedded" as if it's some great journalistic achievement. We know that our military decided to allow the heroin trade to prosper, claiming it would hurt their standing with Afghan farmers if they burned the crops. But to allow the open murders of people because they are Christian? By government police? And the press reports little or nothing about it? This is what happens when a small group of people control the majority of national media.
A Great One.......He came to Hollywood in 1950, intent on outdoing his older brother, James Arness, who would go on to star on Gunsmoke. He did. His 60 year career included classic TV & movie blockbusters. His first break was a role in the 1953 comedy Stalag 17. He could play a serious character, as he did on TV's Mission Impossible, or a comedy straight man in Airplane!. He seemed to look the exact same for his whole life. In his late 70's he became the voice for A & E's Biography and in his 80's he had a guest role on 7th Heaven. His passing at 83 on March 14th this year was another mark signaling the end of an era of great Hollywood actors. They don't make them like Peter Graves anymore, he was a great one.
Mob news...........Legendary tough-guy Columbo Capo John"Sonny" Franzese, now 93, is the oldest Mafioso to ever stand trial for racketeering. His trial has been going on for the last few weeks in NYC. Sonny became famous in the 1960's when Frank Sinatra greeted him by kissing his ring in front of reporters in the doorway of the 21 Club. He is also the first gangster to have his own son testify against him. Indicted in 2008 for extorting a Long Island Pizzeria and a strip club, this guy hasn't heard about the Mob's new ways to make cash. Franzese was captured on tape telling a wired-up rat that a good way to dispose of bodies was to cut up the corpse"in a kiddie pool" and then dry the"severed body parts in a microwave before stuffing the parts in a commercial-grade garage disposal." Many of the old Columbo family gangsters from that era are said to live in Fort Myers, a known haven for"retired" NYC Mafia members, and Sonny allegedly still maintains a home there............Sly Stallone took a meeting with John Gotti Jr. in L.A. and is trying to get the role of playing John Gotti Sr. in a movie about the Gotti family and the father-son relationship they shared while Gotti Sr. was in prison dying from cancer.
Have you heard about.........The group of PBSO Officers allegedly involved in some shady real estate deals on Singer Island and in Riviera Beach..........The Haitian"Churches" popping up all over the place that are actually fronts for & funded by local crack dealers to launder money thru and illegal immigrant hideouts where Haitians are arriving directly off the boats that smuggle them into Florida..........A NYC Taxi Cab Medallion now cost $600K, in 1937 it was $10.............The group of high-end Vegas hookers that are now operating in PB Island bars, especially a Worth Ave haunt, they travel in two's, but there's at least 10 of them, why they came during the summer is a mystery.....The notorious 251 Club has been sold again and will re-open this season......Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Over the years many people have complained about our local Congressman Alcee"Do Nothing" Hastings. This former Judge, who was thrown off the bench by Congress for alleged bribery, has controlled the Congressional seat that stretches thru Riviera and WPB since 1992. But the latest story making the rounds about Hastings indifference to the people he's supposed to represent deserves publicity. It seems there is a corrupt union boss in Miami that controls the local hotel workers union who was kicked out of union office for stealing money from the local. Apparently that puts him on Hastings A-party list. Along the way this labor boss allegedly corrupted the office of the OLMS, the Department of Labor agency tasked with enforcing labor law as it applies to unions. He hired the OLMS investigator that took a complaint filed by union members against him for stealing an election with the usual mobster moves of threats, intimidation and a disappearing voter list. Some union members claim the labor boss promised the job to the OLMS investigator if she got the charges thrown out. The final report from the Department of Labor showed numerous proven violations, but they gave the union boss a pass and refused to take action. With a newly retired OLMS Investigator now working for the mob union boss, he continued his total control of the union for the 2 years he was"removed from office" even giving himself a pay raise. Union Members, disgusted by the corruption, went to every government agency they could, including another jerk, US Attorney Alexander Acosta, who also did nothing, even though the labor boss was found guilty of stealing over $5,000 - a felony. When your government agencies fail you, your method of recourse is supposed to be asking your congressman for an inquiry into what went wrong. In this case it seems Alcee"Do Nothing" Hastings would rather accept campaign contributions from labor bosses than represent the working poor of his own district. Hotel workers have told me that their repeated calls and emails to Hastings, including pages of documentation outlining what's gone on, have been met with silence from Do Nothing Hastings. He has not even returned their emails or phone calls. A flack at Do Nothing Hastings Washington office named Jason Harris also gave constituents the ditch, first refusing to take their calls then giving them brief lip service and then refusing to respond to emails. This is how corrupt congressmen act between elections. When it's time to vote they hope the people that they refused to help in their district won't matter and no one will ever hear their stories. Don't forget about Alcee"Do Nothing" Hastings and his staff of arrogant idiots - remember this story on election day!
Florida 3rd best home to hate groups.............If you're looking to join a hate group on the east coast - Florida is the best place to find one! According to a recently released study by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida ranks third behind Texas and California. There are over 55"hate" groups now active in Florida with one in WPB and 1 in Lake Worth. I wonder if they hate each other.
Working the best door in the world..........His name is Ed Trinka and he spent 46 years opening the door for Kings, Queens, billionaires and big shots of every stripe at the Plaza Hotel in NYC. He just retired and told this story about one of the massive egos he hustled for tips. Jackie Gleason came walking in one Christmas Eve and said -"Hey Eddy, what's the biggest tip you ever got for opening the door? Ed replied"$100!" Jackie said"here's $150!" Then Mr. Gleason got closer and whispered"who gave you that tip?" And Eddy said -"You did Mr. Gleason, last Christmas!"
He was a great one........Joe Kennedy, the patriarch of the Kennedy clan and a former Palm Beacher, can take credit for advancing the careers of his sons. He can also take some credit for advancing the career of this man, who, well, I'll get to the rest of the story in a minute. Kennedy befriended this kid when he owned the massive Merchandise Mart in Chicago during the 1950's. Kennedy used his connections to get the young man a job on national ABC radio. The kid was one of the few radio men who wore a suit and tie to the studio every day. He started doing 5-minute bits of human interest - like the 13-year old foreign boy who wrote for and received a cash gift from Franklin Roosevelt - his name was Fidel Castro. Or the one about the famed trial lawyer who never finished law school - Clarence Darrow. Or the story of people getting bitten in NYC -"Last year 8,064 people bitten by dogs - and 1,587 bitten by people." Starting as a gofer-for-no-pay lackey in a small Tulsa, Oklahoma radio station, he left the world in the middle of a ten-year $100 Million contract. He was raised in a different America than today - in 1940 he took a woman named Lynne Cooper out for a date. He insisted on calling her Angel and instead of a kiss at the end of their 1st date he proposed marriage. They stayed married for 68 years - till death parted them. He was a master at what radio executives hate - dead air. His 5-second pauses became legend. His name was Paul Harvey, and now you know the rest of the story. Paul Harvey was a great one.
Doing business with a Russian?.....Word is spreading around the globe about the numerous Russian oligarchs, their word for newly rich Russians. They are going bust. Most of these men, who got rich by having the connections to gobble up state-run businesses when the Soviet Union broke up and toyed with capitalism, went around the world borrowing everywhere they could. One analyst wrote that in 2009 these men have over $128 Billion in interest payments coming due on massive loans in every large nation, including the U.S. and Bloomberg News estimated the top 25 richest Russians lost $230 Billion last year in total wealth. Many of these billion-dollar loans are syndicated between multiple banks in multiple nations. The loans are too big to fail which would lead to a massive shut down of the banking industry - so these men are going hat in hand to an old foe - Vladimir Putin, the former KGB spy who basically runs Russia. In Palm Beach, Russians have bought several high profile homes, including Abe Gossman's 60,000 sq. foot oceanfront palace. If you're a Palm Beach banker holding a mortgage for a Russian - you're very nervous right now.
