He ogled the women standing on corners in their underwear and high heels. Indeed, Tony would turn Porky's into a moneymaking machine. local news and culture, Michael E. Miller ", - 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. We had a $500,000 house, cars, and motorcycles. View Tony Galeota's 1940 US census record to find family members, occupation details & more. 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. Tony Kaleta. See Photos. Bonnie also shoplifted booze to sustain her hard drinking habit. 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. "I'm in survival mode now," Galeota says, adding that he agonizes over being imprisoned for what he believes are unjust charges. Galeota's enemies say that a life of sin has finally caught up with the flesh-peddler. ), The narcotics charge, however, still stands despite little evidence linking Galeota to the drugs. "We were like: 'We want to get the fuck out of here. As he sweated in jail, Galeota's Panamanian empire crumbled. Behind him, 12-foot-high fences topped with spools of barbed wire frame a muddy soccer field. A deep bass line rattled customers' chests as they downed overpriced drinks. When Kristy and their three sons finally arrived in June, the business became a family affair: His wife took over at Bongos, while Galeota concentrated on turning the club into a cash machine. It was this sort of legendary underworld myth, almost, that people had been talking about for, you know, 20 years., He tells DailyMail.com: In Moscow, I got a text from Tony that said, Youve talked to the waiters; you should come meet the chef. 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. Born on June 3, 1924 at Hartford. It is not known when he was born or his current age. But killings are common in Panama's worst prison, where the smell of raw sewage wafts over the yard, metal shackles hang from moldy staircases, and overcrowded cells house nearly 3,500 of the Western Hemisphere's vilest murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers. "Another night at Porky's, another shooting," he remembers now from his prison cell in Panama. Anthony Galeota Profiles | Facebook "I want to go legit when I get out, but if the economy is bad, I might go back to the industry," he says. Nearly 300 feet long with 10 torpedo tubes (empty in this case), it was diesel but could be converted to electric for silent running. He'd already invested in seven apartments in Panama City and rented a storefront on the capital's seediest street, where prostitution was legal. 4:00AM. And he hopes to open a place in Fort Lauderdale when he's back, Just not a strip club. "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. This story has been shared 173,716 times. "Last week we were supposed to have a hearing, but there was no running water in Panama City. source of local news and culture, Michael E. Miller 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. "Thank God I'm out," he tells New Times in his first interview since his release. 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. And she launched drunken tirades at Tony after baseball games, no matter how well the all-star shortstop performed. Panamanian police had been casing the Doll House, Moulin Rouge, and another joint, called Havana Club, for weeks. Kristy and his sons hid in a shabby, poorly protected office. Reborn behind bars. "My wife can say she has regrets, but that's bullshit," he says. And like the Italian-American crooner, he loved women a little too much. But Tony had darker secrets. I never got a straight answer [about why he was in jail there], says Russell. She's forgiven me, for the most part. He didn't stay long. 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. 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. But the story of how the documentary got made is nearly as crazy as the caper plot itself. And she launched drunken tirades at Tony after baseball games, no matter how well the all-star shortstop performed. While Kristy was still in the States, he lived with five of his Colombian prostitutes. "It was puppy love," he says. 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. In describing Tarzan, Almeida says in the film, He struck me as an oddball. Tarzan classifies Almeida as a guy who had two drinks and thought he was Tony Montana. As for movie-star handsome, hooker-loving Yesters first impression of Tarzan: I said, This f- -king guy is trouble. Thirty minutes later, I loved the trouble., Abetted by the tumultuous state of the former Soviet Union the ruble was completely devalued and state-owned resources went to whomever had the most firepower gaining access to the submarine was surprisingly easy. Galeota's enemies say that a life of sin has finally caught up with the flesh-peddler. As for his career, his only oath is that he won't let his sons follow his example. It was 1990, and Galeota transformed the place by wiring in subwoofers and bringing in New York dancers. "They murdered a guy in here a couple of days ago," Tony Galeota says. Sheila Flynn