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. Sheila Flynn For Dailymail.com "Their connections were bigger than ours," he says. Galeota says the police had already gotten what they wanted: Porky's demise. The eight crew members aboard the Hope II and the vessel were taken into custody and will be turned over to U.S. officials for further investigation. ", 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. A judge eventually dropped the human trafficking charge, but Galeota still rotted in his sordid cell alongside insects the size of small dogs. (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. "Thank God I'm out," he tells New Times in his first interview since his release. The $33,000 number is actually the wholesale price in the US for smugglers - or how much a kilo is worth delivered to US soil, for traffickers. "My wife could have left me. Tony is my friend, and well always love each other. Kristy was a self-described "firecracker" who had also escaped from an abusive home and wanted attention. "A family type thing, like an ale house with wings and beer," he says. This is a guy that the FBI went after for years but could never get him. We both understand that.". "It is with tremendous heartfelt sadness to announce the passing of Michael James. By now, she knows of his many infidelities, including that he lived and slept with some of the girls at the Doll House. Its our mission down there besides search and rescue. A poster on the wall advertises "Lesby Show: 2 Girls per Person" for $350. "I thought I would kick up my heels together like 'Oh my God, I'm finally out,'" he says. At the entrance to La Joya, ant hills and wasp nests surround a wooden sign. They arrested 18 suspects, including Galeota, several strippers, and most employees. We've been here for two years!' 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. Police repeatedly raided the club, yet Galeota escaped unscathed every time. And I'm not asking her to.". Were out there to cause an effect in the drug industry and I believe we made a little dent on it.. Like a real-life godfather, Galeota weathered it all. MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) The Coast Guard offloaded about $93 million of cocaine Thursday afternoon on Miami Beach. Back in South Florida, Kristy Galeota vacillates between outrage and empathy for her husband. But the hassle had taken its toll on him. This business has been very good to me.". As far as he was concerned, he owned the military base. In hand-painted white lettering, it reads, "Dear visitors. When a dancer clapped her ass cheeks like a maraca, a customer's hands instinctively rose to touch them. Galeota examines a bruise from a prison fight in La Joya. Somewhere between his native Ukraine, Israel, and Russia, he'd shed his trademark long hair and changed his name to Alon Bar. He was 31. Photo courtesy of Josh Weiss A prisoner poses with a gun smuggled into La Joya with help from guards. He was 31. He paid for her to secretly get an abortion. Michael Galeota, who starred on the Disney Channel's "The Jersey" died Sunday, according to Variety. But Tony had darker secrets. Police again surrounded Porky's in the early hours of May 9, 2009. Galeota has seen several murders. The nightmare deepened for Galeota. See Photos. There is no rehabilitation here," he says. Tony Galeota. His father, Arnold, was a strait-laced sales manager but a distant and disapproving dad. Both Juan and Tarzan shared with Russell how they had graduated from buying helicopters, motorcycles and cars for the cartel from Russia to pursuing a submarine for the drugrunners. But when he opens a new club in Panama City, the competition isn't happy and frames him for drug dealing. "I brought in music and women," Galeota says. By then, the club's criminal clientele and Fainberg's increasingly lavish lifestyle had raised eyebrows. "I lived it up in Miami," he says. It was a caper, for sure., He says: Tarzan was the lynchpin to it, because it was his story. Eventually, he moved two dozen ladies to Panama City. This looks great. . "We were doing fantastic, but Tarzan got bored and started living the life," Galeota explains. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. A tattoo of an Italian Mafioso emerges from an extra-large sleeveless T-shirt. Photo courtesy of Josh Weiss - Giant insects infest the prison. Tarzan was released from the Panamanian prison in around 2016 and has since built a side career out of playing tough guys in gangster flicks shot in Russia, where he now lives. Get started U.S. Yearbooks Name Index, 1890-1979. Instead, Galeota admits he's done bad things, such as running Miami's most infamous strip club, Porky's, for years before moving to Panama and opening a brothel. "Another night at Porky's, another shooting," he remembers now from his prison cell in Panama. 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. If Galeota is freed, it will be a major blow for Panama's prostitution crackdown. "Now I'm living in hell.". He sold the shop and in 2010 opened Bongos, a restaurant serving wings and beer. A year later, it was $115,000 per month.". He created a souped-up cigarette boat that went for $2 million and was presumably used to transport cocaine. "I was 16 years old and amazed," he says. He raises his eyebrows and looks upwards to the left to emphasize just how flabbergasted he was with Mishas counter question. But Fainberg wasn't in town to catch up. "No one can tell us how long he will be in there," she says. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Born on June 3, 1924 at Hartford. We break down the best movies and series to watch in November in theaters and streaming. New Times wrote about Galeota's plight last year ("From Porky's to Hell," October 4, 2012), even visiting him in La Joya prison, a crumbling concrete complex in the jungle where inmates kill each other with impunity. Even though Yester may have suspected that the cartel was after him, he couldnt help but try to get his hands on the remaining $25 million. The young mobster needed to lay low, so the Pacciones sent him south to a strip club called the Porthole Pub in Pompano Beach. Unfortunately, Galeota's defense isn't as simple as quoting strippers, says his lawyer, Guillermina McDonald. And I'm not asking her to. But the Doll House and Moulin Rouge remain closed. Let me check.. He and Kristy struck up an unlikely romance. But the man's paws were soon on her crotch again. Filthy and crowded cell block of La Joya Prison, Panama. People named Tony Galeota Find your friends on Facebook Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. "I'm used to getting my water from a rain bucket, not hot from the tap." Advertisement. Furious and Busted Rick Cedar steals radios to support his family. Galeota is not exactly repentant. 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 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. Kenyan court is shown vital evidence ignored by police two years after his arrest over 4.5m cocaine haul, Body armor-clad Cancun cops are 'suspended' after posing for pictures with topless tourists on the beach, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Ken Bruce: 'I always wanted to be a radio presenter from about 15', Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Tony Galeta. And then Russell got a text message out of the blue. "My wife is never going to completely trust me. "My father wasn't in the mob, but his friends were," Tony says. Two agents told him that they'd been tapping his phone for months. Tony Galeota Age And Family. 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. "They had what seemed like a dynamite case, but it has ended up in pieces.". 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. If anything, Galeota's life got even more out of control after Fainberg's arrest. On Friday, May 17, Galeota got word that the judge had also dismissed the drug charge because of lack of evidence. Michael Galeota, who starred on the Disney Channel's "The Jersey" died Sunday, according to Variety. Biography. When he was 16, he knocked up his 15-year-old girlfriend at Hauppauge High School. 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). she scoffs. But this was Hialeah.". GALEOTA, Joseph A., Sr. Joseph A. Galeota Sr., 86, of Ashford CT, died on Wednesday (January 26, 2011) at Windham Hospital from congestive heart failure. La Joya is flush with contraband, from cell phones and cigarettes to marijuana and handguns all of it brought in with the complicity of corrupt guards. Rats, roaches, and beetles the size of Chihuahuas crawl over inmates at night. While Kristy was still in the States, he lived with five of his Colombian prostitutes. "The investigation was so poorly handled and rushed," says Otero, the journalist. "Thank God I'm out," he tells New Times in his first interview since his release. "My family didn't care; they took it," Galeota says of the stolen goods. Galeota's enemies say that a life of sin has finally caught up with the flesh-peddler. Awards. As for his career, his only oath is that he won't let his sons follow his example. When Bill Seidle died, Galeota knew the club's days were numbered. Tony Galeota: From Running Porky's, Miami's Most Notorious Strip Joint, to Rotting More than 500 inmates crowd into a cell block designed for 200. His mother, Bonnie Gellilti, was "a bit of a criminal," Tony remembers. But Galeota's problems aren't completely behind him. He also owned the Russian restaurant Babushka, which was a magnet for snowbirding criminals from his homeland. Tony Galeota's age is expected to be 52. Tarzan and one of his partners, 'Fat Tony' Galeota, had opened a strip club in Panama similar to a previous enterprise in Miami called Porky's - but they landed behind bars in Central America.. 16:56 GMT 13 Mar 2018 I'm kind of stuck with it. "I lived it up in Miami," he says. 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. Here, Galeota is just one of 500 prisoners crammed into a filthy cell block designed to hold 200 people. "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. He was a loan shark: generously offering money but punishing those who didn't pay back. "That's the problem.". "It is with tremendous heartfelt sadness to announce the passing of Michael James Galeota," Jan. 10, reads a statement on a Go Fund Me page, created by Galeota's family to raise money for his burial. Even then, however, he couldn't sleep. Galeota is one of several Americans locked up here. But he was too shell-shocked to take up his attorney's offer for a ride to a nice hotel. As Shea tried to pull the panties off one of the dancers, he heard police sirens in the distance and bolted. "Now I'm living in hell.". Then she'd charge my friends $50 each," he says. Almeida, back in Moscow, trying to work out yet another deal and not realizing that this one had already soured, managed to temporarily elude arrest. Juan felt like he had no choice, says Russell. Director Robin Dashwood Stars Alex Andreas Ricardo Burgos Tony Galeota When Seidle died in 2008, Porky's political protection followed the 82-year-old to the grave. He and Fainberg were on their way to riches thanks to powerful friends and legalized prostitution. The gig introduced him to a lifelong vice. When Galeota arrived in Miami in the summer of 1991, the city was awash in coke, crack, and drug cash. Miami's underworld may still be seedy, but it has outsourced much of its shadiness to nearby Third-World countries such as Panama. See Photos. Sign Up. Galeota is one of several Americans locked up here. Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida 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. "My wife could have left me. But she insists that her husband's imprisonment has brought them closer. Tony Galeto. "I'm used to getting my water from a rain bucket, not hot from the tap." Tarzan, Almeida and Yester had previously teamed on multimillion-dollar deals for Colombian cocaine barons, snagging motorcycles and Kamov 32 military helicopters (with two rotors and capable of transporting 5,000 kilos of cocaine via hook). Panama's judicial system is outdated and overburdened, she says. The year before, his father helped him land a job as a wedding DJ. Create a free family tree for yourself or for Tony Galeota and we'll search for valuable new information for you. He headed right to his beloved Miami, Florida. And twice they had given up. Log In. This time, I'm innocent.". Then she'd charge my friends $50 each," he says. When Galeota arrived, his mobster reputation preceded him. . 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. 8:00AM. Prisoners eat stale bread and a slice of cheese for breakfast; rice and sometimes beans is their lunch and dinner. One scammer stole from another scammer; of course I accept it, he says. Tarzan, got his first job in America as an enforcer for the Gambino crime family. Then once he sent me this crazy email like, Holy s***! 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. "Keep your fucking hands off the girl!" Gunshots flashed like fireworks in the darkness. His government protection would evaporate, the Doll House would be raided, his investments would be stolen, and he would be arrested. Anthony Galeota was born October 17, 1968, on Long Island. They tried to squeeze Fainberg to get Seidle. 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. "I thought I would kick up my heels together like 'Oh my God, I'm finally out,'" he says. They also discovered the club was registered as a massage parlor, not a brothel. I hoped to walk away from the deal with $10 million.. Filmography (by Job) Trailers and Videos. Police repeatedly raided the club, yet Galeota escaped unscathed every time. More than anything, Galeota is grateful that his family kept faith in him. Kristy and his sons hid in a shabby, poorly protected office. 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. Two days later, he was transferred to La Joya a hellish cinder-block complex an hour outside of Panama City. "That clean, business-friendly, postcard-Panama bullshit is just a faade," Galeota says. Galeota was crammed into a sweltering holding cell with 150 others. Kristy caught Tony cheating several times, she says. S10 E10 - Miami Mobster Take Down Tony Galeota is framed for drug trafficking in Panama City. And multiple sources close to Fainberg say he was pressured to rat out Seidle but refused. independent local journalism in Miami. Greed got the better of him. Explore More. For the most part, Doll House dancers agree. Facebook Email or phone Password Forgot account? Docs need stars just like features need stars. 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. "Now I'm living in hell.". When he left to open a bona fide brothel in Panama, Galeota thought the country's lax prostitution laws would make him rich. And she launched drunken tirades at Tony after baseball games, no matter how well the all-star shortstop performed. They taught him the rules, the most important of which Galeota took to heart: "You can have your girlfriends on the side," he remembers hearing, "but never leave your wife.". ", Instead, he found another, tighter-knit family: the mob. 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. He left, but returned with a gun. The gig introduced him to a lifelong vice. Moreover, trafficking prostitutes and drugs and involvement in organized crime are some serious charges.". "We treated the women well.". Galeota and his "girls" in the Doll House, before the bust. 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. It wasn't until he ordered some Italian food and a cold Guinness that he finally felt like he was free. As for Yester taking a flier with the cartel money, Tarzan says he would have done the same himself if he could have and expresses no hard feelings. "But she's never going to forget. Tony Galeota has a wife named Kristy Galeota, with whom he lives. In the meantime, he's spending time with his wife and kids. 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. Miami's underworld may still be seedy, but it has outsourced much of its shadiness to nearby Third-World countries such as Panama. While he, Tarzan and Juan were dealing with the Colombians and while Tony and Tarzan even got onto a Russian military naval base to tour a possible submarine for the deal the entire time the Cuban was planning to rip off the Colombians. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles. And when his mother was distraught over a broken washing machine, he filled the house with new appliances. 