Another Trump project goes bust..........Donald"Dumpster Trumpster" has again dumped on people, this time at the Trump Ocean Resort Baja. After accepting over $32 million in deposits from suckers in 2006, the project is now nothing more than a hole in the ground. Dumpster and his kids promoted the place with arrogant pride. Ivanka told the Associated Press in June of 2007 -"I went out and saw this site, and I was blown away by it, from the minute I saw it, it was a deal I had to do." Even as the market began to fade Ivanka continued to bark about it saying in an October 2007 newsletter to buyers"In characteristic Trump fashion, Trump Ocean Resort Baja will be the best of the best, and consequently always be in demand." By last December these suckers got a letter that said negotiations for a loan from a German bank had failed and Trump Baja only had $556,000 out of the $32 million left. The letter quoted a small clause in their agreement that allowed the developer to spend their deposits. The letter claimed Dumpster was not an investor in the project. But Ivanka claimed in a a 2007 conversation with the AP that Dumpster"is the boss" and is"involved in every capacity." Lawsuits are flying everywhere on this one.
What they won't tell you........U.S. Rep. & former presidential candidate Ron Paul has introduced a bill - H.R. 1207 - to demand an audit of the Federal Reserve Bank and 28 other lawmakers have signed on. Paul said"Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar, since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95 percent of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy.""Since its inception, the Federal Reserve has always operated in the shadows, without sufficient scrutiny or oversight of its operations." It was originally a Marxist, E. Mandell House, who convinced President Woodrow Wilson to create the Federal Reserve in 1913. The Federal Reserve, which is not even a government agency, but rather a private corporation owned by a few rich American families and foreign bankers, dictates America's financial policies.
Have you heard about........Bartender Eddie Doyle getting laid off - at the Bull & Finch. That's the place that made Sam Malone of Cheers famous. The character on Cheers was loosely based on Eddie Doyle, who tended bar at the Bull & Finch in Boston for 35 years, he says he will now write a book......Sean Stewart, Hot Rod's son, said on national TV that"My dads very cheap." He said this because Rod would not pay $5,000 to a personal trainer that Sean owed money to. I'll side with Hot Rod on this one - pay for your own workouts punk....... The influx of high-class Latin hookers from Miami that have streamed into the bars of Palm Beach lately, they're so beautiful you can't look away from them, but once the conversation starts you'll know your talking to a working girl......Remember, Don't repeat a word of this1 It's all on the QT!
And in Mob news........Charles"Charley Acid" Carneglia, John Gotti's second favorite hit man behind Sammy"The Bull" was just found guilty of four murders in NYC. He got his nickname for his love of burning up body parts in acid and then disposing of them in the east river. Carneglia was the one who killed much adored gangster Louis DiBono in the World Trade Center Garage on Gotti's orders - for not returning the Don's phone call quickly enough. Meanwhile the mobster ranks have thinned out and some families are appointing 3-person commissions to run the family, because no 1 person wants the job, which is a death sentence. Here's the breakdown of the current state of the mob and their Florida presence.
FLORIDA PRESENCE -
GENOVESE - They are everywhere - but low key. They like escort services, loan sharking at the tracks & casinos and many live in Sunny Isles.
GAMBINO - Big construction projects, the cement business, bookmaking - if you bet with a local bookie chances are he's either with the Gambino's or paying them a cut. They frequent Ft. Lauderdale, often holding court at a well known mobster restaurant on Oakland Park Blvd.
BONANNO - Very little activity outside of Tampa, where have hooks into the Cuban gangsters that operate the drug trade.
COLUMBO - Labor unions - the son of a now dead Capo runs the hotel workers union in Miami, also big on gambling & loansharking, often lending to restaurant & nightclub owners on their last leg. Many older members live in the Ft. Myers area.
LUCHESE - Barely surviving anywhere, some former members live in the Hallandale area, still dreaming of the days of the old Diplomat Hotel and illegal slot rooms of the 60's.
Rumors are flying around Tallahassee that Republican operatives are busy behind the scenes purging black voters from registration lists to create as many votes as possible going into the pile of"questioned ballots." Regional operatives are allegedly being advised to use foreclosure lists to disqualify black voters on election day statewide claiming they don't live in that particular district anymore. Most people believe a massive amount of first-time black voters will come out to vote, and some overseas bookmakers are using a 3-percentage point spread for"new minority voters" that they expect to show up, adding that to any recent poll information for betting lines. So when you see polls showing Obama ahead by 2 points - placing a bet on Obama overseas means 5 percentage points you're giving up. Nationally, similar things are taking place. In Indiana, the drivers license rule was upheld by the Supreme Court. When you vote you must show a drivers license. But approximately 673,000 people, mostly older minorities, have no license. The replacement is a state I.D. card, which in rural Indiana means a long car trip and paying a fee. In Florida during the past two presidential elections the reports from upstate rural black areas about State Troopers setting up roadblocks and buses running late on election day were washed under the rug by Jeb Bush. Stay tuned.
Rachel's Strip Club in family fight..........Known in Florida sex industry circles as the"Brothers of Smut" Charlie and Jim Veigle founded the chain Rachel's and allegedly made millions. Older brother Jim, 63, has sued Charlie, 59, for allegedly stealing from him. They formed many businesses together, usually without contracts thinking blood is thicker than water. Then green got in the way. When it came time to cash out, Charlie said no deal. Jim said he's owed half of everything. The judge said without a contract, the brothers had no partnership. The WPB location was sold, now owned by family outsiders. Jim got the club in Orlando that was in his name and Charlie left town and opened a skin bar in Pompano. The bitter fight started in 2006 and still allegedly goes on today, with Charlie supposedly telling a friend he'll see Jim"broke, dead or in jail" before it's over. In other strip club news it appears the well known Scores strip club in New York may be closing. After surviving Mafia infiltration by the Gotti clan, Rudy Giuliani's crusade against smut, IRS and FBI raids, New York State is set to deny renewal of their liquor license. A book by a former dancer, Ruth Fowler, claimed girls at the club"were treated like absolute dirt by managers" while prostitution was encouraged. And the beat goes on.
Miami boy Jose Canseco may lose his street........Politicians are falling over each other to take down the street sign that says"Jose Canseco Street" in Miami. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Joe Martinez wants the street renamed due to Canseco's admitted steroid use. At least Canseco told the truth, or some of it. That's more than many others, like Mark McGuire did. The old political rule of thumb - never name a street after someone until they are dead.
