He met with mobsters in Cali mansions full of women, and he knocked on random doors in search of dancers. He could convince you that the sky was green." They had girls in every city. 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. The Doll House couldn't expand fast enough to meet the influx of sex tourists. Indeed, Havana Club has already reopened. I have to tell you, all my enemies are dead, and Im happy, he says in the documentary. Sheila Flynn For Dailymail.com Sign Up. Banged Up Abroad - Wikipedia But instead of classical music, his specialty is sex. 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. This time, I'm innocent.". In the distance, La Cordillera de San Blas cuts through the Panamanian jungle like a serrated knife. The nightmare deepened for Galeota. "They murdered a guy in here a couple of days ago," Tony Galeota says. All the main players involved appear on camera and share their stories, including law enforcement, from which the documentary takes its name; Operation Odessa was formed as a joint task force in the 1990s as American authorities worried that Colombian cartels would join together with Russian organized crime to pair drug money with Soviet military hardware. But Galeota's plan would soon go catastrophically wrong. "That's obstruction of justice.". "I'm not a religious person, but I believe I went to jail because I was living like a rock star -- running around with all these women, drinking a bottle of vodka every day for two years," he says. The lessons in crime didn't come fast enough for Galeota to stay out of trouble. 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A man deeply embedded with Escobar's Medelln cartel, Tony had a notorious reputation as "a really bad guy"he was once caught with 41 passports, and featured on his own 1999 episode of America's. Instead of celebrating, he walked through the scuzzy neighborhood until he found a shabby motel. Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida Explore More. It's not quite Shawshank Redemption, but when Tony Galeota walked out of a Panama City jail cell May 23, it was still a small serving of justice. See Photos. 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.. Disney Star Michael Galeota Death: Brother Jimmy Opens Up About Family But he insists that, for once, he has done nothing wrong. He created a souped-up cigarette boat that went for $2 million and was presumably used to transport cocaine. 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Toni Galeota Profiles | Facebook Catherine says she slept with customers because she needed the money to support her family. Galeota examines a bruise from a prison fight in La Joya. Anthony Galeota was born October 17, 1968, on Long Island. The 43-year-old is shaped like a mini refrigerator: short and squat, with a shaved head and wide-set emerald eyes. Biography. Instead, they eat rice for lunch and dinner, drink dirty river water, and use a hole in the ground for a toilet. "Now I'm living in hell.". 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. 8:00AM. "This case has had a big impact here," says Jos Otero, a reporter for Panamanian newspaper La Prensa. I had a friend of mine living in St. Petersburg, and I said, Misha, tell me something, Tarzan real name Ludwig Fainberg says in a heavy Russian accent. The Coast Guard said four suspected smugglers were taken into custody and 32 bales of cocaine were found in the water. Galeota was hit with felony drug and prostitution charges. "I want to go legit when I get out, but if the economy is bad, I might go back to the industry," he says. See also: "From Porky's to Panamanian Prison: Web Extra.". He was soon promoted from DJing weddings to robbing delivery trucks for the Paccione clan (which federal court records tie to the infamous Gambino crime family). Anthony Jr. was taken to a juvenile detention center that wasn't much better. "Thank God I'm out," he tells New Times in his first interview since his release. He was a character.. Miami's underworld may still be seedy, but it has outsourced much of its shadiness to nearby Third-World countries such as Panama. "He was a smooth-talker. "I lived it up in Miami," he says. But Monday morning, when it came time to walk out of La Joya, there was no vehicle waiting. His father, Arnold, was a strait-laced sales manager but a distant and disapproving dad. The crew boarded the 165-foot Panamanian-flagged coastal freighter Hope II. When Galeota arrived in Miami in the summer of 1991, the city was awash in coke, crack, and drug cash. "Their connections were bigger than ours," he says. Log In. Kristy and his sons hid in a shabby, poorly protected office. "Like me, he was a black sheep who could do nothing right.". Meanwhile, the task force had gotten wind of the bizarre submarine plan; not only had they wiretapped Tarzan, but they had also inserted an undercover agent into the operation an agent who appears in the documentary after undergoing an extensive makeup disguise because he continues to work undercover cases involving the Russian mob. When he discovered he was about to be subpoenaed, he withdrew $2,500 from