"Lugo's gone, we have a warrant for his arrest," Jimenez said. Du Bois's deft sleuthing showed that Mese had been in on the plot to snatch and kill Schiller. He pleaded guilty and received a year of probation. Group of bodybuilders at center of one of Miami's most notorious crimes: a … I had no fight in me.". These days, he's living at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, a small town in north-central Florida, where he's been desperately trying to avoid execution, filing a series of appeals starting in September 1998. The businessman and father was living in kind of a hell associated with a Third World dungeon -- complete with racial slurs. This is what we would call the gang headquarters," said Jimenez. The actual Sun Gym was shut down in August 1995 after its owner was arrested on kidnapping, money-laundering, and attempted-murder charges. and their mother inherited his multi-million dollar estate. VICTORIA BECKHAM has shown where her allegiances lie after showing off her Inter Miami phone case on Instagram. to Frank and Krisztina, there was the kidnap kit -- a case with duct "Doorbal was just an evil, he reminded me of just an evil guy," said Garafalo. "She Frank Griga's sister By clicking 'X' or continuing to use the site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. "As I was sentencing him, Danny Lugo was standin' there lookin' at His brutality only got worse with Griga and Furton. That's how the gang found its final mark. Home Depot and return it," said Ferrer. claim anything," said Ferrer. Gym trainers include a King of the Cage Champion, former NYPD boxing team trainer, black sash in Chinese Shaolin kung … Schiller was invigorated by the decision to go to the police. And we were all in a panic," he said. In a highly unusual twist, Judge Alex Ferrer stood up for Schiller I said, 'Yeah, yeah. seen in my life," Levine said, "but she was also one of the most naive MIAMI -- Zsuzsanna Griga will never forget the kidnapping "I kind of knew that something really bad happened then...". "He thought he was smarter than anybody else," Jimenez added. strange because in homicide we need a crime scene. As Du Bois worked that morning analyzing security for the upcoming Super Bowl at Joe Robbie Stadium, his phone rang. him ... only to be surprised that cars were coming down the street and Retired Miami-Dade detectives show the arsena... Miami-Dade state attorney on seeking justice ... Judge Alex Ferrer: "The jurors in this case w... California Privacy/Information We Collect. "They, I mean this whole time they were laughing uncontrollably. Schiller's brother and sister booked an air ambulance, grabbed their "She was a very, very attractive woman," Jimenez said. She "She fell for Danny and believed everything he told her.". "... and then douse the car with gasoline and set it February 22, 2014 / 10:59 PM But Lugo had one more trick up his sleeve. Judge Alex presided over the trials of Sun Gym gang members Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal. They live in a three-bedroom residence in southwest Miami-Dade owned by his parents. Roberts asked. would drag on for 10 weeks, overseen by Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the The Medicare fraud that made Schiller such an easy target for the gang had come back to haunt him. he replied. He played a rough cut for Clay Ostwald, a former Miami Sound Machine musician, and Tommy Anthony, a guitarist for Santana. By 2002, Schiller regained his CPA license. When the Sun Gym Gang held Schiller captive inside a Hialeah warehouse, Doorbal gleefully scorched him with a lighter. "He was To finance their voracious appetites, they became experts in the dark arts of kidnapping, torture, extortion, and murder. The writer landed a contract as a consultant to the screenwriting team. are out there. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. He brought me a can of a - canned ravioli, which I had to eat with A sympathetic Schiller offered the Havana-born Delgado a job... All in all Delgado had profited immensely from the relationship. Owned by Miami accountant and former Mr. United Kingdom John Mese, Sun Gym was not the type of place where dudes went to pick up honeys. box. now, she wouldn't tell detectives where Lugo was. It has to be highly suspicious "This is where we burn the bodies," he jokes. "Marc Schiller was asked to come and give testimony under oath four Prosecutor Levine would eventually lead the investigation and try the Fire!' Marc Schiller did not commit that $14 million worth of know, they had the bodies. "The plan was actually very simple: kidnap Marc Schiller, have him write his own ransom and then kill him," she replied. Asked what he remembered next, Schiller told Roberts, "Waking up in a hospital.". ", "Coño," one of the bakers barks. Francisco Alvarado's Miami New Times article, "Pain & Gain: Where the Real-Life Sun Gym Gang Characters Are Now" (April 4, 2013), details the actual crimes, the real-life gang members’ sentences, and the characters' post-trial experiences and current status. They knew they were gonna kill them from the outset," said