A Mother's Love

a Mother’s love on Elena Shu milova’ her SPRING 2014 fa rm in Andreapolsky, Russia s photogr AL CAPONE MY UNCLE RARE WINES COUNTERFEIT THANKSGIVING THE REALFIRST OF BASEBALL SECRET HISTORY with Deirdre Exclusive sour Stor in John as St. A told y of a billonaire gr Thorn ugstine by MLB aphy apes Inter

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Photo credit: Andrea Loppnow Property courtesy of Milic Mico Novovic © 2014 Opulence International Realty FLORIDA: 2818 Center Port Circle Pompano Beach, FL 33064 • P 954.735.8223 NEW YORK: 221 East 60th Street New York, NY 10022 • P 212.644.3403 18288 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 • P 305.974.0161 • FL State Licensed Designer #000407 www.interiorsbysteveng.com • www.antiquitiesweb.com 4 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 5 PRESTIGE PRESTIGE

6 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 7 ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A / 954.719.5620 BUYER OR LESSEE.

PFTL Opulence Spread.indd 2-3 8/15/14 3:33 PM IYC IYC

10 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 11 ferretti billionaire

12 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 13 SOUTH FLORIDA

greubel 36 90 110 Top FEATURES 69 MY UNCLE AL CAPONE In this exclusive interview with Al Capone’s grand niece, 54 Deirdre Marie Capone, reveals the facts never or seldom told COUNTERFEIT RARE WINES in newspapers. Deirdre Marie Capone spent years researching her family’s history culminating in her book, Uncle Al Capone, Billionaire businessman and avid wine collector, Bill Koch crusades which has bee adapted into a screenplay. against counterfeiters of rare wines after uncovering sour grapes in his own multimillion-dollar wine collection. Experts around the country reveal ways to identify fraudulent vino.

104 64 PORTRAIT OF SECRET HISTORY OF BASEBALL A MOTHER'S LOVE Meet Major League Baseball historian John Thorn In a touching interview with through an insightful interview with South Florida South Florida Opulence, Russian Opulence. Thorn’s latest novel, Baseball in the Garden photographer, mother and farmer of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game, dispels Elena Shumilova shares her tranquil common myths surrounding America’s favorite pastime such as who really invented baseball and how the sport life on her family farm through the became synonymous with the home of the brave. eyes of her 3-year-old son,Vanya and his 6-year-old brother Yaroslav. Elena’s passionate photographs are now drawing the attention of millions of her Flikr followers worldwide. 142 THE REAL FIRST THANKSGIVING - In St. Augustine! Most Americans wouldn’t contest that the “first” Thanksgiving dinner was held between Separatist Pilgrims and the Patuxent Native Americans at Plymouth Rock. However historical evidence done by historian Dr. Michael Gannon proves where the “first” Thanksgiving actually took place.

14 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 15 SOUTH FLORIDA

46 THE SCIENCE OF BOOZE features (continued) Linking alcohol & humanity

O’ZAPFT IS! 26 PHANTOM RETURNS 48 Oktoberfest celebrates 200 years in Munich A new interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Opera

COOKING WITH INTUITION: BEER, THAT IS 32 FRANKENFOOD 52 Craft beer and culinary scene in Jacksonville Celebrity Chef Josh Capon's new show

GREUEBEL FORSEY CELEBRATES 34 Chef Dustin Ward Hits Prime Time 58 10 YEARS OF HAUTE HOROLOGY at The Blue Monster Success of luxury Swiss watchmakers Having trained with the best of the best in the culinary word, hotshot Chef Ward is rocking 60 HOW I ESCAPED BLT Prime in Doral. CHARLES MANSON’S KILLING MADNESS Ava Roosevelt's near escape 36 A CONNOISUER’S GUIDE TO EGGS, SHELLS 76 PUSHING LIMITS & TRUFFLES of design Caviar, oysters and truffles Steven G.’s stunning design at St. Regis in Bal Harbour 40 ' good stuff' of bootleggers 80 HOT, HOT, HOT! Al Capone's favorite rye whiskey: Why Miami real estate leads the nation in Templeton international buyers 42 Celebrity cHEF FABIO VIVIANI STAR TREK STYLE LIVING Italian-born restaurateur blazes 84 Marc Bell and his $35 million into Miami Sci-Fi-themed Boca Raton mansion 45 MAISON KRUG RUGGED MANIAC 1st luxury champagne house 94 Men behind the gold standard of urban adventures

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252063_FendiCASAOpulenceSFla_Sept_x1a.indd 1 7/17/14 11:29 AM South Florida Opulence • September 2014 • Single Page • RHP • Trim: 9” x 12” Bleed: 9.5” x 12.5” Job # 252063 SOUTH FLORIDA HAUTE HIPPIE

128 FARM TO TABLE BY SEA features (continued) Floating markets

138 REGAL HISTORY OF HARP MAKING 98 FeRretti Lyon & Healy carries on an American tradition. Legacy of two Italian yacht makers

144 OLDE MONEY 110 EXTREME RUSH AQUA SPORTS A tangible link to American history Soaring to new heights

146 REMEMBERING THE 112 ZIPLINING in MAUI JEWISH GAUCHOS A bird’s-eye view OF ARGENTINA Baron Maurice von Hirsch 114 BIG CAT RESCUE saved my family Carole Murdock turns her feline passion into her life’s work 148 SEPY DOBRONYI The Hugh Hefner of Miami 116 ART BASEL: GLOBAL ECONOMIC ENGINE Art of hand Crafted briarwood Pipes Art Basel mastermind transforms 154 A lost art gets a modern revival Singapore's art scene

americana of antique fishing lures 119 HOW TO BECOME AN ART CONNOISSEUR 155 John Wilkinson turns a boyhood love of antique fishing lures Guidance from Miami collectors DADELAND 305.662.8655. HARBOUR 305.865.1100. BAL into an artisan business preserving an American legacy. 122 TRASH INTO TREASURE One man’s trash is $23.8 million treasure departments Gadgets 22

Calendar of Events 24-25

Developer Profile 87

Landscape Design 88-89

Philanthropy: Ride2Drive 100

Men’s Accessories 102

Transportation 126

Women’s Fashion 130

Women’s Accessories 136

Must Reads from the Desk of Edwina Sandys 138 saks.com Condo Law 156

Condo Living 158

Social Living 160 Bal Harbour & Dadeland 18 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014

142168_SF_OPULENCE_HHIPPIE_M.indd 1 7/24/14 4:07 PM Editor’s Letter HORIZON Thrill of the PUBLISHING Editorial Treasure Hunt Executive PUBLISHER & Owner Geoff Hammond, CEO Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like the thrill Jayne Hammond, President of a quest for treasure. Some pursue gold. Some Associate PUBLISHERS Mark Blackburn seek lost masterpiece paintings. Others feel the rush David Hammond

when searching for the latest pair of Jimmy Choos or EDITOR IN CHIEF a rare bottle of vino. As for me, the treasure that gets Robin Jay [email protected] my heart racing is the never-ending search for The CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR Great Story – those that compel even the most well- Adriana Naylor [email protected] read information enthusiast to think, “Wow, I didn’t 954-331-3912 know that.” PR AND MARKETING MANAGER Becker & Poliakoff Chantal Forster At South Florida Opulence, our editorial team is always [email protected] on the prowl for The Great Story. And, of course, 954-331-3390 The Great Story must be accompanied by just-as- Business Development director Erika Buchholz intriguing photography and artwork. Allow me to tell you about some of the editorial gems [email protected] hidden in this issue. Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone. 954-609-2447 Editorial Assistant First, take another look at the cover. A captivating face of a leopard, right? Not so fast. Upon closer Melissa Bryant inspection, you’ll find the model is a woman – and the artist is Craig Tracy, the world-renowned CONTRIBUTING WRITERS fine-art body painter (who, by the by, is legally blind). Turn to page 72 to discover more. John D. Adams Dale King Michael Bender, Esq. Andy Rand Next, we have an interview with two legendary sports heroes that you won’t read anywhere Donna Berger, Esq. Ben Rapaport else. Jack Nicklaus and Butch Buchholz tell the humorously candid story of how they became Melissa Bryant Ava Roosevelt Scott Eyman Edwina Sandys longtime friends and how they grew to love each other’s sport. (Today, tennis legend Buchholz Hope Gainer Alex Starace is at the helm of the PGA Tour’s Cadillac Championship. And although Nicklaus still avidly designs Jule Guaglardi Jenifer Mangione Vogt Julia Hebert Richard Westlund golf courses, his personal passion is a match on his backyard grass tennis court.) See page 68. Cara Jay Mary & Hugh Williamson Photographers Other treasures in this issue include: the South Florida Opulence First Annual Best Celebrity Chef Harry Benson Picks (starting on page 37); a look at the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Thailand (page Nancy Ellison Mel Jay 52); an interview with Geneva-based million-dollar watch makers Greubel Forsey (page 56); Douglas Lance an exclusive chat with the Curator of Amsterdam’s Vincent van Gogh Museum (page 86); the Sylvia Pangaro inside scoop on how the lost Leonardo da Vinci painting, Salvator Mundi, was at last uncovered PROOFREADER Susie Shaw and authenticated (page 94); and much, much more. Event Makeup artist Once you’ve read the issue cover to cover, we invite you to tell us which editorial treasures Alena Klenot made you do a double-take. And, if you have the next great story you’d like us to consider for an South Florida Opulence Magazine is published quarterly by Horizon Publishing LLC. upcoming issue, please write to me at [email protected]. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Horizon Publishing LLC, 6700 North Andrews Avenue, Suite 400, Enjoy the hunt! Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 – Vol. 4, No.1 Spring 2014 (ISSN # 2157-5274)

Robin Jay Subscription Rates: $40 per year, $10 per issue. For subscription inquiries or change of address, Editor-In-Chief contact the subscription department, (954) 308-4300 Ext. 4312, Fax: (954) 331-6028. Horizon Publishing, LLC, its affiliates and contributing writers have exercised due care in compiling the information contained herein, but with the possibility of human or mechanical error, cannot assume liability for the accuracy of this data. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in part or in full in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording and any information storage and retrieval system without first obtaining permission from the publisher. Photo Courtesy of Silvia Pangaro; Makeup by Alena Klenot; hair by Carlos Alvarez.

20 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 21 gadgets

BeerTender Chromatic Edition The vintage yet con- Google Glass temporary Chromatic Google Glass is essentially a smart phone you wear on your face or Edition offers the attached to your glasses. A small clear cube provides a screen in the lines reminiscent of front of one lens. The speaker transmits directions and information the Fifties, yet with into your earbud. Still in beta stages, the system has apps that can the latest innovations translate words into another language, offers GPS direction naviga- and pressure system tion and can make reservations for you on Open Table. $1,500 at for dispensing beer www.google.com/glass. at home. For pricing information, go to www. maltsethoublons.com SOBE

Hammacher Schlemmer 3D Printing Pen Hammacher Schlemmer introduces The World's First 3D Printing Herb-Savor Mini Pod 2.0 Pen. This is the only pen that creates three-dimensional plastic Nothing makes your meals taste better than the freshest ingredients. The drawings. Instead of releasing ink, this pen extrudes warm ther- Prepara herb-savor will prolong the life of your fresh herbs for up to 3 moplastic that hardens within seconds, allowing you to create weeks so you can enjoy fresh, flavorful meals every time you cook. Set of three-dimensional freehand drawings. Since the plastic hardens three. www.prepara.com. $29.99 quickly, users can draw in the air to create a bird’s outstretched wing or connect two faces of a cube. The pen is powered by a 6'-long AC cord, it heats up in less than a minute, and has two extrusion speeds that adjust with the touch of a button. www. hammacher.com. $99.95.

The Electric Peel Micro Car This is the reproduction of a Peel Trident, a two-seat, three-wheeled microcar originally built on England’s Isle of Man between 1965-1966. It is still one of the smallest cars in the world, placing its driver and a passenger just 12” from the ground. www.Hammacher.com. $25,000

22 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 23 Up & Coming Events Up & Coming Events

Miami City Ballet SEPTEMBER october october november december FEBruARY december Romeo and Juliet (Program I) 6 12 25 11-16 4-7 12/14/15 19 MCB proudly welcomes this timeless tale 2014-2015 Box Enrique Iglesias Fashion Week Fleetwood Mac of love and tragedy beautifully brought to Art Basel life in the grand tradition of classical ballet. Office Opening & Pitbull West Palm Beach Miami Beach BB&T Center, Sunrise Weekend! Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood Palm Beach County After a 16-year absence, Christine McVie Adrienne Arsht Center for the Adrienne Arsht Center International superstars Enrique Iglesias Convention Center, will be rejoining Fleetwood Mac band- Performing Arts, Miami (Ziff mates Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, First Opportunity to Buy Tickets to 25+ and Pitbull will reunite and share the West Palm Beach Ballet Opera House) Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks Shows including just-announced events! stage as part of their co-headlining Fall Fashion Week West Palm Beach is a multi- October 2014 tour that will conclude at Hard Rock Live day, multicultural event that invites the for the On With The Show Tour. The Friday, October 17 at 8 pm SESAME STREET LIVE (10/10-11/2014) in Hollywood, Fla. on Saturday, October world to experience the vast richness reunited band will perform at the Saturday, October 18 at 8 pm KORESH DANCE COMPANY (11/4-6/2014) 25, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. Fast-rising Latin of the beautiful city West Palm Beach, FL. BB&T Center December 19th. Sunday, October 19 at 2 pm MIKE BIRBIGLIA (11/20/2014) urban star J Balvin is confirmed as the The shows will include runway shows, www.thebbtcenter.com. Broward Center for the support act. exhibitions, presentations and networking MILTON NASCIMENTO (11/26/2014) Performing Arts, Fort www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com. opportunities aimed at both highlighting Leading international galleries show THE COLORS OF CHRISTMAS STARRING Miami Broward Andrea Bocelli Lauderdale (Au-Rene Theater) the work of Florida’s local fashion profes- work from masters of Modern and PEABO BRYSON, JENNIFER HOLLIDAY, Carnival Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood October 2014 sionals while including international fash- contemporary art as well as pieces by TAYLOR DAYNE & RUBEN STUDDARD Miami-Dade County Returns to Hard Rock Live at Seminole Friday, October 24 at 8 pm ion designers whose merchandise can be newly emerging stars. Paintings, sculp- (12/11/2014) Fairgrounds, Miami Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hollywood Saturday, October 25 at 2 pm & 8 pm found locally and internationally. tures, drawings, installations, photo- for Three Special Valentine's Shows, Thurs., IRVIN MAYFIELD & THE NEW ORLEANS With over 20 masquerade bands and graphs, films, and editioned works of the Sunday, October 26 at 2 pm JAZZ ORCHESTRA ( 2/5/2015) 6 steel bands parading and competing February 12, Sat., February 14 and Sun., highest quality are displayed in the main February 15. Kravis Center for the TONY BENNETT WITH VERY SPECIAL for “Band of the Year” bragging rights, exhibition hall, while ambitious artworks www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com. Performing Arts, West Palm GUEST ANTONIA BENNETT (2/13/2015) the streets of Miami Gardens will be and performances become part of the adorned with beautiful, colorful and Tickets Currently Available Through PBS Beach (Dreyfoos Hall) IDAN RAICHEL PROJECT (4/18/2015) landscape at nearby beaches, Collins Park intricate costumes along with the infec- Pledge Exclusive November 2014 GILBERTO GIL (4/26/15) and many and SoundScape Park. www.artbasel.com. tious musical sounds of soca. Enjoy live Friday, November 21 at 8 pm more! Box office: (305) 949-6722 concerts throughout the day, Caribbean Saturday, November 22 at 2 pm & 8 pm food and drinks, parades and much Sunday, November 23 at 1 pm more! The International Caribbean Village will showcase goods and december october services from the Caribbean. november www.miamibrowardcarnival.com. 11-14 11-12 november 11-1/11 Palm Beach Food Season Opening Theresa Bernstein: with Michael october & Wine Festival A Century of Art 28-30 The Four Seasons Resort Tilson Thomas Boca Museum of Art, Palm Beach, Palm Beach New World Symphony, 12-2/1 Boca Raton Marleen and The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival brings October 29, 2014 Miami Beach The American Harold* Forkas together an eclectic collection of the world’s 6:30 - 9:30 pm Café Dolly: artist Theresa Present The most illustrious, award-winning chefs, culi- VIP 5:30 Picabia, Schnabel, Ferber Bernstein nary personalities, authors, winemakers and New York Marriott Marquis (1890–2002) Nutcracker mixologists to this picturesque island of Willumsen Boca Ballet Theatre Museum of Art Fort made and exhibit- South Florida each December. ed her work in Boca Ballet Theatre www.pbfoodwinefest.com. Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale continues to cap- Paintings by three provocative artists: the every decade of the twentieth ture its audience work of late French artist Francis Picabia, cel- with its beloved ebrated for his contribution to the Dada art century–a truly awesome feat. version of The

movement, but whose later figurative paint- Photo courtesy of Shannon Sturgis Photography Working in realist Nutcracker. ings remain relatively unknown in the U.S.; and expressionist styles, she treated the Following both the acclaimed New York artist Julian major subjects of her time, including the matinee perfor- Schnabel; and work from the late 19th- to Taste from a Be there for the 2014-2015 New World fight for women’s suffrage, the plight of mances of The mid-20th-century by Danish artist J. (Jens) F. selection of Symphony Season Opening. This concert immigrants, World War I, jazz, unemploy Nutcracker is the (Ferdinand) Willumsen. www.moafl.org. - more than is part of the Saturday Evening Series ment, racial discrimination and occasionally Gingerbread Ball, One and the Sunday Symphony Series explicitly Jewish themes such as a syna- a festive children’s party where kids can 300 whiskies and will feature Michael Tilson Thomas gogue interior or ritual objects such as a meet the dancers and enjoy some sweet LIVE FROM NEW YORK ©... IT’S KEY TO THE CURE! from around as the conductor and Tamás Varga treats. Performance dates/times: Join Saturday Night Live and Saks Fifth Avenue in the fight against women’s cancers. menorah. www.bocamuseum.org. Get the shirt, designed by rag & bone, available exclusively at Saks this October. Then shop October 16 to 19, the world on cello. www.nws.edu. Friday, November 28 -7pm when Saks will donate 2% of sales to local and national women’s cancer charities.* Special thanks to SNL’s current and former castmembers, the 2014 Ambassadors for Saturday, November 29 -2pm & 8pm EIF’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund and Saks Fifth Avenue’s Key To The Cure. Sunday, November 30 -2pm

Olympic Heights Performing Arts Theater, *SAKS WILL DONATE 2% OF SALES FROM NEW YORK, BEVERLY HILLS, SAKS.COM, AND OFF5TH.COM UP TO A TOTAL OF $500,000 FROM THURSDAY TO SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16-19 ALONG WITH 100% OF KEY TO THE CURE T-SHIRT SALES FROM OCTOBER 1 - DECEMBER 31 TO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION. PLEASE VISIT YOUR LOCAL SAKS FIFTH AVENUE STORE AND SAKS.COM/KTTC FOR INFORMATION ON YOUR LOCAL STORE’S DONATION. #SAKSxKTTC Order Tickets Today 20101 Lyons Rd., Boca Raton, 33429 © SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE AND ITS RELATED CHARACTERS AND TRADEMARKS ARE PROPERTY OF NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA LLC. For tickets, call: 561.995.0709 or visit at whiskyfest.com www.bocaballet.org S_FLORIDA_OPUL_9x11.9375_MAG_KTTC.indd 1 7/28/14 4:18 PM 24 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 25 “We’ve given it a more grounded, realistic approach,” said associate director Seth Sklar-Heyn. “But the production is just as big, if not bigger, than the earlier one. Phantom requires grandeur and spectacle, and we’re not losing any of the sweep of scale that people expect.”

The changes begin with the set. In the earlier production, during many scenes the stage was in almost total darkness. “The set design was a black void, with stylized pieces coming in and out,” Sklar-Heyn More Splendid Than Ever! said. “We’ve moved away from that abstract, surreal world.”

By Jana Soeldner Danger Characters will also become more realistic. “In the original, the Phantom had unexplained, seemingly supernatural abilities,” Sklar-Heyn said. “In this version, he’s very human, a man living hen the brand-new Broward Center for the with a deformity and obsessed with a girl because the sound of Performing Arts opened its doors in 1991 with her voice brings him pleasure, soothes him, and remedies some an idea about who a character is, and someone will come in and a lavish black-tie gala awash in Beluga caviar of his pain.” redefine it, or become a character you’ve not seen before.” and expensive champagne, the production W Christine, the object of the Phantom’s obsession, plucked from Kelley Shanley, president and CEO of the BCPA, finds it fitting onstage was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. the chorus line and pushed toward stardom, has also changed. that Phantom returns as the theater celebrates its current up- With its plunging chandelier and haunting musical score, it She is more girl than woman. “We’ve brought down her age so grade, which encompasses renovations to the existing structure, captured the hearts of the audience. she has a different vulnerability and different energy,” Sklar-Heyn as well as the new Huizenga pavilion that features a restaurant, a In November, a new Phantom will take the stage, polished and said. “She’s less knowing. A young girl doesn’t come with the ballroom, and an education center. “Phantom defined our open- updated for 21st century audiences, at a time when the BCPA is same expectations and experience as an older person, and she ing when we first opened our doors back in 1991,” he said. “So showcasing a $58 million renovation of its own. reacts differently to an older man who is trying to encourage her many patrons share their stories and recollections of that magi- cal run. A reimagined Phantom is the perfect way to introduce The new Phantom utilizes technology not available 23 years ago to experience life in a different way. He’s trying to teach her to the new and reimagined Broward Center.” that allows for more exciting sound and lighting production and see beauty in darkness.” portrays characters more in sync with current psychological and After a successful run in the UK, the show was completely recast Phantom of the Opera Will Run Nov. 19-30 at the Broward cultural views. But don’t worry. The legendary chandelier and with American actors for its U.S. tour. Character development is Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. For tickets, go to beloved music remain. always driven somewhat by casting, Sklar-Heyn said. “You’ll have www.broadwayacrossamerica.com

26 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 27 Dining Guide Doral – Miami Beach – Coral Springs

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ Nick’s New Haven-Style 11401 NW 12th St. (Dolphin Mall) Pizzeria & Doral Bar (305) 517-5124 2444 N University Drive www.brotherjimmys.com Coral Springs 954-800-7603 Step outside of pre- www.nickspizzeriabar.com sent-day Miami and into the Old South at For a taste of Italy in the rustic eatery Brother suburbs of Coral Springs, Jimmy’s BBQ. After 20 look no further than Nick’s years in business, New Haven-Style Pizzeria Brother Jimmy’s prides & Bar. There you’ll find itself on specializing in thinly-crusted New Haven- Nick’s specialty pizza authentic North Carolina slow smoked barbeque. Test your rodeo skills style apizza (pronounced on their mechanical bull or try one of their 22 variations of bourbon – ah-BEETZ) and a team dedicated to producing the finest interpretation a Southern favorite. of this classic Italian dish.

“Brother Jimmy’s expertly seasoned meats and generous portions “It’s definitely worth a drive to the ‘burbs’ to try this unique New-Haven are a carnivore’s delight,” said Melissa Bryant, Editorial Assistant of style pizza — I’ve never tried anything quite like it. They take their pizza South Florida Opulence. “The rib platter featured a tasty country very seriously; only chefs from New Haven are allowed to make the sausage-flavored dry rub paired with a Memphis-style rub.I dough because it requires perfectly adapting the flour to our humidity, couldn’t get enough of the humongous bbq nachos with bbq it uses live yeast and it is allowed to rise three times before it’s baked. The beans, chili, cheese and brisket which seamlessly blended sweet signature white clam pizza is very similar to how the original pizzas were with savory.” first made centuries ago for fishermen in Naples, Italy.”

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ Doral location is open for lunch and dinner Nick’s New Haven-Style Pizzeria & Bar is open Monday through Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 11p.m. and Friday Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. 11:30 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from noon to 10:00 p.m.

T he Restaurant at The “I like to be an individual with my cooking and in my kitchen; Setai Miami Beach I work to be original with my recipes and flavors – and not like other chefs nearby or beyond,” said Chef Mathias. 2001 Collins Ave. “It’s important for me to stay true to my Mediter- Miami Beach ranean and French roots – and not compromise (305) 520-6400 my passion for this cuisine due to ever-changing www.thesetaihotel.com trends or what’s the “in” ingredient or method. Mathias Gervais, Executive Chef at The Restaurant Oftentimes, chefs want to follow trends; I prefer to at The Setai Miami Beach, believes in true farm-to- create trends.” table cuisine. As a child, Mathias and his grandmoth- The Restaurant at The Setai Miami Beach is open er combed village markets in Provence, France, for daily from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. for breakfast and noon fresh produce like cantaloupe, zucchini flower and Lobster citrus salad to 3 p.m. for lunch. Dinner is served from 7 p.m. eggplant to use in homemade ratatouille. This to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 p.m. to midnight on inspired his culinary career. Chef Mathias went on to work as the Chef Friday and Saturday. Sunday Jazz Brunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. de Partie and Sous Chef for famed Michelin-star-rated establishments every Sunday. in Florence, Italy, and Monte Carlo, Monaco. Now, his traditional style of simplistic cooking is on display at The Restaurant.

“Chef Mathias‘ tasting menu was exquisite — my favorite dishes were the zucchini blossom stuffed with goat cheese, and the spicy strawberry gazpacho,” said Robin Jay, Editor of South Florida Opulence. “Also divine was the lobster citrus salad.”

28 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Dining Guide Miami Beach – Hollywood

La Gazzetta Miami Le Tub Saloon 1010 S Miami Ave. 1100 N Ocean Dr. Miami Hollywood 305) 523-2393 (954) 921-9425 www.lagazzettamiami.com www.theletub.com

Modern Italian café, La Gazzet- What was once a Sunoco gas is now ta’s delicately combines Italian Hollywood’s best kept restaurant se- Riviera cuisine with internation- cret. After this former station closed al influences for a break from in the early 1970s, Russell Kohuth the traditional. Enjoy a glass of purchased it, then spent a year hand- environmentally friendly Keg Wine while people watching on their building what is now Le Tub out of stunning sidewalk café in Mary Brickell Village. With clever concepts, flotsam, jetsam and gems he- col fresh ingredients and a serene ambiance, La Gazzetta has everything lected from Hollywood Beach. With necessary for what is sure to be a Miami hot spot. no forms of advertising, this open-air saloon located on A1A is so secret “I’m a news junkie, so I was fascinated by the use of “La Gazette” news- that some people who have resided papers as menus,” said Robin Jay, Editor of South Florida Opulence. in Hollywood for years don’t know “The sushi pizzetta with the wasabi mayo and candied ginger of its existence. Of course, this was all before Le Tub and the pulled pork with sour cream and pickled shallots were was named ‘The Best Burger in America’ by GQ Magazine and Thinking about using an app-based car service delicious. Chef Stephen said they got the crispiness from running appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. the dough through the pasta press. The blend of crunchy, sweet, for your transportation needs? spicy, salty and creamy was absolutely fabulous. And butterscotch “Le Tub’s 13 oz., 100 percent sirloin burgers are seasoned, then salmon? I don’t normally like salmon...but this dish was sensational.” charbroiled to perfection,” said Michael Perry. “The laid-back atmosphere offers a serene vibe on Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway with La Gazzetta is open from 11:30 a.m. to midnight Monday through quirky objects d’art like decorative toilets, worn wooden picnic What did your mother tell you about Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays, 12:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on tables and old painted bathtubs. It’s no coincidence why Le Tub Saturdays and 12:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays. * continues to garner accolades from television shows, magazines, riding with strangers? and average ‘Joes’; they simply make the best hamburger!” Le Tub is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays and noon to 2 a.m. on weekends 365 days a year.