Sad tale from Mangia..........Three years ago life was good for Franco, owner of Mangia restaurant in NPB. He had moved his family from Atlantic City and his new restaurant had a line out the door on weekends. His three sons and his wife worked in the very busy new restaurant, it seemed to be one happy family. Things were so good Franco purchased a new yellow Porsche, which his sons would use to scout the club scene, where they were known as big spenders and great tippers. The old saying - When you're on top there's only one direction to go - started taking hold. Franco got sick, had an injury that hospitalized him. Things with his wife of 31 years went into a down cycle. Two of his kids left and opened their own restaurant in Stuart. Without the family energy the restaurant turned south. But by this August, Franco had overcome his illness and was in decent shape to return to work. When he returned, his wife Pina went home, packed up all her stuff and left town, without a word. She still has not spoken with him, according to Franco. Then he went to the bank and discovered that since January she had diverted all the Visa & Mastercard charges to her personal account, had not paid the rent, power or gas bills in full, paying just enough to keep everything running. Then the employees said they had not been paid for up to a month. Franco says he had no choice but to sell. So he found a buyer willing to pony up enough to pay his way out of debt. But, according to Franco the landlord refused to transfer the lease, even though there was less than a year left on it. Franco thinks someone badmouthed him to the landlord, turning him against him. A few days later when Franco came into work he was locked out, an eviction notice on the door. He lost everything including thousands in equipment, furnishings, a wife of 31 years and is left with ruined credit. I ate at Mangia several times, it was great restaurant, I hope this guy finds a way to get back on feet and start over somewhere.
Florida Congressman's son arrested on human trafficking charges.........Democratic Congressman Allen Boyd, from Monticello in the Panama City area which is the 2nd House Congressional District, is fighting for re-election after his son was caught smuggling in illegal aliens and busted for possession of Meth, weapons and other drug paraphernalia near the Arizona/Mexico border. He was charging $3,000 per person for those willing to hide under plywood in his truck to get across the border. One of those pesky K-9's foiled his ingenious plan and he went to the slammer. As usual with the privileged he was released into a drug rehab program after he claimed addiction.
We lost two who were one of a kind.........A guy who spanned decades has left behind a lifetime of work that is hard to match. Born in Atlanta, Jerry Reed was the definition of a country boy. He never attempted to change. His last character role was in the film"The Waterboy" where he played Adam Sandler's hateful coach. He starred in"Smokey and the Bandit" with Burt Reynolds. He was so hot during the 70's he wrote and sang a hit song that went"When you hot your hot, when your not your not." Chet Atkins was his writing partner on several Grammy winning songs. Reed had respect in the industry as a great guitar player, singer, actor and songwriter. He was also a very country-style straightforward type - when asked what his motivation to continue playing 80 shows a year into his late 60's was, he said"money." One of the greatest wrestling names ever created has passed on. Killer Kowalski was one of the most hated wrestlers of all time. Six-foot-seven inches tall and 275 pounds, he was from the golden air of broadcast TV in the late 50's when professional wrestling first became national. He participated in over 5,000 matches, many against the original"Nature Boy" Buddy Rodgers, who inspired Rick Flair to take up wrestling. Kowalski started off calling himself"Tarzan." But after mistakenly kicking off"The Yukons" ear during a match, sending it rolling across the ring, he visited him in the hospital and a reporter saw him standing over his bed laughing. They were actually having a mutual laugh but the reporter filed a story with the headline" Kowalski Visits Yukon in the Hospital and Laughs." That led fans to call him a killer and the name stuck. Killer Kowalski loved telling the story of an old woman who came up to him after a match and said"I'm glad you didn't get hurt" - then stabbed him in the back with a knife when he turned to walk away. Jerry Reed was 71, Killer Kowalski was 81.
What they won't tell you............While there were other contributing factors, insiders are saying that it was unregulated hedge-funds that caused the run on Wall Street investment banks. The SEC, Congress and the President have allowed these hedge funds to operate in secret and they took huge"short" positions against the firms that failed. Then they allegedly began rumor mongering to make certain the stock tanked. Now they are ducking for cover as Congress starts to cover its own rear with upcoming hearings.............. In case you didn't know, there were no Lehman Brothers actually running Lehman, the last brother, Bobby Lehman, died and that left no Lehman family member with a management position in the firm, some Lehman employees said the environment turned into a"Brokers Gone Wild" atmosphere when Bobby passed away......... While the U.S. amps up a conflict with Russia, Secretary of State Rice was forced to admit in a foreign press conference that Georgia had fired the first shots in the five-day war........The non-partisan GAO (Government Accountability Office) has reported that 2 out of 3 U.S. Corporations paid no income taxes from 1998 to 2005...........The U.N. has reported that there are now 925 million people on Earth suffering from"acute hunger" and they expect the number to reach 1 billion by 2009.........In these times it is interesting to recall the words of Denis Healey, former British Defense Secretary and Secretary of the Exchequer:"World events do not occur by accident: They are made to happen, whether it is to do with national issues or commerce; and most of them are staged and managed by those who hold the purse strings."
Have you heard about...........The local restaurant owner who had a loud, profanity filled fight with his wife in the middle of the dining room, in which he threatened to"drag her out by the hair" -when patrons objected he told them"We're closed, everyone get the f**k out!" One customer showed his appreciation by smashing his glass against the wall on the way out. The restaurant was open the next day..........That Dusty Springfield, who sang one of the all time great songs -"Son of a Preacher Man" had been a closeted lesbian her whole life (she died in 1999) finally will be outed in a new book due in November. The working title is"Dusty! Queen of the Postmods."........That actor Michael Douglas will play Liberace and Matt Damon will play his lover, Scott Thorson, who later sued Liberace for palimony when they split up, in a new flick about America's most flamboyant piano man..........Fidel Castro slept with 35,000 women in his life,"He slept with at least two women a day for more than four decades - one for lunch and one for supper" says a former Cuban official..........Tom Jones, now 68, is releasing his first new album in the U.S. in 15 years. Since his 1st hit in 1965 -"It‘s Not Unusual" Jones has sold 100 million records worldwide, Bono & Edge partner with him on 1 song.............Sandi Lansky, Meyer Lanksky's 70-year old daughter, has signed a book deal to tell all about her daddy. A prominent local attorney wonders whether she'll do a chapter on Al Malnik, the local former attorney of Lansky's with a massive ocean-front mansion near Delray who allegedly ended up with all Meyer's gangster money...........The huge motorcycle gang war going on in California between the Hell's Angels and the Mongols. The president of the San Francisco chapter of the Hell's Angels, Mark"Papa" Guardado was allegedly shot dead in the street 1 mile from the Angels clubhouse by Mongols member Christopher Ablett. Over 2,000 Hell's Angels from all over the world attended the funeral.........Local escort service girls that have been making daytime calls to a prominent sugar company building downtown, who they're servicing in the building is still a mystery..............Remember, Don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the Q
Insiders are talking about the massive debt created by both city and county leaders during the housing boom. Bonds were sold like cheap candy at a flea market under the assumption the condo market would feed local government coffers forever. Smart money said it wouldn't last and it didn't. If you hear any city official saying"Who knew the housing market would collapse" or words to that effect they are either lying or incompetent. Many locals saw it coming. Friends of local government officials and some City and County Commissioners themselves seems to have lined their pockets with the funds generated by these bond sales. Citizens have to pay them back. Palm Beach County's debt is now over $1.89 Billion! That adds up to $1,440 for every human in the county. Local officials still refuse to stop spending cash they don't have. The County just took out a loan of over $16 million for building upgrades. They took $3 million out of an account to pay for ads to boost tourism - in the summer. Good luck. Citizens will end up paying for this bad bet. Commissioner Jeff Koons had this to say -"It makes more sense to spend the money than have it sitting in the bank." I wonder if that's how he handles his own finances? Then there is the non-stop taxpayer-funded construction boom in WPB. No one seems to be clear on how this land swap that resulted in millions being spent on a new City Hall will fiscally benefit WPB taxpayers. Or how destroying Henry Flagler's vision of a free public waterfront-view library for all citizens will benefit anyone but those making money off the destruction of it. Or how the bonds sold with repayment determined by condo projects that may never break ground will actually result in payments. One thing is clear - the bonds have to be paid back and the city officials that spent the money will be long gone when the bills start piling up. It's even worse in Dade County. Those idiots just sold $600 million in bonds to throw into one of the most corrupt airports in the world - Miami International Airport, and will soon sell $563 million in bonds to build a new stadium for the Marlins, who draw less than 5,000 for many games. These bonds are due to be repaid in part by hotel-tax revenues, which dropped 22% in February and show no sign of rebounding anytime soon. If hotel-taxes come up short - just like in Palm Beach County, WPB and everywhere else - the money must come from the"general fund" - our property taxes. When you get your next property tax bill, and the next one, get ready for a lot of talk about"bond-repayment."