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. But instead of classical music, his specialty is sex. But instead of classical music, his specialty is sex. Facilitating it. "I've done a lot of shady things in the States," he admits. 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. Galeota was hit with felony drug and prostitution charges. We didn't even have to have sex unless we wanted to," says a Colombian stripper named Catherine. "She hasn't worked for 15 years. More detailed reports on the crimes weren't available. Galeota jumped at the deal. 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. But he insists that, for once, he has done nothing wrong. So if you wanna do it, the time is now, and essentially, its happening one way or another, so you might be the person to author your story. "Like me, he was a black sheep who could do nothing right.". Miami mobster Tony Galeota is locked up in Panama after being framed for drug dealing and human trafficking. With Fainberg locked up, Porky's was Galeota's plaything. But in South Florida, he was once a strip club king. He paid for her to secretly get an abortion. The 43-year-old is shaped like a mini refrigerator: short and squat, with a shaved head and wide-set emerald eyes. His mother, Bonnie Gellilti, was "a bit of a. And they were doing it on behalf of the notorious Cali drug cartel in Colombia, who planned to use the underwater vessel to smuggle cocaine undetected. Luckier still, a powerful Colombian inmate named Mauricio Ramrez recognized Galeota from his restaurant. "I've done a lot of shady things in the States," he admits. When he left to open a bona fide brothel in Panama, Galeota thought the country's lax prostitution laws would make him rich. In January 1997, after he dropped his daughter off at school, Tarzan was arrested and hit with a 30-count federal indictment. We had a $500,000 house, cars, and motorcycles. In this real life Goodfellas tale, New York teen John Alite gets a job at his local Deli, a hangout for 'wise guys'. I told Juan, I said, Hey. One can imagine they did plenty of drugs.. Galeota also found himself in the back of an unmarked FBI car. We've been here for two years!' The message was that the cocaine traffickers would kill Yesters family members. "Everybody give me your money!" Again, Tony's friends in New York told him where to go. Years later, Tarzan again found himself behind bars, this time in Panama; in fact, he was serving time in 2011 when Russell first approached him for the documentary. But not until she discovered he'd been dating a former Porky's stripper for more than two years did she threaten to divorce him in 2009. 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. The charismatic teenager sold the stolen suits or electronics at strip clubs or used-car lots. Banks seized all seven of his apartments. When crews were launched to investigate, the suspected smugglers threw several packages into the water. But it bored him. They finally fled the country this past July, leaving Tony alone. Although he knows he could receive the death penalty, the money is too tempting to resist. A sign on the latter reads, "District Attorney for Drugs: Do Not Enter." local news and culture, Michael E. Miller Reborn behind bars. 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. 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. CAKEGATE 2023: Bad Bunny's Restaurant Accused of Gobbling Birthday Girl's Cake, Neighborhood Nazi Jon Minadeo Peddles Hate by the Minute, Gator Gets in on the Action at Tampa Bay Horse Race, Sen. Rubio's Permanent Daylight Savings Bill Sees Light of Day Once More, NFL Legend Ray Lewis Joins World Jai-Alai League Board of Directors, Affordable New "Micro-Units" Slated for Little River, Edgewater. "I was just numb.". Anthony Galeota was born October 17, 1968, on Long Island. "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. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. "This case has had a big impact here," says Jos Otero, a reporter for Panamanian newspaper La Prensa. Galeota may not be a good man, but he is brutally honest. He ogled the women standing on corners in their underwear and high heels. Inside, the bar is still littered with half-empty bottles of Chivas Regal. 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. Galeota yelled. While out of sight, he phoned his guy and lied about being in a particular taxi cab. Then they pushed play on a cassette deck. 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. I was literally on a press tour for the last film, and I was in New York doing interviews and stuff I called the producers and said, Do you think we can get a million dollars in the next five days?. Here, Galeota is just one of 500 prisoners crammed into a filthy cell block designed to hold 200 people. "I used to have to patch Tony up all the time," Kristy says. Yester told the Colombians that theyd have to pay $35 million for the vessel, even though Tarzan had talked the price down to $5.5 million plus just $600 for a crew to pilot it to Colombia. Marshals deported Ludwig Fainberg from Miami. Tony went on the run with the money the drug cartel provided up front, however, as authorities closed in - meaning the deal never happened, Tarzan got deported, Juan was (temporarily) convicted on drug charges and Tony became a fugitive not just from justice but from the hit that was put out on his head.
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