"Running a club in that neighborhood, win or lose, you've got to fight.". Instead, he's trapped in a labyrinthine legal system, alone and unable to speak Spanish. In the distance, La Cordillera de San Blas cuts through the Panamanian jungle like a serrated knife. "But I've always paid for everything, either with stitches in my head, concussions, or jail time. This looks great. . Dalia Dippolito May Have Tried to Kill Him, But Michael Dippolito Is No Saint, Florida Man Wrestles Shark For Forty Five Minutes, Florida to Execute Death Row Prisoner Donald Dillbeck in February, "We Are Everywhere": Ominous Messages on Anti-Abortion Counseling Centers Prompt Federal Charges, So You're Saying There's (Still) a Chance: Dolphins Playoff Chances Dwindle After 26-20 Loss, Trashed American Flag Sparks Capitol Hill Kerfuffle, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Garrulous and bearish, the dentist-turned-hood (practicing the former in the Soviet Union and training for the latter in Brighton Beach) routinely carried two pistols and operated out of his Hialeah, Fla., strip club, Porkys: famous for a small motorized car that pulled up between the spread legs of dancers as they performed. Explore More. His mother, Bonnie Gellilti, was "a bit of a criminal," Tony remembers. His father, Arnold, was a strait-laced sales manager but a distant and disapproving dad. "He was a smooth-talker. Like a concert pianist, Tony Galeota has spent his life honing a single skill since he was a teenager. Here, Galeota is just one of 500 prisoners crammed into a filthy cell block designed to hold 200 people. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. ", Instead, he found another, tighter-knit family: the mob. Director Tiller Russell tells DailyMail.com that hed heard rumblings and rumors about the insane deal, but it was about seven years ago when he first got a concrete lead about Tarzan and his cronies. And so from there, Juan showed up in Moscow with a vague, half-assed agreement with Tarzan he still had gotten me to come there without agreeing to be in the film, and he put me through the paces of taking me to the sauna and sort of took me on this insane kind of underworld tour of Moscow. A narc I know called me with a tip and he said, This is the craziest true-crime caper Ive ever come across in my life. Then once he sent me this crazy email like, Holy s***! From Porky's to Panama Prison, Tony Galeota Reveals Miami's Mob-Run Even then, however, he couldn't sleep. He headed right to his beloved Miami, Florida. And so it was extraordinary, where sort of person after person was this larger-than-life character, from Fat Tony the bartender to Tony Yester the spy-turned-dope-dealer-turned-fugitive. But when the house of cards tumbles, John . He was a big, big fish.". But when Galeota was arrested June 19, 2011, and charged with trafficking drugs and women, he was just as innocent as Stephen King's saintly inmate. On Friday, May 17, Galeota got word that the judge had also dismissed the drug charge because of lack of evidence. This is a guy that the FBI went after for years but could never get him. They are willing to assume the massive risk of getting caught and going to prison for decades, because if they make just one big score they're millionaires. Tony Galeota's shaved head fairly glows with nostalgia as he remembers the days when you might have strolled into his Hialeah bar in search of commercial sex, or maybe to get beaten up or swindled . Guards with machine guns man rusty metal towers. Operation Odessa (2018) - IMDb A bartender characterized Porkys as the kind of place where you could get killed. Babushka was so notorious that FBI agents who described Tarzan as a matre d for criminals bugged the booths there. He decked out the Doll House with five upstairs rooms equipped with king-size beds, mirrors, lube, condoms, and showers, and brought in dozens of Colombian women, who could earn $120 split with the club for an hour of sex. "Thank God I'm out," he tells New Times in his first interview since his release. Within weeks of its April 2011 opening, the club was raking in $6,000 on good nights. In the meantime, he's spending time with his wife and kids. "She would use shoe polish to change our driver's licenses so we could go to clubs and drink when we were 15. Tony Galeota lived in 1954, at address, Massachusetts. He broke it off with the woman, but his problems were only beginning. Anthony Galeota was born October 17, 1968, on Long Island. While on routine patrol, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection plane spotted a suspicious speed boat. Eventually, he moved two dozen ladies to Panama City. His father, Arnold, was a strait-laced sales manager but a distant and disapproving dad. The message was that the cocaine traffickers would kill Yesters family members. He soon finds himself wanting to be a mobster, and starts running errands for them. Find your friends on Facebook. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, From Porky's to Panamanian Prison: Web Extra. Police repeatedly raided the club, yet Galeota escaped unscathed every time. It was apparent they had what appeared to be narcotics and after we did the test they had bales on board of pure cocaine, said Boatswains Mate Omar Castro with the U.S. Coast Guard. But he was too shell-shocked to take up his attorney's offer for a ride to a nice hotel. While Galeota avoided testifying, Fainberg faced 30 counts including racketeering and conspiracy to traffic cocaine and heroin. The crew boarded the 165-foot Panamanian-flagged coastal freighter Hope II. So the translator said she couldn't take a shower, didn't show up, and the case was delayed. Michael Galeota, who starred on the Disney Channel's "The Jersey" died Sunday, according to Variety. S10 E10 - Miami Mobster Take Down Tony Galeota is framed for drug trafficking in Panama City. Thats why you have to do this kind of story as non-fiction., The initial meeting with Tarzan, however, was hampered by the fact that the Russian mob got wind of Russells visit, he says, and they threatened Tarzans life inside the jail if he shared his full story. But when Galeota was arrested June 19, 2011, and charged with trafficking drugs and women, he was just as innocent as Stephen King's saintly inmate. See Photos. One scammer stole from another scammer; of course I accept it, he says. State and local police launched an investigation in February 2009. Filmography (by Job) Trailers and Videos. He turned himself in a few days later, but the lounge's owner decided to close the cursed club. The submarine request, which came from Yester on behalf of the cartel, was not as outrageous as it now sounds. If any official asks you to pay for anything, please report them.". Meet me in Africa for a cup of coffee tomorrow.. On June 19, 2011, Tony and his oldest son, 15-year-old Anthony Jr., had just sat down to eat wings in the Doll House office around 11 p.m. when the gold-painted doors burst open. Tarzan and one of his partners, Fat Tony Galeota, had opened a strip club in Panama similar to a previous enterprise in Miami called Porkys but they landed behind bars in Central America. Moreover, trafficking prostitutes and drugs and involvement in organized crime are some serious charges.". Miami's underworld may still be seedy, but it has outsourced much of its shadiness to nearby Third-World countries such as Panama. Galeota is one of several Americans locked up here. Miami playboy, Russian gangster and Cuban spy tried to buy submarine Panama became Galeota's personal paradise. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. (Panama passed harsher penalties for human trafficking during Galeota's incarceration, but Galeota can't be prosecuted under laws that weren't in place when he was arrested. TV-14 | 06.05.2013. The young mobster needed to lay low, so the Pacciones sent him south to a strip club called the Porthole Pub in Pompano Beach. Michael Galeota Obituary (1984 - 2016) - Pontotoc, MS - Pontotoc Progress She's forgiven me, for the most part. "You see who wants to fuck your wife, who wants to rob you, and who your real friends are.". Docs need stars just like features need stars. They tried to squeeze Fainberg to get Seidle. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Like a concert pianist, Tony Galeota has spent his life honing a single skill since he was a teenager. The gig introduced him to a lifelong vice. Facilitating it. "It's not an easy choice," she says. "When you go to prison, it's like dying, but you get to see your own funeral," Galeota says. Unfortunately, Galeota's defense isn't as simple as quoting strippers, says his lawyer, Guillermina McDonald. Nobody was impressed more than Kristy Sharpe, an 18-year-old waitress from Orlando with blond hair, blue eyes, and lightly freckled skin. His father, Arnold, was a strait-laced sales manager but a distant and disapproving dad. It was a caper, for sure., He says: Tarzan was the lynchpin to it, because it was his story. Galeota is no angelic Andy Dufresne, the main character in Shawshank who serves two decades behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. Over the years, Galeota saw nearly a dozen shootings at Porky's, some of them fatal. . "Miami is a place where I would love to live," he pronounced, "and where I would love to die." Anthony Galeota Profiles | Facebook He paid for her to secretly get an abortion. Join the New Times community and help support Three weeks after the Doll House raid, Kristy was working the bar at Bongos when three teenagers walked into the restaurant. And he hopes to open a place in Fort Lauderdale when he's back. With dark hair and pale, wide-set eyes, teenage Tony resembled a stocky Frank Sinatra. While Kristy was still in the States, he lived with five of his Colombian prostitutes. "I want to go legit when I get