Ferrer. They backed out about a Here is what's become of them two decades after the Sun Gym Gang's infamous bloodbath. The two became best buddies, even though Schiller had warned him to avoid Lugo. Current status: Employed as an accountant in Boca Raton. She declines to provide her name but explains that the space is now occupied by a perfume wholesale company called Oni Essence. Noel [Adrian] Doorbal, on the other "They basically go 'He's not goin' to the cops ... he's involved in Medicare fraud. A New York native with a smooth tongue and a disarming smile, Lugo was fresh from serving a 15-month federal prison stint for fraud when he landed at Sun Gym in 1992. Accounting Services office in West Dade, cried as she described to her boss the couple's perilous finances. I guess they came at 10 to look for me, to kill us all, all three of us," said Schiller. When Lugo, Doorbal, Delgado, and nine accomplices were arrested, Du Bois pitched author Collins the idea of writing a book about the Sun Gym Gang. He had carried outside a metal drum, placed the iron grate on top, tossed on hands, feet, and various skull portions, splashed some gasoline around, and started a fire. 99th St., Miami Shores, FL 33138. Current status: Griga lives in Budapest, Hungary, occasionally returning to Aventura, where she owns a condo. "And I go, 'No, no, no, no. "I guess they were referring to the fact I was Jewish," he replied. "First, I can't walk and second of all, who knows how many of these people are out there," he said. On July 17, 1998, Ferrer sentenced both to death for each of the murders of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton, as well as two prison terms for other crimes. "They handcuffed my hands behind my back.". Today, Collins is wrapping up his e­book and working on two other projects, about another Miami true crime story and a memoir on growing up in '60s Dade. Du Bois hasn't read the script, but he has a cameo role. driving a gold Mercedes and told them they were going out to dinner to Meanwhile you can send your letters to % JOHN CARL MESE, 170 N.E. I just made a mistake," he told Roberts. Ferrer, now TV's "Judge Alex", and Miami-Dade prosecutor Gail Levine "They never returned the money to him?' "Adrian Doorbal was Danny Lugo's protege," said Jimenez. But he also was wary, afraid he might die in Miami. Coral Gables, FL 33145. She says Schiller didn't come forward, because he had his own Even if Lugo improbably avoids a lethal injection, he would still have to serve five life sentences, plus more than 300 years. and revealed to the gang where his assets were kept. enough horse tranquiller to kill four 1,000-pound horses. It didn't hurt that after leaving New Times in 1990, Collins had entered a master's degree writing program and was looking for a thesis. The jury was sworn in on February 20, 1998, and didn't begin deliberations until four months later. Her brother, Frank, is part of Shalhoub's composite character, Key description: "Griga began to collect luxury automobiles, among them a $200,000 royal blue Vector, a rare, handmade, experimental sports car; a Dodge Stealth for running errands; and the Lamborghini Diablo... His girlfriends were beautiful, as sensual and sculpted as the cars he owned. "I was just glad that someone was finally doing it," he affirms. "We've been here for two, three years," she says. She made it onto the pages of Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox, Miami Restaurant Directory: Takeout/Delivery/Dine-in, Pain & Gain: From New Times Story to Michael Bay Film. Current status: On death row for the murders of Griga and Furton. Short of bringing him back? At Sun Gym, a hard-core bodybuilder joint just north of Miami Lakes, Lugo quickly worked his way up to manager. him, I mean he must be dead,'" Ferrer continued. either in their name or for their surviving members ," said Rundle. When police finally arrested him on June 2, 1995, at his Miami Lakes apartment, he admitted his part in Schiller's abduction, then stopped talking. Delgado wanted revenge and told Lugo that Schiller Tags: movies, pain and gain, sun gym, logo, team sun gym, pel culas, el dolor y la ganancia, gimnasio sol, logotipo, gimnasio equipo de sol, films, la douleur et le gain, le soleil gymnase, quipe soleil gym, sun, filme, schmerz und gewinn, so fitness studio, team so turnhalle "They'd been partying and going to strip clubs, and dropping So it's like "Money was there for him to make other people happy and to play, to buy toys," she said. It's a moment Judge Ferrer will never forget. The breathin' down your neck,'" said Du Bois. Danny Lugo had convinced her he was a spy on a secret mission. invited her in and introduced her to two muscle-bound men that were "He was the brains. Sun Gym, Inc. is a Florida Domestic Profit Corporation filed on June 18, 1986. "And he would burn me, you know, burn my skin ... and then he'd do this member who had first told Lugo about Schiller and his millions - ended Immediately she flew from Budapest. I wanna grow, I wanna be somebody very big...'" said Barrientos. "And the credibility issues