Journalism for sale at the P.B. Post?............Recently a story appeared in the New Times about Palm Beach Daily News"reporter" Shannon Donnelly, claiming she accepted gifts from Island socialites in return for positive stories and getting their photo on the front page. The story claimed Donnelly got free use of mansion swimming pools and was seated at the head-table of Charity Balls even though she personally gave not a dime to the event. The story also claimed Donnelly enjoyed rubbing her breasts on wealthy men and telling them they just got a"Shannon-Gram." My publisher asked her for a comment on the story and got nothing. Then there is page-two"reporter" Jose Lambiet, who favors doing puff pieces on Al Malnik, a notoriously hated jerk who is alleged to have ended up with Meyer Lansky's millions - he was allegedly Lanksy's attorney during his final years in Miami Beach. Some say that's false as Meyer actually died with very little. How Al Malnik ended up with so much cash is still a mystery to many. What we do know is that Malnik has many enemies and is involved in those sleazy check-cashing stores that offer huge interest rates and fees to the poorest of our people. Jose has done many stories about lavish parties at the ocean-front Malnik Mansion - south of Manalapan, making Malnik out to be the Great Gatsby. But even when notified about it, Jose refused to touch a recent story about the abrupt closing of Malnik's Miami Restaurant - The Forge. Former employees have claimed that working there was like a season in Gestapo camp, and Malnik's son,"Shareef" was once allegedly charged with having a bouncer beat up an employee over some trivial issue. Forge employees in the past have also charged wage & hour violations - claiming they were not paid what they were owed. The restaurant was closed with no notice at all to employees, even the few who were asked to pack up all the glassware & silverware because it was allegedly"bug-night." Malnik claims the closing was due to planned"renovations." Malnik also claimed he refused to give even a 1-hour notice to 100 employees, many of whom have families to feed, because he didn't want to"jeopardize service." Even if the renovation story is true, why screw all your employees? Why send them out the door going into the summer with no notice or chance to get a job without missing weeks of income? If this was a planned renovation, only a real scumbag would treat their employees this way. Why would Page Two"reporter" Jose refuse to do the story? Because then there would be no more invitations to fancy cocktail gigs at the Malnik Mansion. When you won't do a story because you may lose out on a party invitation, you are not a reporter, you're a puppet.
The land of retirees........They say you're supposed to retire at 65. Norman Weissman didn't get the memo. At 80 years young he just reached a plea deal in the Runyon's Restaurant bookmaking case. Weissman gets 2 years house arrest and 8 years probation. Seems he was running a lucrative bookmaking & loan-sharking business out of the restaurant in Coral Springs, where gamblers would call in their bets. Of course the restaurant claimed it knew nothing about it. $278,000 in cash was seized along with a gun in Norman's Tamarac apartment. I guess we all have our little secrets.
Another Trump project going bust?.....In a startling letter sent out by the developers of the much touted 298-room Trump International Hotel & Tower on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, a mixed condo & hotel project, buyers who put deposits down are being told that unless at least half the units are closed on -"We do not envision that the Hotel will open" and that"buyers likely can't occupy their units until the hotel opens." I wonder how that's going to work out? The $200 million tower was scheduled to open in 2007. Studios were priced at $500,000. The bank that funded the project, Corus Bank in Chicago, is close to being taken over by the Feds. They've been told to find $390 million by July or get shut down. The Art of the Deal.
Estee Lauder Chief gets hit with divorce papers.......... It looks like Karen Lauder, after 22 years of marriage has had enough. In a story I broke locally in this column months ago, William Lauder, the CEO/President of Estee Lauder, had a child,"Djuna" with another woman named Taylor Stein and got her to sign an agreement stating she would stay out of NYC and away from the Lauder family in return for $500,000 a year. She moved to L.A. and allegedly started telling everyone about the deal. Word got to Karen, who at first tried the stiff upper lip routine, but allegedly after a few Palm Beach Socialites brought the subject up claiming they read about it in"that little gossip newspaper" she decided it was time to cash in herself. With no wife to worry about, William has now decided to stop the payments to Stein, and has instructed his lawyers to claim that Stein violated the deal by introducing Djuna to her grandparents - Palm Beachers Evelyn and Leonard Lauder. Now I know why there's always an armed guard pacing the driveway at the Lauder's estate when they're in town - to keep the mistress away.
He was a great one............. It was during the 1st Bush presidency that Texan James Baker served as Chief of Staff. No one dared cross him. One late afternoon a discussion was going on and the Secretary of Housing was forcefully arguing that Bush should recognize the breakaway Soviet satellite of Lithuania, something Baker did not want to happen. After being called an profane epithet by Baker, and told he had no place even raising the issue, the Secretary of Housing lunged across the Oval Office and grabbed Baker by the throat, threatening to"kick your ass." He had to be pulled off him by Secret Service Agents who raced in. It wasn't this great one's first brush with violence. In 1960 he was sold for $100 to the Buffalo Bills by the AFL's Los Angeles Chargers. In 1964 he led the Bills to the AFL Championship, and repeated it in 1965, when he was voted the leagues most valuable player. Although a hard-core Republican, he founded the AFL Players Union Association and served as its President for 5 terms. Football was a tough game then - he had his hand crushed during a pile-up - then had a doctor permanently set it in throwing position so he could finish the season. After retiring from football in 1969 he won 9 elections to serve in Congress before leaving to serve at the government Secretary level. Congressman, Secretary of Housing, Co-founder of Empower America, Vice-Presidential candidate - Jack Kemp was also the greatest quarterback ever to play in Buffalo. (Jim Kelly never could win the big game) Kemp left his mark on America - and this great quote -"Pro football gave me a good perspective for politics - When I entered the political arena, I had already been booed, cheered, cut, sold, traded, and hung in effigy." Jack Kemp was a great one.
What they won't tell you..........Bank United's takeover stinks to high heaven - you may have read about Palm Beacher Wilbur Ross leading a group that took over Bank United in Florida. One of his partners is the Carlyle Group, which is dominated by right-wing war mongers and world-wide manipulators, and is infiltrated by Saudi money and the Bush family. Then there's Wilbur Ross himself, who owned a mine in West Virginia that violated so many OSHA Mining regulations locals there told everyone it was just a matter of time before someone got killed. It happened, minors were killed when a section collapsed. Wilbur ran for cover. Then there's the deal itself - the new buyers will"inject $900 million in new capital into the bank." Bank United had $12.8 billion in assets, $8.6 billion in deposits and 85 branches. To get control of Bank United for $900 million is the deal of the decade, or just another rip-off of the American consumer by those at the top of the income tree that can manipulate the U.S. government.