For Dailymail.com, Smashing the Sinaloa cartel: Major coup for DEA as agents seize $6MILLION cash, hundreds of pounds of narcotics and indict 75 across America for 'laundering drug money for El Chapo's gang', Is this proof that British aristocrat did NOT smuggle drugs into Africa? He and Kristy struck up an unlikely romance. When Galeota arrived, his mobster reputation preceded him. He ogled the women standing on corners in their underwear and high heels. Join the New Times community and help support We've been here for two years!' Michael Galeota Obituary (1984 - 2016) - Legacy But in South Florida, he was once a strip club king. Anthony Galeota was born October 17, 1968, on Long Island. And, above all, selling it. The year before, his father helped him land a job as a wedding DJ. Michael Galeota's Obituary (1984 - 2016) Estes Park Trail-Gazette Business was better, but it still wouldn't make him rich. "It was a nightmare in there. A sign on the latter reads, "District Attorney for Drugs: Do Not Enter." One man stabbed someone over a $10 debt. Advertisement. He was, after all, working with an American playboy in Miami and a fugitive Cuban spy to procure this submarine. "I lived it up in Miami," he says. Guards with machine guns man rusty metal towers. Panama had gone from paradise to purgatory. "These guys were into just about everything," Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Fernandez said at the time. See also: "From Porky's to Panamanian Prison: Web Extra.". Galeota examines a bruise from a prison fight in La Joya. The 43-year-old is shaped like a mini refrigerator: short and squat, with a shaved head and wide-set emerald eyes. ), 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. When Seidle died in 2008, Porky's political protection followed the 82-year-old to the grave. "That's obstruction of justice.". Behind him, 12-foot-high fences topped with spools of barbed wire frame a muddy soccer field. 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. Miami playboy, Russian gangster and Cuban spy tried to buy submarine (CBS Miami). I gave each of my kids a Rolex when they were 5 years old. "I lived it up in Miami," he says. "This case has had a big impact here," says Jos Otero, a reporter for Panamanian newspaper La Prensa. He was a big, big fish.". But instead of classical music, his specialty is sex. When he heard that his old partner in crime from Porky's had moved to Panama, he flew in to meet with Galeota. The bartender hid in the bathroom and dialed 911. He was talking to Fainberg about a murder he'd witnessed in Porky's parking lot. "When you're in La Joya for two years, you get used to that environment," Galeota says. 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. 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. The year before, his father helped him land a job as a wedding DJ. Then they pushed play on a cassette deck. "But I did it for my child.". And multiple sources close to Fainberg say he was pressured to rat out Seidle but refused. When he discovered he was about to be subpoenaed, he withdrew $2,500 from the bank and boarded a two-week Caribbean cruise. The dead and dying are piled into wheelbarrows and left by the front gate until guards arrive in the morning. Its impossible but only because its true. Photo Gallery. We didn't even have to have sex unless we wanted to," says a Colombian stripper named Catherine. I know its gonna be a strange question. Sheila Flynn For Dailymail.com Follow this journalist on Twitter @MikeMillerMiami. Biography. Everybody wanted to make money. "I couldn't take all the people who wanted to come.". We've received your submission. "But she's never going to forget. Galeota saw an opportunity. Almeida was a specialist in obtaining black-market goods for status-crazed drug dealers. 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. It continued at another local strip club, called Quarterbacks Playmates Lounge. Theres this crazy Russian gangster who sold a submarine to the Cali drug cartel; his name is Tarzan and hes locked in a Panamanian prison and he had a Blackberry And he said, Do you want his number?, And I said, Hell, yes! There was a spate of murders, several police raids, and a federal drug-trafficking trial. But in South Florida, he was once a strip club king. Sixteen months later, the two men have yet to appear in court. Watch Locked Up Abroad TV Show - Streaming Online | Nat Geo TV Michael Galeota Obituary (1984 - 2016) - Pontotoc, MS - Pontotoc Progress Tony Galeota Profiles | Facebook And I'm not asking her to. S10 E10 - Miami Mobster Take Down Tony Galeota is framed for drug trafficking in Panama City. In the meantime, he's spending time with his wife and kids. Nobody was impressed more than Kristy Sharpe, an 18-year-old waitress from Orlando with blond hair, blue eyes, and lightly freckled skin. Galeota's sheer size and mob connections are the only things keeping him from getting shivved in the dark. South Florida's independent Inside La Joya, he had paid a guard to smuggle in a BlackBerry to