the bank and boarded a two-week Caribbean cruise. Like a concert pianist, Tony Galeota has spent his life honing a single skill since he was a teenager. "It was a nightmare in there.". I got a piece of the action of every blowjob that my friends got," Galeota says. Michael Galeota, who starred on the Disney Channel's "The Jersey" died Sunday, according to Variety. "I lived it up in Miami," he says. A tattoo of an Italian Mafioso emerges from an extra-large sleeveless T-shirt. Because of his age, he escaped with six months' probation. Sign Up. He and Fainberg were on their way to riches thanks to powerful friends and legalized prostitution. As Fainberg and a wealthy Cuban-American named Juan Almeida sat in the Federal Detention Center downtown, and newspapers across the country splashed the sensational story of the drug submarine scheme, Galeota focused on staying out of court. McDonald expects those will be dismissed as well, but not for months. I hoped to walk away from the deal with $10 million.. Again, Tony's friends in New York told him where to go. We both understand that.". Prostitution is legal in Panama," he complains. Almeida was a specialist in obtaining black-market goods for status-crazed drug dealers. And he hopes to open a place in Fort Lauderdale when he's back, Just not a strip club. A kilo of cocaine in Panama costs much less - about $5,000 per. Dancers with names like Baby Doll, Tipsie, Trixie, and Crme offered to have sex with the cops for as little as $150, court records show. Between an undercover agent, a tap on Tarzans cellphone and the wiring of Babushka, federal law enforcement agencies had enough information to shut down the sale. A tattoo of an Italian Mafioso emerges from an extra-large sleeveless T-shirt. Rising swiftly through the ranks, John buries his conscience to become a notorious Mafia hitman. Galeota yelled. "Anthony has been in jail for more than 15 months, and a judge hasn't even heard his case yet!" "But she's never going to forget. He answered only to property owner William Seidle, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court trustee who ran a chain of car dealerships. "I was 16 years old and amazed," he says. But then the country's corrupt system turned on them. Galeota says the police had already gotten what they wanted: Porky's demise. She is a high-powered attorney who has defended two former presidents in corruption cases, but even she hasn't been able to get Galeota out of jail yet. "I'm not a religious person, but I believe I went to jail because I was living like a rock star -- running around with all these women, drinking a bottle of vodka every day for two years," he says. Join Facebook to connect with Anthony Galeota and others you may know. The year before, his father helped him land a job as a wedding DJ. So the translator said she couldn't take a shower, didn't show up, and the case was delayed. "Bill was one of the most influential people in Miami," Galeota says. The FBI swooped in January 21, surrounding the club and arresting Fainberg. But in South Florida, he was once a strip club king. In the meantime, he's spending time with his wife and kids. Bonnie also shoplifted booze to sustain her hard drinking habit. "I just watched Luis blow a guy away," Galeota heard himself say on tape. A poster on the wall advertises "Lesby Show: 2 Girls per Person" for $350. Sixteen months later, the two men have yet to appear in court. Panamanian newspapers put "Operation Fiesta" on the front page as prosecutors alleged Galeota was part of an international crime ring. "He never forced us to do anything. "We just meshed," she says. Photo courtesy of Josh Weiss Surrounded by Colombian strippers, Galeota gives a toast during a party at the Doll House. So we met with a realtor, got high, and Tony got stupid with money. Russian immigrant Ludwig Fainberg, a.k.a. He knew that the owners of a local strip club called Moulin Rouge David Fridman and Jake Lita (an Israeli wanted by German police on human-trafficking charges) had a business offer for the duo. Between the restaurant and the Doll House, he was making enough to retire in five years. "I brought in music and women," Galeota says. Reborn behind bars. Tony Galeota's age is expected to be 52. He paid for her to secretly get an abortion. He didn't stay long. 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. His nightmare began in June , when police raided his Panama City strip club and arrested him and his Ukrainian partner for trafficking women and selling drugs. The gig introduced him to a lifelong vice. 