Have you heard about......Former City Place Tsunami & Resort owner Frank Cilione spending 3 days in jail in the Hamptons area - seems he is wanted in Florida for unpaid state taxes on Tsunami and got busted when he attempted to put his name on a liquor license in the Hamptons...... A certain Commissioners past heroin habit will come to light if they make an anticipated run for Mayor....... A well-known ageing Hollywood actor who is spending more time in town has been sharing his disco dust with the wrong girls, one has been telling tales of bedroom romps fueled by the white stuff at a waterfront condo..........The local strip club that is unaware that a waitress & bartender are undercover Vice-Agents busy building a racketeering case against the owners for tax evasion, money laundering and prostitution...........Mexican drug dealers have arrived in WPB and are flooding the area with pot & cocaine, driving the price down to levels never seen in this town, they are using a network of yuppie black dealers to spread their goods. Remember, don't repeat a word if this! It's all on the QT!
If you've been reading this column for the past three years you knew about the swingers parties being held at various rented mansions in Palm Beach. I ran multiple blind items about them happening. I thought it unfair to name the operator as people have a right to behave as they wish behind closed doors. Now that Thanos Papalexis has been busted for a murder in London the parties have been outed. Here's what hasn't been reported. The parties were allegedly arranged by a well known Ft. Lauderdale based swinger who frequents the swingers circuit of Trapeze, Plato's Repeat & Miami Velvet. The cover was $200 or $300 for couples. The parties were designed by Thanos to serve as rent parties, creating cash currency flow, as the cover you paid had to be cash. Swingers, who by definition are looking for a new thrill, were happy to attend as it was a change in environment from the clubs down south, and they expected to see some new faces, along with other body parts, so the parties drew close to 100 people. Most were disappointed as the crowd was very familiar with the exception of some locals, who seemed to be spectators. Thanos himself rarely participated and usually after collecting the money remained in another part of the home, just parading thru every once in a while in a silk robe. The atmosphere was opulent, complete with a spread of viagra, high-end pot, pharmaceutical Quaaludes and a mysterious nude blond girl with sunglasses on who cut up lines of cocaine for partiers all night. And they were long nights, you were not required to leave until 2pm the next day. Certain locals got in free at every party, as did people Thanos was in the process of hustling. Among those who allegedly attended - a senior staffer of a Boca Raton based Congressman, a well known local car dealer and his mistress, a former WPB Commissioner that has not been in jail, several Ft. Lauderdale based internet porn starlets, a married A-list rocker who frequently visits the area and his local mistress, a Miami developer currently entangled in a scandal and his well-known local mistress, the co-owner of one of the most famous restaurants in Palm Beach, a well known former wide receiver in the NFL who has a home in PB Gardens, a huge black athlete who you will soon see entering the MMA fighting world after spending time as a professional wrestler, a very prominent P.B. Island married female realtor and her secret boy-toy of 3 years and a former recently disgraced politician who fled the scene after realizing what he had been invited to. Here's what no one knew - Thanos taped the orgies. He allegedly hoped to use them as leverage in the near future and shake people down thru a third person. Cameras were placed in bathrooms, at the front door, back patio areas, living room, over the massive dining room table and every bedroom. Thanos was busted having pizza at Firerock, handcuffed and led away forever giving him no time to get the tapes, some of which are allegedly in safes in his office, car, home and a storage facility that only he and 1 employee know about. A former employee has allegedly rounded up many of them and is deciding what to do with them. Good Times!
From a $75 million dollar home to PB County Jail.........There's an old rule in Palm Beach when ladies dig for gold - don't stay on for the ride down. Apparently no one told Linda Gosman, a once stunning beauty who presided over a lifestyle only the super rich can enjoy. She lived in what may be the finest house in Florida, now owned by a Russian after being bought at auction by Trumpster. It was over 60,000 square feet with close to 400 feet of private beach. As she stood crying like a baby in court I wondered how she got as far as she did. She had to see this day coming. Her former husband, Abe Gosman, who some say invented the HMO, was worth over $500 million. It is obvious he hid millions after claiming bankruptcy. The Feds want him to cough it up, but so far he's outsmarted them, allegedly living in a $5-million Intracoastal Condo in WPB and attending expensive fund raisers. So they've gone after Linda and she is either going to talk or go to jail. Abe allegedly got her to stash lots of cash, jewels and get mortgages with a touch of fraud. Everyone who knew her knows that financial trickery was not her craft, the only thing she could do with money was spend it. When it was all done Linda, not yet 60, had over $60 million in judgments against her to go along with a 16-count indictment. Abe is allegedly devastated, as he still loves her and realizes this is his doing. But he's approaching 80 and unwilling to do time in jail or in a 1-bedroom rental. Linda Gosman may be the biggest loser of all time among Palm Beach Gold Diggers. She married a multi-millionaire and ended up going to jail and owing $60 million for her efforts.
If it talks like a racist, walks like a racist it's a racist......Sometimes your true self comes out in the words you write. Take Patricia Gatti, co-owner of 264 The Grill. She likes to write"KKK" on her employees timecards. Just the black employees. She is allegedly OK with hiring cheap Haitian labor that may be using forged documentation to save money while charging patrons top-shelf prices but reserves the right to place notes on their timecards like"Marie, go back home to Haiti." Gatti also likes to write"White Power" on papers and post them all over the restaurant. Gatti also thinks it's her place to tell her employees who they must vote for in elections. One employee claims they told Gatti"I'm voting for McCain" to keep from getting fired. Now that employees have given statements to the police, Gatti has her mouthpiece, Palm Beach County Commissioner Bob Kanjian, calling them liars, claiming"the conversations did not take place." Then out of the other side of his mouth he says -"Even if it's all absolutely true, since Ms. Prudent has already voted, you can't influence somebody who already voted." For good measure this attorney added -"It's disappointing because Ms. Gatti is not a racist." Really? This is a public official saying these things. No wonder this nation is in trouble. Pay an attorney/public official enough and they'll say anything. If Patricia Gatti is not a racist who is? What's worse is she is also cheap. If she wants a white world, she can start by paying living wages that will attract white workers instead of third world wages that only attract immigrant Haitians. Gatti expects black kitchen workers paid poverty wages to vote Republican? In this presidential election? Along with being a racist and cheap, let's add stupid to round out Patricia Gatti. My publisher says I should refrain from bad-mouthing restaurants. I must make an exception. I have dined at 264 The Grill - I never will again. To be seen at that place is the bottom of any society, black or white, rich or poor.
A crooked Florida Senator.........That's what some insiders are saying about Mel Martinez, Florida's junior senator who is safe until 2010. It seems Martinez attempted to quietly pay a $99K fine for illegally accepting over $300,000 in contributions from 186 donors that exceeded the limit allowed by law during his 2004 election campaign. The campaign is long over and the perfect time to depose of this pesky matter is now, 2 years prior to having to run again so most people will forget about it.
A new scam..........Do you know David & Dina Wein-Reiss? Rather well known on the NY-Palm Beach-Miami charity scene, these two have been running quite the scam. First they approached company executives at Bic, Eastman Kodak, Gillette, Kraft, Sara Lee, Nestle and allegedly treated them to dinners and Broadway shows while asking for donations or bulk prices on everyday items like razors, pens, contact lenses and diabetes-testing tools. They told the companies the items would be used for promotional giveaways and their companies would benefit from it. They allegedly then ran the products thru shell companies and re-sold them to drug stores like Walgreens at huge profits. The Feds and IRS have allegedly stepped in and busted them both along with several associates. David Reiss maintains a plush Bal Harbour condo and multiple homes in NY, NJ and Westhampton. They were regulars during the winter season at major social events from Jupiter Island to Miami, you probably won't see them this year.