Prohibition Restaurant quench any thirst. Elegant small plates like truffle lobster mac & cheese and Speakeasy and grilled octopus feature top-notch ingredients. While savory large 3404 N Miami Ave. plates like shrimp chorizo and wagju skirt steak feature the best from Miami land and sea. (305) 438-9199 Prohibition Restaurant and Speakeasy is open from 5:00 p.m. www.prohibitionmiami.com to midnight Monday through Thursday and 5:00 p.m. Although it’s 2014, and the period of Prohibition from the 1920s to 2:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. and early 1930s has ended, Americans fascination with the swanky Aventura Worldwide has been providing secure, personalized transportation for over 20 years, Turn to page 65 to read Deirdre Capone’s intimate saloons and undercover clubs of this bygone era has endured. portrayal of her great-uncle “Al” — Chicago’s around the world, with trained professional chauffeurs to ensure a safe and memorable experience. Prohibition Restaurant and Speakeasy elicits all of the allure and most notorious mobster, who became excitement of these undercover taverns by serving classic cocktails infamous during the Prohibition era. reminiscent of the Roaring ’20s in the energetic environment of *Senator Jeff Brandes filed State Bill 1618 which, if passed, would among other things require background screening and other requirements of chauffeured limousine drivers. Midtown, Miami.

Whether you prefer your drink the “old fashioned” way, with Crown XO, superfine sugar and dashes of bitters poured over an orange slice or more “cosmopolitan,” with Ketel One citrus vodka, Cointreau, cranberry 800.944.9886 • www.aventuralimo.com Call today to arrange your service anywhere in the world. juice and lime juice, Prohibition has its fair share of quality spirits to Awarded #1 Transportation Company in the Nation Sedans • SUVs • Vans • Limousines • Buses • Luxury Paratransit Vehicles Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 31 Frankenfood! Miami Celeb Chef Josh Capon co-hosts Spike TV’s most outrageous cooking contest

By Robin Jay

razy is as crazy does. When we first introduced you to it down,” Capon recalled. Once, after tasting a particularly gnarly superstar chef Josh Capon in South Florida Opulence, we dish, Capon quipped that even a dog wouldn’t eat the ‘garbage Ctold you about his ebullient personality and his insanely quesadilla.’ A cast member happened to have his dog on the delicious seafood menu at the newly launched Lure Fishbar at the set – and sure enough, the canine refused the dish. Lowes Hotel in Miami Beach. Sometimes the weird results are delicious. One of the best, “You should be on TV,” I told Chef Capon after the interview. Capon said, is from an episode filmed in Chicago. It was a deep-dish pizza made with the signature ingredients of a Chicago-style hot- “Funny you should say that,” Capon laughed. “I’m the co-host dog: fluorescent green pickle relish,V ienna hotdogs, raw onions, and judge of Frankenfood, a new cooking competition coming sport peppers and mustard. “I could eat one right now,” said Capon. to Spike TV in June.” Why is watching Frankenfood Move over green eggs and so enticing to viewers? “I think ham, that’s sissy food com- anyone who likes to cook has ex- pared to the concoctions made perimented in his own kitchen, on the show in which amateur mixing together crazy x!*@&0,” chefs vie to create the newest Capon said. “When I was a kid, food craze and win a $10,000 around 10 years old, I thought it prize. On Frankenfood, compet- would be cool to hard cook an egg ing cooks mix outlandish and in the microwave. It exploded and unexpected ingredients to cre- blew the microwave door open. ate something that’s, hopefully, Scared the crap out of me, but it surprisingly delicious. REDEFINING BANKING. may have been what sparked my “The ‘Dubin’ – a triple-decker interest in cooking. pastrami donut sandwich – “We have such a great time on the made me smile from ear to show; we don’t take the food too ear,” Chef Capon said about a seriously. If the audience has half dish he judged on the show. as much fun watching the show as Capon landed the co-host we have making it, they’re going spot on Frankenfood (along Tony Luke Jr. and Josh Capon to love it.” with Cheesesteak King Tony Luke Jr.) after he sent in an outrageous audition tape. “I pretended to host imaginary contestants, one of which mixed together yogurt, Cheerios – and tuna. I put on a helmet, grabbed a shovel, and smashed the bowl into oblivion. The unsuspecting videographer had to dive into the corner to dodge the flying mush. It got me the job!” We are large enough to give you what you want and small enough Freaky dishes on the show are a blend of the good, the bad and to provide it the way you want it. the completely inedible – mostly the later. “The worst dish so far was the ‘Bratasplit’ – a combination of a To learn more, please visit any of our banking centers from Miami bratwurst and a banana split. It was God awful,” Capon said with to Orlando or contact us at 305-577-7333 or 1-800-435-8839. a grimace. “The bratwurst froze; it was like eating cold, congealed fat and spicy ice cream.” Though a bit freaky on first glance, this dish topped with chicken Personal Relationships | Local Decisions | Stability Another remarkable Franken-fail was the baby octopus Jell-O feet was actually delicious according to Frankenfood judges. shot. “Thank goodness for the spitter buckets. I couldn’t keep To find out when Frankenfood airs in your area, check the schedule at www.spike.com.

13-0089/rev090113 citynational.com Member FDIC 32 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Summer 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 33

0721-1 CNopulenceAd.indd 1 7/29/14 4:28 PM Chef Dustin Ward Hits Prime Time at The Blue Monster By Robin Jay

a 19-year-old culinary student at Johnson & Wales. “Chef Dustin [as he calls Ward] was just handed an undercooked dish of au gratin potatoes by the guy on Veg [the vegetable station]. Chef smashed it against the wall and screamed, ‘nothing gets served on my watch unless it’s perfection!’”

Sounding like an episode of Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen (which, incidentally, was once won by Chef Ward’s BLT Prime esteemed col- league Paul Niedermann), I asked Ryan if he was ready to find a job closer to home. “No way, I LOVE this place!” How Ward Earned His Stripes – and Culinary Palette “Growing up, I lived in San Diego, Virginia Beach, San Antonio, Man- chester, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Moving a lot means tasting tons of different cuisines, which gave me a really broad palette. I fell in love with food really early on, and assumed the role of Executive Chef in my house at age 6,” Chef Ward said with a smile. “My mother would probably tell you how I would make really weird food concoctions and convince my siblings to eat it. I figured out that pretty much anything with bacon works.”

Intrigued, I managed to pry more of his Mom’s secrets about her t’s certain. Thirty-three year old Chef Dustin Ward has made son. “I’m a sensitive guy, despite my tough exterior, and I really be- it to the Big Time. How do I know? Simple: His track record of came a chef because I loved experimenting but was not cut out to impressing celebrity chefs, famous hothead executives, and be a scientist.” my very picky foodie family. Case in point: When Ward cooked But make no mistake, Chef Ward is no mama’s boy. He’s a wife’s boy. iat Cielo in Boca Raton, his culinary brilliance kept him immune from kitchen rants from Superstar Chef Gordon Ramsey, notorious for “My lovely wife is a pastry chef at another restaurant. I’ll be honest bellowing things like, “My Gran can do better – and she’s dead!” - she usually does all the cooking in the house. For holiday and birth- Then, Chef Ward earned the honor of being selected to open Ba- day parties, I’ll help her prep the savory dishes, but in our house, the zaar in South Beach. He was hired by none other than renowned kitchen is definitely her territory.” Chef Proprietor Jose Andres, molecular gastronomy guru from Chef and Entertainer Spain’s El Bulli – which was awarded, repeatedly, as the No. 1 restaurant BLT is owned by ESquared Hospitality, which stands for Exceeding in the world. Expectations, something Chef Ward always aims to achieve. “Our But Ward’s coup d’etat occurred when, earlier this year, Mr. “You’re guests come here for more than just a good piece of meat [select Fired” himself, Donald Trump, along with ESquared Hospitality, wooed steaks are dry-aged for 28 days], they come for the complete dining the hot-shot chef into opening BLT Prime at the Trump National experience we deliver. Doral – on, no less, the very first day of PGA Cadillac Championship. “My philosophy toward cooking is, first and foremost, to respect the No practice runs for this talented Chef de Cuisine and his crew. food. Everything we eat, from plants to animals, was once living and “It was a very intense experience – not having some of the equip- therefore has an untold story. Countless people worked hard to har- ment and not having a public opening before serving professional vest plants, raise animals, and even delve in to dangerous waters to golfers like Tiger Woods – but the pressure is what makes it fun. We catch seafood, and as chefs, we need to be cognizant of that. For chefs are a different breed; we thrive under the pressure,” Chef Ward me, it’s always been important that my love, passion, and respect said as he flexed his tattooed arm. for food shine through on the plate,” said Chef Ward, whose favorite dish on his haute couture menu is the Cowboy Steak with Hen of The son of a Navy man, Chef Ward is the ultimate commander in the Woods Mushrooms. Staying on par forces you to get creative chief when it comes to running his kitchen like a well-oiled machine and make new things happen – always re-inventing the menu. – and I have the ultimate inside source to prove it. My son Ryan was That’s the magic of the restaurant industry – especially here at BLT.” (and is) by Ward’s side in the kitchen on BLT Prime’s opening day. He called me on his break. “Mom, you won’t believe it!” exclaimed Ryan, Take a bow Chef. Well done (or should I say Medium Rare?)

34 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 35

Man has almost always delighted in culinary delicacies — foods held in the highest regard for rarity and price, especially caviar, oysters and truffles. If you are not a seasoned connoisseur of this gourmet triple threat, but would like to be, consider this your guide to Delicacies 101.

Caviar Oysters 1 The term caviar refers to the salted eggs of sturgeon – a fish that, ironically, Known as an aphrodisiac, Romans so co-existed with and outlived dinosaurs, but is today endangered because loved oysters, they’d import them from of caviar’s massive overharvesting. Eggs from fish other than sturgeon are England and plump them up in saltwater A Connoisseur’s Guide to technically called roe, not caviar. Persians were the first to cultivate caviar baths by feeding them bread and wine. Co- from the Caspian and Black seas; however, Russians have historically lonial settlers ate them not by the dozen, but shown the most zeal for it – so much so that Czar Nicholas II in the late by the gross – 144 at a sitting. Even Abe Lincoln was 2 1800s ordered fishermen to pay taxes in the form of caviar. a fan. History books say he’d throw parties at his home, with oysters as the only food. Caviar purveyors age the fish eggs for up to four weeks in brine. Otherwise it would pretty much have no taste. Consider these varieties: • Atlantic Oysters: This variety includes Bluepoints (from Long Island’s Great South • Beluga: The most treasured grade of caviar, this buttery, pea-sized Bay), Wellfleets (from the Cape Cod area), sturgeon caviar is shiny, soft and comes in shades of silver, gray and Malpeques and Beaufoleils. They com- black. In the center of each Beluga sphere is a black spot called the prise most of the oysters gathered in the "eye." This is the actual egg; the rest is the sac. United States. (1) • Osetra: This form of caviar, also sturgeon, consists of medium- 3 • European Flats: Not surprisingly, these oysters have a sized gray or brown eggs. It has a nutty flavor and is the next best flat, smooth shell, with a mineral, seaweed taste and a choice in caviar if Beluga isn’t an option. meaty texture. Belons are a type of European Flats • Sevruga: These smaller gray eggs, also a type of sturgeon, have raised in the Brittany region of France. (2) the strongest salty flavor. • Kumamoto Oysters: With a deep, bowl-shaped • Sterlet: The small golden eggs of this sturgeon caviar were once shell, these small oysters have a nutty, sweet By Robin Jay the revered choice of royalty. But even if you have the bucket-load flavor. They are most often cultivated in Japan of cash to buy it, you’re not likely to find it. It’s all but extinct. and the West Coast of the United States. (3)

• American: The roe of a Mississippi paddlefish, these eggs are a • Pacific Oysters: These small, sweet oysters distant cousin of sturgeon. However, it has an earthy, muddy flavor. are the most widely cultivated oyster. Their • Lumpfish: This tiny roe, often dyed red or black, is a popular and shell shape is fluted with a sharp point. 4 less costly variety. Common types are Fanny Bay, Totten Inlet, Hog Island or Sweetwater. (4) • Rainbow Trout caviar: Smaller than salmon roe, these small orange eggs are mild and less salty. It’s the least expensive, but has • Olympia Oysters: Only about an a pleasant flavor. inch in width, Olympia oysters are the only oyster native to the United • Salmon: Orange or red in color, salmon roe is most often substi- States’ West Coast. Their popularity dur- tuted for more costly sturgeon forms. ing the Gold Rush nearly extinguished them. • Tarama: Often sold smoked, this orange-red roe comes from carp. Today, they are highly protected and mostly raised in Puget Sound and British Columbia. (5) • Whitefish: This small, golden roe, found in the Great Lakes, has less complex flavors, giving it more versatility as an ingredient. European Flats photo: christianp /123RF Stock Photo 5

36 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 37 Truffles Ounce for ounce, truffles – a tuber-like underground mushroom – are more costly than diamonds. European white truffles can bring $3,600 a pound. In 2013, a two-pound truffle sold for a sum higher than $300,000. Why so much? Because they can’t be authentically cultivated. They grow randomly, usually near the roots of shady oak trees, and they must be sniffed out seasonally by trained dogs or swine. Flooding or other harsh weather can deplete a season’s crop. It’s no wonder there is said to be a black market truffle mafia, or that chefs who invest in them store them in a locked safe to protect them from being stolen.

• Winter Black Truffle: The most coveted and costly of truffles, the winter black variety, with its soft “chocolate and earth” smell is gathered primarily in Italy, France and Spain. They grow beneath shady oak, elm, poplar, hazelnut and chestnut trees, ready for harvesting between No- vember and March. Generally, winter black truffles weigh 2-3 ounces and have a dark gray to brown exterior with white veins on the inside. (1)

• Winter White Truffle: Praised for its garlic-like flavor, the musky-smell- ing winter white truffle is actually yellow. Most often, they’re grown in Northern and Central Italy, but they can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as Croatia. The key disadvantage to white truffles -com pared to their black counterparts is that their aroma fades more quickly. introducing When truffles are shaved or sliced open, they give off a gas, which provides the special aroma. When cooked, the aroma disappears quickly, so white truffles are generally shaved fresh over dishes. (2) • Summer Black Truffle: Also called the St. Jean Truffle, the summer MARQUIS MASTERPIECE black truffle season runs from May to August. It resembles the winter black truffle, with its knobby round exterior, but the inside flesh is a grayish yellow. This variety of truffle isn’t as sought after as the white truffle, but it’s still delicious, and cooking it enhances the chocolaty, earthy flavor. (3) 1100 BISCAYNE BLVD Marquis residence in the sky exudes • Summer White Truffle: Not quite as aromatic as its winter coun- #4905/4906 opulence. This clean line two-story terpart, the summer white truffle is usually preferred over the combined custom unit provides luxurious summer black truffle. It’s harvested in the same regions of Italy – 5 BEDROOMS living with privacy, soaring ceilings, den, Tuscany, Piedmont and Marche – is more plentiful and, as a result, game room, full service wet bar, state less pricey, with a sweet garlicky flavor. (4) 5 BATHROOMS of the art kitchen, large outside terrace If sampling caviar, oysters and truffles is a new endeavor for you, space, mesmerizing direct ocean and bay consider first tasting them at a fine restaurant where an 5,475 INTERIOR SQ FT views. educated staff can further guide you to varieties best suited to your personal palate. For restaurant recommendations, visit www.SouthFloridaOpulence.com. OFFERED AT $4,000,000

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Senior Vice President,

TOMI SPORTS & ™ ENTERTAINMENT ROSE Division 786.229.1949 trose@oir .com opulenceinternationalrealty.com 2060 N Bayshore Drive @TeamTomi @TeamTomi Miami FL 33137 38 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 39 ‘The Good Stuff’ of Bootleggers By Clifton M. Thuma

hen you think of the Roaring ’20s and Prohibition, you think of ‘bathtub gin,’ gangsters and Clockwise l-r: A hollowed tombstone in which Templeton residents once hid their whiskey during Prohibition; Distillery mash W vats in Templeton, Iowa; Alfonse Kerkhoff, founder of Templeton Rye; Oak barrels of Templeton aged for at least four years. bootleggers paddling ashore with crates of booze. Some of that hootch was not whiskey," said Meryl Kerkhoff.“ Pretty soon, the stuff developed quite a reputation. So, selling ‘The Good Stuff’ we made in 2009. everyone was clamoring for a jug of 'The when I got older, I started asking around [At the time of this writing, Templeton very good. But when Templeton Rye began Good Stuff.'A s a sign for folks that a batch about it.” It took a little prompting to get isn’t yet available in Florida, but check being distilled in a small Iowa town of the was ready, we'd tie our white horse Babe his grandfather’s friends to discuss it (after online at www.binnys.com] in the front of our home. To hide it from all, it was once illegal stuff).T hat led Bush “Bartenders love Templeton Rye because same name, it was so smooth and rich that it the Feds, people would stash the whiskey to the Kerkhoff family, who still had the it can stand up to all the things they like to in places around town, like in hollowed recipe. They wanted to revive the making found its way to Chicago and into the hands add — syrups, bitters, fruit and such,” Bush out monuments in the cemetery. When Al of Templeton Rye Whiskey." said. “For me, I just like to pour a shot in a Capone got a taste of Templeton Rye, he glass, put an ice cube in for 10 seconds and of one very influential mobster. With some perseverance and luck in 2002, bootlegged hundreds of barrels a month to then drink it neat.” Bush said there are even Bush and Kerkhoff managed to run 30 New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Leg- some fans of ‘The Good Stuff’ who take barrels of ‘The Good Stuff.’ “We didn’t sell it “Uncle Al’s [Capone] favorite whiskey was ‘The Good end has it that he even had a case smug- the round heavy glass bottle and cut off until 2006,” Bush said. “By law, you have to Stuff’ from Iowa –T empleton Rye. He snuck me my first gled into Alcatraz. After Prohibition, my dad the bottom three inches. It makes a pretty age the distillate for four years in charred taste of it when I was 15 at one of our weekly Sunday made Templeton Rye for friends and family, good glass. new oak barrels.” The first samples were family dinners at Aunt Theresa’s house,” said Deirdre Marie and when he died, he passed the recipe on encouraging. “Everybody says Templeton RYE’S NOT JUST FOR DRINKING Capone, grandniece of Al Capone and author of My Uncle to me." is very smooth, especially for a rye whis- The distillery now takes its spent mash Al (see the exclusive interview with Deirdre on page 65). Templeton Rye today key. We reject maybe 40 percent of the (what’s left over after you make the liquid to be distilled) and feeds it to a herd of “During Prohibition, work was hard to come by in Templeton, so South Florida Opulence spoke with Kerk- rye grain samples sent to us.” That may pedigree Duroc pigs. Templeton coordi- my dad Alfonse Kerkhoff and other farmers started cooking rye hoff's business partner Scott Bush. “As a explain the very high scores by tasters nates with restaurants around the country kid growing up, I would hear stories about and winning a 2008 spirits competition to serve their specially fed pigs at featured backwoods stills making rye whiskey here in Los Angeles. “We are now produc- ‘Templeton Dinners.’ Not even Mr. Capone in Templeton,” he said. “Back in the day, ing the batch for use in 2019, and we’re got to try that.

40 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 41 Chef Fabio Viviani Blazes Into The Culinary Scene By Melissa Bryant

Setting your grandmother on fire is not a typical way for chefs to begin “cooking.” However, for Italian-born restaurateur, Food Network breakout star and cookbook author Fabio Viviani, a fiery encounter with his wheelchair- bound grandmother provided the necessary spark for a prom- ising culinary career — but I’ll let him explain.

The Spark Grandmother Claudia and mother Renza Talanti “When I was 5 and growing up in Florence, Italy, some friends of mine had a television. We would watch American imports dubbed in Italian. My favorite show was 'The Dukes of Hazzard',” said Viviani. “For me, that was the life — jumping into a car through the window, blowing things up and shooting things.” One day, the rambunctious young- ster decided to mix gunpowder, olive oil and rubbing alcohol (normally used for his dia- betic grandmother’s insulin shots) to make a homemade explosive. He smeared the con- coction on his family’s modest two-bedroom apartment floor and lit it on fire — “just for the fun of it.”

“So there I was, standing on my couch with this barricade of flames around me, yelling “Victory!” said Viviani. “My great-grandma wheeled herself in, only to get the flaming paste stuck on her wheels. She looked like a moving fire — screaming, lit up, rolling, screaming some more.”

42 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 43 The fire got extinguished, butV iviani’s family was pushed to their breaking point. So they put him to work in their kitchen. Standing on top of his grandmother’s wheelchair for height, Viviani graduated from mixing fresh pasta dough to butchering poultry for chicken cacciatore. A Maison few years later, his mother had to quit her job The Very First after developing a debilitating hand condition. Luxury Champagne House The 11-year-old took a night shift job at a local Krug bakery unloading 50 pound bags of flour and By Clifton M. Thuma baking pies — until the fateful morning he met Simone Mugnaini, esteemed owner of Florentine hey say that you can tell where you stand in generation to another…which is important to trattoria, Il Pallaio. British society by the brand of champagne sustain the quality… to know the wine. Every- Less is More served by the Queen. If you are served thing has changed but nothing has changed.” Maison Krug, you have made it to the top. “This was the beginning of my real culinary ed- Krug owns 25 hectares in 40 parcels of prime Champagne Krug was served at Prince ucation. Il Pallaio was the most important place vineyards. Each vineyard is vinified on its own. Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding. Krug is to me,” said Viviani. “It was small. It’s kitchen They also have long-term contracts with some of the best – and always has been. was old and beat up and the bathroom smelled the best-rated, privately held vineyards. A like mildew, but that place created some of the tMore than 160 years ago, one Joseph Krug quit his feature that sets Krug apart from its peers is that most amazing food I ever had in my life.” It was job at a large champagne establishment. He had a after grapes are picked – entirely by hand – the in this weathered kitchen where the budding passion: to make only the very best champagne. initial fermentation of every base wine is stored culinarian was taught “less is more.” And so he started his own champagne house – in small porous oak barrels that allow a slow mi- Maison Krug – based in the historic city of cro-oxygenation. Each vineyard’s portion is iso- Viviani trained at Il Pallaio for years while at- Reims in France’s Champagne region. The vi- lated until blending, giving winemakers more tending culinary school, eventually becoming sionary’s philosophy was to take traditional than 100 batches to blend for the Grande Cuvee, the restaurant’s sous chef at 16 years old. In champagne blending far beyond the their signature wine. In exceptionally good September of 2005, he moved to California in bounds of what was common in the 19th years, there is a ‘Vintage’ labeling. Maison search of new challenges. Critics quickly began century. Krug draws from its long-cellared Krug’s two finest vineyards are sold under to take notice of the handsome chef’s delight- champagne wines to create its great their own label: Clos de Mesnil — a white of fully simple manner of preparing classic Italian Grande Cuvee. Stocks going back to only chardonnay — and Clos d’Ambonnay — comfort food after his appearance on Bravo’s 1991 are available to the winemaker’s white of only pinot noir. In a good year, they hit reality television series "Top Chef.” ‘palette’ for blending. The family, now might also make a rosé champagne from just Now, he is the owner and executive chef of four in its sixth generation of overseeing pinot noir to which 10 percent still red wine Italian restaurants — Café Firenze and Firenze Os- the process, has been committed is added. All are cellared for six years or more. teria in California, Siena Tavern Chicago and, most to the highest quality since the “And yes one thing more! Tell your readers recently, Siena Tavern Miami. “I’ve failed many founding in 1843. NOT to use the flute glass. T his is terrible for times, but I’ve also learned that in life, it doesn’t There are three primary reasons drinking champagne,” said Henriquez. “There matter how many times people try to push you for Krug’s quality: the best is no bouquet, no smell. A regular white wine down,” said Viviani. “You’ve just got to be willing to vineyards, careful and talented glass is ideal. Drinking a champagne out of a get up again.” wine blending, and extraordi- flute is like wearing earplugs at the opera!” Siena Tavern Miami is located at 404 nary ‘library’ of wines held in This writer once attended a tasting hosted by Washington Ave., Miami Beach, Florida 33139. cellar. Its current president, M. Henri Krug, father of the present family Mdm. Maggie Henriquez, steward, Olivier. M. Henri was asked about Chef Viviani divulges shared with South Florida the vintage versus the Grande Cuvee. He more than 100 personal Opulence her thoughts about family recipes and pre- smiled and told a story of his father who was the prestigious house. She cious childhood memo- once asked: “Of which wine are you more came as it was in a transition ries in his first cookbook, proud, the Vintage or the Grande Cuvee?” from an old-guard to a Fabio’s Italian Kitchen. Immediately, he replied, “The Grande Cuvee.” Discover everything from new one. his mother's recipe for “But the Vintage sells for a higher price “I arrived in 2009 with ricotta and Parmesan Monsieur?” cheese infused meatballs a long history in the wine to what happened when industry,” Henriquez said. “Ah yes… but then you must share the credit he hand-delivered a “We took years in the with God.” homemade apple sponge communication from one cake to the Pope.