talk to his wife, but strangers kept calling with threats to kill his kids unless he paid them. Eventually, he moved two dozen ladies to Panama City. This is a guy that the FBI went after for years but could never get him. He might have sold them the submarine, taken the money and walked away with the money.. "It is with tremendous heartfelt sadness to announce the passing of Michael James. But Tarzan a seasoned wheeler-dealer, strip club owner and former mob enforcer took it in his stride and went back to his partners with the response. And like the Italian-American crooner, he loved women a little too much. By the mid-'90s, Galeota had turned Porky's into a one-stop shop for strippers, sex, and serious drugs. "I was just numb.". The person they were going to pay for the submarine was the officer who let them [into the naval base], says Russell. "That's the problem.". Miami's independent source of 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. I'm kind of stuck with it. She's forgiven me, for the most part. The charismatic teenager sold the stolen suits or electronics at strip clubs or used-car lots. The submarine request, which came from Yester on behalf of the cartel, was not as outrageous as it now sounds. A tattoo of an Italian Mafioso emerges from an extra-large sleeveless T-shirt. He offered protection and gave Galeota $200. Were out there to cause an effect in the drug industry and I believe we made a little dent on it.. Toni Galeota Profiles | Facebook Then she'd charge my friends $50 each," he says. But the deal never happened. 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 . Miami's independent source of When a dancer clapped her ass cheeks like a maraca, a customer's hands instinctively rose to touch them. "Their connections were bigger than ours," he says. According to the Coast Guard: It first took place north of the Gulf of Uraba. "They had what seemed like a dynamite case, but it has ended up in pieces.". Tarzan eventually testified against Juan and was deported to Israel, where he recanted his testimony meaning Juans conviction for conspiracy to traffic cocaine was overturned and he went free. All the services here are free. But Monday morning, when it came time to walk out of La Joya, there was no vehicle waiting. Panama became Galeota's personal paradise. "That clean, business-friendly, postcard-Panama bullshit is just a faade," Galeota says. When crews were launched to investigate, the suspected smugglers threw several packages into the water. Banged Up Abroad - Wikipedia "It was a real moneymaker. State and local police launched an investigation in February 2009. "Now I'm living in hell.". I just called a friend who had a friend and asked if he could get us a sub. Sign Up. Instead, Galeota admits he's done bad things, such as. In hand-painted white lettering, it reads, "Dear visitors. Access is free so discover Tony Galeota's story today. So we met with a realtor, got high, and Tony got stupid with money. Gunshots flashed like fireworks in the darkness. The gig introduced him to a lifelong vice. See Photos. But all the cops found were five grams of weed, a bottle of Viagra, and some mysterious yellow pills. He was a character.. "It was a nightmare in there.". We break down the best movies and series to watch in November in theaters and streaming. We both understand that.". Over the course of three months, undercover detectives made dozens of visits, tallying up a vivid snapshot of the club: "15 purchases of cocaine, four purchases of MDMA, one purchase of Xanax, one purchase of marijuana, 18 solicitations for prostitution, [and] 20 lewd acts.". The gig introduced him to a lifelong vice. And there was absolutely no bullshit. Photo courtesy of Josh Weiss - Giant insects infest the prison. Controlling it. "Bill was one of the most influential people in Miami," Galeota says. "She hasn't worked for 15 years. Wrongly imprisoned. Episode 5: Spain /Sold My Soul But in South Florida, he was once a strip club king. 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. "My father wasn't in the mob, but his friends were," Tony says. And that's why drug traffickers are in the business - take something that starts off with a value of $5,000 and when you're done selling it at the retail level the value has skyrocketed. From Porky's to Panama Prison, Tony Galeota Reveals Miami's Mob-Run His father, Arnold, was a strait-laced sales manager but a distant and disapproving dad. Upon seeing 10 thugs rush the vehicle and hijack it with the unsuspecting passenger in back, Yester realized that the remaining cash would not be forthcoming. But when the house of cards tumbles, John . June 4, 2013 Here, Galeota is just one of 500 prisoners crammed into a filthy cell block designed to hold 200 people. There was nothing unusual about it. Thanks to a successful appeal, Almeida served only 18 months for his part in the sub caper. Girls charged $150 or more for sex. Russian mobsters learned about their comrade's successful venture, and adopted the club as a virtual office. Tony Galeota.