due to his alleged involvement in Medicare fraud. "So you had your .45 with you?" In February 1998, almost three years after the gruesome murders of As far as the movie, Szuszanna is already panning it. That was surreal. business scheme and a meeting was set at the Solid Gold strip club. Within minutes, Doorbal was strangling police. And they just blew it off.". charges relating to an extensive Medicare scam. Alex Ferrer. "...he loved fast cars, beautiful girls and life," Griga said. As interest in the Sun Gym Gang case has gained traction, major news outlets have knocked on Schiller's door seeking to retell his story. I leave that to the federal government. His adaptation, starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, hits theaters April 26. Schiller would reunite with his family in Colombia. Here Are Five Examples of Miami's Affordability Crisis. When they got all they could, the gang ordered him to wash down sleeping pills with a fountain of liquor, put him behind the wheel of his Toyota 4Runner — which they set on fire — and then rammed him into a utility pole. Get him all drunk," said Judge Alex Ferrer. But catching Schiller to shake him down was tougher than it looked. "And they Mississippi residents without water for more than 2 weeks after storm, Oldest Texas electricity co-op goes bust after $2 billion bill, 279 schoolgirls released 4 days after mass-abduction in Nigeria, DHS chief urges patience with "stressful challenge" along border, Prince Harry compares "unbelievably tough" royal split to Diana, Trump received COVID-19 vaccine in January, sources say, Cuomo faces investigation into alleged sexual misconduct, T.I. A dark-skinned Adonis, he suffered bouts of impotency from his chronic steroid abuse. Doorbal was also found guilty and both men were sentenced to death. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Miami with no paywalls. "Of all the cases I've tried this is by far the most fascinating case," said Ferrer. In the meantime, Schiller finished his memoir. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy. Collins was out on his daily jog one morning in Miami Shores when Du Bois stopped him. out over a deal. In … But even Ed Du Bois, with 50 years of experience as a private "He'd do anything and everything that Danny Delgado did not respond to a letter mailed to his home requesting comment. Man Who Sued Miami Police Capt. and held for more than a month. He was in control as the prosecution's star witness. "Very handsome couple, they looked like they were made for each discuss a business deal," said Jimenez. Played by: Not in the movie but gets an onscreen credit for writing the tale, Real-life role: Former Miami New Times writer who penned the Sun Gym Gang's story. accident to kidnap Schiller. He was the personification of the American dream.". About Us, A few years earlier, he and his wife were living with her parents. up helping the federal government make their case. "They duct taped him... they put tape on his mouth ... and we took off right out of here," said the co-conspirator. I run into them by accident, I'm dead.". Mercedes ... and just basically living off his money. With the little money he had, he spent a lot of it at the Solid Gold In all, "How many times did you insist you had been kidnapped?" See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Sun Gym locations in Three Lakes, Miami, FL. The two crimes would become one huge case -- a case that Judge Alex Now, Lugo and Doorbal were front and center of two cases. After heeding Du Bois's advice to split Miami, Schiller hired the private investigator to go after the gang. "Both of them loved it and joined me on the final recording," says Du Bois, who's selling the cut on iTunes and CD Baby. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: California Privacy Policy | California Collection Notice | Do Not Sell My Info. In fewer than 10 years, Frank was living in an upscale Miami enclave The "Doorbal just loved violence," Schiller says today. he became the manager of a suburban Miami health club called Sun Gym. The Sun Gym Gang did manage to abduct Schiller and then tortured him for nearly a month in a Hialeah warehouse. But the real plan mirrored the violent abduction of Marc Schiller: We got our next victim.". Roberts asked Levine. Medicare fraud.". "I started calling him and he wouldn't pick up the phone," Zsuzsanna And she just keeps going, 'No you weren't Petrescu was another recent immigrant who made a splash in Miami. In May 1995, Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal would be at the center of that happened to me," he said. "This case was all over the news," retired homicide detective Felix His name is plastered on movie posters. On July 17, 2011, Delgado married a woman named Jocelyn Rosado Nuñez. Krisztina Furton, 23, who loved animals, swimming and had dreams of The following day, Lugo agreed to take investigators to the bodies if cops would mention his cooperation in court. But he still had a seven-figure bank account thanks to his nutritional-supplements companies. The movie captures what Lugo was about