44 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 45 The Science and humanity of Booze By Alex Villasuso

am a young guy. To sit here and philosophize about the mean- for life like us,” said Rogers. “All that, and they ferment. Assuming ing of life would be silly. But one thing I can say for sure is that combustion—fire—is civilization’s most important chemical that my most memorable adult moments in life so far have reaction, then yeast are responsible for the chemistry in the involved sipping (or chugging) some form of alcohol: from number-two slot.” that pint of liquid goodness atop the Guinness Brewery in The Miracle of Fermentation Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day, to the day I poured my first five home- i Fermentation was a natural process, created by nature over time. brews for friends and family to enjoy. Well – er – they enjoyed four It was about as close to a miracle as it gets. Eight thousand years of my home-crafted beers; one was a real drain pour. Today, I am after the first domestication of fermentable yeast for the purpose of striving to make a career out of brewing beer – and that, of course, making alcohol, the process of distillation was invented. mandates understanding the origins and science behind it. Af- ter reading Proof: The Science of Booze, by Adam Rogers, editor of “Distillation, though, is technology. Human beings invented it,” said the technology magazine Wired, I grasped just how huge an im- Rogers. “It requires the ability to boil a liquid and reliably collect pact firewater has had on humanity, not just in my lifetime, but on the resulting vapors, which sounds simple. But to do it, you have civilization as we know it. to learn a lot of other skills first. You have to be able to control fire, work metal, heat things and cool them, make airtight, pressur- How Alcohol Changed the World ized vessels. You need a big brain with a wrinkled cortex, maybe After researching the origins of booze, Rogers concluded the dis- some opposable thumbs. But most of all, you need a desire to covery of alcohol ultimately influenced man to ditch the nomad change your environment instead of just live with what you have. lifestyle. Instead of a life spent roaming and foraging for food, man Distillation takes intelligence and will. To distill, literally or meta- decided to settle down in one place in order to sow and harvest phorically, requires the hubris to believe you can change the world.” grain… to make the good stuff. So, in essence, one might say we can thank alcohol for the launch of modern civilization. Just as I’m grasping how impactful booze is, the craft of making it continues to change. The production of alcohol all comes down to two basic things: fermentation and distillation. Fermentation, the process by which a “But none of those changes will break the human connection fungus – yeast – turns simple sugars into carbon dioxide and ethanol, to alcohol across deep time. Our history with the stuff is our his- existed long before we humans showed up on this planet. For the tory on earth, a history of humans becoming modern, tool-using, past 10,000 years, mankind has sought to understand how alcohol technology-making creatures.” leads to a buzz, but it wasn’t until recent times when scientists dis- If you’d like to read more of Adam Roger’s PROOF: THE SCIENCE OF covered just how important yeast is in the understanding of basic life. BOOZE, visit amazon.com or your favorite book retailer.

“Yeast was the first eukaryote — that is, the first creature with cells Alex Villasuso is a law professional in Chicago by and nuclei—to have its genome sequenced in a science lab. That day and a beer aficionado by night. South Florida was in 1996; biologists were in a rush to see what its DNA looked Opulence welcomes Alex as our newest contributing like because, in a way, yeasts are the fundamental unit of cell columnist. Be sure to check out the next issue for the biology. Yeasts grow quickly and easily in a lab, but because they latest in craft beer trends. have nuclei just like we do, they are an excellent model system

46 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 47 Today, Intuition Ale Works is located at 720 King Street in Jacksonville. It was the first brewery in Florida to can its own ale, Cooking With Intuition and Ben is proud to offer guests a variety of 20 beers on tap. The I-10 Pretzel He’s also proud to rally local chefs and residents through another From the Cooking with Intuition Cookbook cornerstone of his business: community involvement. It’s a passion Recipe by Adam Burnett he shares with his general manager, Cari Sanchez-Potter. of Bold Bean Coffee Roasters in Jacksonville, Florida “Jacksonville is still in the process of defining its culture.W hen – Beer, That Is Yield: 8 Pretzels For Beer Bath: it comes to food, we don’t have an immediately identifiable For Dough: unique cuisine or signature dish, so it’s difficult to package up 2 cups I-10 IPA Beer An intimate look at the craft beer and 3 ½ cups bread flour 4 cups water our culinary culture and market it outside of Northeast Florida. 1 tsp instant yeast 3 tbsp baking soda culinary scene in Northern Florida The good news is we have talented chefs and brewers who 1 tsp sea salt For Beer Cheese Dip: are shaping a culinary identity for our city,” explained Sanchez- By Robin Jay ¼ cup honey 8 oz. shredded sharp Potter, who studied at Boston College, taught English in Japan, ½ cup I-10 IPA Beer from cheddar cheese Intuition Ale Works uick! Name the largest city in the United States – and the style of cuisine for which it’s best known. Bet you’d never guess the answer backpacked in South America, moved to Australia to study 8 oz. softened goat cheese ½ cup water is Jacksonville, Florida. If you’re scratching your head wondering what kind of fare they serve in the historic First Coast City – don’t gastronomy, and then following her husband who landed a ½ cup I-10 IPA Beer worry, you’re not alone. But that perception is changing, thanks in large part to the fabulously clever motley crew at Intuition Ale job in Jacksonville. She applied to Ben’s job offer on Craig’s Make Pretzels: Q Works – the craft brewery founded in Jacksonville in 2010 by native Ben Davis. List and has been on the ground floor of Intuition Ale Work’s In the bowl of a standard mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the bread flour, yeast, sea salt, honey, ½ cup I-10 IPA and ½ cup “The only thing that runs deeper than my family roots in Jacksonville is my love of beer, particularly drinking it,” said Ben, who bought a success ever since. “In just four short years, we have gone from having one craft brewery in the city to now having 10, and water. Knead mixture on the lowest speed for 5 to 7 minutes. Dough coffee shop in 1999 and turned it into a wine and tapas bar. Although the business was a success, selling other vendors’ wares didn’t con- should be slightly firm and smooth. If dough is tacky, add flour, one tribute to Ben’s bucket list, so he ventured to Sonoma and then New Zealand to do a little wine crushing of his own. In 2007, Ben felt his to being a destination for craft beer lovers across the state. teaspoon at a time. hometown calling and returned to Jacksonville, where he studied the business of brewing beer, earned his brewer’s certification and spent Our food truck scene has exploded. We have many chefs and Move the dough to the counter and knead for about 20 seconds. Form two years in his garage dabbling to make the perfect recipe. “I guess you could say I was guided by a sixth sense – an ‘Intuition.’ The years artisans who prioritize using local ingredients – including our dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 90 minutes, or until doubled in size. I spent in winemaking refined my palate and helped me establish incredibly high standards for making small batch craft beer.” beer – in their recipes and products. We are on our way to being recognized across the Southeast as a culinary destina- Press air out of dough, re-cover, and allow to rise an additional tion in our own right. 40 minutes, or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. “The brewery frequently hosts food trucks for special events Move dough to a non-floured counter. Punch down dough to and potlucks with our regular patrons. We also partner with release air and cut dough into 3 oz. pieces. Allow the pieces to rest local chefs on a number of beer dinners, food festivals and for 10 minutes and then start shaping the pretzels. other events that highlight our culinary scene. Our cookbook Flatten each piece of dough then roll each piece with your palms into cylinders about 7 inches long. Then roll out each piece again until – Cooking with Intuition – is a compilation of recipes from these each piece reaches 24 inches in length. Form each rope into a pretzel chefs, food truck owners and home cooks, and it celebrates the shape and place on a well-oiled, parchment-lined sheet pan. intersection of Northeast Florida’s food and craft beer cultures.” Boil and Bake Pretzels: The award-winning cookbook benefits Second Harvest North In a 12-inch pot with high sides, add beer, water and baking soda. Florida, which provides 350,000 meals to needy members of Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Keep an eye on the beer bath, as it has a tendency to boil over. Add pretzels to boiling mix- the community. ture three at a time. Boil for 30 seconds, then flip each pretzel with a “We like to align ourselves with meaningful causes that define pair of tongs and boil an additional 30 seconds. Move pretzel back to well-oiled sheet pan and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Once all our vision for the future of our pretzels have been boiled, immediately place in oven and bake at city,” Sanchez-Potter said. “The 400 degrees F for 16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cookbook is a good example bake. Remove from the oven, immediately take off parchment and of our approach to community place on cooling rack. engagement and our hope that Make Beer Cheese Dip: Combine the sharp cheddar, softened goat cheese and I-10 folks begin to stand up and take IPA and mix evenly. Dip pretzels into beer cheese dip and enjoy. notice that Jacksonville is on the verge of becoming a culinary and cultural force in the Southeast.”

For a taste of Jacksonville in your own kitchen, please try your hand at making the I-10 Pretzel recipe that follows by Adam Burnett of Bold Bean Coffee Roasters.T o order a copy of Cooking with Intuition, go to www.intuitioncookbook.com.

48 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 49 O’zapft is! Oktoberfest Celebrates 200 Years Aerial view of Munich, Germany, the city that originated Oktoberfest in 1810 at the wedding of Prince Ludwig and of Culture, Beer and Bavaria Princess Therese (pictured at the bottom of page 46). By Alex Starace

ricultural fair. The event was called Oktoberfest – and one of the world’s great celebrations was born. Before long, carnival booths were added, as were a carousel and other amusements. Naturally, beer carts appeared, the proprietors helping visitors slake their thirst. Oktoberfest Becomes Official The event grew in popularity, prompting Ludwig I of Bavaria (the now-king who’d been married at the first Oktoberfest) to commission an immense Bavarian Hall of Fame overlooking the Theresienwiese, along with a bronze statue of a woman and lion. The statue, which was completed in 1850 and named “Bavaria,” was the first such large-scale all-bronze statue (shown at left) to be built since antiquity. Measur- ing 60 feet high and weighing over 87 tons, lucky tourists can enter, climb its staircase and get a view of Oktoberfest from Bavaria’s crown.

Surprisingly, though, it wasn’t until 1892 that beer was served in the now-traditional enormous glass steins, and not until 1896 that the first beer tents opened. Since the beginning, however, quality standards have been rigorous: All beer must have a minimum of 13.5 percent Stammwürze (a brewer’s term describing the exact amount of extract in the beer’s wort) and must be brewed within Munich’s city limits. In fact, only seven breweries are officially licensed to produce Oktober- fest beer, including the well-known Spatenbräu and Paulaner brands.

ktoberfest, Munich’s fa- race and was such a suc- Contrary to what many still believe, Oktoberfest mously large celebration of cess that the fields were has long since been pushed back to September – beer and German culture, soon named Theresien- organizers quickly realized that the warmer weath- actually began as a wed- wiese (or “Therese’s fields”) er and longer days made for a better celebration. ding reception. Crown in honor of the princess. The festival, which typically runs 16 days, ends on Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe- O The next year, another the first Sunday in October, meaning that the Hildburghausen were betrothed on October 12, horse race was held in the majority of the celebration takes place in the 1810 – and all of Bavaria was invited to celebrate same location, this time month prior. on the fields in front of Munich’s city gates. The augmented with an ag- event, oddly enough, concluded with a horse

50 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 51 the first beer to the Minister of Bavaria. The tradition has lasted to this day – and it’s still quite common to see waitresses (and female visitors) dressed in the traditional dirndl, while men wear their Bavarian lederhosen. Oktoberfest Today At the contemporary Oktoberfest, there are fourteen festival tents, each holding thousands of visitors and making for an event of seemingly unimaginable scale. Last year there were a total of 6.4 million visitors and 6.7 million liters of beer consumed, according to the German newspaper Der Spiegel. Another eye-popping stat comes Each year, Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, opens with a parade from the festival’s lost-and-found, which reported 400 sets of keys, of horse-drawn floats. 520 wallets and 1,065 identity cards (including passports) lost.

All of which goes to show that whether you’re going to Oktoberfest In 1950, a new opening ceremony was initiated. Following a 12- for the beer, the tradition or the celebration, you’ll not be alone – gun salute, the Mayor of Munich tapped the first keg of the sea- and that you’ll likely have a great time, provided you hold on to son, cried out that the job had been done (“O’zapft is!”) and passed your keys.

Oktoberfest 2014 Recommendations for Beer 360 By Alex Villasuso

If you’re celebrating Oktoberfest from Miami instead of Munich, Beer 360 has you covered. Head to 18090 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles, and have Gustavo and his team pour you a stein of one of these authentic Munich brews. I’ll get all official here and only recommend the beers Beer 360 has that meet the qualifications of the Reinheitsgebot (German purity laws), which qualify ELEVATING SECURITY TO A FINE ART them to be served at Oktoberfest. These beers are all brewed to be 5.5-6% For ultra-secure, private storage and moving services, trust RoboVault. Our ABV or higher, and within Munich city limits… And can be enjoyed at Beer 360! facility offers flawless security for all your collectibles, from vehicles to wine. Be sure to keep eye contact as you raise your stein to your friends, cheerily Our highly-trained fine art and antique handlers can be trusted with anything declare, “Prost!” tap the stein on the bar, and finally, take a nice long drink. from a favorite painting to your entire collection. Whether you want to store a Auf wiedersehen! piece of jewelry or move a priceless piece of art, you’ll have peace of mind.

Oktoberfest Beer, Doppelbock, 7.5% Paulaner Oktoberfest, Marzen, 5.8% Spaten Oktoberfest, Doppelbock, 7.1% PACKING • CRATING • SHIPPING • MOVING • STORAGE • SECURITY For more information or to request a complimentary on-site estimate, call 954-766-9997 or visit RoboVault.com 52 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 “Unfortunately – what we have learned recently is that according to U.S. law, there is no downside to counterfeiting wines,” Billionaire’s Downey told South Florida Opulence. “The civil suit that Bill Koch won against wine fraudster Greenberg, a former Silicon Val- ley billionaire executive, and the fact that Sour Grapes Acker Merrall & Condit is still not only in business, but thriving, are both case in Bill Koch’s crusade against counterfeiters of rare wines point. During trial, Greenberg spent days on the stand acting poetic about what a by Ava Roosevelt huge success he was, how wealthy he is The Billionaire’s Vinegar, now a New York Times best seller, tells and how he sold over $40 million in wines. the true story of a 1787 Château Lafite Bordeaux — supposedly The jury came back with a verdict against owned by Thomas Jefferson — that sold for $156,000 at auction him of maximum damages of $355,000 and of the eccentrics whose lives intersected with it. plus maximum $24,000 treble damages Few over age 21 have not heard or read about the Koch Broth- and a whopping $12 million in punitive ers. Four billionaire heirs to Koch Industries are noted funders damages. This amount was in part reached of conservative causes in the U.S. Notorious for his immense because when Greenberg had previously litigious appetite, Bill Koch settled the much-publicized family threatened suit against Royal Wine Mer- feuds in 2001 after two decades of lawsuits. To those who have chants for selling him fake wines, he want- known him, it was only a matter of time until his justice-craving- ed $10 million in punitive damages from gene would need to be gratified again.T his time, related to his them. He contended that he KNEW the multimillion-dollar wine collection. wines were fake, and had even had an ex- “No one likes to be conned and cheated,” Koch said. pert come in and catalogue all the fakes to support his claim against Royal Wine Mer- I couldn’t agree more, especially when it comes to Koch’s chants. Greenberg received a settlement purchasing and paying large sums for what he loves: priceless on those wines, but did not have to send wines with assured pedigree suiting a royal. all the wines back. So, he, as was reported T ESY OF J efferso n Si e g l The Vino Scandal in court, “did to someone else what they It is alleged by experts that every wine collector will ultimately fall did to him” and sold them forward via auc- PHOt o COUR prey to a master counterfeiter, such as Rudy Kurniawan, dubbed tion at Acker Merrall & Condit. Astounding A pleased Bill Koch and his attorney stand on the courthouse steps in Manhattan the Bernie Madoff of the wine world and German master behavior indeed. I can understand why the on the day he won his lawsuit against the person who sold him fake “rare” wines. fraudster Hardy Rodenstock. However, to their misfor- jury thought he was even more egregious tune, the collector turned out to be Bill Koch, and a than Royal had been to him, and I agree 1961 Chateaux Lafite Rothschild he purchased from that $12 million dollar punitive damage News. With a price tag of $157,000, it had When you own a 40,000-bottle collection Kurniawan turned out to be a fake, along with an amount would have hurt him, but it cer- become, at the time, the most famous of rare wines, like Bill Koch does, you’ve estimated 319 counterfeited bottles for which Bill tainly would not have put him in the poor bottle of wine in the world and a subject earned the right to brag about your most Koch paid Mr. Kurniawan $3.1 million. house – according to his own boasting on of Benjamin Wallace’s book titled The priceless bottles. Bill spared no time to the stand. It would have sent a strong mes- Kurniawan, an Indonesian citizen who has sold Billionaire’s Vinegar-The Mystery of the tell his friends about his remarkable ac- sage to others not to engage in this fraudu- $35 million worth of counterfeit rare wines, was World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine. quisition. I was allowed a rare glimpse at the lent behavior. Instead, the judge reduced arrested by the FBI in a regular fake-factory in his home Thomas Jefferson wine, which turned out the total damages to just over $750,000. So, Assured about its authenticity, in 1987, with bottles, labels, capsules, glue and recorking device, to be another case of billionaire’s bilking. Greenberg’s fraudulent actions cost him 1.9 Bill Koch acquired, although not from all aimed to bilk gullible purchasers. At a trial in Manhattan percent of his total sales. Any business that Christie’s but from Hardy Rodenstock, his “I used to bring people down here and brag in 2013, a star witness for the prosecution, Bill Koch, iden- can run on an expense rate of 1.9 percent own four “Th-J” bottles for which he paid and say, you wanna see Thomas Jefferson’s tifiedK urniawan-sourced fakes that he bought. Convicted will be a lucrative business.” under $400,000. wine?” Bill said. “Well, when I found it was of fraud, Kurniawan faces up to 40 years in prison. a fake, now what I say is ‘come on down to Billionaire’s Vinegar A few years ago, in my then non-wine drink- Enter The Sherlock Holmes of Wine see my fake Thomas Jefferson’s bottles!’ ” The sale of the first so-calledT homas ing days, at Thanksgiving at Bill’s house, Maureen Downey, known in the industry as the “Sherlock Jefferson Lafite 1787, at Christie’s in Bill dared me to drink some wine, assuring Seriously incensed, Bill hired investigators Holmes of Wine,” attended every day of the civil suit against London in 1985, made the CBS Evening a headache-free morning after. and former FBI agents who determined Eric Greenberg, another individual in Bill Koch’s path- to-wine-justice, and she testified for the prosecution.

54 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 55 had no reason to make magnums. So, imagine my surprise when just a few weeks later, I walked into a cellar and found a 6L esting part of this technique is for old red bottle of 1921 Petrus. I laughed so hard wines, i.e., prior 1952: If they contain some I almost cried.” The sale of the first 137Cs, you can tell immediately that they Faced with such a grim prognosis, and so-called Thomas Jefferson are fake. If you do not see any 137Cs activ- with quantities of wines he already owns Lafite 1787, at Christie’s in ity, you can tell that the wine is older than impossible to drink in one lifetime, Bill London in 1985, made the 'CBS 1952. In this case, you need to use other Koch stopped buying. When you own a Evening News.' With a price tag techniques to authenticate the bottle, like of $157,000, it had become, analysis of the chemical composition of “I‘m tired of the aggravation of being 40,000-bottle collection at the time, the most famous the glass (which also does not need the violated by those con artists and crooks,” bottle of wine in the world and opening of the bottle!)” he said in a recent interview. of rare wines, which a subject of Benjamin Wallace’s Not every fraud is created equal, and it I wonder, has it been worth it going after happens to be Bill Koch’s book titled 'The Billionaire’s appears wine counterfeiting is a highly these people? Vinegar -The Mystery of the profitable business indeed. Forgery has case, you’ve earned the World’s Most Expensive “Probably, yes,” Bill said. “Maybe I’m a Don been keeping a prominent place in art, Bottle of Wine.' Quixote, you know, attacking windmills of right to brag about your coin and jewelry collecting through sorts. But it brings me great satisfaction.” the centuries. most priceless bottles. According to Monsieur Hubert, “Even in the Roman times, there has been fake that Th-J initials were made with an of bilked wine collectors. There are very wines! To fight against these frauds, the electric engraving tool nonexistent in the few Bill Kochs willing and able to afford French government created special scien- 18th century. the legal bills associated with lengthy tri- tific units as early as the beginning of the Ultra-Secure Off-site Wine Vault als requiring costly expert testimonies, “I am going after him,” Bill referred to 20th century.” such as from respected physicist Phillipe Protects Avid Collectors Rodenstock. “If it takes me to the end of Hubert at the University of Bordeaux in Faking fine wine is no longer dedicated the world, I am going after the fraudster." By Robin Jay France. Monsieur Hubert came up with solely to fine French wines. California’s He has spent $25 million so far on the eight When wine connoisseur Gregory Miseyko first arrived in South Florida from California, it was August 22, 1992 – just two days the idea of authenticating rare wines us- Opus One has become a target. Opus wine-related lawsuits he’s filed against before Hurricane Andrew devastated the region. “My baggage on my overnight flight consisted of 10 prized cases of my per- ing radiation (gamma rays specifically), One CEO David Pearson is fighting coun- Rodenstock, Kurniawan, Greenberg and sonal wine cellar,” he said. “Flying with my wines under the same jet ensured my wine wouldn’t bake in a hot truck, a sure way which he used when testing wine for Bill terfeiters with a tamper-proof capsule New York auctioneers Zachys. to ruin wine. Wine’s mortal enemies include heat, vibration, light, and daily temperature changes.” Koch. He explained how the process works. that changes color and a flap chip behind “I want to shine a bright light on the fraud in the label you can scan with your phone. As a Californian, Miseyko understood earthquakes far better than hurricanes. “Seasoned Floridians warned me that power out- “There are two main origins of the the wine business to show how bad it is,” Bill “The chip, once it is scanned, sends a ages could last for weeks after a major storm. With the air conditioning in jeopardy, I loaded my wines into my rental car and radioactive nucleus 137Cs: the nuclear said. Initially, the lawsuits against the auc- message back to our computer, which drove north to Jacksonville, far enough from Andrew’s path to protect the wines.” fallout after the atmospheric nuclear test, tion houses where Bill bought fakes seemed geo-locates the bottle anywhere in the and since 1986, the Chernobyl accident. Misekyo returned a few days after power returned to his hotel in South Florida. He realized special wines call for special storage to make little progress in legitimizing the world, just like GPS tracking. Counterfeiters This nucleus is present in the upper lay- here. “Over the next 15 years, I repeated this wine evacuation drill, anticipating at least 10 of the next four storms (six of them wine market and preventing other collec- are very clever. They will adapt to that, and ers of the atmosphere and falls down missed us, but I still moved the wines). Then I heard about wine storage at RoboVault in Fort Lauderdale, with backup generators, tors from being ripped off. “There’s a code of we’ll need to change our strategy again,” with rain. It contaminates the soils, the Category 5 hurricane protection and tremendous security. My decision to rent wine storage space there was one I should have silence in the entire industry,” Bill said. Pearson added. tree leaves and wine grapes, and finally chosen back in 1992 – on my way home from Jacksonville. Thank goodness I eventually did. It’s nice that RoboVault saves me But lately he appears to be succeeding. the wine itself. The level of contamina- Maureen Downey appears to concur. She from worrying about things that should bring you pleasure.” The prices paid at auctions for rare wines tion is very weak, (no problem to drink tells us about one of her most daunting “The lengths our wine clients go to protect their private collections is quite impressive, and that’s exactly why they choose dropped 19 percent — by nearly $100 the wine!), but measurable with our very experiences as a “wine detective” dur- RoboVault,” said Susan McGregor, President and General Manager of RoboVault. “We offer a complete range of high-end million, and experts credit the outcome low background detector. The radioac- ing the Bill Koch vs Eric Greenberg trial services, from collecting and shipping wine, to the most secure storage possible. Multilayer security includes biometric scan- of Kurniawan’s trial to be the predomi- tive 137Cs nucleus is a gamma ray emit- in March of 2013. “It was established in ning, motion sensors, networked closed circuit televisions, recorded cameras and central station alarm monitoring. Sensors nant cause of making wine collectors ter with a half-life of 30 years and is pre- trial that the likelihood of Chateau Petrus constantly monitor the climate-controlled environment to maintain temperature and humidity at appropriate levels. And, super cautious. sent in the atmosphere since the time of having made a magnum sized bottle, which our permanent generator enables all critical systems to run at 100 percent capacity for up to two weeks. This enables the the first atmospheric nuclear tests.T he is equivalent to two regular 750ml bottles, A French Physicist’s facility to run ‘business as usual,’ ensuring safety and peace of mind during a catastrophic event, such as a hurricane. It is no sensitivity of our gamma detector allows is slim-to-none. The fact is that the wines Ingenious Testing Methods wonder we house some of the world’s finest wines at RoboVault!” Try to counterfeit a U.S. passport and you’ll us to detect the 137Cs lines in all wines Chateau Petrus were not highly regarded RoboVault is located at 3340 SE 6th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. For more information, see the RovoVault ad on page 52 or prompt the wrath of the Federal Govern- after 1952. Since the level is different every as anything but lovely village wines until go to www.robovault.com or call (954) 766-9997. ment with an arsenal of punishments. But, year, the amount of 137Cs is related to the the 1955 vintage was ‘discovered’ in London it appears to be a bit different in the case millesime of the wine. But the most inter- in 1957. Back in 1921, they would have

56 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 57 The portfolio of 17 ultra-luxury watch models created by Greubel Forsey since 2004.

crafted, hand-burnished mechanical century farmhouse in La Chaux-de-Fonds, watches. “This milestone year is some- Switzerland, revamped with distinctive By Dale King and Julia Hebert thing very significant.” “Our floor-to-ceiling windows. Earning Awards That same year, Emmanuel Vuille became Worldwide motivation chief executive officer of Greubel Forsey. o luxury watchmakers Robert Greubel And their inventive formula works. In With a degree in economics and experi- and Stephen Forsey, time is the essence 2011, a Greubel Forsey watch bested doz- ence in banking, he soon began build- of their business. Since they and their ens of competitors in the notable Con- is driven ing up contacts in the watchmaking team of 100-plus motivated craftspeople cours de Chronometrie endurance test, world. Since he joined Greubel Forsey, began creating exquisite and truly accu- racking up a score of 915 out of a possible the founders have more time to focus on t rate mechanical timepieces in 2004, the by our 1,000 points. Not only did it win the tour- the creative and technical aspects of the world has swiftly ticked away a decade. billon category, but was also judged the business. An Anniversary most accurate watch of all those in the passion for Preserving the Legacy 45-day competition. “That’s a fantastic Worth Reveling In 2011, the team launched the Garde achievement” for the timepiece that was The Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon watchmaking.” Temps – Naissance d’une Montre project exposed to heat, cold, shock and mag- 30 degree timepiece, first shown at designed to perpetuate the skills of arti- netic fields, said Forsey. Also fantastic is Baselworld 10 years ago, put their then san watch craftsmen so future genera- the fact that no other watch has ever hit fledging, Switzerland-based company on tions can learn them. Michel Boulanger, a the 915 mark. the haute horological map. To mark the young teacher at the Paris Watchmaking anniversary, Stephen Forsey offered his Greubel and Forsey are honoring the 10th 2007, the Quadruple Tourbillon unveiled School, has been tapped “to help us pre- observations to South Florida Opulence in anniversary of their high-quality wrist- in 2008 and the Art Piece 1 from 2013 serve, sustain and transmit these historian exclusive interview. watches in an elegant manner. Cakes, pas- that features a microscopic ship nestled cal techniques.” tries and chocolates – favorites in the Swiss inside the watch by micro-miniaturist Greubel, a French native, and British- “Robert and I set out to create a watch region – may be in order. But the icing on sculptor Willard Wigan, among others. born Forsey, have gained fame for giving company that celebrates the originality the cake is a special-edition timepiece “It’s quite a healthy lineup,” Forsey said new life to the tourbillon movement. of each creation,” Forsey said. And it does. issued specifically for the anniversary. with a wry smile. The whirling mechanism is designed to He adds: “Our motivation is driven by our A traditional Tourbillon 24 Secondes negate the detrimental effects of gravity, A Vested Timepiece passion for watchmaking. New equip- Contemporain has been reframed with thereby increasing the overall effective- Greubel Forsey timepieces have price ment, new measuring tools, new technol- a 9-carat splash of diamonds to create a ness of mechanical timepieces. tags approaching – and exceeding – the ogy and our own creativity enable us to glittering piece of chronometric jewelry. “When we started out, and only offered million-dollar mark. Sought by fanciers of produce innovative timepieces that chal- This traditional Tourbillon 24 one watch model, we had ideas for the That’s not all. French artist and author Alain high-end, rare watches, they can often be lenge the imagination.” Secondes Contemporain has next 10 to 15 years. Now, 10 years later, Bardet condensed the first decade of Greu- found on buyers’ wrists. “One of our big- been reframed with 9 carats of For more information about Greubel we still have ideas for the next 10 to 15 bel Forsey timepiece history into a fresco gest compliments is to meet a collector diamonds in honor of Greubel Forsey haute horology, visit www.greu- years. There are things we want to work showing the two master watchmakers in wearing one of our timepieces – and en- Forsey's 10th anniversary. belforsey.com/en. Better yet, to see a the foreground, surrounded by a display of joying it,” Forsey said. on, develop and explore,” said Forsey, Greubel Forsey watch in person in Florida, timepiece parts, workers and awards. who is in charge of communications The year 2009 was especially important visit Yamron Jewelers in Naples at 5555 and the technical side of the watch The portfolio of 17 watch models they’ve for the master creators of timepieces. Tamiami Trail North #11. For an appoint- business, which produces only carefully created since 2004 also includes the Dou- The company consolidated its operations ment, call (239) 592-7707. ble Tourbillon 30 degree “Secret” from from remote sites into a renovated, 17th

58 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 59 Did you hear Charles Manson was being released on Sharon Tate parole?” A text from Robin Jay, South Florida Opulence HOW I Editor in Chief, reached me on vacation in Spain. How is this possible? The world is coming to an end, I thought horrified. Fortunately the Manson story ESCAPED turned out to be a hoax, but the memory of the events of August 8-9, 1969, deeply imbedded in my heart, became as real as if the CHARLES MANSON’S day was yesterday. “Come for dinner with us tonight,” Sharon Tate suggested when she called me on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 8. “Jay, Gibby and KILLING Vojtek are going to join me at El Cayote at 7:30.” “Sorry, Sharon. I can’t. Have to meet a German producer for dinner, AND tomorrow is my big screen test for the Alberto VO5 commer- MADNESS cial,” I sighed. BY Ava Roosevelt “Come after dinner, we should be back by 10:30, or so.”

