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According to reports, Jorge wed Jocelyn Nunez in July 2011; as of 2013, the couple reportedly resided in Miami-Dade, Florida. Delgado wanted revenge and told Lugo that Schiller would be an easy mark. "Why are you alive?" Home Depot and return it," said Ferrer. But even Ed Du Bois, with 50 years of experience as a private investigator, had never heard anything quite like Schiller's story. "They basically go 'He's not goin' to the cops he's involved in Medicare fraud. "They waited in a van and they had their biggest gym rats come out," said Levine. Garafalo came and picked me up at the airport and they explained that they just had, you know, they had the bodies. Where is Sun Gym Gang's Survivor Marc Schiller Today? "Were you satisfied with the verdict? That evening, they retrieved Schiller's car from the Deli parking lot and drove it to the warehouse. from the day I met everybody involved, from the relationship that I Ferrer. and petty thieves who hung out at the Sun Gym. Whether your goal is to get stronger, lose weight, look better, get moving or spend time with friends, Odessa CrossFit will deliver the results. He calls his lawyer," said Ferrer. Lugo and Doorbal's attorneys chose not to put on a case. could you come down to Miami?' "I'm a good hearted person. Delgado exercised at Sun Gym in the Miami area, where Lugo was employed.5 The two became good friends, and at times Lugo would accompany Delgado on visits to Schiller's home. to go on. In a plea deal, Schiller ended up serving two years in federal prison and paying $137,000 in restitution. "And they get back to their place, and they go, 'You think we killed "What person gets kidnapped, held for a month, and when he finally gets free, leaves the country and doesn't call the police for four months?" [19] She acquired the help of Judi Bartusz a friend of Furton and the two entered the empty house together. "Miami was riveted as to this attractive Hungarian couple you know, this yellow Lamborghini found in the Everglades and that they're missing and they continue to be missing.". And what they contain are two bodies," said Jimenez. That's where Other times, they played Russian roulette. 4060 Faudree Road Suite 107. He has a lot of money, more money than. "So you have a missing Hungarian couple and a Lamborghini," Roberts noted. "At your peak you could bench 475 pounds?" said Jimenez. Roberts asked Jimenez. "It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic because they made these Mercedes and just basically living off his money. boyfriend," Levine explained. The gang used costumes But the chain saw doesn't have enough power. "The victim comes from Colombia. back to Doorbal's apartment. Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is now dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in the new movie. Roberts asked. "So here you have these two muscular guys, and on a Saturday morning, during the middle of the day, it looks like they're moving. And my sister was there and my brother. [22] The next morning, MetroDade police served warrants on the houses of Daniel Lugo, Jorge Delgado, Noel Doorbal and John Mese. It was that car that Schiller's sister ripped the medical tubes from his arms. "And they "And he would burn me, you know, burn my skin and then he'd do this again and he was laughing so hard he was crying.". "That was a little We show them We have the next door neighbor. "They basically go 'He's not goin' to the cops he's involved in Medicare fraud. but real sick," Schiller said. [18], The morning after the disappearance of Griga and Furton, housekeeper Eszter Toth arrived at Griga's house. "These were inept, incompetent people, " and they brought that back and they end up buying an electric chainsaw," said Garafalo. Schiller says he was allowed to make one phone call. [4] When, at 4 pm, the buyer still had not turned up, Schiller left and was grabbed by three men while walking across the parking lot, who stunned him with tasers and then punched him and forced him into a van. "Think my final words were, probably, 'May God have mercy on your soul,'" said Ferrer. who they claimed stole $200,000 from a gym member named Jorge Delgado . She says Schiller didn't come forward, because he had his own credibility issues due to his alleged involvement in Medicare fraud. " when you have a case that's that grotesque and you know people suffered what do we do to bring justice to the victims of this case, either in their name or for their surviving members ," said Rundle. Krisztina Furton, 23, who loved animals, swimming and had dreams of Other times, they played Russian roulette. me," Schiller explained. Please enter valid email address to continue. "And it killed her?" They knew they were gonna kill them from the outset," said Ferrer. "There was never any pretense. Doorbal and Lugo approached Frank Griga with a phony, made-up [4] After this last failed attempt, Doorbal and Weekes dropped Pierre and recruited Mario Sanchez, or "Big Mario," a former Sun Gym weightlifting instructor and licensed Florida private eye. 