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. Two days later, he was transferred to La Joya a hellish cinder-block complex an hour outside of Panama City. Anthony Galeota was born October 17, 1968, on Long Island. "The worst part of being in here is being in here for nothing. Juan felt like he had no choice, says Russell. You could not mislead him in any way or you could tell that the consequences could be serious, but I loved him. MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) The Coast Guard offloaded about $93 million of cocaine Thursday afternoon on Miami Beach. While out of sight, he phoned his guy and lied about being in a particular taxi cab. "These guys were into just about everything," Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Fernandez said at the time. He escaped with his life and went on the run, aiming to avoid the cartel, Interpol and US law enforcers. "That clean, business-friendly, postcard-Panama bullshit is just a faade," Galeota says. "I couldn't take all the people who wanted to come.". This time, I'm innocent.". But all the cops found were five grams of weed, a bottle of Viagra, and some mysterious yellow pills. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, From Porky's to Panamanian Prison: Web Extra. His father, Arnold, was a strait-laced sales manager but a distant and disapproving dad. "Everybody give me your money!" New laws effectively outlaw brothels such as the Doll House, permit or not but if Galeota walks with no convictions, it will surely embarrass officials trying to make it look like they're cleaning up the industry. Russell did as he was told and flew to the appointed city in Africa; as soon as he walked into his hotel room, the phone rang and he was instructed to be downstairs in five minutes, where Tony whisked him off in a Porsche Cayenne and they spent several surreal days together; Tony showed the director his Russian fighter jet, which had $5million in the cockpit as the fugitives getaway plan, and told his part of the story. Fainberg allegedly told undercover cops he had sent coke to Russia in a shipment of frozen shrimp and had bought six $1 million Russian military helicopters for the South Americans. Tony Kaleta. I just called a friend who had a friend and asked if he could get us a sub. "My wife could have left me. "Now I'm living in hell.". The dead and dying are piled into wheelbarrows and left by the front gate until guards arrive in the morning. But killings are common in Panama's worst prison, where the smell of raw sewage wafts over the yard, metal shackles hang from mouldy staircases, and overcrowded cells house nearly 3,500 of the Western Hemisphere's vilest murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers. The gig introduced him to a lifelong vice. source of local news and culture, Michael E. Miller Join the New Times community and help support It had been ten years since U.S. June 4, 2013 "They shot him in the middle of the night," Galeota continues quietly, "and buried his body behind the pavilion.". Theyre nice guys [the cartel members], and I didnt ask what they needed the submarine for, Tarzan tells The Post, speaking on a crackling phone connection from Russia. she scoffs. Log In or Sign Up Tonia Galeota See Photos Antonio Galeota See Photos Tony Galeota See Photos Toni Galea See Photos Toni Colletto See Photos Toni Torres Galea A 28-year-old English teacher named Tim Schrader agrees to smuggle eight kilos of heroin into the U.S. to solve his financial problems. ", "You hear that?" "I've done a lot of shady things in the States," he admits. The most audacious plot allegedly hatched in the back of Porky's was to purchase a former Soviet submarine for $5.5 million for a Colombian drug cartel so it could ship cocaine up the coast to California. Galeota was crammed into a sweltering holding cell with 150 others. Wrongly imprisoned. Galeota is one of several Americans locked up here. 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. "She hasn't worked for 15 years. Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes. Tony Galletta. "A family type thing, like an ale house with wings and beer," he says. 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. He called his cartel contacts and arranged to meet them in the pickup area of the Madrid train station. Here, Galeota is just one of 500 prisoners crammed into a filthy cell block designed to hold 200 people. The Dolls House, Via Espaia Road, Panama City, Panam, "They murdered a guy in here a couple of days ago" Tony Galeota, Tony Galeota: From Running Porky's, Miami's Most Notorious Strip Joint, to Rotting in a Panamanian Jail. ), The narcotics charge, however, still stands despite little evidence linking Galeota to the drugs. Galeota believes that his arrest has little to do with a renewed commitment to the law in Panama. "Whenever there is an American businessman involved in crime here in Panama, it becomes an important case. It's not quite Shawshank Redemption, but when Tony Galeota walked out of a Panama City jail cell May 23, it was still a small serving of justice. The goods came from sources in the freshly fallen Soviet Union, a place where everything seemed to be up for grabs at ridiculously low prices. "Running a club in that neighborhood, win or lose, you've got to fight.". "Then they'd tell me: 'They are as good as dead.'". On a Sunday night in July of 1991, a 29-year-old electrician named Phillip John Shea came into Quarterbacks shortly after Tony and Kristy left. Eventually, he moved two dozen ladies to Panama City. Again, the charges were dropped. When youre rolling with the criminal underworld, its always weird; its really weird in Russia.. He bought