in real life: his infatuation He was on top The gang used costumes Don't knock Lugo's hustle, though. Frank was completely legal.". cranking it and the car won't start and he goes driving by. Miami,'" said Schiller. Prosecutors gave him a sweetheart deal because they needed his testimony, and they couldn't prove he participated in killing the Hungarians. one of the most notorious crimes in Miami history: a complicated and He walked into a Kmart store on SW Eighth Street and 123rd Avenue, where he attempted to return $7,512 worth of stolen merchandise. "Sergeant Jimenez and Sgt. Schiller says he was allowed to make one phone call. "I was pretty hardcore..." he said of his weightlifting. boyfriend," Levine explained. Key description: "Although Doorbal was shorter than Lugo, he too had the build of a professional weightlifter, his muscle striations enhanced by his dark skin. Hollywood could not resist this crazy scene. 14, Miami Lakes. JENNIFER Lopez has her hands full these days — as she demonstrates while leaving a Miami gym. Du Bois and Schiller had not seen each other since the latter went to prison in 1999, but they reignited their friendship when the movie's producers asked his help in tracking Marc down. again ... and he was laughing so hard he was crying.". "Yeah, I told 'em I was kidnapped, and they go, 'No no, you were in a The state's high court denied his petition four years later. "While they were beating you?" 99TH ST., MIAMI SHORES, FL, 33138. nature --just the biggest crimes. 1994, Lugo and his gang were offering cash for a little help. And my sister was there and my brother. "They also needed Krisztina," said Levine. The Roberts asked Levine. Schiller and Delgado had been in business. doesn't have enough power. Doorbal's girlfriend, who knew Griga through her strip-club job, showed the hood a photo of the businessman with his Lambo. Anyone could join, of course, but if you were soft and puffy, you were way out of your league here. "I don't understand why they want to make me look like a bad guy. Lugo's girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu, was granted immunity in exchange We have the next door neighbor. They were 100% Cotton 6.1 Ounce Heavy Cotton. The two quickly fell in love and became inseparable.". "... when you have a case that's that grotesque and you know people "... and as soon as they grabbed him the guy grabbed the steering wheel... he was screaming the co-conspirator told Roberts. Schiller was tortured endlessly. policy. Lugo is now 49. State Attorney for Miami-Dade County. My heart breaks when I When the dominoes started to fall, though, Delgado was the first to squeal. In my house," Schiller told Troy Roberts. he lost everything -- his health, his home, his millions. He would have to living there ... and partying in his home," Ferrer explained. The prosecution rested. his house, they changed the pool contract to their name. "The call was unusual because the story was so bizarre," said Du Bois. matter of time. Bound and gagged, he'd be dumped at a warehouse Lugo bought chainsaws and hatchets and helped Doorbal dismember the couple, chopping off their hands and feet, peeling back their faces, and ripping their teeth from their skulls to make identification impossible. Indeed Lugo's sidekick from Trinidad resembled some carved Caribbean virility god.". The 51-year-old looks ripped after a workout at SOMI Gym - … Then Doorbal used a chainsaw and a hatchet to dismember their bodies. Miami accountant John Mese had opened Sun Gym just seven years before, in January 1987. "The movie is going to glorify what they did. After relocating to Miami and finding wild … But Doorbal and Lugo decided to call Sun Gym powerlifter and karate expert John Raimondo, a six-feet-five, 250-pound diesel. blankets like they were some kind of ninja ... waiting for him to come Support the independent voice of Miami and help keep the future of New Times free. "And they told him that they were investors and that they had a way to make 20-percent return on the dollar," said Levine. He'd taken Delgado under his wing but later had a falling-out over his friendship with Lugo. "Lugo and Doorbal, on the other hand, they wanted to live that life," Ferrer continued. I'm like, 'That's not happening.' The Miami millionaire was Marc Schiller, an accountant. "You know we were very poor when we were young..." she continued. in the driver's seat ... because they never imagined that I'd be sitting "This case was what made me who I am today, a career prosecutor," said Levine. women I have ever met in my life. You can't claim misidentification. "They continue coming up with nonsense to escape what's coming to them," Szuszanna grouses. Circulation, know it's not a big dent, yeah but we ran him over, and we backed over It's still very hard after 17 years.". They took the bodies to an empty warehouse. Schiller had an even bigger problem: Lugo and Delgado were intent on finishing the job. It was that car that would never forget. Weeks would pass, a big Hollywood movie, he won't get a dime. out at Sun Gym. back to Doorbal's apartment. "I thought they were gonna take me and kill me," he said. He was convicted of racketeering, first-degree murder, kidnapping, extortion, arson, burglary, robbery, grand theft, and forgery on June 2, 1998. Asked what did they do with the bodies, Levine told Roberts, "Well, they got creative.". She's tried more than 00 cases. "So you have a missing Hungarian couple and a Lamborghini," Roberts noted. When the Sun Gym Gang targeted him, Schiller's Schlotzsky's Deli franchise near the airport was failing. 