'Florida Man Murders' star Judge Alex Ferrer details case that inspired making faces like a goofball," said Ferrer. Doorbal was driving," "I started calling him and he wouldn't pick up the phone," Zsuzsanna Justice was what Marc Schiller got this time. wide," Jimenez continued. point, you can't let the guy live so they decide he's gotta go.". [4], The gang had varying plans and made attempts to kidnap Schiller. "I was starved. up -- hands and legs and they were beating on him," the Jurors wasted little time making their decision. Asked why she didn't she call police, Schiller told Roberts, "I don't know. In February 1998, almost three years after the gruesome murders of He needed a personal trainer to help him buff up. [24] A month later, information about the missing body parts was supplied by an anonymous caller. and comic book code names like Batman and Robin and tried to stage an However, the drums did not contain the victims' heads, hands, and feet which were crucial to the identification. And they're moving boxes and they're moving a couch. "Did Marc Schiller "His wealth did afford him certain luxury items," Roberts noted. to go on trial. "The last day? She Roberts asked. "He told me, 'Look, I gotta talk to you about something,'" the co-conspirator continued. "Did you fear that Delgado and Lugo were going to come to hospital to finish the job?" " when you have a case that's that grotesque and you know people As investigators put the pieces together, Marc Schiller's kidnap story echoed like thunder. The Medicare fraud that made Schiller such an easy target for the gang had come back to haunt him. "It's a true rags-to-riches story," said Roberts. But catching Schiller to shake him down was tougher than it looked. So, for the movie, the filmmakers just built a set to serve as the warehouse. Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 29 individuals--24 who face federal and five who face state charges--in connection with an Odessa-based methamphetamine distribution operation announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Will Glaspy and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas E. Lindquist. And these two guys don't have a dime," Ferrer explained. [8] However, this plan never transpired. them a question, they never even said, 'Hello, here I am. her in front of you," said Schiller. the trial, he was surrounded by armed FBI agents who arrested him on he lost everything -- his health, his home, his millions. And now "It was so encompassing from the day I got the call, from the day The neighbor would tell police she'd met the driver of the gold Mercedes and knew his name: Danny Lugo. The Sun Gym Gang had possession of all his assets, including his family's luxurious Miami home. [5] "It was probably more than that, it was probably like five days," he said. In an incredible twist of fate, detectives in another department at "And the doctor said, 'You can't move him. Danny Lugo learned about Schiller from Jorge Delgado, who also worked out at Sun Gym. Police quickly hit pay dirt in the apartment of Danny Lugo's girlfriend. Ferrer explained. Prosecutors said Delgado was able to get Mese, who at the time was. [4], In a 1994 meeting, Daniel Lugo asked Noel Doorbal and Stevenson Pierre whether they were interested in making $100,000 for two days' work. Well, at that The Sun Gym gang left a massive, bloody trail of evidence. So it's like "This is a warehouse that was rented by one of the members of the Sun Gym Gang," Jimenez told Roberts as they stood outside the building. What is the Sun Gym now? "Why didn't either of you go to the police at that point?" Delgado wanted revenge and told Lugo that Schiller The Miami millionaire was Marc Schiller, an accountant. "There's sometimes when, as a defense lawyer, you don't have anything he comes into this dance club Solid Gold all the time. "I guess they were referring to the fact I was Jewish," he replied. The crimes and the trial would captivate and horrify all of south Florida. "And I go, 'No, no, no, no. Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in a recent movie. But it would be just a months before the murders of Frank and Krisztina, Schiller himself had Schiller and Delgado had been in business. She said her boyfriend wasn't a criminal. "I thought they were gonna take me and kill me," he said. Schiller's nightmare started just as he was about to head for home after work. Lugo told him to do.". Schiller was tortured endlessly. That's when Doorbal and Lugo reached for an ax. Zsuzsanna had seen her brother's love for the glittery side of the American dream. were taking some of the furniture they liked and putting it into their That's my friend Frank. Police didn't need a GPS. The Argentinian chef who operates out of there now was reportedly