seven properties pretty much sight unseen.". "I was always looking for their approval," he says, "but I never got that. They put a hit out on him when he disappeared with the money, while Juan and Tarzan took the legal fall in Miami. When he left to open a bona fide brothel in Panama, Galeota thought the country's lax prostitution laws would make him rich. Meet me in Africa for a cup of coffee tomorrow.. And twice they had given up. Galeota's sheer size and mob connections are the only things keeping him from getting shivved in the dark. As he contemplates the question, Galeota watches his fellow inmates kick a soccer ball across La Joya's putrid playground. Docs need stars just like features need stars. Prostitutes were everywhere at the weddings, and when Tony asked another employee where they came from, the older kid took him to Manhattan's infamous West End. More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro. Miami playboy, Russian gangster and Cuban spy tried to buy submarine Back in the mid-1990s, if you were a Miami mobster seeking girls, guns, cocaine, the services of an arsonist, or muscle to beat down a deadbeat, Ludwig Tarzan Fainberg was your man. Tony Galeota lived in 1954, at address, Massachusetts. Galeota may not be a good man, but he is brutally honest. In the second interdiction, a Customs plane spotted another suspicious boat off the coast of Panama on August 28th. One scammer stole from another scammer; of course I accept it, he says. His school friends didn't believe him, so a few days later he sneaked out, stole his mom's minivan, and drove around the neighborhood loading up with other teens. In retrospect, when you tell the stories aloud, its like, Thats insane and you, Tiller, are an insane person for having done that. Its funny; I was just like, this is too good of a story to let go. Panama became Galeota's personal paradise. But Tony had darker secrets. Tony Galeota has a wife named Kristy Galeota, with whom he lives. Three weeks after the Doll House raid, Kristy was working the bar at Bongos when three teenagers walked into the restaurant. Tarzan, got his first job in America as an enforcer for the Gambino crime family. 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. Even then, however, he couldn't sleep. "It was puppy love," he says. But he insists that, for once, he has done nothing wrong. ", http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2012-10-04/news/tony-galeota-from-running-porky-s-miami-s-most-notorious-strip-joint-to-rotting-in-a-panamanian-jail/full/. During the Doll House raid, they found marked bills in the register and several grams of pot on a promoter. "We were doing fantastic, but Tarzan got bored and started living the life," Galeota explains. Its impossible but only because its true. Controlling it. "My family didn't care; they took it," Galeota says of the stolen goods. 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? If any official asks you to pay for anything, please report them.". Michael Galeota, who starred on the Disney Channel's "The Jersey" died Sunday, according to Variety. And last year, Yester was finally arrested in Rome on charges unrelated to the submarine while en route to a wedding. This looks great. . Like a real-life godfather, Galeota weathered it all. 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. Seidle was never charged with a crime. "We were like: 'We want to get the fuck out of here. He was recently sentenced to serve around six years in federal prison. Michael Galeota Obituary (1984 - 2016) - Pontotoc, MS - Pontotoc Progress Create a free family tree for yourself or for Tony Galeota and we'll search for valuable new information for you. S10 E10 - Miami Mobster Take Down Tony Galeota is framed for drug trafficking in Panama City. "She would use shoe polish to change our driver's licenses so we could go to clubs and drink when we were 15. Join the New Times community and help support independent When the bartender told Shea it was last call, he became enraged. Moreover, trafficking prostitutes and drugs and involvement in organized crime are some serious charges.". The two were married in 1994 at a wedding full of mobsters. When he was 16, he knocked up his 15-year-old girlfriend at Hauppauge High School. Tony Galeota - IMDb "They had what seemed like a dynamite case, but it has ended up in pieces.". "It is with tremendous heartfelt sadness to announce the passing of Michael James. Log In or Sign Up Tony Galeota See Photos Anthony Galeota See Photos Tony Kalata See Photos Tony Galeote See Photos Tony Galea See Photos Tony Galeto See Photos Tony Gullette See Photos Tony Gulotta See Photos ), Right about the time my last film was coming out, he emailed me and said, I did a jailbreak from Panama, traveled to Costa Rica, on to Cuba and then got repatriated to Moscow Im ready to do the movie, Russell says. Then she'd charge my friends $50 each," he says. Guards with machine guns man rusty metal towers. "She would use shoe polish to change our driver's licenses so we could go to clubs and drink when we were 15.
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