out, but if the economy is bad, I might go back to the industry," he says. "It is with tremendous heartfelt sadness to announce the passing of Michael James Gal Girls charged $150 or more for sex. "I've been in this business my whole life. These interdiction's were part of Operation Martillo, an international operation to fight illegal trafficking. Joseph GALEOTA Obituary (2011) - Willimantic, CT - Hartford Courant Also read: Tony Galeota: From Running. Photo courtesy of Josh Weiss Surrounded by Colombian strippers, Galeota gives a toast during a party at the Doll House. ", After bribing half the guards at La Joya, Galeota was taken to an immigration holding center in Panama City where he and four codefendants were kept for four more days. For two decades, Galeota managed Porky's, a Hialeah dive notorious for drugs, prostitution, and violence, where he was part pimp, part bouncer, and completely untouchable. "When you're in La Joya for two years, you get used to that environment," Galeota says. The gig introduced him to a lifelong vice. In January 2017, Almeida got federally charged by the Drug Enforcement Administration with conspiracy to possess narcotics with intent to distribute. View Tony Galeota's 1940 US census record to find family members, occupation details & more. Miami Mobster Take Down - YouTube When one inmate killed another, the dead man's gang on the outside murdered the inmate's entire family, Galeota says. "There was no transportation, no cops, no nothing," he says. He was the one whod been speaking directly to the cartel; he was the only one who knew the real amount of money Cali were willing to pay; and he was the one who took the risk and disappeared with millions of the cartels drug money. "They shot him in the middle of the night," Galeota continues quietly, "and buried his body behind the pavilion.". Now the stranger-than-fiction story is brought to life in new documentary Operation Odessa, a film thats closer to a roller-coaster ride than anything else and premieres on Showtime March 31. But the deal never happened. Cops had made several controlled buys of drugs. Now the locals want to get rid of guys like Galeota too, as his case has drawn national attention to corruption and human rights abuses. Instead of celebrating, he walked through the scuzzy neighbourhood until he found a shabby motel. Tony Galletta. As chronicled in the new Showtime documentary Operation Odessa, the trio of cutthroat outlaws collaborated in 1996 to procure the ultimate weapon for Colombias money-minting Cali cocaine cartel: a military submarine. "But she's never going to forget. Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida Instead, Galeota admits he's done bad things, such as. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. "That clean, business-friendly, postcard-Panama bullshit is just a faade," Galeota says. Tony Galeota in the 1940 Census | Ancestry The offload is a result of two successful drug interdictions in the Caribbean since August 23. Prostitution was so common at Porky's that the club had fixed places and prices, Galeota says. He sold the shop and in 2010 opened Bongos, a restaurant serving wings and beer. Apparently knowing all too well how things would shake out, Yester decided to screw his partners and take off for Amsterdam with the first $10 million. "They murdered a guy in here a couple of days ago," Tony Galeota says. or. 8:00AM. Im gonna see them in f***ing hell when I arrive there., Russell says the fugitive is probably one of the most fascinating human beings Ive ever been in a room with., He adds: Theres five other films you couldve made about his life and life experiences, and yet he was charming and cultured and funny and also, then, on a dime deadly serious, not somebody that you trifle with. He was a loan shark: generously offering money but punishing those who didn't pay back. But Porky's was just a Hialeah dive bar on the corner of SE 14th Street and Ninth Avenue, surrounded by cheap motels and buzzed by flights taking off from Miami International Airport. "But I've always paid for everything, either with stitches in my head, concussions, or jail time. Galeota is not exactly repentant. Garrulous and bearish, the dentist-turned-hood (practicing the former in the Soviet Union and training for the latter in Brighton Beach) routinely carried two pistols and operated out of his. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Documentary Drama When Miami mobster Tony Galeota opens a club in Panama City, the competition frames him for drug dealing and human trafficking. Disney Star Michael Galeota Death: Brother Jimmy Opens Up About Family His attorney has warned him that prosecutors will likely appeal, so he plans to stay in Panama until his case is resolved. Even then, however, he couldn't sleep. Facilitating it. Instead, he's trapped in a labyrinthine legal system, alone and unable to speak Spanish. This time, I'm innocent.". More detailed reports on the crimes weren't available. Again, the charges were dropped. There is no rehabilitation here," he says. Watch Locked Up Abroad Season 10 Episode 10 Miami Mobster Take Down Online He met with mobsters in Cali mansions full of women, and he knocked on random doors in search of dancers. Police repeatedly raided the club, yet Galeota escaped unscathed every time. I told Juan, I said, Hey. And last year, Yester was finally arrested in Rome on charges unrelated to the submarine while en route to a wedding. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. "I brought in music and women," Galeota says. Tony Galeota Profiles | Facebook Kristy was able to pay a lawyer $500 to get her son released, but there was no bond for Galeota's drug offense. Michael Galeota, who starred on the Disney Channel's "The Jersey" died Sunday, according to Variety. We were approximately 24-hours on board before we got to a hidden compartment, said Castro.There was a hidden compartment and once we opened it we found all the contraband.. The Coast Guard said four suspected smugglers were taken into custody and 32 bales of cocaine were found in the water. He was hilarious and charming and garrulous, and it was as if hed stepped right out of a Scorsese movie, Russell says, adding: You know whats the funny thing people dont know about docs? "Whenever there is an American businessman involved in crime here in Panama, it becomes an important case. 16:56 GMT 13 Mar 2018 "The investigation was so poorly handled and rushed," says Otero, the journalist. Marshals deported Ludwig Fainberg from Miami. Photo courtesy of Josh Weiss A prisoner poses with a gun smuggled into La Joya with help from guards. Tony Galeota - IMDb But he insists that, for once, he has done nothing wrong. He was 31. It was 1990, and Galeota transformed the place by wiring in subwoofers and bringing in New York dancers. Inside the prison, the sign is a running joke. Its a lot of f- -king paper. "This country is corrupt. In January 1997, after he dropped his daughter off at school, Tarzan was arrested and hit with a 30-count federal indictment. ", - Tony Galeota: From Running Porky's, Miami's Most Notorious Strip Joint, to Rotting in a Panamanian Jail, - Sex and Drugs in the Champagne Room: The Truth About Porky's and Other Miami Strip Clubs. But it was abundantly clear that the key figure in the deal was Yester and his story would be particularly illuminating though the CIA, DEA and FBI had been after him, without success, for more than two decades. But the men kept in touch as Russell pursued other projects, with Tarzan sending random messages such as Christmas greetings until he finally sent the email the filmmaker had been awaiting (although he couldnt have guessed the other crazy details in the communication. All the services here are free. On a crowded balcony overlooking La Joya, Galeota describes the past 16 months as a nightmare. See Photos. I'm kind of stuck with it. In the meantime, he's spending time with his wife and kids. He was 31. See Photos. Anthony Galeota was born October 17, 1968, on Long Island. 17:57 GMT 13 Mar 2018. Miami's independent source of Get started U.S. Yearbooks Name Index, 1890-1979. Create a free family tree for yourself or for Tony Galeota and we'll search for valuable new information for you. We asked them some questions and some of their information didnt quite add up, so we conducted a boarding.. Once they spotted the plane, they changed course which is suspicious for us, said Boatswains Mate 1st Class, Joshua McElhaney with the Coast Guard. And twice they had given up. It is not known when he was born or his current age. Anthony Jr. was taken to a juvenile detention center that wasn't much better. When Bill Seidle died, Galeota knew the club's days were numbered. Inmates are fed bread and cheese for breakfast and rice (sometimes beans) for lunch and dinner. Through the air plane window, Tony Galeota could see the city's colonial churches glow like polished gold. As the couple drove south on I-95, they thought they were leaving the worst behind them. The 43-year-old is shaped like a mini refrigerator: short and squat, with a shaved head and wide-set emerald eyes. Galeota examines a bruise from a prison fight in La Joya. Thousands of teachers walk out demanding pay, funding incr Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, Rebel Wilson says Meghan Markle isnt as naturally warm as Prince Harry, Kristen Doute supports Ariana Madix amid mutual ex Tom Sandovals scandal, Celeb-loved jewelry brand Dorsey drops dazzling new styles, Undertaker transforms coffin into barbecue grill, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims. It was coke or pimping or messing with the wrong people.. Galeota's imprisonment abroad marks the end of one of Miami's most outrageous eras, when Russian and Colombian cartels stocked strip clubs with cheap prostitutes and cheaper cocaine.