horrified when told of its sordid role in one of Miami's notorious crimes. The last "It was a sham," Ed Du Bois said. [30] The District Court of Appeal Judge ruled that at trial, the judge had improperly set aside the two Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisation convictions and ordered a new sentencing hearing to occur on those counts. "At this point they told me, 'Well if you don't give us a list of everything you have we're gonna bring your wife down here and rape her in front of you," said Schiller. "It was disturbing on every level. And for some inexplicable reason, none of Schiller's employees, She knew all the gang's secrets and details of their plots, though she believed they were undercover CIA agents. In the Hollywood feature, "Pain and Gain", Mark Wahlberg's character depicts the depravity. Asked why, she told Roberts, "They needed Krisztina because if Frank was missing, Krisztina was going to go to the police, 'cause why wouldn't she go to the police? [4] According to them, Marc Schiller had run into legal trouble and had been deported along with his family. "We left at 8 o'clock in the morning. "I have never passed that mile marker without saying a little prayer for Frank and Krisztina," said Levine. Jorge Delgado was ambitious and wanted more. Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini was legendary. Another gang member would dump Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini on the side of the road, in the swampy Florida Everglades. [4] During 1994, Carl Weekes moved from New York to Miami to live with his girlfriend's cousin, Stevenson Pierre. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Odessa (Faudree Road), TX | Hot Yoga, Pilates & Barre Workouts - HOTWORX For hours," said Levine. of Frank Griga into a couch and Krisztina Furton into a large cardboard "It was a sham," Ed Du Bois said. "the missing Hungarian couple had said that they were going to the Bahamas the -- the-- following day. "Lugo and Doorbal, on the other hand, they wanted to live that life," Ferrer continued. come with me and help me collect.'". Within minutes, Doorbal was strangling Frank in the bedroom. Krisztina Furton, 23, who loved animals, swimming and had dreams of being a professional diver, was now shot full of horse tranquilizer. Schiller's sister ripped the medical tubes from his arms. [4] For weeks, the gang made Schiller tell a series of stories and, under pressure, sign over all of his assets, making dozens of requests for his autographs. "He thought he was smarter than anybody else," Jimenez added. that. It would be months before Schiller could grasp the full horror of how he ended up half dead at Jackson Memorial, Miami's top trauma center. They took the bodies to an empty warehouse. now, she wouldn't tell detectives where Lugo was. You can't claim anything," said Ferrer. The Sun Gym gang left a massive, bloody trail of evidence. I leave that to the federal government. San Francisco Bay Area. "When I left Schiller was sitting in the chair he was taped " told him, 'The eagle has landed.' . "He felt betrayed," Roberts noted to Levine. "He's trying to convince the nurse to give him a phone, because he says he was kidnapped. discuss a business deal," said Jimenez. Incredibly, one of Schiller's torturers, Jorge Delgado - the Sun Gym member who had first told Lugo about Schiller and his millions - ended up helping the federal government make their case. "When we got to the warehouse," said Schiller, "they called the boss.". [6], That same afternoon, Schiller was waiting for a prospective buyer at a Schlotzsky's franchise delicatessen he owned. "What was the defense strategy?" Jimenez. And for some inexplicable reason, none of Schiller's employees, friends or extended family raised the alarm. They had injected her with "You know we were very poor when we were young" she continued. They told me my death sentence," said Schiller. Where the Real-Life Sun Gym Gang Characters Are Now - Miami New Times And I've tried serial killers," Ferrer said. It's a moment Judge Ferrer will never forget. Zsuzsanna had seen her brother's love for the glittery side of the American dream. They had injected her with enough horse tranquiller to kill four 1,000-pound horses. And they're [30] On 15January2003, Mese was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering. Asked is she's gotten justice, Zsuzsanna Griga told Roberts, "What sort of justice can be done, OK? Odessa's Best Group Gym. "I think being in a jail cell for the rest of their life is We don't know where he is.". So it's like the Keystone Cops gone bad.". "And I said, 'The easy answer is for you to get out of the hospital," said Du Bois. The film, released by Paramount Pictures, is part of Viacom, a company affiliated with CBS. The boss was Danny Lugo, the same man at the center of the Krisztina Furton-Frank Griga murder case. "It was $1.2 million in cash and assets and a $2 million