What they won't tell you..........The U. S. government is allegedly doing everything it can to stop a French documentary from reaching our television screen, or any other screens. The documentary is a hot media subject in Europe, it details that French soldiers had Osama Bin Laden cornered prior to the Iraq invasion and were stopped by American Special Forces. French soldiers have been claiming for several years they could have killed Bin Laden twice but were"accosted" by a"large squad" of Americans that included CIA and Special Forces troops. The documentary explores Bin Laden's working directly with the CIA in years past and that at the time"Americans were intent on continuing the war in Afghanistan so the war in Iraq could be started." It allegedly includes quotes from high-level French CIA types who claim the orders were to"Not capture or kill Bin Laden at this time." The documentary is scheduled to be broadcast on the Planet channel in France, but allegedly both the channel and France's President are being pressured by the Bush administration to stop the release, citing national security issues. The documentary also explores a U.S. media"news boycott" about the French having Bin Laden cornered and how our media reduced what was a known fact to the rest of the world into a"rumor.".........January 20th will mean many things, but for Bush & Cheney it means having their names posted for trial as war criminals. Once Bush is out of office many nations will begin hearings about the U.S. invasion of Iraq and Britain's Lord Bingham, a former Senior Law Lord, has cast the first accusation. He claims the invasion was a"serious violation of international law" and accused both Britain and the U.S. of acting like a"world vigilante." He added"the thought that Britain and the U.S. could unilaterally decide that Iraq had broken UN resolutions and make the war legal passes belief and the moment a state treated the rules of international law as binding on others but not on itself, the compact on which the law rested was broken, which is the difference between the role of world policeman and world vigilante." Referring to mistreatment of Iraqi's, Bingham said"Particularly disturbing to proponents of the rule of law is the cynical lack of concern for international legality among some top officials in the Bush administration." ........That Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport has been unable to sell $600 million in bonds necessary for expansion so the $1.6 Billion project may come to a halt. When cities can't sell municipal bonds we're heading for trouble.
Have you heard about..........Johnny Carson's lawyer Henry Buskin calling Johnny"The saddest man I ever knew" claiming Carson was"miserable" and"abandoned his friends".....That Ivana Trump, months after her lavish wedding, is cheating with a 23-year old model named Marius Rusovici - they were allegedly seen kissing and fondling by a Palm Beacher during a gala at the Waldorf in NYC. Ivana allegedly said to the well-known Palm Beacher -"I have many toys, this is one of them, his name is Marius"...........Ted Turner claiming in his book when he saw that Jane Fonda had cleaned out her closet at their Montana Ranch he"sat on the floor (in front of it) and cried".........Brooke Astors famous 14-room Park Avenue apartment is on the market for $34 million - monthly maintenance is $17K........Heiress Lydia Hearst is posing nude in European Playboy for cash, this after another Hearst lost her Manalapan Castle to foreclosure, Grandaddys money has finally dried up.......The 50-ish Canadian playboy wanna-be who has been making the scene at various PB Island bars & has squired several society ladies for nights out claiming to"run the horse stable" for a billionaire he won't name - he's actually a waiter in a Wellington restaurant. Remember, Don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
Freedom of press & speech in America is not what it used to be. Look no further than Honduras, where a U.S. backed coup has been bloody and many have been killed, tortured, kidnapped or imprisoned for standing against it. Every day since the coup 3 months ago, thousands have been in the streets protesting. Human rights organizations have documented and witnesses have recounted incidents of being burned in the face with cigars and beaten to near death for simply taking photographs. The newly installed president Roberto Micheletti has declared a state of siege. His new decree suspended freedom of speech and movement. Public meetings are now banned. Police have been given the legal power to arrest anyone without charge. It is now illegal for any media outlet to offend public dignity or government functionaries. The lone television station critical of the new regime was yanked off the air in the middle of the night. A regime of wealthy Honduras business tycoons with ties to U.S. multinational corporations allegedly spent at least $400,000 lobbying our Congressmen and Senators in a matter of weeks. Those who allegedly made the coup possible for them include Washinton insiders such as Otto Reich, a key person in the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980's, José Cárdenas, the former head of the largest Cuban American lobbying firm in Washington, Roger Noriega, a former Bush administration official, and Lanny Davis, a pal and one-time advisor to both Bill & Hillary Clinton. Why did the coup occur and why would the U.S. government support it? The former President, who was ousted and barred from re-entering the country, was allowing a new constitution to be created. It would have opened the gates of financial power in a democratic, constitutional process, and that was threatening to the people who hold power in Honduras, which is a handful of wealthy families that have controlled the country for generations. The new constitution could have led to a rebalancing of power in society. With the coup, the new constitution has now been squashed thanks to the U.S. State Department. The question is how could this event as it unfolds daily not be reported by any network TV news program? This is not news? But a balloon hoax deserves hours of media coverage on every network? Then there is Bill Clinton's recent trip to Kosovo to witness the unveiling of an 11-foot statue of himself. That got reported everywhere. There were and have not been any reports of the massive cancer clusters caused by the uranium bombs our military pounded the nation with for 78 days. No reports on the estimated 60,000 innocent civilians that were killed by those bombs. No reports or photos of the thousands of people who now walk the streets of that nation without arms, or are bedridden and waiting to die without legs and other body parts, unable to get medical attention. When is the last time we saw in our national press a story with photographs of any of the thousands of war-amputees in Iraq, or a real accounting of how many innocent people died there at the hands of U.S. aggression? What we are being deprived of others in the world are getting media reports about. To think the world only sees what we see on our media is to live blind. Yet some opinion/reporter will go on TV here and claim people hate us due to"our way of life." Perhaps they hate us because they see what our media won't show us. As our three local daily papers, the Miami Herald, The Sentinel and the Post now share reporters and stories, instead of three independent news organizations we have the same stories by the same reporters appearing in all three papers. Consider that the same thing has happened all over the nation, as more and more media outlets are controlled by a small group of people, many of whom are close to U.S. government officials, departments and bureaucracies. The result is you see what they want you to see, and if they don't want you to know what's really going on in Honduras, or anywhere else, then we'll be subjected to hours of an empty balloon flying around and be programmed into thinking this is an important & interesting news story.
Should have read the Sun.............Apparently Lake Park resident and Platinum Showgirls strip club owner Matt Barrow doesn't read this column. If he had read it four months ago he may have gotten the news that undercover agents had infiltrated his club and were building a racketeering case against him. I ran an item in the May gossip column under"Have you heard about" that stated"The local strip club that is unaware that a waitress & bartender are undercover Vice-Agents busy building a racketeering case against the owners for tax evasion, money laundering and prostitution." You may have read in local daily papers or seen on local TV news that the club was recently busted and shut down by the Vice-Squad after a"four month investigation" Among the charges - racketeering, felony public nuisance, using his property for drug sales and profiting from known prostitution. It appears his employees had been flipped and were operating as confidential informants. Sometimes gossip is indeed very true.