“I’ll try.”

“Do that darling, I love you.”

Sharon’s phone call reached me at the home of my then-agent Valerie Cragin, founder of Flair Modeling Agency with whom I lived at the time, teaching her daughter, Deborah Joy, French and pursu- ing my career, which began at Christian Dior in Paris.

My life in LA as an aspiring actress and model was thriving, thanks to Valerie who, to this day, at 88 years of age, is a great believer in ‘giving a chance’ to those who are willing to take the brutal rejec- tions synonymous with the beauty industry. I was rejected a lot, but worked just as much. As soon as I saved enough money, I re- warded myself with my first and most extravagant acquisition in years, the purchase of a secondhand 1955 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn!

I was forewarned, but wouldn’t listen: How could such a beautiful automobile not function properly? I was soon to find out. It was either the brakes, or the windshield wipers; windows would or would not close depending on the weather; often the ignition wouldn’t start at all. The love-hate with my impulsive folly started early on, but I loved the ‘smell and the feel’ of the real leather and the luxury the car represented… I rushed through the dinner with the producer and headed in the direction of Sharon’s house to meet my friends. I wondered, would John Phillips be there, as well? I had a mad crush on the founder of The Mamas and The Papas in those days, and on a spur of a moment, I decided to stop by his Ava Roosevelt house – which seemed quiet when I arrived. And just as I was to turn uphill towards 10050 Cielo Drive, my gas gauge flickered and stopped at empty. This couldn’t be happening, something’s wrong again! I glanced at my watch. It was almost midnight. What if the gauge is right for once and I run out of fuel miles away from a gas station rather than in the middle of nowhere? I have to work tomorrow. There will be another party I decided and turned around. Every August 9, for the last 45 years, I stop to thank God, my strict Catholic upbringing, my punctuality-obsessed father, and Rolls-Royce, as I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for them. Just in those moments, a few miles away, four of my dearest friends weren't as fortunate.

60 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 61 MANSON’S REVENGE circle of friends, but I re- managed to derail the investigation, mis- 10050 Cielo Drive was a former residence member his profound leading the LAPD in the believing that of Terry Melcher’s, a man whom Charles sadness even when ac- Charles Manson drugs were the cause of the crimes. It Manson despised for not keeping his companied by the most couldn’t be farther from the truth. beautiful women. Jay promise to record On August 12, 1969, LAPD raided Spahn died trying to save Sha- said his mother sold Manson’s songs The Ranch and arrested Manson and 25 Man- ron’s life. He was shot house evoked hatred son family members as ‘suspects in a major and then stabbed sev- and represented re- him for a pitcher of auto theft ring.’ The warrant was misdated en times. Ironically, the jection that Manson and the group was released a few days lat- crime scene’s picture would not stand for. Jay Sebring er. It wasn’t until mid-October of 1969 the depict them being beer to a waitress As fate would have it, LAPD caught a-long-awaited break. Susan bound together by a rope in the living room. the compound be- Atkins, booked for the murder of Gary Hin- 10050 Cielo Drive, 1969. Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski’s home. came a residence of Roman, in London at the time of the crime, who wanted to have man, was transferred to Sybil Brand Insti- Charles Manson Sharon and Roman said, “My absence on the night of the mur- tute and begun bragging to bunkmates Polanski. On Aug 8, PANIC AND PANDEMONIUM infamy he sought. A self-proclaimed musi- ders is the greatest regret of my life. about her involvement with the Manson Manson dispatched Susan Atkins, Charles children. A few days Los Angeles became gripped by fear com- cian and career criminal with schizophrenia Sharon’s death is the only watershed in my family massacres. The detailed account of ‘Tex’ Watson, Linda Kasabian and Patricia pounded by the gruesome homicide of and paranoid disorder added to his DNA life that really matters. It changed my the gruesome events was reported to the Krenwinkel to “that house where Melcher Rosemary and Leno La Bianca the next mix, Manson, father of five, spent half of his personality from a boundless, untroubled later, his uncle found LAPD and their case was finally made. The used to live” with directives “to totally de- night. “Pigs,” “War,” and “Helter Skelter” was life in correctional facilities that became his sea of expectations and optimism to one of lengthy trial began on June 15, 1970, and stroy everyone in it, as gruesomely as you written in victims' blood on walls in both home. As the head of the Manson family, ingrained pessimism…eternal dissatisfac- concluded on January 25, 1971. Guilty ver- can.” the woman to get locations, but police took a while to con- which at times included as many as 18 fe- tion with life.” I believe Roman’s brief time dicts were returned against the four de- I made it to the gas station. My Silver Dawn nect the dots. The heinous killings pro- males, according to his mother Kathleen with Sharon to be the best years of his life. fendants on each of the 27 separate counts took $2.50 in fuel. I went home and kicked voked LAPD and the FBI to investigate and Maddox, “he was pampered by all the They couldn’t wait for the birth of their first his nephew back. they were charged with. The death penalty myself for not going to Sharon’s party. Next interrogate all close to the victims, includ- women who surrounded him.” Manson op- child, whom Roman posthumously called was recommended. Their sentences were morning, August 9, 1969, I departed at 5:45 ing me. Paranoia abounded like wildfire. erated a quasi-hippie commune in the Cali- Paul. Paul Richard Polanski is buried with commuted to life when California a.m. for my makeup call at Universal Studi- Everybody was under suspicion. I sought fornia desert where he dispatched his mad- Sharon in California. abolished the death penalty in 1972. Addi- by Vojtek Frykowski, a penniless Pole and Ro- os. I nailed the screen test, got the job and refuge in Malibu at the beach house of my ness and by-proxy killings by use of sex, tionally, Manson was found guilty of mur- Sharon Tate, the eldest daughter to U.S. man’s pal from Poland whom she met in was leaving when I spotted Valerie in her close friends, Michael Sarne, a British actor drugs and music. Using the Beatles’ hit song dering Gary Hinman and Donald Shea and Army Colonel Paul James Tate and his wife New York in 1967 with Jerzy ‘Jurek’ Kosinski. car, waving me down. and director, and his wife Tanya. Roman ar- "Helter Skelter" to brainwash his family, was given a life sentence, which he is pres- Doris, was an actress and sex symbol dur- The late author of The Painted Bird, Steps rived the next day and stayed with us. He Manson ultimately became an emblem of ently serving at Corcoran State Prison in “They are all dead,” she shouted. ing the 1960s. She was blessed with beauty, and Being There was well known for was barely functioning. I have never seen a his insanity, violence and macabre ways. California. Susan Atkins is dead. poise and kindness. She became my great introducing his-fellow-countryman-in-need “What did you say? Who’s dead?” human being as besotted by grief as Ro- Jay Sebring, the ‘hairdresser to the pal, an older-sister-I-never-had, my English to the wealthy patrons he frequented in the And I am alive man was that day. “Sharon, Gibby, Vojtek and Jay.” stars,’ never stopped loving Sharon Tate, teacher, and makeup/fashion advisor. She Big Apple. During my marriage to David In the past 45 years, I married four times, whom he dated prior to her marriage to lent me dresses and never wanted them outlived two husbands and was able to “Dear God! What happened?” At the time of the murders, no one had Manson Weir, II, Jurek who had been previ- heard of Charles Manson before, but these Roman. He settled for friendship and was a back. She was eight and a half months ously married to David’s mother Mary care for my late parents. 10 years ago, I “No one knows.” bloody crimes eventually brought him the permanent fixture in Sharon and Roman’s pregnant but still continued to teach me Hayward Weir, became my stepfather-in-law. found love again. A few hiccups aside, I’ve Did they overdose? Drug deal gone wrong how to apply false lashes, comb my hair lived, for the most part, a charmed life. I re- Gibby and Vojtek fell in love and moved to crossed my mind as I sat in the car which and always told me to believe in myself. cycled my modeling career into Real Estate LA in pursuit of Vojtek’s screenplay-writing saved my life, holding Valerie’s hand, both She was stabbed 16 times pleading, in vain, sales, became an international private in- ambitions. Legend has it that Vojtek’s family weeping. Recreational drugs were common to spare the life of her unborn child. vestigator and an interior designer. I finally in Poland initially helped to finance the those days, but Roman hated drugs and abandoned all hopes of commercial suc- Abigail Folger, Gibby as we used to call her, “Knife in the Water,” Polanski’s first feature- Sharon was pregnant. I couldn’t imagine it. cess when I became a writer six years ago. was the great-granddaughter of J.A. Folger, length film, which put him on the path to But how about the others? Who else was My first novel, The Racing Heart is yet to be- the founder of fame. I had known Vojtek in Warsaw. After there? The next few hours were a blur. The Roman Polanski come a major motion picture; but I love Folgers Coffee. spending a considerable time in their headlines screamed bloody murder. Sha- (far left), sits next what I do; and I couldn’t be more grateful She was sweet, house, I knew Gibby was way over her head ron Tate, wife of Roman Polanski, Abigail to Ava Roosevelt that once upon a time, my beloved Silver frugal and a re- with Vojtek, whose reputation for control- Folger, Jay Sebring Wojciech, ‘Vojtek’ and friends on Dawn didn’t let me down. served 25-year- ling women was legendary. Gibby was Frykowski and Steven Parent were all con- Malibu Colony old on her own stabbed 28 times, her beautiful face disfig- Visit www.southfloridaopulence. firmed dead, brutally stabbed at Polanski’s Beach. rebellious path to ured. Vojtek was struck in the head 13 times com and view Patricia Krenwinkel residence. To millions, those were the cure social injus- and stabbed 51 times. The coroner’s discov- (participant in the Tate murders) names of the victims; I had lost four tice. Her quest be- ery of recreational MDA in both Gibby’s and who provides an emotional account of her close friends. Abigail Folger came personified Vojtek’s blood didn’t surprise me. But it life in prison.

62 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 63 laying giants is a dangerous occupation; when that giant is a myth of gigantic proportions, the The Secret History of slayer had best be en- dowed with plenty of chutzpah to accomplish Sthis task and live to tell the tale. No wonder, then, that John Thorn has been successful in his chosen field as baseball historian, with Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game the latest fruit of his labors. Raised in New York by parents who escaped the Holocaust, John fears no BaseballBy Stephen Joseph Keeler myth regarding our national pastime, with An exclusive interview with MLB Historian John Thorn perhaps the greatest concerning the origins of the game. More than an enthusiast, John is foremost a historian – the official Historian for Major League Baseball, in fact. He says the first mention of baseball – then a pastoral game – dates back to 1749. In his book, John writes, [these are my words, not Jane Austen's!], “In no field of American endeavor is invention more rampant than in baseball, whose whole history is a lie from beginning to end, from its creation myth to its rosy models of commerce, community and fair play…its art- ful blurring of sport and business – all of it is bunk, tossed up with a wink and a nudge. Yet we love both the game and the flimflam John Thorn because they are both so American.

Thorn’s research provides incontrovertible “Baseball for an American,” John says with evidence regarding the true beginnings of fervor, “runs under your feet.” This primal our national pastime. His aim isn’t to kill the connective tissue linking America and myths about the game, as that would be baseball is part of the reason for his love of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. the game. Class and social distinctions, “Baseball for Rather, he paints a picture to understand racial injustices, outright lies and forgeries, how the myths were formed and why, so great feats of selflessness, intrigue and that by debunking them, they still provide investigation, success and failure, all domi- an American, the color and fun of the game, and its em- nate baseball on its parallel trajectory with brace by Americans. South Florida Opulence American society – at large. spent some time with John to gain insight “Nothing brought America together through runs under into his motivations for the book, and for the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries as much as his life dedicated to baseball. baseball,” he said. “It was embraced by rich, “Americans love a good story – not a false- middle class and poor, and spread wherever your feet.” hood, but a good story that speaks to a Americans lived.” Growing up as an immi- truth and, for the sake of keeping the listen- grant Jewish kid, it was only natural for John ers’ attention, doesn’t lack for embellish- to be a Dodgers fan, even after they left Brook- – John Thorn ment,” John says with the twinkle of a gifted lyn for Los Angeles. “Not only did the Dodgers storyteller, one who knows well of which he break the color barrier by bringing Jackie speaks. “We want both Abraham Lincoln Robinson into the major leagues, but every and PT Barnum at the same time.” Jew, and indeed every person committed to

64 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 65 a faith, respected the fact that both Sandy might be in society; at the same time, it has Koufax opted NOT to pitch the first game of an uncanny ability to renew itself, even as 1965 World Series because it fell on a Jewish America does as a whole.” holy day, and that the Dodgers had no What about your arguments in the book problem accepting that.” that baseball wasn’t founded in America by And there is always a chance for humor in Abner Doubleday in 1839 in Cooperstown, NY, baseball. John relates: “Don Drysdale end- but grew organically from before the Amer- ed up pitching that day instead of Koufax, ican Revolution in different ways across the and got spanked by the Minnesota Twins. colonies? Won’t that hurt the game and the Upon getting relieved finally by Dodger hall of fame? “Nonsense,” John heartily re- manager Walt Alston, Drysdale quipped, plies. “People will still go to Cooperstown, “bet you wish I was Jewish today, too.” and will accept the myth – as they do that of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny – “No other sport has so consistently captured because they are ‘in’ on the story.” America’s attention,” John mused. We drilled down a bit on that topic. “Baseball is still pretty If you’re not “in” on the story, here it is: Shortly much the same game as in the 19th century. after the turn of the century, Henry Chad- However, there were two different versions wick, an English-born sportswriter, penned from New York and Massachusetts compet- that baseball’s roots started with the British ing for favor before the Civil War. The game of rounders. The statement angered Massachusetts game is far older, and in my American pitcher Albert Spalding, who be- opinion, superior.” John has umpired both – lieved that a game so profoundly American Indulge in a spa experience and although he says the New York version is in character had to be founded in the Unit- more gentlemanly and similar to today’s ed States. Spalding, in an effort to get down game, he sees the Massa- to the truth of the matter, assigned a Com- that’s customizable and totally you. chusetts version as “more mission to investigate. During the three manly” because it dis- years of the Commission’s “research,” a min- played a higher degree of ing engineer from Colorado wrote a letter It’s Different Here bravery. There were no to Spalding’s office, claiming he had foul zones; runners could watched a school game in Cooperstown, lead a chase into the out- New York, at which Abner Doubleday took a field if they wished not to stick and drew a diagram in the dirt for a stay within the bases; and new game that was similar to baseball. It Enjoy new spa experiences, the pitcher could pur- was this story that led the Commission to posefully peg a runner in name Doubleday the inventor of the game. treatments and products the ribs to get him called Ironically, John said, Doubleday was a Civil out, he didn’t have to be War Union General who never knew he Natura Bissé and Thémaé tagged or forced out at had invented the American pastime. He the base.” The early game Receive 30% off any Natura Bissé facial during the month of July.* died 15 years prior to the Commission’s also had no gloves or pro- announcement. Exclusively at Turnberry Isle Miami. tective gear. “Baseball is all about meritocracy. It’s still the *Restrictions apply. What about issues and oldest, continuously operating activity at all scandals over time, such One of the many myths about the levels that allows anybody to rise to the top. as the creation of the history of baseball is that Abner The core issue remains – can you play? If designated hitter as an Doubleday was the inventor of the you can, then you’ll have that opportunity abomination, or the use/ game in Cooperstown, NY. Doubleday in baseball. That is the goal for America too.” abuse of steroids? Don’t was a Union General in the Civil War and they skew the claim? never new of the claim before he died. Not at all for John. “Base- John Thorn’s book, Baseball in the Garden ball lives in the present of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game, 25,000 square feet of luxury spa and fitness facilities | 18-hole golf courses day, so it suffers and is available through most book retailers and private beach | michael mina’s bourbon steak | cañ as tennis | pools benefits from whatever at www.Amazon.com. TurnberryIsleMiami.com 305-932-6200 66 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014

TIM-4196-A01F AD2 JUNE OPULENCE AD.indd 1 5/19/14 10:47 AM RYE AD

By Robin Jay My Uncle Al Capone An exclusive interview with Al Capone’s niece, Deirdre Marie Capone, who spent years researching her family’s history – the parts never or seldom told in newspapers. Her book has recently been adapted into a screenplay.

68 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 69 Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, Al Capone and Meyer Lansky on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in 1929

HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” the 1959 movie “Yes, my Uncle Al was a mobster, but “The Untouchables,” the 1983 movie “Scarface,” “Yes, my Uncle Al he wasn’t a monster,” Deirdre told South and countless others have told the intrigu- Florida Opulence. “This is the only book ingly notorious story of Al Capone and his written about Al by someone from inside bootlegging “Outfit” from Chicago. Capone was a mobster, his family, someone who as a little girl sat on and his crew covertly supplied residents of his lap, hugged and kissed him, and traded the Windy City and the nation with booze ‘knock-knock’ jokes with him and slept during Prohibition in the 1920s when alco- but he wasn’t at his house.” hol was outlawed. Sensational, crime-rid- The Family Man Side dled headlines about the no-good Capone a monster.” Deirdre grew up knowing the personal side family sold millions of newspapers and of Al Capone – the uncle who taught her to made for fantastic Hollywood fodder. — Deirdre Marie Capone “Nobody wanted Prohibition. This town [Chicago] swim, to ride a bike, to play cards and the voted six to one against it. Somebody had to throw But, in an era thick with yellow journalism mandolin. The uncle who sang opera at the (an era, sadly, that is not bygone), the me- cover the real reason why Capone was sent top of his lungs while aproned and cooking some liquor on that thirst. Why not me?” dia in the Roaring Twenties left many of the to Alcatraz on tax-related charges when the gravy with his mother for Sunday dinner. important details uninvestigated, ignored island penitentiary was reserved for those Theresa, Al’s mother, all but raised Deirdre said Al Capone… or untold. Was it not newsworthy, for exam- convicted of crimes by the world’s most after her own mother ran off with a suitor ple, that in Chicago alone there were more dangerous offenders? and her father committed suicide [although than 10,000 speakeasies (so-called “hidden” some evidence now suggests it may have … as recorded in Uncle Al Capone, The Untold Story from Inside His Family, by Deirdre Marie Capone, Al’s niece. In recent decades, lounges in which bartenders told patrons to been homicide that led to the death of some savvy biogra- “Hell, it’s a business…All I do is supply a public demand. When I sell liquor, they call it bootlegging. When my patrons ‘speak easy’ when ordering alcohol) or that Deirdre’s father… to silence him from phers have investi- serve it on silver trays on Lake Shore Drive, they call it hospitality. There’s a lot of people in Chicago that have got me politicians, policemen and judges were fre- releasing a manuscript, Sins of the Father, he gated these and other quently spotted bellying up to the bar? Why was writing about his family]. pegged for one of those bloodthirsty mobsters who you read about in storybooks. The kind that tortures his victims, cuts important factors re- didn’t reporters question why the only con- off their ears, puts out their eyes with a red hot poker and grins while he’s doing it. Now get me right, I’m not posing as a lated to the Capone Shy and spurned by classmates for being viction authorities could pin on Capone was family, but their books the daughter of a mobster, Deirdre grew up model for youth. I’ve done a lot of things I don’t like to do. But I’m not as black as I’m painted. I’m human. I’ve got a heart tax evasion – during a time when income didn’t make the best- ashamed of her family’s scandal. She lost jobs taxes were new, when only one in 5,000 in me. Nobody was ever killed except outlaws, and the community is better off without them. A crook is a crook, and seller list (at least not when employers recognized her last name. people was required to file a tax return, there’s something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But the guy who pretends he’s enforcing the law and steals for long) or have producers vying for On the brink of despair, a 30-something Deir- and when prosecution for non-filing was movie rights. Until now. Meet Deirdre dre fled to Minnesota. She kept her maiden on his authority is a swell snake. You’d be surprised if you knew some of the fellows I’ve got to take care of. virtually non-existent? Didn’t a single news Marie Capone – granddaughter of Ralph name a secret from everyone except her You might say that every policeman in Chicago gets some of his bread and butter from the taxes I pay. It seems like outlet care to find out why the only seven Capone, Al’s brother and business part- husband Bob – even her four children didn’t bootleggers convicted of tax evasion were I’m responsible for every crime that takes place in this country. The country wanted booze, and I organized it. Why ner. Deirdre is Al Capone’s grandniece and know they were of the Capone bloodline. from Chicago – none from Atlantic City, should I be called a ‘public enemy’? I’m out of the booze racket now and I wish the papers would let me alone.” author of Uncle Al Capone, The Untold Story New York or Philadelphia? Or want to un- “I was horrified when my 9-year-old son from Inside the Family. Bobby came home from school one day,

70 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 71 thing I want to tell you about my family. Al Capone was my uncle. My grandfather was his brother.”

Silence filled the room. Deirdre felt her heart beat in her throat. Then the reaction came full throttle.

“Cool! What was he like? Was he nice to you? Did you like him? Do you have pictures?” the kids asked. Fast-Forward Relieved by her children’s response to the news, Deirdre was still hesitant to go public. Her epiphany came in 1983 when she received a phone call from her son Jeff, then a college student at Northwestern University in Chicago. The TV series, “The Untouchables”, Mae and Sonny Capone was the talk of the town – and it reminded the world of the big, bad gangster family. “Mom, why do people think we’re bad people just ried to Margaret May, sister of John May – one The former residence of Al Capone on Palm Island in Miami Al Capone as Santa with his grandniece because we’re Capones? They say we have of the men killed in the infamous St. Valentine’s Deirdre Marie Capone Day Massacre in Chicago, which was pinned gangster blood in our veins.” She reported that two of the shooters were May of 1929, Enoch Lewis “Nucky” Johnson, a for him, we would all have starved. No one on Al Capone even though he was at his Miami The phone call inspired her to launch into dressed as policemen and the others were New Jersey political boss (the main character in our family was ever involved in any cold- telling me his class was learning about the home at the time. The Massacre took place on intensive research to document stories her wearing dark suits and hats. Frank Gusenberg, portrayed in the current HBO series “Board- blooded killing. If somebody is trying to gangster Al Capone,” Deirdre recalled. “Bob February 14, 1929, when Prohibition was near- grandfather had told her as a child – stories one of the injured men who was still alive, was walk Empire”), called together the bootleg- hurt you, aren’t you permitted to protect and I realized it was time to tell the kids ing its end. Five mobsters associated with the that showed another side of the Capone fam- taken to the hospital. Newspapers reported he ging mob bosses from around the country – yourself? Then she told me she never knew the truth so they wouldn’t hear it from some- North Side Gang run by Bugs Moran (Al Ca- ily. “It was the most painful thing I’ve ever refused to talk to police. Deirdre says she has including Al Capone – to Atlantic City. He told a ‘gangster’ who helped people as much as one else. I was petrified. Maybe they would be pone’s nemesis), and two gang collaborators done, but I wanted to do it for the integrity proof that at least one newspaper told another them Prohibition was ending and that if they Uncle Al. After the 1929 stock market crash, ashamed of me. Or worse – maybe they’d be including mechanic John May, were lined up of my children,” she said. story – that Gusenberg told authorities it was would agree to wind down their bootlegging he set up soup kitchens all over Chicago ashamed of themselves.” in a Lincoln Park garage and shot execution crooked police who did the killing – and that businesses, they would be awarded lucrative and fed thousands. His speakeasies created style. A neighbor heard May’s dog barking and The family gathered in the kitchen. A nervous Part of her research began with a sheer coinci- pinning it on Capone was a cover-up. alcohol distributorships when it was legal- jobs for people out of work and supported went to see what was causing the commotion. Deirdre told her children, “There’s some- dence. The uncle of Deirdre’s husband was mar- ized. After all, it was they who already knew the careers of minority jazz musicians who “Margaret said Johnny came home from the most efficient logistics. But that didn’t performed at his clubs. My brother’s word work a few days before the shooting, tell- Al Capone's 1928 Cadillac was modified for him with end the greed. Other outfits yearned to take was his bond. He would have given his life ing his family certain policemen were steal- one-inch-thick bulletproof glass and a flip down steel over Al's Chicago market. A rival racket- to save your life or mine. So don’t be so hard ing booze off Moran’s trucks. He said they plate used as body armor in the door panels. It sold eer made a phone call to his friend Herbert on him.” knew Prohibition – and their payoff money for $341,000 at auction. Hoover and asked for his help in having from Moran – would soon be ending, so In 1931, Al Capone stood trial for tax evasion. Capone arrested.” they were stealing alcohol to sell while “My uncle had more than 250 employees the going rates were still high. Johnny said Al was on his way home from Atlantic City and a business that made countless mil- Moran planned to tell the police chief about when his car broke down in Philadelphia. lions of dollars, but all they could charge the officers who were on the gang’s dole and He called a friend to come and get him. him with was tax evasion?” Deirdre said. That stealing booze,” said Deirdre, who along with Instead, Al was arrested and sent to Eastern same year, “The Untouchables” – the televi- Margaret and some historians, believe it was State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. sion series with Capone-like characters, was crooked cops who planned the Massacre and launched by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. “My Deirdre recounted a heart-to-heart talk she why some purposefully dressed as gangsters grandfather was devastated because Desi had with her Aunt Maffie (Al’s sister) who to pin the wrap on Al Capone’s gang. “If Al did Arnaz was his best friend – he helped bring consoled her after she was fired from a job it, there would have been arrests made.” him to Miami from Cuba – and he threw our for having a mobster’s last name. “My big family under the bus.” Winding Down brother, Al, was the man who kept our family The Business together when my father died. I was only 8 Capone’s Charges “What most people didn’t know was that years old. We had no means, and Al became Nearly Dropped my Uncle Al was in the process of ending his the breadwinner. He moved the whole fam- Interestingly, Deirdre says her Uncle Al bootlegging business,” Deirdre continued. “In ily from Brooklyn to Chicago. If it hadn’t been nearly got out of the tax evasion charges.