life insurance policy. The life Frank Griga had built on those dial tones of his sex phone empire. All that changed, though, when a police made a stunning discovery. Petrescu would play a crucial role as police continued gathering more evidence connecting Lugo and Doorbal to the disappearance of Frank and Krisztina. " and then douse the car with gasoline and set it on fire. But according to Du Bois and Schiller, when they finally did sit down with the cops "They've never listened at all," said Schiller. [26] The trial, which began on February 24, 1998 was the longest and most expensive criminal trial in the history of Dade County. "And they drove the car into a light pole. Roberts asked. [4] Meanwhile, the Sun Gym Gang, after hearing of no one being admitted into the morgue, started calling the area hospitals. Justice was what Marc Schiller got this time. She said her boyfriend wasn't a criminal. [30] He was convicted to one count of kidnapping and was sentenced to 8 years[30] He was released in 2002. [29], Raimondo was indicted on one count each of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, First-degree Murder (Furton), Kidnapping (Furton) and attempted extortion. "And they get back to their place, and they go, 'You think we killed him?' The now desperate Sun Gym gang had tracked down their former captive. "They duct taped him they put tape on his mouth and we took off right out of here," said the co-conspirator. "So they went to Home Depot and bought a chain saw. "Doorbal, not knowing his own steroid strength, either broke his neck or suffocated him," said Levine. That would be one of the last meals the Sun Gym gang intended for Schiller to have as Lugo put his final plan into action. In all, Marc Schiller has just released his tell-all tale, "Pain and Gain - The Untold True Story". The investigation into Frank and Krisztina's disappearance continued. In May 1995, Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal would be at the center of "While they were beating you?" "When we got to the warehouse," said Schiller, "they called the boss.". From there, it took just moments to figure out Marc Schiller needed a lot more than just a lawyer. [22] On Friday June 2, Marc Schiller returned to Miami, two months after he had first told investigators his story. he was working for the U.S. government in kidnapping people that were was missing, Krisztina was going to go to the police, 'cause why "How many times did you insist you had been kidnapped?" [4] Delgado was able to give specific information about Schiller, including the codes to his house. Roberts asked Schiller. "Yeah. "He'd do anything and everything that Danny Lugo told him to do.". "Did you fear that Delgado and Lugo were going to come to hospital to finish the job?" She was only 23 years old. The prosecution rested. He's in critical condition,'" said Schiller. It's still very hard after 17 years.". would drag on for 10 weeks, overseen by Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the Having forced him to sign over his assets, the Sun Gym gang, led by I wanna grow, I wanna be somebody very big'" said Barrientos. accident to kidnap Schiller. "We got information and -- as soon as we got it, we ended up going to Golden Beach," he said. It appears that Jorge currently resides and operates a gym in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Alex Ferrer. "And I remember saying, 'We don't have a missing persons, we have a very major homicide,'" said Levine. was another muscle head, Adrian Doorbal. The crimes and the trial would captivate and horrify all of south Florida. ", "The problem is, they don't buckle him in," Ferrer explained. Jorge Delgado snitched on Lugo and Doorbal. "So you have a missing Hungarian couple and a Lamborghini," Roberts noted. I'm grabbed from behind by three guys," said Schiller. "I signed. Schiller says he was allowed to make one phone call. The "he loved fast cars, beautiful girls and life," Griga said. In February 1998, almost three years after the gruesome murders of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton, Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal were set to go on trial. credibility issues due to his alleged involvement in Medicare fraud. "There was some damning evidence there bloody clothing belonging to Frank and Krisztina, there was the kidnap kit -- a case with duct tape guns, [stun guns], handcuffs -- there was so much evidence in that apartment," said Jimenez. The third dose of tranquilizer was administered, resulting in her death. "And they told him that they were investors and that they had a way to make 20-percent return on the dollar," said Levine. Therefore, they only made minor inquiries into the case. "Did any of your captors show you any kindness? "So you had your .45 with you?" Despite his cooperation, Schiller still remained chained like an animal in the Miami warehouse. on fire. Bingo. The movie captures what Lugo was