Gangster news..............So Bonanno wiseguy Vito Pipitone has a lovely wedding and jets off to Hawaii with his new bride. The day he leaves the Feds round up over ten of the crew, including the Capo, Vito's brother Anthony Pipitone. I speculate it was Hawaii 5-O that greeted Pipitone as he arrived in his hotel honeymoon suite in Honolulu. Instead of sexual wedding bliss he spent the night in jail, without bail, then got an ankle bracelet and flew home to face charges which include stabbing a couple of guys who allegedly broke the windows of a restaurant called Napa & Sonoma in Queens that was protected by the Bonanno crew.......Meanwhile the John Gotti Jr. trial rolls on with a parade of rats. His once best friend John Alite claimed that Gotti Jr. stopped him from killing Carmine Agnello, the husband of Gotti's sister and reality show flame Victoria Gotti, even though Gotti knew Agnello was beating her regularly. His other best friend, who was"made" at the same ceremony with him, Michael"Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo claims he grossed $20 million a year from mobbed-up construction firms controlled by Gotti Jr. And the beat goes on.
Monopoly World Champ crowned .........A 19-year old Norwegian dude named Bjorn Halvard Knappskog broke everyone and won the World Monopoly Tournament in Vegas at Caesars. 41 people earned the right to be in the contest by winning national tournaments around the globe. No U.S. player has won since 1974. Knappskog won $20,580.00, the exact amount in the bank of the board game.
This is justice?...........Ft. Lauderdale Minister Cory Lewis had sex with a 15-year old girl, whom he led into the bathroom at his house while his wife slept. After becoming pregnant, the Minister from the Church of God By Faith told her to get an abortion. The girl left school and had his child. She evidentially got little financial help from Minister Lewis as she soon admitted to authorities who the father was. At his recent trial prosecutors asked for a 10-year prison sentence (the max is 15 years), saying this was a clear cut case of the Minister taking advantage of an underage girl. The Minister's attorney attacked the girl, claiming at 15 she was a"willing participant" having sex with a man in his mid-30's, who happened to be the Minister at his Church. Circuit Judge Dale Cohen took the bait - he gave the Minister who by law raped a 15-year old girl a 2-year house arrest sentence and 8 years probation. Minister Lewis will do no jail time.
We lost a great one..................... By 1985 he was barely noticed on WNBC-AM radio between two shows that got a lot of attention - Don Imus and Howard Stern. It was a big come down for an entertainer who in the 50's & 60's was as famous as President Dwight Eisenhower. It was January of 1926 when this future superstar came into life in a tiny town called Franklinton, North Carolina. He ended his career the way he started it - on the radio. As a reporter for a West Virginia radio station he moved up to being a DJ and then headed for the big time in Ohio. In 1951 he hosted a children's show on a local TV station in Cleveland and his star burst into fame like a pie in his face - literally. By the time he was done he had appeared in over 5,300 television shows, the most in history for any one performer in the last century. At the top he had his own television show filming in NYC, was a guest host on The Tonight Show and was a regular on the famed"What's My Line" TV Show. The stars of that era including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis and many others all had their agents get them on his show in order to have a pie thrown in their face and get publicity. In 1974 he was called to testify during a military court-martial involving a sailor throwing a pie into an officers face. Under oath he claimed to have thrown over 19,000 pies into people's faces and that it was a harmless joke designed to relieve tensions. The sailor lost and was convicted. Born Milton Supman, the world knew him as Soupy Sales. He lived to be 83 and passed away at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, probably listening to the radio. Soupy Sales was a great one.
Have you heard about.............Sonny & Cher's daughter Chastity Bono, now call him Chaz. Chaz has undergone gender-changing and is close to being a"complete" male......Another phony"reality show" may be filming in Palm Beach this season - Tinsley Mortimer, who's known to hang out at Palm Beach haunts like Michael McCarty's, is in the midst of filming what insiders say is the most obviously set up reality show ever, including actors playing bar-prowling hunks and phony cat-fights between Mortimer and her sister Dabney - the show centers on Mortimer's over-privileged life seemingly spent imitating Paris Hilton in NYC and other places..........In a similar light my friends in Vegas tell me"Pawn Stars" is completely phony, buyers are given lines and some"reality" negotiating scenes are filmed 40 times before producers approve them.......The national white power leader who owns an office building on Singer Island, apparently former Riviera Beach Mayor Michael Brown had his office there and got into with the landlord. Threats were made and Brown showed up with his crew of about 35 brothers to intimidate the owner. The owner drove away and told Brown and his crew to come back the next morning, which they did. Witnesses claim over 300 white power-types cornered the group in the parking area of the building and while they threw Brown's office filing cabinets and furniture out the windows they egged on the brothers, who fled, leaving Brown scrambling to retrieve his legal papers as they blew all over the street. The incident allegedly occurred about a year ago around 9AM, the few residents who saw it take place have been talking about it and the story is getting wheels........That FPL is demanding customers pay for $3.7 million of the over $5 million they have spent arguing and lobbying for their massive $1.25 billion rate increase........Lazy-Boy recliners make a great motorized chair! And you can get a DUI on it! Dennis Anderson pleaded guilty to driving his Lazy-Boy while drunk in Duluth, Minnesota. He used an attached lawn mower engine to power it and drove it to his neighborhood bar, then put down"8 or 9 beers" and smashed into a parked car on the way home........In Lake Worth, taxpayers via the CRA will give Publix up to $500,000 for improvements like benches, bike racks and trash cans, bus shelter improvements and paver bricks on Dixie Highway along with landscaping around the store and meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Meanwhile there's a rumor that the WBP CRA is nearly broke and the cash will run out this year - $120 million of borrowed bond money has allegedly been spent.........Remember, don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!
In a move that could be described as both corrupt and incompetent, the South Florida Water Management District spent $280 million building a massive water reservoir in the wrong place. For 2 years southwest Palm Beach was the site of huge explosions as crews destroyed limestone and cut a city-sized hole in the earth along with a 13-mile river-sized hole for a canal. Taxpayers were just recently notified, in a few small articles in newspapers and a brief mention on a few local news channels, that the project was being shelved. What made the news was that the contractor, after reaping the benefits of this lucrative contract for 2 years was paid another $12 million to"walk away" from it. An investigation has shown this may be related to the filthy land deal hatched by Governor Charlie Crist that will benefit a politically active sugar company, who critics say was responsible for much of the Everglades mess themselves, U.S. Sugar. It allegedly was their farming practices that have led to the pollution of the Everglades. Now Crist wants taxpayers to pay U.S. Sugar over $500 million for the land they destroyed and then pay to clean it up. The money would have to be borrowed, most likely resulting in an amount approaching $2 billion once interest is calculated in. The timing of the stoppage of the project is suspicious, it was only 3 weeks after it stopped in June of 2008 that Crist announced his scheme to spend billions in taxpayer funds, handing over $500 million to U.S. Sugar, who also happens to be a major contributor to his political campaigns for Governor and now the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile water quality from Lake Okeechobee is approaching dangerous levels, according to hushed-up memos from a wetlands biologist in the EPA. According to the memo, written by Eric Hughes,"an average of 572 tons of phosphorus flows into the lake each year." That's a concentration of about 200 parts per billion which is 20 times too polluted for the Everglades. Critics claim most of this phosphorus comes from sugar farm runoff. Recently the South Florida Water Management District claimed in a memo it had"spent over $1 billion to construct 40,000 acres of pollution cleanup marshes designed to filter runoff from sugar farms south of the lake." Why are we spending all this money to clean up a mess created by sugar companies? These are the same companies that have gotten price controls from our alleged"free market" government that has artificially kept the price of sugar higher than it otherwise would be. The same sugar companies who have fought attempts at unionization or living wages for its largely illegal immigrant labor force. Now we know that Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Donald Hafele in an August ruling, ruled that the water district should be able to borrow $650 million to buy the 73,000 acres and cover other"transactional" costs. It would much cheaper if the EPA demanded that the sugar companies cleaned up their own mess and stopped polluting our state.