72 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 73 “All he needed to do was file a writ of family received from the sympathizing prison prove her statements. Experience Makes Us Experts. habeus corpus and the charges would have clergyman said that Al was often drugged and Deirdre told South Flor- been dropped, because a witness at his trial tortured. We believe that was the reason for ida Opulence that part lied on the witness stand.” his memory loss. In fact, Uncle Al had to spend II of her book will be At Brown & Brown, we know that we must be as agile as some time in an asylum after his release to published soon, and So the prosecution needed to find a way to the cheetah in order to thrive in the competitive insurance regain his health. Ironically, before he went to she has nearly com- keep Al from filing the writ. “Truth is, J. Edgar prison, Al had buried millions of dollars around pleted a screenplay Hoover called the warden of the prison environment. Our unique culture has enabled us to quickly the country so that his family would have for a movie about the where Uncle Al was held and asked that he money when he was released; but when he chase down new opportunities, adapt our products and be transferred to Alcatraz – where he physi- Capone family. She says she intends to use got out of prison, his memory was so bad, he cally would be unable to complete the filing. the proceeds to repurchase Al Capone’s couldn’t remember where he had hidden the services to best meet market demands, and satisfy That’s the real reason Al was sent there,” home, currently on the market in Miami for money. Another Capone myth I’d like to dis- Deirdre said. “But Uncle Al was a model pris- $8 million, in order to have it preserved as a our customers. pel is that Al didn’t die in prison from syphilis; oner. He was often taunted by guards. There historical site and possibly a museum. he died at home in Miami from a massive was a strict code of silence at Alcatraz – and heart attack. We also know that Al funded it did a number on an inmate’s psyche – but the Alcatraz escape of inmates Ralph Roe and Al restrained himself from lashing out be- Ted Cole in December of 1937 – and we have cause he just wanted to do his time and get Deirdre Marie evidence they likely survived, but you’ll have to home to his family, and as he said in letters to Capone, Al Capone's read my book to find out the details!” great niece, recently his wife, be a man.” Serving South Florida clients’ needs since 1939 Uncle Al Capone, The Untold Story from In- completed the When Capone was released in 1939, he side His Family, is available at Amazon.com. screenplay for a spent most of his time at his home on Palm Since its release in 2012, Deirdre says not a movie about her Island in Miami. Much of his memory had uncle's life. single person has refuted the details of her been erased. “Reporters wrote that it was

book – because there is documentation to dementia caused by syphilis, but a letter my

Grandma Theresa Capone’s Ragu

This recipe is enough for one pound of pasta. 2-28 oz cans of Italian tomatoes pureed 4 tbsp olive oil 6 garlic cloves chopped fine 1 medium onion cut into quarters 1 whole nutmeg 6 basil leaves or 1 tbsp dried basil 1 bulb fresh fennel (cored and cut into small pieces) 1 tsp dried oregano pinch of salt ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper ¼ tsp red pepper flakes Theresa Capone Take a piece of cheesecloth and wrap it around the fennel, onion, “Here is a little known fact,” said Deirdre Marie nutmeg and basil, forming a ball that will be lowered into the tomatoes. Capone. “My Aunt Maffie (Theresa) opened a deli Heat olive oil in stockpot and add garlic. Stir until the garlic has released on the south side of Chicago after Al Capone’s its flavor into the oil. Add tomatoes and fennel ball. Bring to a boil Fort Lauderdale Division death. A man who was a regular customer and stirring slowly. Lower heat and simmer slowly uncovered. Add salt and 1201 W. Cypress Creek Road, #130 loved her lasagna came into the deli one day and pepper. Cook slowly for three hours. Before serving remove fennel ball Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 Phone: 954.776.2222 asked for the recipe for the sauce. Maffie gave it to and discard. “This is the only time before serving that we would taste the gravy,” said Deirdre. “We would do it by dipping a piece of bread into the Toll Free: 800.648.9303 him, and he used it to create the very first spaghetti Fax: 954.771.9192 sauce and eating the bread.” sauce of the Ragu Company.” INSURANCE www.bbftlaud.com

AUTO • AircrAfT • bOnds • cOndOminiUm • cOllecTibles • flOOd • heAlTh benefiTs • hOmeOwners • liAbiliTy • mArine * persOnAl • prOperTy • UmbrellA • wOrkers’ cOmp 74 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Pushing Limits with Gloss, Glamour and a Hint of Murano By Robin Jay

A great design somehow manages to breathe a life balance and flow, so we created it through handcrafted millwork of its own,” said Interior Designer Steven G. about and gorgeous backgrounds. We started from the borders and this stunning condominium design at St. Regis worked our way inward, all while knowing we were pushing the in Bal Harbour. “It evolves sometimes from a sin- limits. But how else do you progress if you don’t take risks? In my gle item. In this case, the client came to us after a trip to Italy. Visiting world, there aren’t too many other options but to excel.” Murano, they fell in love with the chandelier and purchased it. It was a The founder of Florida’s largest design firm, Steven says this unit wonderful challenge because their direction for the interior was came with a mysterious history. “It was designer-ready, the same as definitively contemporary. So we took some risks and had fun with it. all the other typical units; however, this unit had custom baths and We knew instantly the unit was calling for some gloss and glamour.” kitchen already installed. We aren’t sure if it was previously owned “Having the eye of a master artist and a powerful gut instinct, Steven or if the developer dabbled in design, but whatever the story, we G. is the maestro of blending finishes, textures, hues – and seam- were fortunate enough to have a beautiful kitchen to work with. lessly intermixing styles and periods – to enhance a property’s exist- And just like the chandelier, it was unique and not the norm. The ing high points. cabinets are a deep putty colored high gloss lacquer, the counters and backsplash are brushed stainless steel. We took it to a new level “The spectacular view had to be in hyper-focus, so we installed by installing sleek chrome pendant fixtures, deeply tufted counter a high-gloss ceiling. Without any furnishings in the unit, the ceil- stools and some sophisticated artwork.” ing and polished marble floor almost made you feel weightless. There was no beginning or end. It was truly an amazing experience,” It’s certainly fair to say the timeless designs of Steven G. make him a Steven said. “If you keep your eyes open and absorb beautiful things trendsetter rather than a trend follower. “It’s definitely invigorating,” around you, inspiration soon follows.” he said. “You have to understand that interior design is an art form. When you spill so much of yourself into a project and then release Steven told South Florida Opulence the unit had its challenges it for someone else to enjoy, it’s somehow liberating. It inspires me – it was a custom unit through and through. “It wasn’t the most to be only myself.” premiere layout within St. Regis’ portfolio of floor plans. It lacked

76 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 77

Hot, Hot, Hot! A look at why real estate in Florida – especially Miami – is leading the nation in international buyers By Stephen Keeler

ontserrat singer Arrow first recorded Fueling the real estate fire in Miami specifically, and Florida in re-allocation is called for within the context of wealth manage- the 1982 hit song “Hot, Hot, Hot.” But general, are buyers from outside the United States. Florida leads ment. Each client is different, so we tailor the type of service expe- one might says it’s Miami’s tune now. the nation in international buyers, with a whopping 10 percent rience to match the uniqueness of each client.” In the world of real estate today, ‘hot’ of the market share. With the entire residential market bursting Mdoesn’t mean temperature, it means at $68 billion a year in transactions and $24 billion in commercial Miami, as in rip-roaring, the time is now, this-is-the-place development per year, this market is significant, and savvy interna- MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR PURCHASE to be hot. tional buyers and their advisors are in charge – if they have the right Miami-Dade: Pro tability of Investment talent and the tools to support them. Broward: Desirable Location Niche Brokerage for a Niche Market Miami-Dade Broward That’s why CSI International’s Opulence International Realty was formed within the past 12 months, according to James Hoffman, 43% 38% president of the real estate arm. “We recognized a gap between the 36% 31% Caption here ever-increasing level of interest from international buyers in high-end 29% properties and the market’s ability to serve them appropriately. Now, buyers from Brazil, Europe, Canada and Asia have at their disposal 16% some of the best real estate brokers in the business, serving them on a high-end platform that delivers insight, speed, accuracy and ser- 3% 4%

vice, which we expect from every professional working for here.” A secure invesrment A pro table A desirable Other (safety reasons) investment location Hoffman added, “Much business in South Florida is done in (yields income) (for vacation, visits, etc.) cash, but given the portfolios of most international buyers, asset Source: 2013 Survey of International Home Purchases Miami-Dade-Broward, Florida Conducted by NAR Research for MIAMI Association of REALTORS®

80 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 81 REALTORS® REPORTED EXCHANGE RATES AS IMPORTANT INAFFECTING THE DEMAND FOR U.S. PROPERTY The Brazilian Factor E ect of Exchange Rates on International Clients For OIR broker Melissa Hormann, it’s Brazilians who are flocking to

50% Miami. “Brazil has horrendous traffic in the larger cities; as a result,

45% Brazil has more helicopters in the air every day than any other country

40% in the world, shuttling my clients to avoid the traffic,” she notes. “So

35% I have to make sure I meet their needs with the latest in solution 30% solving. It’s critical to be able to do business remotely.” That means 25% leveraging OIR’s technology. Melissa elaborates, “Many clients will 20% buy without ever coming to the United States. I show my clients 15% the properties on my Ipad via my Facetime app, and we do the 10% contracts via email. Advanced technology makes it so easy.” 5% “Now, buyers are putting down 40-50 percent for piles of dirt in down-

0% But that doesn’t eliminate the personal touch. “You have to have a town, South beach, South of 5th; East Edgewater, Brickell, everywhere.” Not much of an e ect Moderate e ect Signicant e ect relationship with Brazilians for them to work with you, to trust you,” 2014 13% 40% 47% Hormann said. “With OIR, I travel to Brazil to meet them, either Why now? Pulley knows. “New York’s had its day; now Miami is 2012 21% 43% 36% through my own network, or by setting up a seminar event.” In booming, catching up to the other major cities. It has the best 2013 20% 43% 37% this way, she both meets her clients in person and gives them the weather, great culture, international market, beautiful beaches and art. ‘In season’ used to be three months, January to March. Now it’s Source: 2013 Survey of International Home Purchases Miami-Dade-Broward, Florida Conducted by NAR Research for MIAMI knowledge to execute the transaction in their most preferred man- Association of REALTORS® ner. “Plus, with the technology, I get to spend more time with my a six-month season minimum, and year-round residency is grow- clients and less filling out paperwork.” ing. The days of Miami as just a vacation destination are over.” and need a complete service for legal considerations, title review Leveraging TECHNOLOGY Pulley says OIR’s people, leadership, resources and tools for agents and financing.” The Art of Building That platform leverages the latest in technology and performance to help business by helping clients. “With my clients, I get to help deliver on the trust OIR’s professional have with their clients. It’s not Strong Relationships Alberty loves the fact that she has subject matter experts on hand for all Getting to know his clients is OIR broker David Pulley’s key priority, as shape the future of Miami,” Pulley said. “And we’re making Miami just knowing the market for James and the OIR brokers, “It’s deliver- her buyers, many of whom may be looking at homes in Guadalupe, San well. “It’s not a transaction business, in spite of the high demand. It’s hotter than anyplace in the world.” ing a turnkey solution for clients who need someone they can trust,” Martin, Monaco, Italy, and many places other than Miami. “Once they see about relationships. I put myself in the right environments to serve according to OIR broker Liz Alberty. “Yes, overseas clients are attracted For more information about OIR or to reach Hoffman, Alberty, all that we have to offer, and how much more they get for their money, my clients best. ” For him, there is no one specific type of buyer; every- to the great weather and the Miami lifestyle. Who isn’t?’ she asks with Hormann, Pulley, or another broker specializing in international real Miami is quickly at the top of the list,” she said. one is coming to Miami. “The inventory is practically gone,” David said. suave energy. More importantly, they may feel out of their element estate, go to www.Opulenceinternationalrealty.com.

82 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 83 entertainment ventures, publishing, the Internet and real estate. He loves science fiction – particularly Star Trek in all incar- nations – and a visit to his 27,000 square-foot manse in the quiet, gated community of Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton is proof. Entering the Galactic Core Visitors enter through an arched doorway leading to a vast foyer. Stairways bordered by ornate wrought iron railings wind upward to the second floor. On the entry-level walls are Andy Warhol Campbell’s Soup can paintings. Bell has a preference for Warhol’s works as well as those of M.C. Escher, the 20th century illustrator who developed a style, which, like science fiction, juggles orienta- — Marc Bell tion and space in surrealistic ways. Rooms are elegantly appoint- ed, a process Bell left to an interior designer. His direction was simple: “Put in whatever looks good.”

There’s also a “Call to Duty” room, based on the video game Bell was not always in the “billions with a b” arena. Early on, he and set up like the mobile Army hospital seen on M*A*S*H. lived in a 650 square-foot apartment that “didn’t have room The kitchen is large enough to accommodate guests for a kitchen table.” At the office, where he worked “120 hours comfortably. “All roads lead to the kitchen. It’s where people con- a week for 10 years,” he and colleagues “used to sit and play gregate. We made it big enough for people to stand across from video games on the computer all night long. We said, ‘There one another.” His wife, Jennifer, is a gourmet cook. must be lots of other people with no lives to play video games PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY FRAME ANDY OF PHOTO COURTESY with.’ So we started an online service called GameNet.” It was The master of the house draws attention to his 2,000 square- the first to use the Internet to connect video gamesters – and A menacing member of the Borg Collective stands by one of the bars at Marc Bell's Star Trek-themed home in Boca Raton. foot arcade room. “I’ve been a big arcade fan since I was it was a major success, he says. GameNet begat Globix, which Other Trek trinkets can be found on and around the bar. a kid,” says Bell, looking out over 60 arcade and pinball grew into a provider of corporate Internet solutions with machines – many with a Star Trek or Star Wars theme. “This is a worldwide workforce of more than 1,000. my playroom, not the kids’. They have their own.” Bell says he collects video playthings from 1978 through 1982 and restores “I loved what I was doing,” assesses Bell. But history would soon them to working condition. mess that up. The terrorist attacks of September 2001 happened. “We had an Internet data center near the World Trade Centers. How Bell Earned his Billions After the attacks, no one wanted to be in that area. The market A New York City boy, he took an early interest in math. changed. And the 9/11 attacks caused me to move to Florida to “When I was 16, I wanted to create the largest data center explore endeavors there.” He founded Marc Bell Capital Partners in the world. My dad took me to one of his clients who in 2003 and also acquired some vast, online properties that kept had a data center that was the size of a small closet. I was him busy through 2012, when he stepped back to his own firm. enamored of it. Fifteen years later, I had the world’s largest data center” when he was chairman and CEO of Globix, Data, Video Games – Then Broadway a company he founded in 1989 as Bell Technology Group. On advice of a buddy, Bell invested in several Broadway shows, By the mid-1990s, thanks to investments that paid off, Bell including Jersey Boys, The Wedding Singer, August: Osage County, expanded. And when the company went public in 2000, Rock of Ages and A Catered Affair. Unexpectedly, Jersey Boys and “it was worth $2.5 billion,” he says. Osage paid off big. B oth won Tony awards, and the Jersey Boys soundtrack nabbed a Grammy. A film version launched in June. An exclusive interview with billionaire Marc Bell and his $35 million Sci-Fi-themed Boca Raton mansion Back to Home Base by DALE KING and julia hebert But this is all just reality. Star Trek was Bell’s inspiration for the house. “The room designed like the bridge of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation (the one Captain’s Log, Star Date 09-01-2014, Commander Marc Bell along with an ancient 20th century robot named Robbie. I must recording. A mystery still plagues everyone on board. With the report this to Starfleet Command. exception of the bridge, the entire ship has been transformed With a “whoosh” of the turbolift doors, Marc Bell steps out of his sci- into a large, two-story house with eight bedrooms and 16 fi characterization as commander of a 24th century starship, the bathrooms, three bars, a gym and a wine cellar. This transfor- USS Bell (sister ship of the USS Enterprise 1701D, no doubt), and Visitors don't have to beam up to Marc mation seems to emanate from an earth outpost called Boca back into his 21st century role of entrepreneur, husband, father Bell's Star Trek-themed home in Boca Raton. More mysterious is the presence of an apparently inac- and owner of a house that’s the envy of the neighborhood. In real- Raton. They can enter by this arched tive member of the Borg Collective in a display case on board ity, he is manager of Marc Bell Capital Partners, a firm that invests in front door.

8484 SouthSouth FloridaFlorida OPULENCEOPULENCE FallFall 20142014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 85 Sixty arcade games are arrayed in the ballroom at Marc Bell's Star Trek-themed home in The Sky Is No Longer the Limit in Fort Lauderdale Boca Raton. He collects and repairs some of the games from the late '70s and early '80s. By Dale King and Julia Hebert

structure with 360 degrees of luxury A Motwani-managed company paid $20 amenities that provide the ultimate in million for the two-acre HoJo parcel livability and high-tech design. that had already been approved for a 170-unit condo-hotel. “It was the last Encore Housing Opportunity Fund is project designed for the 2005-2006 cycle,” providing a creative, savvy team led Motwani said. When the market by Miami Worldcenter developers Art refocused on multiuse, urban living, Falcone, the company co-founder and 30- Paramount style became the way to go. year veteran of the building trade, and Ni- tin Motwani, the firm’s managing director. Developers will attract purchasers – They are joined by fellow developer Daniel empty nesters and upscale millennials Kodsi, CEO of Royal Palm Companies, to in particular, said Falcone – with the Paramount Developers (l-r): Daniel Kodsi, perfect what Motwani calls “a true luxury convenience of a full-service “vertical Art Falcone, and Nitin Motwani. boutique building.” The Paramount tower home” with such amenities as multiple omething new is on the horizon of 95 units – each costing $1 million or private pools, beachfront cabanas, club for Fort Lauderdale urbanites more – should be ready for occupancy by privileges, a full gym and ground-floor craving a luxurious, oceanside winter 2016. Thirty-six percent of them restaurant. A high-tech robotic system Slifestyle. The Paramount Fort had been sold by mid-summer. delivers your car from the parking area Lauderdale Beach condominium, the first with a push of a cell phone button. Buyers will become sophisticated city high-end, high-rise seaside residential dwellers, residing within walking The promise of the coming condo tower to be built in the Gold Coast city in PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY FRAME ANDY OF PHOTO COURTESY distance of fashionable restaurants, community is enticing, and all three a decade, will own the 700 North Atlantic stylish shops, the exquisite Galleria Mall developers are on-board, giving freely of Boulevard site where a Howard Johnson’s and many entertainment venues. Over- time, energy and research to make sure hotel was razed in February. Developers looking the lush greenery of the historic it’s done right. “Few buildings can truly are packing the planned 18-story Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, say they will have transformed an area,” and set against the expansive Atlantic said Kodsi. “Our development team is shoreline, Paramount Fort confident that Paramount Fort Lauder- Lauderdale Beach will be dale Beach will serve as a catalyst for designed by Revuelta Ar- future Paramount residential towers in chitecture International, Florida and around the nation.” with interiors by ID & De- For more information, go to sign International. Resi- www.paramountresidences.com. dences will range from 1,934 to 3,493 square feet.

The home theater room at the Star Trek-themed home of Marc Bell is a duplicate of the bridge on the USS Enterprise from the TV show, Star Trek: The Next Generation. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY FRAME ANDY OF PHOTO COURTESY featuring Captain Picard, not Captain Kirk) was the first priced home ever to hit the Boca Raton market. The Bell family part to be built,” he says. “It is actually a home theater with is moving to Miami where Marc is building another dwelling – more than 3,000 digitized movies,” including every Star Trek even bigger than the Boca mansion – one that will emphasize episode. “Everything else in the house came later.” The home, his interest in art. which took four years to build, stands on the site of two With a heart and mind for business, friendship, fun and a bit of former houses that Bell bought and demolished. risk-taking, Bell says, philosophically, “You only live life once. Remarkably, that house is for sale – for $35 million, the highest- You have to enjoy every day.”

86 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 87 ew things have universal appeal. Among them are babies, puppies and fountains. Making a splash, or offering a soft, burbling background to your colorful garden, fountains create a focal point that cannot be ignored. Hotels, parks and even the North Lawn of the Splashing, White House offer the immediate fascination of the action and sparkling music of water. fFountains are magnets. Grand or minimal, fun or monumental, these punctuation marks in your landscape can offer whimsy or majesty. A Fascinating History Bubbling Art Fountains have a rich history, originally built as receptacles of the elixir of drinking water. Using elevated sources of water, the flow by gravity allowed for water distribution to homes of the wealthy Mary and Hugh Williamson where termination points of aqueducts provided opportunities for artistic basins and opulent baths. This also allowed for showy displays of waterspouts from carved animal head sculptures. The Greeks in the Landscape were the first, but the Ancients Romans used their raised aqueducts and the resulting gravity to pro- SEries PART VII vide water to city streets, and to the jets and ostentatious water features of the upper class. With nine by Mary and Hugh Williamson aqueducts, the ancient Romans were able to feed many monumental fountains along with hundreds whose Bluffton South Carolina, landscape of public access points and numerous baths. The notion of flowing, functional and decorative water includes cooling, welcoming water features sources spread to the Middle East and Spain, as did many other “things Roman”. In a mid-ninth century AD tome labeled “Book of Ingenious Devices”, Arab inventors describe wind-powered fountains. The reality, however, was never proven to have existed.

While many of the ancient Roman versions fell into wrack and ruin during the dark ages, the Renaissance saw a reemergence of these grand and glorious structures. These are the fountains of pleasure gardens. The Medici family celebrated fountains as a symbol of power and wealth. The Trevi Fountain, which is the Renaissance (C. 1750 AD) renovation of the 19 BC termination of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct, draws untold numbers of tourists every year, and brings in thousands of dollars each evening. Tourists recall movies such as “Three Coins in the Fountain”, “La Dolca Vita”, and “Roman Holiday”, and cheerfully toss in their Euros, wishing for a return trip to the Eternal City. Most visitors never realize that the water they see jettisoned from this fabulous sculpture is derived from the Salone Springs, about 12 miles from Rome. That spring is the supply for all the fountains in the historic The Trevi Fountain center of the city. Your source of water is likely much closer! The latest update of the stone Great and celebrated architects, such as the Vatican’s Bernini right rendering of the Tritons guiding up to contemporary artists have seen fountains as vehicles for their the shell chariot of water god concepts that appeal to many senses. Oceanus will be cleaned, furnished And How We Can Continue the Magic with new pumps, and will offer Modern plumbing and electricity afforded alternatives to gravity-fed fountains by dramatic lighting and pigeon the end of the 19th century. Your landscape can come alive with the magic of flowing, musi- barriers. These improvements cal water, in grand baroque or sleek restrained contemporary styles and scales. Bronze, marble will be installed over the next or ceramic, monolithic or diminutive, fountains can add glamor, cooling sounds and dramatic two years at great cost. visuals. Popular themes are the mythical Neptune, mermaids and dolphins as well as animal heads, flowers, cherubs or stark geometric shapes. Your favorite sculptor can provide a beautiful piece to embellish a reflecting pool, combined with dramatic water jets, creating a stunning visual and melodious experience for your guests. Your landscape architect, along with the electrical and plumbing professionals he relies upon, can ensure a wondrous and compelling installation that will transform your landscape, and add universal appeal to your domain, big or small.

88 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 89 Windows to the Soul By John D. Adams “For me, photography has become an integration of life and craft. Through it I am able to give value to people’s lives and derive value in my own life,

beyond making a living.” Sweethearts in the 1920s, Robert Zuckerman’s grandparents Evelyn and Charles are seen in the living room of their Greenwich Village apartment. His grandmother was reluctant to sit for this picture. — Robert Zuckerman here is an innate kindness behind photographer Robert Zuckerman’s eyes that shines through his camera lens, t bathing his subjects in a cocoon of will- ingness and trust. It’s an invaluable quality for a man who spends the majority of his time making pictures with people. And it certainly explains why he has been able to capture a humanity with his subjects no matter if they are Hollywood’s biggest stars or “regular” folks on the street. “Whenever I’m photographing somebody, whether they are from the hood or are a big star, I hold on to the idea that if you put love into something, then through some kind of alchemy, that shows in the final product.” Star photography You may not realize it, but you have seen Robert Zuckerman’s work. For decades, he worked in Hol- lywood as a movie studio photographer, producing advertising and publicity images for films like: the first three “Transformers;” both “National Treas- ures;” “Flight;” “Unstoppable;” “The Pursuit of Happyness; ” George Clooney, 1990 – My first stills job ever, on a TV show called “Sunset Beat” about undercover cops “Terminator 3;” “Training Day;” “Any Given Sunday; ” Kelly Preston, 2003 – By the set of the indie film “Eulogy” with who posed as bikers. I had never met nor heard of him before, but I was impressed with his professionalism, “The Crow;” and many others. openness and care. an amazing ensemble cast of which she was one. She was gentle, kind, mindful and hit her marks like a ninja every time.