2531 Coral Way. The 45-year-old uploaded two snaps on social media of her in a white sports bra and white leggings where she showed her support for her husband's MLS side. being a professional diver, was now shot full of horse tranquilizer. The Sun Gym gang left a massive, bloody trail of evidence. Originally the character played by Shalhoub was going to be named after him and he was supposed to have a cameo role as a detective, Schiller claims. The Miami New Times may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. Depicted by: A big-windowed building at NE 79th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, Miami. on fire. But detectives had lost their lead suspect, Danny Lugo. Website (305) 285-9440. But rather than make the quirky comedy, the studio wanted Bay to concentrate on blockbusters like the Transformers franchise. More than a week later, Szuszanna got a call from Dade County detectives confirming they'd found the hacked-up bodies of her brother and his girlfriend. own apartments, wearing his jewelry, driving his Dodge Viper, and his "Did Marc Schiller "Danny treated her well ... he gave her a BMW," said Jimenez. called "Golden Beach" and running a phone sex line empire. The current status of the business is Inactive. would be an easy mark. They juiced harder than Mark McGwire, pumped iron faster than a Lamborghini Diablo's pistons, and made it rain on more strippers than Juicy J at King of Diamonds. "The main guy that we're after, Danny Lugo, is nowhere to be found," said Jimenez. ", Key description: "Ed Du Bois became a mere spectator to the grisly findings. Mese hired Lugo and Doorbal to run the place and train customers, and Lugo came up with his plans to knock over Schiller and Griga between scarfing down power bars, juicing up with steroids, and flexing weights inside. "Pain & Gain" turned into one of the most widely read yarns in this paper's 26-year history. Former New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez is opening a new gym called TruFusion in Coral Gables April 1st. the Keystone Cops gone bad.". Eventually, Delgado persuaded his gym partner to go after his former boss because Schiller had supposedly "stolen" $300,000 from them in a business deal. Even now, with "It was one of those days in Miami where a storm was coming in," Schiller recalled. He's like 5 foot 7 tall and 5 foot 7 Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton, Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal were set "Did you fear that Delgado and Lugo were going to come to hospital to finish the job?" Ultimately, the rest of the gang went to prison, too. millions.". "What person gets kidnapped, held for a month, and when he finally The map was clear and it led straight to the Sun Gym gang. They moved into She knew all the gang's secrets and details of their Two other victims weren't so lucky, ending up murdered and chopped to pieces with chainsaws, their body parts tossed into the Everglades. Ferrer wondered. co-conspirator was sentenced to two years imprisonment for his "I know as much about as it as you do," Du Bois says. Check out our miami sun gym selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. "But I can tell you it was a real thrill to be on the set of a major Hollywood movie that I wrote, filmed within blocks of my childhood home in El Portal. "He's trying to convince the nurse to give him a phone, because he The Sun Gym gang left a massive, bloody trail of evidence. moving boxes and they're moving a couch. He also spent 30 days in solitary confinement for disrespecting prison officials. got to reconnect with his former client when shooting began in mid-2012. ", "And pretty soon they had everything the man owned. "What he accomplished ... should make In the Hollywood I can't explain it," he replied. "I haven't seen the movie yet," Collins says. On May 27, 1995, after several aborted attempts to snatch Griga, Lugo and Doorbal lured him and Furton to Shula's Steak House under the pretense of a business deal. The ordeal wasn't over for Marc Schiller. "You believe the jury got it right?" It took the gang six bumbling tries to abduct Schiller — including one bizarre episode involving ninja costumes — but on the morning of November 14, 1994, they finally got him outside of Schlotszky's. Roberts asked. Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in a recent movie. Krisztina. Made notorious by the movie Pain and Gain. "To me, the story was about my survival," he says. With 100 witnesses and thousands of pieces of evidence, the case "How did this all go down?" When Griga fought back, Doorbal bashed in his head.