about in real life: his infatuation with getting rich, says Patty Barrientos, who worked alongside him at a gym. "I was starved. Roberts asked Du Bois. In return for testifying in favor of the state, Delgado was sentenced to two prison terms of 5 and 15 years. Roberts asked Schiller. That's where he spent the next 30 days, was handcuffed to that pipe," former homicide Felix Jimenez explained. Schiller's brother and sister booked an air ambulance, grabbed their Sometimes, it was with fire. weeks, he wasn't even allowed to use the bathroom. during the federal fraud investigation. In the movie "Pain and Gain", Lugo is portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. Determination, Hard Work Fueling Trainer Jorge Delgado's American Dream Finally, the daily torture She knew all the gang's secrets and details of their "His jail sentence is what he did, but the pain and suffering that he "And co-conspirator told Roberts. Yes." He described how important Schiller's testimony was in bringing down the Sun Gym gang. Danny Lugo learned about Schiller from Jorge Delgado, who also worked Within minutes, Doorbal was strangling "He was "They're waiting for him to drive by to stage this accident," Ferrer Prosecutor Levine would eventually lead the investigation and try the in the driver's seat because they never imagined that I'd be sitting "Finally, she gives him the phone. "They, I mean this whole time they were laughing uncontrollably. The disappearance of Frank and Krisztina would become one of Miami's most notorious crimes. In a highly unusual twist, Judge Alex Ferrer stood up for Schiller during the federal fraud investigation. By May of 1995, five months after his harrowing escape, the Sun Gym gang had burned through all of Marc Schiller's money. Schiller can't forget the sick soundtrack that came with his daily beatings. Hollywood could not resist this crazy scene. I would imagine most CPAs in Miami have," she explained. I run into them by accident, I'm dead.". My heart breaks when I He wanted his own deals, his own identity and - ultimately - more money. deserve to go to prison? "Of all the cases I've tried this is by far the most fascinating case," said Ferrer. "Danny was a big muscular guy," said Jimenez. "They duct taped him they put tape on his mouth and we took off right out of here," said the co-conspirator. "Oh he loved cars, yes, he loved cars," Griga said. ", "And pretty soon they had everything the man owned. [4] Pierre had been hired by Lugo in February 1994 to create a collection agency for overdue gym membership payments. I said, 'Yeah, yeah. "I think he got greedy and started to get involved in Medicare fraud," said Jimenez. Lugo's girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu, was granted immunity in exchange [4] Jorge Delgado worked with Daniel Lugo as his personal trainer at the Sun Gym. And this is what these guys -- broke short. "They had a dead person and another one, another person near death," said Garafalo. Raimondo flatly denies that version of events, claiming it is all based on the testimony of Jorge Delgado, another Sun Gym Gang member who received a lenient prison sentence for cooperating. " and as soon as they grabbed him the guy grabbed the steering wheel he was screaming the co-conspirator told Roberts. Police would soon learn that Lugo was a burley ex-convict who had served time for running a phony loan scam operation. Weeks would pass, and, strangely, despite his ordeal, Schiller did not report it to police. "This is where the Sun Gym was located. I would imagine most CPAs in Miami have," she explained. They took the bodies to an empty warehouse. The co-conspirator was sentenced to two years imprisonment for his involvement in Schiller's kidnapping and Jorge Delgado got 15. "He's trying to convince the nurse to give him a phone, because he We'll shake him down'" said Ferrer. Finally, the daily torture was too much. Weeks would pass, April 28, 2013 / 11:56 AM "I thought they were gonna take me and kill me," he said. "Money was there for him to make other people happy and to play, to buy toys," she said. Help for Inmates Before, During and After Prison His main partner in crime was another muscle head, Adrian Doorbal. [32], Following the release of the Pain & Gain film, Raimondo spoke to the Miami New Times about the film. [30] On July20, 1998, Mese was sentenced to 56 years imprisonment for the kidnapping and extortion of Schiller, after a judge set aside the convictions for the Griga and Furton crimes.[30]. "And Doorbal's face lights up and says, 'Who has the yellow Lambo?' [12], The next day May 26, 1995 Griga's body was concealed in Marc Schiller's stolen couch and Furton's body in a U-Haul clothing box. [4] He had been convicted of fraud for pretending to be part of a Hong Kong bank looking to invest in American small businessesthe scheme involved collecting up-front fees for loan insurance and then not delivering any loans.