90 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 91 ness of it. Then, I would send some big movie poster that I had done, and the response was often: ‘Nice poster, but we really like the personal stories better.’ I realized that I was on to something.” Zuckerman developed his collection into a best-selling national book and multiple exhibitions and installations. James Crump, renowned fine art publisher and curator, wrote: “Zuckerman’s portraits are infused with an uncanny sense of hope and spirit in the post 9/11 era.” Hollywood ending “Bob, why are you limping?” In 2003, Zuckerman arrived at a business meeting, when he was asked this question. “I hadn’t really noticed it that much,” he begins. “My primary care doctor thought it might have been a herniated disk.” It wasn’t. But it took another seven years of multiple MRIs, spinal taps, and neurological testing before he was finally diagnosed with an extremely rare, degenerative disease: Adult Polyglucosan Body Dis- ease. Primarily affecting those of Eastern European Jewish descent, the disease attacks the central nervous system, slowly but systematically shut- ting down motor skills. There is no treatment and precious little research. And yet, Zuckerman has maintained an astonishingly positive attitude. “Hollywood stopped calling,” he says. “Even though I’m in a wheelchair, I’d still be working if they would hire me. But I am advancing to a higher calling.”

For the last decade, Zuckerman has been a popular speaker, in- Morgan Freeman, 2005 – In his office in Santa Monica, he was totally cool. We played in spots and pools of light around the rooms spiring young students through his KINDSIGHT® work and other and eventually we did some under the skylight, resulting in this picture. I heard he was very happy with this image which was on the projects. “Most of us have challenges in life. Part of my job is to inspire cover of Venice magazine. and empower others. An early mentor once said to me: ‘You can do it.’ Those are very powerful words. I hope I can bring some of that encour- Sylvester Stallone and Arnold agement to young people.” Schwarzenegger, 2005 – This Will Smith calls him “Picasso.” Jerry Bruckheimer, Denzel Washington, and Michael He’s going to have an even bigger chance to inspire students. Zuckerman has just been named a Dean’s was to be a cover image Bay have often vied to have him on their film sets. Arnold Schwarzenegger even Distinguished Fellow at the Florida International University School of Architecture and Arts for the coming for a new fitness magazine introduced him to former President Bill Clinton by saying: “This is Robert Zuckerman, academic year. It’s an affirmation of his ability and a testament to the man’s talent, integrity, compassion, that Sly was starting, but the the best photographer I have ever worked with.” Heady praise from Hollywood and desire to bring words and pictures to others. magazine never got rolling. I’d hotshots are a rarity and further exemplify the impact that Zuckerman has on scouted the Governor’s office most every person he works with. Visit Robert Zuckerman’s website at: www.robertzuckerman.com Learn more about Adult Polyglucosan Body Disease at: www.apbdrf.org and the walls were a dull, drab Yet even while he was working on a movie, Zuckerman would often turn his beige, so I bought this huge camera away from those famous faces to onlookers or extras. “I was so drawn to American flag and made them,” he says. “I once read an artist statement that said: ‘The more personal my it into a backdrop. Sly and expression, the more universal its meaning.’ And that really struck a chord with Arnold were standing there me. Yes, that’s what art is about.” chatting, and I suggested light- Project KINDSIGHT® ing up cigars. The whole thing took about ten minutes. Shortly after 9/11, the world seemed shrouded in terror. “I realized that the antidote to terror is in the richness of life that is around us every day. And that’s when I came up with the initial idea behind KINDSIGHT®– random encounters can become a story. From taxi and bus drivers to waitresses, plumbers, or kids at a playground, KINDSIGHT® shows the extraordinary within the ordinary.”

It is no easy task to give people a sense of ease while photographing them. In an interview with The Miami Herald, Zuckerman said: “Traditionally, photography has involved aggressive, acquisitive language…Shoot. Capture. Take. I never use those words. I ask people: “Can we make a photograph? That way it’s framed as Dr. Maya Angelou, 2003 – I had the honor of spend- a collaboration.” ing an afternoon in her Harlem brownstone. Her He began accompanying his photos with stories that reveal as much about every utterance was bathed in wisdom and thought- his own feeling of human connectivity as do the pictures themselves. “I sent fulness. Anything I or any of the others present said them around to friends. Across the board people could relate to the human- was amplified and clarified in her response. Jaden & Will Smith from The Pursuit of Happyness, November 2005

92 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 93 show to try and get on. Here, they were call- Rugged ing us. And even though we didn’t intend on entertaining any offers, we thought: ‘Why not? It’s free publicity,’” said Dickens. In the shark tank For the uninitiated, “Shark Tank” follows a sim- Maniacs ple formula. Eager inventors or small business Swimming With The Sharks owners present their products and services in front of a panel of “sharks” – billionaire in- By John D. Adams vestors. If any of the investors are interested, they try to negotiate a deal with the present- Brad Scudder and Rob Dickens appeared on With a successful appearance on ABC’s reality show, ers to provide cash for a percentage of the TV’s Shark Tank and partnered with billion- “Shark Tank,” the guys behind the Rugged Maniac company. “The show’s producers didn’t even aire Mark Cuban for Rugged Events LLC. extreme obstacle course events are running in know about The Great Bull Run at the time first place. they contacted us,” says Dickens. “By the time The producers of ABC’s reality show “Shark we went to film the episode, we had held our When we last spoke with Rob Dickens, COO of Tank” took notice of the growing upstart. first Great Bull Run event, so we included both Rugged Events LLC, the extreme sports events And last September Dickens received a companies during the pitch.” And while the company had just unveiled their latest endeavor surprising telephone call. “The producers two had no interest in bringing in a nameless in the Winter 2014 issue of South Florida Opulence: of ‘Shark Tank’ had heard about Rugged investor, they managed to capture the interest The Great Bull Run. But running with the bulls Maniac and were interested in having us of a “shark” who could bring more to the ta- was nothing compared to what Dickens and CEO go on the show to pitch the company,” he ble than just money. Mark Cuban, well-known Brad Scudder encountered while swimming with said. But Dickens and Scudder weren’t look- businessman, investor and owner of the Dallas the sharks. Investment sharks, that is. In April, the ing for investors. Rugged Events brought Mavericks, offered $1.75 million for a 25 per- successful entrepreneurs appeared on ABC’s hit in $4.2 million in revenue in 2013, which cent ownership in the company. series “Shark Tank.” And they landed a big one. translated to $1 million in profit, according “The beauty with us is that we didn’t need Epic Obstacle Course to Dickens. And the company’s newer “Bull Runs” are expected to gross around $2.5 mil- the money. We were already profitable In 2010, Boston-based Rob Dickens and Brad Scudder lion after their first full year of operation. But with the Rugged Maniac brand,” remarked embarked on a wild adventure that continues to the phone call got the entrepreneurs think- Dickens. “But Mark Cuban brings so lead them successfully into new and exciting arenas. ing. “Usually companies have to contact the much more to the table than money. His The two created Rugged Events LLC, a company that specializes in extreme sporting events across the country. Among a number of other similarly-themed events, the guys’ Rugged Maniac extreme obstacle race has become the gold standard of urban adventures. Brave contestants spend a day attempting to conquer 25 epic obstacles; they scale towers of shipping containers, climb steep mud walls, leap across fire pits, swim through mud trenches, belly crawl across underground tubes, wade within a moun- tainous sea of foam, dodge giant red punching bags and other crazy stuff.W ith an average ticket costing $50, the Rugged Maniac races are available in 20 cities nationwide, with about 100,000 people taking part every year. And while other extreme events companies have fallen by the wayside, Rugged Maniac continues its slow and steady approach to winning the race. Competitors in “The Rugged Maniac” race trudge through mud pits.

94 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 95 Mark Cuban business expertise and his connections, his name, and his media presence raises the visibility of our brand. He’s a hands- on type of guy. He likes to be involved and we like him involved.”

“I’m super excited to be part of the Rugged Events team,” Cuban said. “I’m anticipating the explosion of experien- tial entertainment and very few people execute this as well as Rob Dickens and Brad Scudder. I have every intention of helping them grow into a force in the industry.”

The company may add two or three additional events this year. And with Cuban’s input, they will be hiring several key positions. “We put on great Two 18-hole legendary Golf Courses events. Everyone who comes has a Championship Layouts • Ease of Tee Time Reservations great time,” says Dickens. “Our events Spectacular Water Features • Family Entertainment are consistently ranked the highest in customer satisfaction; and that’s Private Club Lifestyle where we want to stay.”

Slow and steady wins the race.

To learn more about Rugged Maniac, visit their website at: www. ruggedmaniac.com

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96 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 FERRETI FERRETI

98 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 99 Brett, Brooke and Valerie agree young cluding friends and customers of Prestige Ride2Revive – people like Aaron need a reprieve from Imports; the MPH Club, a luxury car rental Miles of Smiles for Children on the Road to Recovery their hospital surroundings. Riding in Lam- firm; Gotham Dream Cars, which designs borghinis and other hot supercars around and sets up the track in the casino parking By Dale King and Julia Hebert a professionally laid-out track at the Mardi lot; Holy Bagels and Pizzeria, which do- Gras Casino in Hallandale, Florida, provides nates food; and the Miami Auto Museum A heartwarming story of how Brooke and Brett David of a thrilling day, as well as a sense of normalcy. at the Dezer Collection, a privately owned assemblage of 1,200-plus vehicles. Prestige Imports bring smiles to local children fighting cancer “We definitely have a love for giving back to the kids,” said Brooke, who is particularly In addition to taking part in Ride2Revive, “Even more special than driving some of my favorite dream cars was “I can’t even begin to express how fun the event was. The entire passionate about providing children with the Prestige dealership’s family is always learning there are people who enjoy helping sick kids,” said young time, I was overwhelmed, and I keep thinking about the amazing positive vibes. “These supercars are intrigu- ready to provide luxury car experiences to Joseph who, during the past year, has gone through two surgeries experience I had,” he said with a smile. ing and cool for kids to ride in. Through kids in need. A busload of 30 youngsters and rounds of chemotherapy. Miles of Smiles Ride2Revive, they can put their everyday recently stopped by to ooh and aah at But Joseph got his groove back at Ride2Revive. Ride2Revive is a festival of fast cars, food and fun for young people struggles aside and be free. It’s rewarding the fancy wheels in the Prestige Imports being treated for cancer. to see the kids smiling from ear to ear. They showroom. Valerie says Brooke visits Joe A young Ride2Revive guest poses with don’t even want to leave.” DiMaggio Children's Hospital to take chil- host Brett David, CEO of Prestige Imports. dren too ill to attend the event for a ride in Children and their families mingled with a top-down Lambo. “This event is strictly for the kids,” said Brett police and fire crews from Hallandale who David, 27-year-old CEO of Prestige Imports brought cruisers, trucks, K-9 trackers and a and Lamborghini Miami, which sponsors SWAT team. The Broward County Sheriff’s the festivity. Several years ago, Brett, his helicopter flew in, joining face painters, sister Brooke, 22, and their mother Valerie balloons, arts and crafts and lots of food. “It Kaye, launched the celebration to bring keeps getting bigger and better each year,” “miles of smiles” to children undergoing said Valerie. treatment at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hos- Brooke added, “This is just the beginning of pital in Hollywood, Florida. For the 2014 what my brother, my mother and I want to do event, they were joined by youngsters from to help the community.” the local Chai Lifeline chapter and from My- Wish4U (Kids vs. Cancer), which brought in Community Involvement Joining in the yearly Ride2Revive festival children from Israel to the party. are volunteers who have a heart for kids, in- a mother's perspective “It’s super important to have an event like Aaron Pinsky, pediatric cancer survivor, Ride2Revive that can take children’s minds at Ride2Revive. off of what they are going through or have gone through,” said Beth Pinsky, mother of Valerie says interacting with the children Aaron who was diagnosed at age 4 with is priceless to her. “They ask so many ques- Ewing’s sarcoma stage 4. “It’s equally as im- tions. They want to know what model portant for the families of children to have each car is, what year, how much they fun events to attend, providing some dis- cost, how fast they go. They get into a line traction from an otherwise hectic life. With and pick out the car they want to ride in.” Ride2Revive, it was a blast watching the kids playing with these life-sized toys.” Ride2Revive will be back again in 2015 to bring more miles of smiles to children in The Pinsky family just visited Prestige Guests having fun at Ride2Revive 2014. South Florida. Imports last week for the second time. Aaron’s favorite car is the Lamborghini.

100 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 101 Men’s Grooming

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102 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 103 Capturing a Mother’s Love An exclusive interview with Russian photographer, mother and farmer in Andreapolsky Elena Shumilova

By Robin Jay

E It’s nearly dawn on the quaint rural forested farm in Andreapolsky, Russia. As the sun peeks over the barn, 3-year-old Vanya lovingly nuzzles nose-to-nose with a gray-haired baby rabbit, while his 6-year-old brother Yaroslav runs alongside a gaggle of toddling yellow ducklings.

Their mother, Elena Shumilova, watches from afar, with her 135 mm camera in hand. She quietly lifts the camera to her eye, careful not to draw the attention of her sons or persuade their actions. When sunbeams kiss the cheeks of her boys just right, Elena snaps the shutter, capturing another dream- L like photograph of tranquil life on the farm as her Ifamily knows it. Come evening, the young mother of two will post the photograph online, sharing it with millions of her Flikr followers worldwide. An Unexpected Talent Less than two years ago, the former architect and designer borrowed her parents’ camera and “started playing around with it.” Elena says she never dreamed her photos would become so popular. E In fact, they went viral – like wildfire.T he global N shumilova

A104 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 105 Elena says her passion for photography mani- fested in early 2012 when she got her first DSLR camera. Soon after, in the summer, she upgraded to a Cannon 5dmark2 with a 50mm lens.

“I’ve been shooting every day and processing the images at night. By autumn, I felt I found my own way of approaching photography.

"At the end of winter 2013, I got a new lens – 135mm – which immediately became my favorite one.” Life on the Farm It’s easy to see that for young Vanya and Yaroslav, who help feed the animals on the farm, interacting Ewith the cute critters comes second nature. “But every photo shoot is a little tiresome,” Elena admits. “Children and animals always behave response to Elena’s imagery became so tremendous that a year light in a new way. I love all sorts of light conditions – street- unpredictably, yet I always try to keep tranquility. ago she turned her newly found hobby into a business. lights, candlelight, fog, smoke, rain and snow – everything that If you start being nervous, it’s transferred to all. gives visual and emotional depth to the image. “I largely trust my intuition and inspiration when I compose I try to use only natural poses and scenarios of photos. I get inspired mainly by desire to express something I “My parents are good photographers, too. Unfortunately, behavior of my children and animals in the con- feel, though I usually cannot tell exactly what that is,” Elena told they don’t have enough time to develop their passion. My cepts. They are ordinary children; they like to run, South Florida Opulence. “When shooting, I prefer to use natural mom taught me to draw from the earliest age, and certainly play, ride a bike, to help on the farm, to study light – both inside and outside. Every day, I try to learn to see thanks to her, my abilities to create images developed.” life around them. – Continued on next page

106 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 107 – Continued from previous page

“I really think that I’m a very usual mother,” she said. “But it’s not so simple to put your feelings into the image. I think a good picture is about mood. It’s like music. And I hope I’ve learned to do it.” “ I think a good picture is Indeed she has. about mood. It’s like music.” –Elena Shumilova

Prints of Elena’s photography are available at http://elenashumilova.smugmug.com. To watch a video Elena created about her photography, go to www.SouthFloridaOpulence.com.

108 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 109 Bringing “underwater flight” to waterways around the globe, the Seabreacher by Innespace Productions is a submersible watercraft that pushes to limits of what water sports enthusiasts can achieve: Diving, jumping, rolling, porpoising, aquabatic stunts – all “within the security and comfort of a dry, sealed cockpit.”

Unlike conventional watercraft that operate on a two-dimensional plane, inventors Rob Innes and Dan EXTREME Piazza say the Seabreacher operates more like an HOVERBOARD aircraft with a full three-axis of control. “This allows the vessel to carve left and right, jump over, dive If you’d like to explore a new way of surfing, Zapata under, and cut though the waves,” Innes said. “The Adrenaline-rush junkies are soaring to new heights in has another innovation that launched just last June: acrylic canopy and underwater view ports give both sci-fi-like water propulsion contraptions that would The Hoverboard. An exhilarating experience com- the pilot and passenger a near 360-degree view as make Jacques Cousteau blush. Check them out: bining both the thrill of flying and surfing, Zapata’s they fly through the water at breathtaking speed.” latest invention is a surfboard attached to a person- Renowned French jet-ski designer and Zapata Race Team Each Seabreacher is hand-constructed to the al watercraft that gives it a blast into the air. “The founder, Franky Zapata is the inventor of Flyboard – a wake- customer’s desired specifications. Available in Dolphin propulsion is routed through the primary nozzle at- board on steroids. Connected to two flexible 18-meter pipes style J model, Shark style X model, or the Killer tached to the board user,” Zapata explained. and linked to a jet-ski turbine, this novel aquatic thrill con- Whale Y model, each Seabreacher is a unique crea- traption soars up to 10 meters above the water’s surface. “The thrust from the personal watercraft (PWC) tion. “The organic lines of the vessel’s sculpted body Nozzles beneath the user’s feet ensure 90 percent of the pro- is routed though an 18 meter hose up the present an unforgettable sight, like the twisted un- pulsion. Pipes affixed to the user’s forearms sport two water Hoverboard, where the rider can enjoy an amazing ion of a marine mammal and a high performance jets that provide virtually perfect equilibrium as ski poles. sensation. Then the PWC follows behind the rider, fighter jet,” said Piazza. giving freedom to surf amongst the waves.” Zapata says the height a Flyboarder can achieve depends on Innes agreed, “Anywhere you go, be prepared to By Robin Jay the power of the jet-ski propelling it. For example, with 150 The Hoverboard can reach highs up to 5 meters and draw a crowd.” horsepower, a user can reach up to 6 meters in height and with speeds of to 40KM/h. More information about both For more information about Seabreacher submersible 250 horsepower, heights of up to 12 meters can be attained. the Hoverboard and its new sister product Flyboard watercraft, go to www.Seabreacher.com is available at www.zapata-racing.com or by calling “The Flyboard intuitive use provides exceptional sensations the factory in France at +33 (0) 491696932. from the first use,” said Zapata, whose racing team has earned Visit www.southfloridaopulence.com the ultimate title: The RUN F1 World Championship Winner. and view “WOW, Men know why!” “After only a few minutes, the user can move underwater like a dolphin and challenge the gravity like a superman."

110 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 111 “I swung off the platform. Swoosh, I was airborne! Planet Earth was a Kodachrome blur. Delight erased terror.” ZIPLINING At the top, we admired lush valleys decorated with red ginger and purple orchids. Serene cows nap on peaceful sugarcane THROUGH farms. The sapphire Pacific teemed with humpback whales, flipping their v-shaped tails.

On the wooden platforms, Gundy and his team gave us our fi- MAUI nal training: “Sit upright in your harness, legs straight out,” “step slowly off the platform,” and “Don’t worry, we’re gonna catch you at the other end.” HEAVEN Gundy clipped me securely to the zip line and gave me his by Sharon Spence Lieb optimistic “Everything’s going to be all right Sharon” smile. I swung off the platform. Swoosh, I was airborne! Planet Earth was a Kodachrome blur. Delight erased terror. Clouds moved in and out, shaping into angels and parrotfish. Getting to heaven or hundreds of years, remote villagers living in the The expert guides at Flyin Hawaiian in Maui made sure we is easy. Just say yes to ziplining on Maui. Himalayas and the Alps have strung up zip lines to received thorough training, answered all our questions, and traverse dangerous terrain and moved their supplies escorted us every step of the way with humor and encourage- F from one high peak to another. Mountain climbers use ment. What an incredible way to see Maui’s beauty. Don’t miss zip lines called Tyrolean traverses to shimmy across steep slopes, this unforgettable adventure. Here’s a firsthand sneak peek from using gravity. And wildlife biologists studying animals and plants someone who has been there, done that – yours truly. use zip lines to get up and down inside forest canopies. My first time on a zip line So, as eco-friendly soft adventure has taken off around the world, Gundy, our zip line guide, looked like a musician from my fav zip lines are the perfect sport for anyone with courage to fly bad boy band, ZZ Top. Long curly beard, wild wavy blonde hair, through beautiful parts of Planet Earth. Stepping off a platform a charming Julia Roberts smile. and soaring through forests, over valleys, mountains, rivers, and “Welcome to Maui, Sharon,” he grinned. “Ready for the best zip lakes is truly exhilarating. A bird’s-eye view, where you are the bird! ride of your life?” Do you have what it takes? Who could resist that smile? We strapped on our harnesses, And courage is really all you need. The harnesses are comfort- clipped on our army style helmets and climbed into Gundy’s able, the views are amazing, and zip line staffs are professional all-terrain Jeep. We swerved and skidded straight up a heart- and caring. stopping narrow muddy mountain trail.

112 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 113 When the couple decided to adopt more exotic cats, they drove to People are breeding thousands of cats for that one-month Minnesota, where they unexpectedly found themselves in a hor- window.” rific situation: on a fur farm with a shed full of dead cats, butchered Today, the Baskins fight for legislation that prohibits the for small patches of belly fur. There were also 56 kittens destined breeding of exotic cats except by accredited zoos. And for the same fate. they continue to try, with the help of 100 volunteers and The Lewises were horrified. “We bought all of them,” Carole recalls. interns, to provide quality of life for the cats in their care. “Then we went home and started building cages.” It’s not easy. The cats are wild animals and must be con- Big They returned to the farm twice more, and for two years in a row, fined to cages, and for safety’s sake, there is a strict no bought every cat there. In return, perhaps miraculously, the farmer touching rule. “The hardest thing is keeping the cats agreed to never again breed cats for fur. amused,” Carole says. “But we try to make their lives as interesting as we can and provide some enrichment for Meanwhile, word of the place that rescued exotic cats began to them every day.” spread. “People started calling and asking, ‘will you take my lion?’ or ‘will you take my tiger?’ ” Carole says. Some of the ways include blood ice pop treats, grooming with backscratchers, and bags of catnip. And each cat is Gradually, the sanctuary grew. Don passed away in 1997, and in periodically treated to a “vacation” on a 2½-acre tract of Cat 2004, Carole married her current husband, Howard Baskin, who land with grass and trees. Rescue helps her manage Big Cat Rescue. By Jana Soeldner Danger Where do the cats come from? Carole is also still involved in rescuing injured bobcats. And in some ways, that’s the most satisfying part of her From private individuals who think it will be fun to adopt an exotic work, because unlike the other cats, they can be released animal and, when the kittens grow up, discover it’s not fun after rehabilitation. “These animals belong in the wild,” hen 17-year-old Carole Murdock anymore. From circuses that dump them when they grow she says. “And opening the door and letting the cat go took her Himalayan show cat to the too old to perform. And from unscrupulous breeders. “Peo- free is the best feeling.” vet one day, the doctor was treating a ple will pay to have their pictures taken with cute little kit- wwild bobcat with a broken leg. He had splinted the bone, tens,” Baskin says. “But FDA policy says the cubs can’t be han- but couldn’t keep the animal during the three-month recovery dled when they’re under eight weeks or over 12 weeks. period. Would Carole take the cat home till the leg healed and she could be released?

Unlike the way almost anyone else on the planet would have responded, Carole said yes. All White Tigers Are That was the beginning of her love affair with big cats. But it was Inbred and Are Not Purebred not until years later that they became her passion and her life’s work. In 1992, she and her then-husband, Don Lewis, founded Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, which currently houses 100 exotic felines from 14 different species. It happened like this:

The couple was attending an auction when a man came in with an obviously terrified bobcat draped around his neck. Carole was immediately smitten with the animal’s luminous, golden eyes. “He told me it was his wife’s pet, and she didn’t want it anymore,” Carole recalls.

When a man standing near her started bidding on the cat, Carole warned him that when it grew up, it would become dangerous. What he said next shocked her. “He told The ONLY way to produce a tiger or lion with a white coat is through inbreeding me he was a taxidermist. He planned to club the cat brother to sister or father to daughter; generation after generation after generation. to death in the parking lot, stuff it, and sell it as a den The kind of severe inbreeding that is required to produce the mutation of a white decoration.” coat also causes a number of other defects in these big cats. "Sadly, those who pur- When Carole started sobbing, Don started bidding. posefully inbreed wild cats to produce white tigers do so because they attract zoo visitors," said Carole Baskin, Founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida. After winning the cat, they named her Windsong, reminiscent of a haunting melody used to promote a popular perfume. “She was the real founder of the sanctuary,” Carole says. “She taught us so much.”

114 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 115 His city selection for the fair was Miami Beach. The international closes the art calendar year annually in December, Art Stage Singa- art world declared him crazy to put an art fair on a ‘white spot’ of pore launches it with their event late January. The 2015 edition will the global art map. But to Lorenzo, it was the perfect place. He felt be January 21 – 15. the New York galleries would prevent European competitors from The Singapore government is investing in making the city a leading entering their territory. While Miami, on the other hand, was the ideal hub of contemporary art, funding its museums and art institutions, climate in the winter, a destination attracting wealthy New Yorkers, including the much anticipated National Gallery, South East Asia’s with unique art deco architecture and a big pedestrian zone perfect Art biggest flagship museum. In addition to establishing a major art infra- for a more socially oriented fair. It was the right place for upcoming structure in Singapore, an additional $245 million has been set aside for trends like the crossover of art with design, architecture, video, mu- programming and the integration of arts into mainstream education. sic and fashion, and was the ideal location for building a bridge to Basel: integrate Latin America. This year, Art Stage Singapore attracted 46,000 visitors. including top collectors from around the world, and 160 galleries. The top Art Basel Develops in Asia sale in 2014 was a painting that went for $1.2 million. Global Fast-forward to 2011. Entrepreneurial Rudolf headed to the Far East and launched his new baby, Art Stage Singapore. Like Art Basel Miami Beach, Art Stage Singapore has been pivotal in putting Economic Singapore on the global art map. When Art Basel Miami Beach Engine Art Stage Singapore 2014–Tunnel by Mark Justinani, The Drawing Room By Hope Gainer

The Renaissance of Global Art Fairs Art fairs have become an economic engine for host cities internationally. Art Basel in Miami Beach attracts visitors from around the world, pumping an estimated $500 million into the local economy. It has influenced 2,270 new art-related businesses and more than From Switzerland to Miami Beach, 8,300 jobs. For example, The Wynwood Arts District, founded the Art Basel Co-Founding Mastermind first year of Art Basel Miami Beach, is home to approximately 30 galleries. The Design District has become a luxury lifestyle art and The international art world Lorenzo Rudolf Moves to Transform design hub. And, the Perez Art Museum Miami designed by Swiss the Culture Scene In Singapore architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron opened last December, declared Art Basel founder bringing the Magic City a world-class art institution. Art Basel is a phenomenon that has transformed culture in Lorenzo Rudolf crazy to put South Florida. In less than a decade, Miami has blossomed from How did the conservative Swiss town of Basel choose Miami Beach a cultural wasteland to an epicenter of the art world, thanks as its sister for its renowned art fair? It was the brainchild of a Swiss an art fair on a ‘white spot’ largely to the presence of the leading international contem- man, Lorenzo Rudolf, the former Director of Art Basel in his home porary art fair founded in Basel, Switzerland, in 1970. Global country. Rudolf took the helm of Art Basel in 1991, transforming art collectors have descended upon Miami, and now, the phe- the modest event into a template for today’s art fairs. He incorpo- of the global art map. But to nomenon is working to transform the art scene in Asia, with Art rated a strict selection process for galleries and added corporate Stage Singapore. sponsors to help underwrite expenses and allow the fair to grow. Art Stage Singapore 2014–Installation & performance, Lorenzo, it was the perfect Art was always a passion for Lorenzo, who took a turn from his Intermission on Stage, by Soe Naing Yone Arts place for a sister city fair. Main Image: Jane Lee sold two of her Faces artwork, seen here at legal background to become the second director of Art Basel Art Stage, for over $120,000 (Photo: Shah Salimat) in Switzerland. In the mid 1990s, he realized the U.S. art market was going to overcome the European market. He made a strategic decision then to launch a top Art Basel branch in America.