Deadbeat condo dwellers................If you live in a condo that is full of investor-owned units who have decided to walk away from paying the mortgage and the condo fees (maintenance, assessments) but continue to rent them out and collect the cash a new system is being pushed into the courts to allow every deadbeat unit to be put into"blanket receivership." This means with one filing (instead of filing individually on each unit) the court appoints 1 person to be the receiver who is not only allowed to collect the rent from the tenant but is also allowed to force any squatters (relatives or friends of the investor) to pay market share rent to the condo association. In Orlando a court order was issued that also permits receivers to collect rent the moment an investor is delinquent, not send notices demanding rent within 30 or 60 days. It also specifically reminds tenants that they could face jail and contempt of court charges for not complying with a receiver's order and not appearing in court to explain why. This has been done in Dade and Seminole County.
Scripps Heiress commits suicide........The daughter of Ann Scripps Douglass jumped to her death in the Hudson River in New York - almost 16 years to the day her stepfather, Scott Douglass jumped to his death from the same bridge, the Tappan Zee. Anne Petrillo's life was the subject of a 1987 TV movie"Our Mothers Murder" which detailed how her father killed Scripps heiress Anne Scripps Douglass by beating her with a hammer in her daughters bedroom on New Year's Eve 1993. Scott Douglass was a house painter whom Anne Scripps had fallen in love with and was a suspect in her death immediately. Douglass soon drive to the Tappan Zee and jumped, causing some to think he faked his death, but his body washed up in March of 1994. Douglass and Anne Petrillo both were 38 years old when they jumped, Douglass left his 1982 BMW on the bridge and Anne left her BMW SUV near the same spot. Anne Scripps Douglass was the great-great-granddaughter of Scripps founder James Scripps, who originally started the Detroit News, and whose company now has hundreds of media outlets across the nation.
Mob news.............The New Jersey mafia family that the Soprano's was inspired by was the DeCavalcante family, run by Simone (Sam the Plumber) DeCavalcante. They were destroyed by a rat named Vincent"Vinny Ocean" Palermo in 2000 who testified against them. Palermo was permitted by the Feds to sell his $2 million home and enter into the witness protection program with his cash and a new name. While with the DeCavalcatne's his way to earn was controlling strip clubs and running prostitution inside them. Old habits die hard. With his new I.D. Vinny Ocean went to Houston and opened"The Penthouse Club" and"The All-Star Mens Club" in a poor section of Houston. He formed a corporation called"Hereweareagain Inc." to operate the clubs. Houston police have now launched seven stings that produced evidence of 10 prostitution offers and 10 drug sales. They went 10 for 10. Cops reported strippers offering to perform sex acts inside a"Champagne Room." The Bonanno Crime Family's South Florida crew of gangsters busted for murder conspiracy, racketeering, identity theft and other crimes are allegedly all ready to plead guilty except for crew leader Thomas Fiore, who may fight the case. The FBI allegedly has over 100 taped conversations between them. The trials have been delayed while prosecutors allegedly are sorting thru stories from all the new rats looking to shave time.
What they won't tell you.............Six Palm Beach County residents have died from Swine Flu including a 12-year-old girl, a 25-year-old woman, a 33-year-old woman, a 42-year-old man, a 90-year-old woman and a 46-year-old woman. There have been 70 swine Flu deaths in Florida as of September 1st. Privately, experienced health-care workers claim that a strain of the Swine Flu could"wipe out 10% of Palm Beach County residents in a few weeks" if a dangerous strain develops and they're seeing it in emergency rooms. But to avoid hysteria they are being cautioned, some say threatened, by high-level officials about going public with their beliefs.............A new study shows that people who have used cell phones for 10 years have a measurably higher rate of brain and mouth tumors. Of course CTIA, a lobbying group for the wireless industry, says cell phones pose no risk to your health. Several nations including France, Germany and Israel have issued limits of usage of cellphones, and stricter guidelines for children. Of course in our corporate run nation nothing like that is close to happening. Numerous mouth and brain cancer cases are going uncounted, ungrouped and little effort is being made to link them to cellphones.
Stonewall repeat........ You may not know that Atlanta has a thriving gay community. Elton John spends much of the year there in his penthouse pad. The owners of a busy gay bar, the Atlanta Eagle, claim police have been doing the"Stonewall routine" to their customers. This includes police allegedly raiding the bar, forcing customers to turn out their pockets and be searched, verbally abusing customers with anti-gay insults, arresting the owners based on"Tips" sent to the Mayors office about"illicit sex." Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has her re-election office in a space next door to the bar and apparently was upset about the"activities' going on there. Amazingly, during the raid no drugs at all were found, and no"illicit sex" was seen by officers, some of whom were undercover. If you raided any bar in America and with over 100 people in it and searched everyone you would find at least a joint or some coke. The Atlanta Eagle may be the most drug free bar in the world.
Rockefeller estate in trouble?.....Rockefeller and Co. is the group that was set up to manage the assets of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller back in 1882. Today it has close to $28 billion. One Rockefeller, Jay is a now a senior U.S. Senator from West Virginia, another is David, who many say effectively controls the world more than any other human on the planet thru his involvement in numerous secret societies, the U.S. Federal Reserve, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Council on Foreign Relations. The Chief Executive of the company, 56-year old Harvard grad G. McDonald, recently drove into a strip mall and shot himself in the head. The authorities are calling it a suicide. Others are not so sure. The SEC is refusing comment on whether or not there is an active investigation into the massive assets of the company and how they are being managed. Stay tuned.
Have you heard about.............Tavern on the Green, the famed NYC restaurant, filing for bankruptcy listing debts in a"range of $10 million to $50 million" ...........The Bank of America branch in Tampa that refused to cash a check from a man because he could not give them a thumbprint - Steve Valdez was born without arms and wears prosthetic arms. The branch manager told him even though the check was from his wife, who has an account at the bank, since he didn't have an account they would not cash the check without the thumbprint. When Mr. Valdez told the bank manager giving a thumbprint would be impossible, he was told to"either bring in his wife or open an account".........The Miami Field office of the FBI is now the 5th largest in the country, with over 450 G-Men assigned to it, their region is from Ft. Pierce to the Keys............The new trend of street-side"Espresso Stands" in Miami - servers are wearing bikinis and allegedly flashing their breast and other areas along with licking whipped cream off each other for tips while preparing lattes and cappuccinos.........The brotherly team of local realtor/investors who are close to going under after getting stuck with numerous WPB commercial properties that have been empty for over 2 years, bankruptcy and foreclosure are looming if daddy doesn't throw more cash into their business..........The employee revolt building at a string of Clear Channel radio stations in Florida over mistreatment, firings, salary cuts and total control of programming by"centralized idiots" that result in the same songs being played every day at nearly identical times in multiple cities, resumes are flying all over the place as everyone prepares to jump ship on the same day in an act of revenge.......The"Sex Boat" - a 35-foot craft that is cruising up and down the Intracoastal for the last 6 weeks every Thursday afternoon, the same two people are engaged in sex acts in the bow area thinking they cannot be seen, while 3rd floor and above condo owners are busy snapping photos and emailing them all over town - the name of the boat is allegedly the"Plow Master"........Remember, Don't repeat a word of this! It's all on the QT!