116 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 117 event. Today, this power art couple maintains residences in Lugano, “The annual Art Basel Miami Beach event has helped put the city on Switzerland, Miami and Singapore. Maria Elena Rudolf is a partner How to the creativity map. But Miami is still very young as art cities go.” So, the in Art Stage Singapore with her husband and oversees the VIP pro- Mikesells put their personal efforts into high gear, creating the Foun- grams. Their son Pablo also works with them, holding down the fort tainhead Residency in a three-bedroom house they own, across from in Singapore while Lorenzo and Maria Elena jet around the world to Become an their family home in Morningside, and the Fountainhead Studios in a various art fairs and visits to artists and collectors to keep abreast of warehouse in nearby Little Haiti. Both serve as incubators for local and their global art community. Art Connoisseur visiting artists seeking to experience Miami as a site that harbors and inspires creative exploration. The price to stay at the home-turned-art “I love the art world. Even if it is a global world, everything is based By Dale King and Julia Hebert on personal bilateral relations. You never face an impersonal corpo- hotel? One piece of original art work for the Mikesell’s collection. rate entity. It is always a human being, and mostly an interesting one, fountainhead studios whether it be a collector, a curator, a gallery owner, a private dealer, an To date, says Kathryn, the Residency program has housed more artist, a museum director, an auctioneer, a journalist or an art adviser,” athryn and Dan Mikesell of Miami, Florida, were ad- than 300 artists from 21 different counties. Fountainhead Studios, Rudolf said. mittedly novices when they first ventured into the which began as a series of virtual venues divided up by tape on world of art collecting 16 years ago. “We walked When asked about the next international hotspot for art, Rudolf the floor, now has walls and cubicles along with a steady flow of into a gallery,” recalls Kathryn. “No one greeted us. hinted, “I’m no prophet, but I think one of the next hotspots will be K 41 Miami artists during recent years. Someone behind the counter looked us up and down and Central Asia: the region of the ex-Soviet Republics like Azerbajdzzan, didn’t say much.” When the inquisitive couple said they were in- From the couple’s extensive meshing with the local, national and Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. terested in buying a piece of art, the counter person “began international art scene and institutions such as the Bass Museum, Also, let’s not forget an entire untapped continent, artistically very rich, throwing out references about Perez Art Museum Miami, Frost but without any infrastructure: Africa. Contemporary art is a global artists. I didn’t know any of Museum and the Locust Projects, language, understood everywhere, independent of all the different those names. The art world developed an encyclopedic array of Lorenzo & Maria Elena Rudolf languages. That’s why it’s growing into a global phenomenon.” has an uncanny way of making “sculptors, videographers, painters For more information about the Singapore based art fair, visit: and photographers, most of whom “You have an environment that can make Singapore something like you feel stupid, even if you’re www.artstagesingapore.com are prominent within their genres. Switzerland. There’s a reason why Switzerland is one of the big centers not,” she laments. These artists introduced us to other of the art market. Not only because we Swiss like art but, also because But they did buy some art. And artists” and the cycle continues. it’s a financial place with this open, multicultural society,” said Rudolf. despite the inauspicious start, the “We work to educate people about Singapore itself is an amazing destination and has one of the high- Mikesells have become avid the art world,” notes Kathryn. “Cur- est qualities of life in Asia. It is politically and socially stable and, collectors and supporters of rently, when artists have finished reportedly, has virtually no corruption. the South Florida arts scene. Through their work with galleries, their residencies, we hold open hous- “According to the proverb, behind every strong man is a strong woman. institutions, nonprofits, muse- es and bring people in to talk to them, It’s true…and I’m proud of it,” said Rudolf. “My wife, Maria Elena, and ums and artists, they are widely with no commercial component.” I are a wonderful team,” said Rudolf. Coincidentally, Lorenzo met known for providing living space Their personal collection has grown Maria Elena, an exotic Latina from Ecuador, in Switzerland at an art for visiting artists and encourag- so much, she says, that “we have art in ing local painters, sculptors and 20 homes in Miami – 250 pieces that photographers to use studio we have lent to friends.” That’s fertile space in their revamped, two- ground where hopefuls can begin story warehouse . their artistic schooling.

educating aspiring Kathryn says she arranges visits “based art collectors solely on what the individual desires.” Perhaps the most all-encom- People hungry to learn about art Kathryn Mikesell passing service the Mikesells can visit museums and gather at provide is an instructive one. Would-be art aficionados can call on restaurants to talk about their experiences over lunch or dinner. Kathryn to arrange educational visits with artists, curators, collec- Already scheduling visitations for 2015, Kathryn will be taking people tors and the like inside their own studios, institutions and galleries. to “studios in different U.S. cities and a few international ones as well. She offers novices to the art world a warm and friendly introduc- The goal of this voyage through practical knowledge of art is to give tion to the art creators and purveyors she and her husband have people the comfort and confidence to listen to their own voice. It is a befriended over the years. In welcoming surroundings, makers of creative journey, an overall experience.” art describe “what it means to conceive of something and ultimately to provide a body of work, a sculpture or photograph, starting For more information, go to www.yourfountainhead.com or call Art Stage Singapore 2014–The Raining Bed by FX Harsono, Art Stage Singapore 2014–Entrance Arc by Joko Dwi Avianto with that idea,” says Kathryn. (305) 776-8189. Arndt Singapore

118 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 119 ‘Yes, What?’ Turning Trash into Treasure By Robin Jay

‘Yes, What?’ was the name of the 1920 painting (below) that art connoisseurs fervently vied for in a June bidding war that reached $23.8 million at Christie’s auction house in London. ‘Yes, What?’ was also my personal reaction when I read in The Wall Street Journal that this painting not only far outpriced works by great masters like Matisse and Miro, but also – remarkably – was made of debris and card- board found on the streets of Berlin by German artist Kurt Schwitters.

This life-size buffalo (named ‘Dakotah’) stampedes in front of the Dakotah Steakhouse in Rapid City, South Dakota. Welding sculptor John Lopez created it out of metal discards he found on area ranches.

'Yes, What? Picture' by Kurt Schwitters, 1902.

Intrigued to find out why a collage of trash would The Search for Modern-Day Merz pressionism. In 1917, the artist was drafted into the military as a technical draftsman. “In the fetch such a tidy sum, I immediately dug into Fascinated by Schwitters' story, I decided to see what modern-day artists I could find war [at the machine factory at Wülfen] I discovered my love for the wheel and recognized online research. I aimed to learn just who was this around the world who have the talent of making fine art out of discards and found that machines are abstractions of the human spirit,” Schwitters wrote. man Schwitters and why was his work so valuable. objects. The works I found and the artists I met are utterly amazing. Here are a few of Finding Schwitters A year later, at the end of the war, the artist’s work changed significantly as a result of the my favorites… military, political and economic collapse. Schwitters was born in 1887 in Hanover, Germany. Welding Sculptor John Lopez He studied art at Dresden Academy and launched "In the war, things were in terrible turmoil. What I had learned at the academy was of no use to “I grew up on a ranch in the northwestern part of South Dakota,” John Lopez said. his career as a post-impressionist painter, first -ex me. Everything had broken down and new things had to be made out of the fragments; and “The landscape and the people here inspire me to do what I do. I love the animals 'Steampunk II' by Richard Lang and hibiting his work in 1911. As World War I advanced, this is Merz [the term coined for collages made out of found objects]. It was like a revolution and the spirit they seem to embody. You can see it in their eyes – that spirit that does Judith Selby Lang Schwitter’s work grew darker, taking on the feel of ex- within me,” he said. not want to be tamed. I try to capture that in the eye of my sculptures.

120 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 121 Artist in Found Materials Jane Perkins 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' was created out of “Some people would describe me as a ‘re-maker,’ others as a collage artist. found materials by England's Jane Perkins in A word that comes up frequently is ‘quirky.’ I make pictures without paint, honor of the painting by Vermeer. using small objects placed close together to provide the colour and form Original painting below Johannes Vermeer - 1665 an image. I make portraits of famous people in this way, and also re-create famous paintings, giving them a contemporary twist.

“I took a degree in textiles as a student and became interested in using re- cycled materials. For my final degree show, I made hand-stitched brooches from old jewelry, plastic toys, coins, shells and other found objects. While making these, I collected lots of materials, which were too big for brooches and, for a long while, wondered what to do with them. The idea of making them into a portrait just came into my head one day. The first large portrait was of Queen Elizabeth. Half way through the portrait in 2008, I had a sort of 'Eureka Moment' when I knew it was going to work and that this could become my direction!

“I choose works which are very well known, so that the viewer gets ‘the joke’ of seeing something very familiar having been made in a different and unexpected way. Favourites with the public are Sunflowers, after van Gogh; Girl with a Pearl Earring, after Vermeer; Mona Lisa after da Vinci and Marilyn, after Warhol. I use any materials of the right size, shape and colour. 'Einstein' by Bernard Pras' No colour is added – everything is used exactly ‘as found’. My work is great fun to make and I still enjoy producing each and every piece. I love sifting “I try to sculpt animals that are from this area or relevant to us here through bags of unwanted goods or broken jewelry, looking for interest- on the plains. I collect pieces from surrounding ranches. I don't know ing items of exactly the right colour. Every shade of every colour is there in what I will use the pieces for until I get into creating the sculpture. I unwanted plastic! first sculpt a maquette of the piece in clay to get the concept, pose "I like art with humour or an element of the unexpected. I want my work and proportions figured out. Then I use that to take measurements to be fun and accessible – there is no deep or hidden meaning. My aim is from and transfer the measurements over to the scrap iron sculp- to make people smile. I love exhibiting and watching people’s reactions to ture. I love the discoveries of new textures and new shapes that are my work." revealed to me as I start to grab pieces and weld them on. I let my mind’s eye tell me what looks good and then just go with the flow. To see more collage portraits by Jane Perkins, I like the feeling of, ‘Wow. I didn’t expect that to happen, but I like it.’ visit www.devonartistnetwork.co.uk.

“I get the inspiration first, then start grabbing things out of my collec- Land Artist Dietmar Voorwold tion of stuff and try to make what I have work. I try not to let one piece “The Scottish coastline and landscape is an amazing canvas for my dictate what I should do because I usually cover it up or it gets lost in work,” said nature artist Dietmar Voorwold. “The pebbles, the shape the mix of all the other things. The big picture and energy of the animal and colors of the rocks, the leaking ripples and the powerful waves is more important than one piece.” – places of immense creative potential. I can spend a whole lifetime

To see more pieces by John Lopez, go to www.johnlopezstudio.com. Anamorphis Artist Bernard Pras A virtuoso in juxtaposing eclectic objects to create a reconstituted image, French artist Bernard Pras is a painter who traded in his brushes to create masterpieces by arranging found items. It’s a talent he says sprouted from a childhood of helping his grandmother organize products at her grocery story.

“I use objects like touches of paint,” Pras told South Florida Opulence. “My first piece was a square on the floor in which I put objects of a specific color on backgrounds of the same color – and that led to my style today. I created ‘Einstein’ as a cultural manifestation. It’s made of objects I received from neighbors and collected from sidewalk trash bins.”

Bernard Pras artwork is available at www.artsper.com. 'AmWeg 80,' by Dietmar Voorwold of Scotland, is made of rocks and leaves he found on the coastline.

122 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 123 Parisian artist Gilles Eichenbaum makes lamps out of old kitchen objects, like this soup pot.

‘Mickey Monkey’ by Richard and Judith Lang is made from plastic items they've gathered on Kehoe Beach.

collected thousands of pounds of plastic. We keep count of certain Reclaimed Lamp Artist Gilles items like (to date) the 268 little red paddles from cheese and crack- Eichenbaum, aka GARBAGE working here. Each day is different. Nature is very moody, incalcu- “We have found so many unusual things,” er snack kits, like 134 (to date) green stirrers sticks from Starbucks “I was born in 1959 in Marseille, France, but I have traveled and lived lable and surprising. coffee, like (to date) the 643 'disposable' lighters." Richard added. “Toy soldiers (264 as of in more than 40 countries around the world,” said reclaimed lamp “My art is a matter of finding the balance. The perfect place, the Judith and Richard’s sculptures have been exhibited in galleries all artist Gilles Eichenbaum. “My father was a geologist, so we followed perfect material, the perfect shape. The right moment. It might today), a ballot box lid from a local over the world. him everywhere! happen that sculptures break down, the incoming tide comes and contested election, a toy oil truck “We jokingly say to the kids while pointing to the tons of treasured “Growing up, traveling in the middle of nowhere and living most too early, the light changes too fast, a dog steps over my mosaics. trash, ‘Someday kids, this will all be yours.’ ” of the time in mining camps, we often lived in ‘real’ houses for only The right timing in combination with patience and flexibility is a we dated from 1949.” – R. Lang a few months at a time, so we used to reuse old things and invaluable assumption for my work. “We have found so many unusual things,” Richard added. “Toy soldiers (264 as of today), a ballot box lid from a local and contested election, vent new objects. I have done this all my life, and in years later, “Photography is another important part of my art. I freeze a little date on Kehoe Beach, where we discovered that each of us had a toy oil truck we dated from 1949, hair curlers, super balls, and plas- in Paris, my friends liked my work so much, especially my lamps, moment. The actual installation will be gone within a few days or been collecting plastic for use as an art material for three years betic flowers. We love finding what we don't recognize and doing the that I eventually held my first exhibition at the end of 2001. It was minutes, depending on the rhythms of nature. fore that fateful date! We were married in 2004,” Judith said. research to discover its origin. While arranging our compositions, the so successful that, from that point on, it became my only job. “My installations blend seamlessly into the landscape and often “We turned our artist eyes to the plastic pollution we had been find- plastic is seen only for color and form, not the things they once were. “Most of the time I just walk into the flea markets, early on Sunday it looks as if they had been there forever. They are designs in the ing on the beach. We had long been advocates for environmental The pieces become akin to strokes of paint coming off a palette. Often mornings, and wait for something to catch my eye. I also like to context of large designs, the pristine nature, which surprises us in issues, so we chose to make work that would be both beautiful and at the beach, we will find ourselves ‘shopping’ for a certain color or size look into the garbage on the street. This makes my kids ashamed its beauty, variety and unpredictability." meaningful. With lively banter and good humor, we love to tell our to fill out an abstract idea. when we go out to a restaurant and I arrive with half a dozen dirty love story about what we discovered on our first date (each other) To see more of Dietmar’s amazing landart, go to www.creations- “Our mission is make whatever we do beautiful – to give pleasure,” pieces of metal, an old boiler and two cookie boxes! and the romantic adventure that ensued. in-nature.com. Richard continued. “We'd like people to become aware of plastic in “I love to redesign old kitchen objects. And I’m not restricted by “Although the news about plastic pollution is dire, we want to bring their lives and how each colorful piece says something about the Environmental Plastic Artists ‘spaces’: a teapot can be used in a bedroom, an old heater in the the excitement of scouting for treasures and the pleasure of the thermoplastic junk of our throwaway culture.” dining room, a motorbike tank in the office. If I had a philosophy, it Richard Lang and Judith Selby Lang creative life to an otherwise difficult topic. We chose ‘One Beach’ Judith and Richard’s collages are available as limited-edition would be ‘keep it simple and clean.’ ” “Richard and I have been working artists for close to 40 years, and just 1000 yards of that beach to make a graspable measure. We prints, the sales of which support their clean-up campaign. To read more about Gilles and to see more of his clever work, each with a dedicated studio practice. In 1999, we had our first have rambled that stretch of beach hundreds of times and have www.beachplastic.com. go to www.garbage-vpot.com.

124 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 125 duardo Bernales loves people, and he loves to drive. He’s also a professional driver for RedCap, a unique transportation service that offers clients certified drivers like Eduardo to drive them – in the Econvenience of the customers’ own cars.

“I’m a chauffeur on demand,” Eduardo says, “with the added comfort for my clients of driving them in their own vehicle. So, unless you really want to ride in a strange car, RedCap is better than a limousine service.” Meet A Trusted Driver for Safety and Peace of Mind For Eduardo, the upside is the relationships he builds with his clientele. “My clients range RedCap from busy executives, to tourists visiting Florida, to people enjoying celebrations and life moments. Sometimes they need peace and quiet, and sometimes they want insight and guidance. Either way, I want to give them the greatest sense of comfort, safety and Personal timeliness they have ever experienced.” NEW AD COMING The personal connection and high level of trust that develops between driver and client is not Chauffeur lost on Eduardo. “I’m like a personal butler for them, their loved ones, and their car. They hand me the responsibility of their loved ones, so it’s up to me to make the trip safe, seamless, with Eduardo no waiting or interruption for what they want to do and where they want to go. That’s how I like to be treated,” he says, “so that’s how I treat my clients. The golden rule works.”

Eduardo has been with RedCap almost four years, and he appreciates the values shared Bernales among his company, his clients and himself. “To deliver the level of service and meet the By Stephen Keeler standards we set as an organization, everyone has to be committed to the highest levels of professionalism, support and communication,” he notes. “We have only one job at one time, and we do not deviate. We complete the assigned job each and every time. That’s part of building the trust.” White Glove Service Eduardo shares some secrets to his success. “You have to know traffic patterns for a given time of day throughout the area, and where to park for the quickest pick up so that your clients aren’t kept waiting. So I have developed additional networks of relationships – and it helps. One time, by a sports location, I was able to park right by the gate because of my friends. My client’s son got sick during the game, and I was able to be right there as he was bringing his son out to get medical attention. It meant a lot to me that I could help that child,” he shares.

Fortunately, most of his clients’ needs center around fun and celebrations. “I love serving as the driver for a bride for her wedding,” he says with care. “It’s the bride’s day, and I get to help make the magic.” And, Eduardo loves it all. “Sometimes you get chaos, and I have to calm things down and do things spontaneously to help. Other times, I am part of a team, and I follow the playbook given to me by the wedding planner. I follow in great detail exactly what the bride wants me to do. Folders, pages, sequences, scenarios, timing – I follow it like clockwork.” Eduardo Bernales Letters of recommendation and praise from brides and their planners are personally rewarding for Eduardo. “If I can make a bride’s day extra-special, I do.”

Any downsides to the job? “Just one,” he admits. “That’s when I have to tell a client another RedCap driver needs to drive them because I am already booked. All my clients are important to me, and I don’t like telling them I myself can’t be there. “But, he says with a wry smile, “if that’s my only issue, I have a pretty good job, eh?”

If you encounter a need for a RedCap driver, like Eduardo, who can drive you or pick you up in your own car, go to www.myredcap.com.

126 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Venice Floating Fruit Farm to Table by Sea – and Veggie Barge Market in Italy – The World’s Best Floating Markets Campo San Barnaba is a square in northern Italy where you’ll find a famous barge By the experts at FarmBoat.org called Barca anchored near Ponte dei Pugni. The neighborhood's church, the San The rhythm of a restless sea coaxes a new bounty each season from a misty coast. Vessels laden with local harvests host eager patrons Barnaba – which dates back to 421 – has been who learn of nature's delectable offerings. Water connects all life. For centuries, boats hewn of wood carry to market the sustenance of in movies, including Indiana Jones and the Last mankind and the stories of the serene and tempestuous sea. Crusade. Rialto Market has over 1,000 years of Boats have been used for thousands of years throughout the world to efficiently delivery goods from farm to market. The ancient history. It overlooks the Grand Canal and is Egyptians, Greeks and Romans commonly traded farm goods on the Mediterranean. The cities of Europe flourished where agricultural situated under the monumental arches of products could easily be moved from farm to market along canals and rivers by boat. palaces that were designed by the most influential architects of history. Before the advent of trucks, refrigerated warehouses and grocery stores, people frequently greeted their food providers at the dock Bloemenmarkt, the Floating to negotiate on their daily sustenance. Dockside market activity was once a common sight at almost any port in the world. Every wa- Flower Market Amsterdam – terfront community had a public wharf where everything happened. In the early days, there were no roads, bridges or phones so this Vendors first started selling blooms on this historic wooden platform was the center of activity for most small towns. floating flower market known as Bloemenmarkt Floating markets still flourish around the world. These are some of the most famous (compiled by South Florida Opulence): in 1862. Today, it is the most well-known flower market of Holland. Whether your favorite flowers are traditional Dutch tulips, geraniums or indoor cypresses and plants, you’ll find it here on the Singel Canal. Visit the floating flower market on FarmBoat on Puget Sound weekdays from 9 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. and on Sundays in Washington – between 11 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. When the glaciers of the last Ice Age receded some 20,000 years ago, they left an indelible pattern of islands and waterways now called Puget Sound. Centuries before Eu- Floating Market in ropean settlers arrived, native inhabitants cul- Willemstad, Curacao – tivated and foraged roots, berries, greens and Arrive early enough and you’ll see the vendors game from shore and seaweed, fish, mollusks waking up in their boats, which is where they and mammals from the sea. Trading goods by live. The vendors are from Venezuela, which canoe was common practice between the re- is 40 miles away but has an entirely different gional tribes. Today, FarmBoat Floating Market climate than Curacao, which is arid to the (www.FarmBoat.org) is a thematic maritime point of resembling a desert. This is a tradition event that captures the essence of a tradi- that has been active in Curacao for decades – tional old-world, open-air market similar to working at Floating Market is a family business, what might have been seen in small seaports Damnoen Saduak with fathers passing it on to their sons. around the world a century ago. Floating Market in Ratchaburi, Thailand – L'Isle sur la Sorgue Floating Market in France – Featuring many small boats laden with colorful fruits, vegetables and Thai cuisine, Charming flat-bottomed boats known as this floating market in central Thailand is a "Nego-Chin boats” were once used for fish- major tourist attraction demonstrating the ing, but today they are used in a floating old traditional way of vending fresh produce market along the L’Isle sur la Sorgue (known – such as Malacca grape, Chinese grapefruit, as the Venice of Provence) to carry local prod- mangoes, bananas, star fruit and coconut. ucts from Provence, including fresh fruits and vegetables, olives and wine.

To find more information about the history of floating markets, especially the current maritime market in Puget Sound, go to FarmBoat.org.

128 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 129 Model: Asmaa Benkirane

Community Service: Casablanca native Asmaa Benkirane now lives on South Beach and is realizing her dream to bring Moroccan couture to U.S. shores through Le Beau Maroc, a boutique in which a portion of the proceeds will benefit community charities.

Gown: Asmaa is wearing an embroidery tulle caftan with two coats of lace, hand- embellished with crystals. beads, pearls and gold thread.

The U.S. Premiere Model: Michelle Payer Traditional of regal gowns worn by Community Service: As a Moroccan tastemakers, the graceful published writer and public caftans of Le Beau Maroc were unveiled for relations agency owner, the first time ever in the United States at Michelle has lived in Mexico, Hawaii, Spain, Sweden and The Betsy Hotel – in a runway fashion show San Francisco. She once emceed by TV’s Project Runway star Emilio volunteered at a Mexican The Northern African kingdom of Morocco Sosa. The grand finale of a weekend hon- orphanage and currently is rich in culture, traditions and style. oring the empowerment of women, the volunteers with Friends of Imagine the type of woman born out of the Orphans and the Humane fashion show featured real women of Society in Miami. Comes to South Florida this desert oasis. A true vision — elegant, South Florida who have an unwavering classic, yet strong — as though she was Gown: Michelle is wearing a By Melissa Bryant commitment to serving the community. $10,000 duchesse satin emer- transported from a scene in a movie. To introduce you to a selection of these ald gown hand-embroidered Casablanca native Asmaa Benkirane per- with pearls and Swarovski stunning gowns, as well as to some of the crystals. sonifies this woman. She is the founder very special women who modeled them, of Miami’s newest boutique Le Beau South Florida Opulence arranged for an Maroc, a new upscale Miami-based bou- exclusive photo shoot at the historic tique devoted to bringing authentic Colony Hotel in Palm Beach (which, Moroccan beauty products and one-of- appropriately enough, is undergoing a-kind, handmade silk couture caftans to a major redesign to be unveiled in our Florida’s elite. next issue)! Photo shoot venue courtesy of The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach.

Look for the unveiling of the newly remodeled iconic hotel in the winter issue of South Florida Opulence.

130 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 131 Model: Cara Jay

Community Service: A recent graduate in biomedical engineering, Cara is a childcare volunteer at First Baptist Church of Temple Terrace. She volunteers for Americans for Prosperity and Young Americans for Liberty.

Gown: Cara models a dress with gold bodice tiles and thousands of hand-sewn gold beads. The coat is a silk chiffon fabric by Jakob Schlaepfer and has crystals and Model: Melissa Bryant embroidery on the shoulders. Community Service: Writer and Editorial Assistant for South Florida Opulence, Melissa is also a volunteer of young adult and nursery programs at Mount Olive Baptist Church.

Gown: Here Melissa wears a silk satin caftan embroidered with multicolored lace in soft lilac, blue, yellow and orange. The silk Moroccan cape has gold buttons for added sophistication.

The Vision of a Young Girl Comes True A childhood fascination with the elegance of her native country’s fashion influenced Asmaa to launch Le Beau Maroc, which in French means The Beautiful Morocco.

“As a child, I would watch my mother get ready to go out with my dad. She took hours upon hours to dress for events, weddings, parties and gala dinners. The result was exquisite,” Asmaa reminisced. “Even now, I can vividly remember admir- ing my mother as she took care of all the details — makeup, hair, shoes, clothing. happening, where she was going.” At I was always trying to figure out what was 10 years old, Asmaa’s mother granted her wish and started taking her to runway shows and events. Now, as an adult, Asmaa’s dream of opening the fashion boutique has come true.

Le Beau Maroc carries the exclusive designs of Souad Chraïbi and Siham Tazi, who find inspiration fromW est- ern modernity while keeping the Mo- roccan cache. Their hand-designed caftans are artisan-made with haute couture silks from the houses of Dior, Valentino, Hermes, Pucci, La Croix, Yves St. Laurent, Jakob Schlaepfer and Ungaro.

132 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 133 Model: Susset Cabrera

Community Service: Susset is a business owner, writer, and editor of Miami Beats & Sazon blog and member of Friends of St. Jude.

Gown: Susset's dress is inspired by Spanish flamenco traditions. The lace overlay is embroidered with Swarovski crystals, gold lamé and black satin silk with hand-applied gold and bronze beads.

These silk, jersey, satin duchesse and silk chiffon masterpieces are embellished with precious stones, pearls, exotic beads and rare shells and take anywhere from 20 days to 4 months to complete.

“I’m truly bringing the crème de la crème to Miami!” said Aasma.“Everything at the boutique, from the furniture, to the colors, to the smell, will come from my country. When people step into Le Beau Maroc, they will travel to Morocco without a passport.”

Le Beau Maroc is located in Surfside at 9507 Harding Avenue just one block south of Bal Harbour Shops. www.lebeaumaroc.com. 305-763-8847. Mention The Betsy Commu- nity Fund during your visit and a portion (Left) Model: Lana DeSimone of your purchase will be donated to this local

Community Service: A Miami philanthropist, Lana is a devoted mother and advocate for women, children, the underprivileged, soldiers and our military veterans. charity which supports philanthropy, arts, culture and education. Gown: Lana models a silver caftan embellished with crystals and lace. The bottom is made with a teija fabric typically used in Moroccan wedding dresses. The coat is made with Jakob Schlaepfer fabrics in gold and silver lamé lace underneath.

(Right) Model: Meghan Walsh

Community Service: Meghan is a clothing designer, artist, singer, entrepreneur and daughter of Child Advocate John Walsh, producer of America’s Most Wanted and The Hunt with John Walsh. Gown: Meghan is wearing a blue gray silk caftan featuring satin silk, silk mousseline and gold-thread embroidery with pearls and sea blue crystals.

134134 SouthSouth FloridaFlorida OPULENCEOPULENCE FallFall 20142014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 135 women’s beauty

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136 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Regal History of Harp Making Carrying on the Tradition

By Alex Starace

The honeyed notes of the harp call to mind medieval music played in the presence of royalty. And, in fact, this isn’t a fanciful image: Harps first appeared in Western civilization in Ireland in the eighth century. By the late Middle Ages, a pedestal was added and the instrument appeared in kingly courts across Europe. The harp’s popularity with aristocracy continued unabated for several centuries. Marie Antoinette, for example, received an ornate harp on the year of her accession in 1774. It was her favorite instrument, which she studied under the tutelage of a master harpist.

But did you know that the harp also has a much broader history? Harps were common in Egypt, possibly as early as 3000 BCE. These early harps were bow-shaped, most likely inspired by the bow-and-arrow. Because they didn’t have a supporting pedestal to counteract the string tension, they had far fewer strings. Similar instruments were found in the ancient Cycladic art of the Greek Isles, as well as in ancient Mesopotamia.

Craftsmen working in present day factory at Lyon & Healy in Chicago.

138138 SouthSouth FloridaFlorida OPULENCEOPULENCE FallFall 20142014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 139 Elaborate pedal harps gilded with gold or encrusted with diamonds and jewels can cost upwards of $60,000!

Craftsman working on the neck of the harp.

The Lyon & Healy Company, established in 1864 by George Washburn Lyon and Patrick Healy, began building harps in 1889. Zooming forward to the present day, one of the world’s premiere harpmakers is, surprisingly enough, smack-dab in the middle of America’s heartland. The Lyon & Healy harpmaking company, which has clients as august as the rebuilt. Soon, Lyon & Healy expanded its activities to instrument repair New York Philharmonic, the Russian National Orchestra and Healy noticed that he was doing brisk business repairing harps, and La Scala Theater, houses its production facility in an many of which seemed poorly made. He vowed to do better – and to unassuming brick building just west of Chicago’s Loop. build the best harp known to mankind. South Florida Opulence had an opportunity to visit the His first harp debuted in 1889, after years of prototypes and research. facility, learn more about the harpmaking process and By the 1890s, Lyon & Healy was established as a top-quality harpmaking see just what makes for a world-class harp. company and the company’s signature Style 23 harp was introduced. Known for its beauty, craftsmanship and sound quality, Lyon & Healy’s Style 23 is now considered by many to be the most recognizable harp in the world.

Today, the company continues to focus on quality. Fritzmann explained that a Lyon & Healy soundbox is made from hard rock maple sourced from the Midwest and cured in a dehumidified, temperature- controlled chamber. The soundboard itself is Sitka spruce, sourced from the northwestern United States and Canada. Combined, they form the sound chamber, which needs to be flawlessly constructed, both so the harp’s sound remains pure, and so that the instrument George W. Lyon Patrick J. Healy doesn’t break under the string tension. “It’s a very complex machine,” explained Fritzmann. Steve Fritzmann, the national sales manager for Lyon & Healy (and a former master harpmaker), explained on a tour It’s also an instrument of great artistry. Lyon & Healy’s ornate pedes- that while a harp may appear to be a static instrument, it ac- tals are hand carved by master artisans who specialize in floral detail- tually has a very complicated pedal system. At Lyon & Healy, ing. The company even has a dedicated gilding room, where gold is all 2,000 pieces within the harp’s string-and-pedal mecha- applied. True to tradition, Lyon & Healy uses the same water gilding nism are painstakingly assembled by hand, an attention to technique the company has used for over a century. And the gold is detail sets the company apart – as it has from the beginning. of superior quality: “It’s twenty-three-plus carat, the purest gold it can Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty (1740–1786). Marie Antoinette be,” said Fritzmann. Such attention to detail results in a gorgeous in- playing the harp at the French Court. Lyon & Healy was founded in 1864 as a sheet music shop in strument with a sound that has, as Fritzmann described, “an even, full, a wobbly, wooden building at the intersection of Clark and bell-like quality that really resonates and speaks well.” Washington Streets in Chicago. The shop, like so many others, burned to the ground in the Great Fire of 1871, though It’s an instrument that can last for decades – and that carries on the the company’s founders, George W. Lyon and Patrick J. Healy, tradition of the royal, courtly harp of yesteryear.

140 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 141 eorge Washington proclaimed the first nationally celebrated Thanksgiving holiday in December of 1777 to commemorate victory over the British. And many historians, as well as Americans, subscribe to the notion that the “first” Thanksgiving was a dinner held between Separatist Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock and the local Patuxent Native Americans. However, historical evidence shows the “first” Thanksgiving actually took place more than half a decade prior, and almost 2,000 miles away.

Some 60 years before the first settlers at Plymouth Rock, English settlers established Jamestown, Virginia in 1601. And yet, even those settlers were late to the proverbial table. You see, on PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF CAMP PHOTO COURTESY September 8, 1565, Spanish “pilgrims” (notice the lower-case Historian Dr. Michael Gannon “p;” where these were not your black-hat-with-a-buck- le-wearing Pilgrims, they were certainly settlers on “When the first Spanish settlers landed in what is now St. Augustine on a pilgrimage to a new land) landed in St. Augustine. September 8, 1565, to build a settlement, their first act was to hold Dr. Michael Gannon is the historian who documented the real first a religious service to thank God for the safe arrival of the Spanish Thanksgiving in his 1965 book, The Cross In The Sand, which was fleet,” said Dr. Gannon. “After the mass, Father Francisco Lopez, the about the history of the Catholic Church in St. Augustine. Chaplin of the Spanish ships and the first pastor of St. Augustine, South Florida Opulence sat down with Dr. Gannon – a fascinating stipulated that the natives from the Timicua tribe be fed along with scholar who is a former military historian, war correspondent, the Spanish settlers, including Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the priest, and retired University of Florida professor with a doctorate leader of the expedition. It was the very first Thanksgiving and the in history. Known for his study of Spanish colonial history, he is a first Thanksgiving meal in the United States.” Knight Commander of the Order of Isabel the Catholic, granted by an unusual menu King Juan Carlos I of Spain. Dr. Gannon continued, “The difference compared to the New “When The Cross In The Sand was first published England Thanksgiving years later was that the natives up there almost 50 years ago – it was a huge success (it’s brought the food for the Puritans to eat. However, at the St. Augus- still in print today) – but at the time, no one paid tine Thanksgiving in 1565, the meal was entirely Spanish food from attention to the documentation it contained the ships (only 5 of the 19 ships made it here…some of the others about the real first Thanksgiving in St. Augus- that sank or had to turn back because of hurricanes may have had tine,” Dr. Gannon said. “It wasn’t until 1985, when better provisions on board). It was a strange meal of salted pork, I received a phone call from an AP reporter in garbanzo beans, ship’s bread and red wine. We know this from the Jacksonville who was looking for a new angle analysis of the ship’s accounts that are on record.” to take on Thanksgiving. He asked if I had any suggestions, so I told So this coming holiday season, whether you serve oven-roasted him about the story of St. Augustine. The AP sent out the story turkey in November, or cocido in September (it’s a bean soup/stew, on their national wire and it appeared in what seemed like every and the recommended variety for authenticity is garbanzo, in case newspaper in the country.” you were wondering), be sure that the common The Historical Perspective thread is that you’re giving thanks. After The practical approach to defining ‘Thanksgiving’ holds that all, regardless of its origins, that is bread should be broken between foreign settlers and the native the true meaning of the holiday. For St. Augustine: inhabitants. For the Separatist Pilgrims in Plymouth, this means the now, just be grateful for your contin- maize and wild turkeys eaten with Squanto and the Patuxent In- ued education. dians in Massachusetts. But the Spanish settlers in St. Augustine ne, A ugust i ne, 1565 S t. Site Of The Real shared a meal with Native Americans in 1565.

(Left page) The first Thanksgiving meal in 1565 in St. Augustine First Thanksgiving that was shared between Spanish settlers and the native Timicua Indians: salted pork, garbanzo beans, ship’s bread and red wine. By Stephen Joseph and Robin Jay atural Hi story i da Museu m o f N atural Flor C ourtesy by M i chael R osato. on: T he i on: i rst T hanksg v ng, F Illustrat

142 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 143 One of the darkest periods in American history, The War Between The States, led to a hoarding of small change coins impeding the ability to conduct routine transactions like buying groceries. In turn, this resulted in a prolific issuance of tokens and scrip by enterprising merchants which remain amongst the Olde most widely sought after and studied artifacts of the Civil War era. Despite their sometimes simplistic design and worn condition, with a little research, they can provide the curious and diligent with little tidbits about the signers such Money as Robert B. Leeds who was the first postmaster of Atlantic City, NJ. A Tangible Link To American History 1863 saw the birth of National Banks who issued their own currency until 1935 and, on a local level, are a special By Todd R. Sciore link to history. These notes remain popular as a portfolio of notes can be as- ucats, Dough and Dead Presidents. The money sembled in an unlimited number of in your wallet has been called many things ways - by unusual town names (First but should “endangered species” now be one National Bank of Lone Wolf, Okla- of them? The dollar, a name derived from the homa) or places of historical interest European Thaler, has survived for centuries; (The Gettysburg National Bank) which however, with the increasing usage of debit cards, electronic pay- are just two examples. In the case of dment platforms and now virtual currencies, we stand on the preci- Southern Florida, examples of notes from pice of becoming a cashless society. Should physical money go the five currency issuing National Banks in the way of the ivory-billed woodpecker, we run the risk of severing Palm Beach County are desirable, hard to a vital link to our past. come by rarities. As an added bonus, the reverse of the Series 1902 National Bank notes Money is more than a means of transacting business - it is a are amongst the most beautifully engraved historical timeline. From Caesar to Churchill, if you want to find images to ever adorn our nation’s currency. out who any country’s most beloved (or feared) leaders were, look no further than their currency. Money is a showcase for Tangible money is also a dossier on a nation’s a nation’s artisans (an intricate engraving of John Trumbull’s conflicts as military might is often featured inde- Declaration of Independence graces the reverse of the lowly two- tailed vignettes such as the one found on the dollar bill), and through the use of symbolism and allegories, it Series 1918 $2.00 Federal Reserve Bank Note af- is the embodiment of how it views itself and how it wishes to fectionately known as a “battleship note.” As can be seen by friend and foe alike. Referred to as “the hobby of be expected, great triumphs tend to be celebrat- kings” during the Renaissance, today there remains an active, ed with artistic flair, rich in symbolism, while low well-heeled and scholarly group of numismatists always hunt- points are of an understandably more muted de- Throughout America’s history, there have been numerous types of ing for specimen coins and currency of historical significance, sign. One such low-key example is the World War currency issued and, like fossils, each variety captures specific points exceptional eye appeal and notable rarity. II “emergency” Hawaii currency that was issued in time for future generations to remember and study. The American after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite the notes being of Revolution, The Gold Rush and The “Bank Holiday” of 1933 are all eras a relatively standard appearance with a generic overprint, represented by physical money. In our infancy, the various colonies they still conjure up emotional and catastrophic images issued their own currency and despite the generally primitive ap- of that fateful day. pearance, their charm lies hidden in fading signatures as occasionally the signers were patriots of great prominence. One such individual As we continue to make technological advances, cash was Francis Hopkinson who signed a Pennsylvania colonial issue as we know it will most certainly be rendered obsolete, from 1771. In addition to his myriad of artistic accomplishments, he but the impersonal, speed of an electronic transaction was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence giving currency can never emotionally replace the feeling of excitement, with his signature a historical Americana “cool factor” you just won’t artistic merits or historical association of holding physical find in a Bitcoin. money in your hand. I am all for efficiency but is it the best practice for the future to board up the tunnels that connect us to our past? Left and upper right page: When it was minted in 1776, the Continental Currency coin didn’t have a denomination. All note images are courtesy of the author’s personal collection.

144 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 145 “The Jews established all kinds of institutions, such as schools, met his his wife Elena (whose parents had immigrated libraries and synagogues. They were instrumental in the to Buenos Aires from Romania). “They went to the big Remembering The agricultural cooperative movement in Argentina.” cities to seek a better education, and to become professionals”, explains Professor Aizenberg.

Mathias and Elena’s daughter Pola was, therefore, born in Jewish Gauchos of Argentina Buenos Aires in 1930. Until the age of 13, she only knew By Steve North about life on the Pampas from her parents’ stories, and the visits of her grandparents. But then she spent a week It is the sweetest of childhood herself in Entre Rios on her grandparents farm. memories. “My grandfather used “It was strange, coming from a big city,” she recalls in to visit us each year, and since he her still-strong Argentinian accent. “I had never been in raised bees, he brought a big can fields before, fields of corn and other vegetables. And of honey,” says Pola Gordon. “My they had cows and horses, walking around free outside mother used to mix the honey the house at night!” with chocolate, and we would Pecheny-Berger family – original immigrants from Eastern Ihave a big bowl of it on the Despite the romantic rural images, “life was very hard Europe to the new country of Entre Rios, Argentina. Image for them,” says Pola. “One of their eleven children, a little table, with spoons lying there. is a copy of a photograph and the only known photo three-year-old girl, drowned in a pond. Of the other ten, Everyone who passed by took of the original members of the family who settled the land some. And let me tell you,” she only two stayed in Entre Rios; the others all wanted to go laughs, “it tasted wonderful!” Pola, age 2, 1932 And so, in 1906, Gershon (Gregorio) Pecheny abandoned to universities, so they left for Buenos Aires, one by one. his furniture factory in his small Ukrainian town, where he Some later went to Israel.” Pola, 84, now lives in Tamarac, Florida, but the scene she de- and his family feared for their lives, and arrived in the village scribes occurred annually in the city of her birth, Buenos Aires, of Pedermar in Entre Rios with his wife and five children. Argentina. Her grandfather Gregorio, however, lived nearly He changed his name to Gregorio, became a farmer, and 200 miles north in the province of Entre Rios, where he was a fathered six more children. member of one of history’s most exclusive clubs: “Los Gauchos Judios,” or, “the Jewish gauchos.” Pecheny joined thousands of other Jews who had been merchants, musicians or peddlers in Europe, who spoke The story begins in 1887, when the only Yiddish, and who were far more familiar with knishes than son of a prominent German-Jewish banker empanadas. Despite initial conflicts with the native gau- and industrialist named Baron Maurice von chos, the Jews were eventually accepted by them, and the Hirsch died. Hirsch responded to a sympa- two groups began to share each other’s cultures. Jews thy message with the sentence “My son I learned Spanish, some gauchos picked up Yiddish, and the have lost, but not my heir; humanity is my spirited gaucho lifestyle gained a kind of popularity among heir.” Already well-known for his charitable the Jewish colonies in Argentina. contributions, he devoted the rest of his life Synagogue Brener, a historic site in Moises Ville, and much of his considerable fortune to Pecheny’s son Mathias was just six months old when the Santa Fe, Argentina built circa 1890 Baron Maurice von Hirsch philanthropic activity. family arrived in South America. When Mathias became A century after their heyday, the settlements of the Jewish a young adult, he, like many of the second and third Chief among his concerns was the increasingly desperate gauchos are largely gone. A few synagogues and schools generation, decided to move to Buenos Aires where he situation of his fellow Jews in Eastern Europe, especially in remain, but many of the Jews sold their farms back in the Czarist Russia. Persecution in the form of violence, official 1950s and abandoned the fields for a more cosmopoli- discrimination and expulsions was ramping up, and tan life in Buenos Aires or Cordoba. The very first Jewish Hirsch devised a unique scheme. He founded the “Jewish agricultural colony, Moises Ville, in Santa Fe province, Colonization Association”, which would send European Jews still exists. It once boasted 5,000 residents. Now, there are to newly created agricultural communities in the U.S., Canada, 2,000, only 200 of whom are Jewish. pre-Israel Palestine, and especially, to the Argentine Pampas. Pola Pecheny Gordon left Argentina in 1957, emigrating “Argentina at that time was looking for European settlers,” says with her husband, two children (later she had a third child Edna Aizenberg, Professor Emeritus of Hispanic Studies at Mary- born on U.S. soil), and her parents to New York City. She mount Manhattan College, “and the Jews needed to get out. moved to Florida in 1984, and was widowed five years ago. There were huge, barren, largely unpopulated tracts of land in Looking back at her family’s fascinating history, Pola has Argentina where only ‘gauchos’, or cowboys, lived.” It was an immense respect for the sacrifices made by her grandpar- unusual but convenient match. ents. “They were very ‘valiente’, brave,” she says. “They had Aizenberg, who formerly lived in Argentina and is an internationally Photo from the photographic archive of the Museum of the a choice, to live, or to die. They left their home in Europe recognized expert on the history of the Jewish community there, Jewish Colonies of Entre Rios (Dominguez) and Aaron Goldman and came to Argentina. They chose to live.” says Baron von Hirsch’s unique idea was, for a time, successful. Museum in Moises Ville, Santa Fe, first settlement 146 South Florida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 South Florida OPULENCE 147 Most people who know the baron call him “Sepy.” And though he died four years ago, depths of his basement-level wine cellar to his larger-than-life presence and insatiable the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, where Sepy floor condo in Miami. In 1989, they be- gusto are fondly recalled by friends from once placed a State of Florida flag. The avid friended the man they remember as being Miami to Apalachicola, from the streets climber also scaled the Matterhorn. quick with a joke, a party invitation or a phone call to a charming ingénue. of Hungary to the island of Bali, from the Sepy From the Eyes of His Best Friends “The second day I was in Florida, a mu- Among Sepy’s best friends were Mel and tual friend invited us over to Sepy’s house,” Gerri Stier, residents of an expansive, 16th- said Mel who, at the time, was engaged to now-wife, Gerri. “We all went over for din- Sepy Dobronyi ner, had a lot of fun, laughed and played The Hugh Hefner of Miami

By Dale King & Julia Hebert Sepy Dobronyi & Mel Stier As if the moniker, Baron Joseph de Bicske Dobronyi, weren’t long enough, it is usually followed by additional description: Nobleman, world traveler, jokester, playboy, party animal, jeweler, sculptor, skirt chaser, artisan and wine collector, to name a few.

148 South148 Florida South OPULENCEFlorida OPULENCE Fall 2014 Fall 2014 Fall 2014 Fall South 2014 Florida South OPULENCEFlorida OPULENCE 149 149 ancestors and his private army routed the Turks from Hungary not get a job because of a facial disfigurement. After the retouches, after 150 years of occupation. says Mel, “she got a job and met the man she eventually married.”

As a pilot in the Hungarian Air Force in World War II, Sepy displayed Toward the end of his life – and after having visited 89 countries, his softer side by transporting wounded soldiers from the front including his much-loved Bali -- Sepy began to suffer both health lines to hospitals for the Red Cross. He was shot down by the Rus- and financial troubles. Like a friend in need, Mel, a real estate inves- sians, but managed to escape in a day and return to Budapest. tor, arranged a reverse mortgage that helped his pal get by.

After the war, he headed to Cuba where he met writer Ernest Sepy died of liver cancer May 29, 2010 at the age of 88 – or was it Hemingway and actor Errol Flynn. He also became fast friends 93, says Mel, who believes the man-about-town had trimmed five with Playboy magazine publisher Hugh Hefner. Their lust for years from his chronological age. With sadness, Mel and Gerri took sexy women was so similar that Sepy earned the title of “Miami’s their friend’s ashes to a church in his small hometown in Hungary Hugh Hefner,” given his predilection for lovely and often scantily where they remain, in an urn atop a specially built marble fixture. clad ladies. Auctioned as part of his estate was a 40-year-old pair of Queen Sepy arrived in the United States in 1959 and quickly became Elizabeth’s panties. Mel said Sepy “had a friend who was the pilot a U.S. citizen. for the queen when she toured South America in her youth. He bet Art of a Bon Vivant the pilot $1,000 that he couldn’t get a pair of her panties. While she was off the plane, the pilot opened her luggage, took a pair and His prowess as a sculptor is perhaps best solidified in the contro- later handed them over to Sepy. The queen never noticed.” The versial gold and bronze nude of actress Anita Ekberg for which royal drawers sold on eBay for $18,000. she posed in the buff – a no-no for Hollywood types in the 1950s. When his buddy Hefner published a picture of Sepy and the sculp- For Mel and Gerri Stier, Sepy isn’t really gone, not when they see ture in the August 1956 edition of Playboy, it raised a furor among his sculptures and a multitude of photos around their condo. At her bosses and rankled the actress’s husband. any time, they expect a call from the friend with the soft Hungarian accent, asking, “So, what are we doing tonight?” Sepy also dated Debbie Reynolds, but her studio’s suits stepped in and “put the kibosh” on that romance, says Mel.

When the Stiers met Sepy, his reputation as a bon vivant was already well established. “There’s a place on Eighth Street in Miami called Casa Panza which had flamenco dancing one night a week,” Modeled after his astrological sign, Taurus, Sepy's home was built with a roof shaped like a charging bull, with wooden support says Mel. “Though it was packed, Sepy always got in. He would beams that jutted out like horns. It sold this year for $1.4 million. jump on the stage and dance with the flamenco dancers. He and his entourage always got front-row tables.” backgammon. He invited us back the next day where a Saudi The spacious, elegantly furnished manse featured a Viking Mel says Sepy “was very outgoing. You couldn’t get him on a plane Arabian prince cooked shish kabob for 150 people out by the pool.” ship-shaped bed in the guest room and three bungalows around or a train without 20 or more people gathering around him. He the perimeter. House guests included Frank Sinatra, photogra- was very flamboyant. He would wear snakeskin boots and snake- At the party, Mel and Gerri met a Supreme Court justice who mar- pher/model Bunny Yeager and the mayor of Cairo, among others. skin jackets. He would always throw very extravagant parties. For ried them on the spot – in Sepy’s bedroom “which had a Jacuzzi his birthday, we would all go up to Apalachicola where he arranged for eight people and a big statue of Buddha. My sister lent me her It sold earlier this year for $1.4 million for a boat cruise on the river.” ring.” A photo of that fortuitously timed ceremony “hung in Sepy’s Calling himself a “tag-along,” Mel admits that Sepy opened a lot of kitchen until he sold the house,” Mel and Gerri remember. doors for him. “Every Saturday, he threw an impromptu party for Sepy, Mel says, loved funny stories. “He organized a joke-telling so- Lady’s Man Extraordinaire 20 or 30 people, with smaller get-togethers during the week. The ciety which was a lot of fun. We met once a month and people guests would provide the entertainment. If you were lucky enough would tell the latest jokes. It is still going on, but I don’t go any Though he was skilled at jewelry making and sculpting, Sepy is to get an invitation, you had to perform.” more. Today, most of the participants find jokes on the Internet.” renowned more for his dalliances with the ladies, many of them famous, and his marriage to as many as five – including a Play- People from all over the world dropped by, Mel said. “Generally, I Sepy could go where most others couldn’t. “[Wealthy arms dealer boy bunny. Himself an unabashed playboy, Sepy gained notoriety was the only American there. Sepy seemed to know everybody and Adnan] Khashoggi’s yacht was here in Miami and everyone wanted for allowing the bawdy skin-flick Deep Throat to be filmed in his everybody knew him. He really loved parties and people. He had to attend a party on board.” Sepy got the invite, and was one of the home in Coconut Grove, Florida. Afterward, he dated its star, Linda an appetite for life and didn’t want to miss a minute.” few who had a chance to tour the regal craft. Khashoggi eventually Lovelace, who regaled his manhood in her autobiography. sold the yacht to Donald Trump. He also had an appetite for Gerri Stier’s cooking. “Sepy used to call The house venerated Sepy’s astrological sign, Taurus. He designed it with every week and say ‘Make me some duck,’” she said. “He drove all Sepy’s Humanitarian Side a roof shaped like a charging bull, with horn-like timbers jutting out from the way from Coconut Grove for dinner. It was his favorite.” While Sepy loved to surround himself with beautiful women, he A bubble bath-covered Sepy offers a toast from his tub where he was usually accompanied by several lovely ladies. the overhang. His wealthy second wife covered the cost of the mini-man- Intriguing History showed his sensitive side when he reached into his own pocket sion – and, after their divorce, paid him alimony for nearly a lifetime. As to pay for plastic surgery and other cosmetic touches for a young A Hungarian, Sepy was born a baron by historic lineage. The Mel quipped, “He made his money the old-fashioned way, he married it.” Hungarian woman. The girl’s mother told Sepy her daughter could title was bestowed on his family in 1540 after one of his

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