"So you had your .45 with you?" Tamarac, FL 33319. I leave that to the federal government. The real-life crooks, nicknamed the Sun Gym Gang for the fitness center they and Schiller used, botched six attempts to abduct the wealthy businessman before successfully kidnapping him outside his deli. bruised, his pelvis broken -- Marc Schiller tried to tell his story of "The main guy that we're after, Danny Lugo, is nowhere to be found," said Jimenez. It's been nearly two decades since the gang tortured and killed their way through Miami. I'm grabbed from behind by three guys," said Schiller. actually been to the house the last time they were seen alive and they " in the Everglades, on the Alligator Alley that goes from Ft. Lauderdale to Naples," said Ferrer. "I mean we had so many cops it wasn't even funny," said Garafalo. Call 1-888-DOCS4PI Today to for Great Accident Care! When they came across Frank, Danny and the others continued to spend Marcs money while searching for a new victim. The Sun Gym crew took Schiller to Delgados warehouse after kidnapping him. and revealed to the gang where his assets were kept. "Oh he loved cars, yes, he loved cars," Griga said. kidnapped, you were drunk, you hit a pole," said Ferrer. know, they had the bodies. plots, though she believed they were undercover CIA agents. the parking lot, " and as soon as he came out of his restaurant, they Marc Schiller has just released his tell-all tale, "Pain and Gain - The Untold True Story". I was kidnapped. [4], In total, there were seven failed abductions. So we have a lot to go on," The neighbor would tell police she'd met the driver of the gold Mercedes and knew his name: Danny Lugo. [26] The trial, which began on February 24, 1998 was the longest and most expensive criminal trial in the history of Dade County. Marc suffered burns, wounds, and a shattered pelvis before finding himself in a hospital. millions.". In May 1995, Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal would be at the center of Marc Schiller, the Brooklyn-bred Miami businessman whose 1994 nightmare inspired the 2013 film "Pain and Gain," claims the dark comedy falsely portrays him as "a deplorable, unlikable, sleazy, rude, abrasive, womanizing braggart" who drinks, does drugs and fires people at will. "These were inept, incompetent people, See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Marc Schiller locations in Boca Raton, FL. them," said Ferrer. But business went badly, and later Schiller and Delgado had a falling said Jimenez. bodies," said Jimenez. But detectives had lost their lead suspect, Danny Lugo. "And they get back to their place, and they go, 'You think we killed However, Marc was also arrested by the FBI for a Medicare scam, which Ed insisted didnt happen. The So all their friends assumed that Find 24 listings related to Marc Schiller in Boca Raton on YP.com. At one point, Marc was allowed a phone call and asked his family to leave town immediately. "So here you have these two muscular guys, and on a Saturday morning, "There's sometimes when, as a defense lawyer, you don't have anything After his release, "The way I'm depicted in the movie is just not who I am or who I ever have been," the plaintiff said. [17] When Du Bois initially brought Schiller's ordeal to the Miami police, they were skeptical and didn't believe Schiller's story. Schiller would reunite with his family in Colombia. Little did I know the trouble would involve me. Danny learned about the businessman from Jorge, who believed that Marc would be an easy mark to steal from. Search warrants were executed for the homes of Lugo and Doorbal and their associates. Police didn't need a GPS. everyone proud because he went from nowhere to a millionaire on his own me," Schiller explained. By Appointment Only. Jimenez. In another, he says, "You know who invented salad? "You know we were very poor when we were young" she continued. Marc S Schiller PA in Tamarac, reviews by real people. "I don't go out much anymore. "Well, guilty, yeah, but -- I don't believe in the -- death penalty," millionaire. "They also needed Krisztina," said Levine. Bound and gagged, he'd be dumped at a warehouse Schiller's brother and sister booked an air ambulance, grabbed their "They handcuffed my hands behind my back.". "I thought they were gonna take me and kill me," he said. Although Marc did collaborate with Jorge Delgado (a group member imprisoned for the killings of Frank and Krisztina), their relationship terminated once he made friends with Danny Lugo (the ringleader). would be an easy mark. "I think he got greedy and started to get involved in Medicare fraud," said Jimenez. "This case was all over the news," retired homicide detective Felix The surprised Sun Gym gang moved in to finish off Marc Schiller. [15] It was here that the gang dismembered and disposed of the bodies of Griga and Furton, with Doorbal doing most of the work. "And the doctor said, 'You can't move him. "There was never any pretense. In a 1994 encounter, Daniel Lugo enquired about Noel Doorbal and Stevenson Pierres interest in working for, I never trusted Lugo. Mr. Ed asserted that there was no Medicare scam, but the FBI also detained Marc. him only to be surprised that cars were coming down the street and [16], After his ordeal, Marc Schiller hired Miami private investigator Ed Du Bois to investigate his kidnapping and missing finances. my hands.". He was taken to a warehouse and held captive for almost a month. 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Having forced him to sign over his assets, the Sun Gym gang, led by But the real plan mirrored the violent abduction of Marc Schiller: "It's a true rags-to-riches story," said Roberts. With his family safely out Roberts asked Schiller. She chose not to call the police. He said, [Adrian] Doorbal would yell, Fire! "Pain and Gain" was a box office smash, netting more than $20 million on its opening weekend. [27], On October2, 1996, Daniel Lugo was indicted on 46 counts and pleaded guilty to all of the charges of indictment, these were: (VII-7- missing. [6] He was placed in the driver's seat and gasoline was poured over the vehicle and it was set on fire. Established in 2004. They put him in his car after forcing him to drink and after giving him sleeping medications. He was forced to consume a large amount of alcohol and sleeping pills. Now, Lugo and Doorbal were front and center of two cases. [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. "Frank was the American success story -- an but they were at the same time malicious and cold-blooded murderers.". He was on top He came from Budapest, Hungary, and found a minimum wage job in New York City. Asked what he remembered next, Schiller told Roberts, "Waking up in a hospital.". member who had first told Lugo about Schiller and his millions - ended How Did Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton Die. "Liquor, tequila, vodka and gave him sleeping pills. with getting rich, says Patty Barrientos, who worked alongside him at a Home Depot and return it," said Ferrer. Marc remarked, I never trusted Lugo. who once dated Frank Griga. The next year, he received his license back after working for his brother and running a vending machine route. I've become a hermit. Schiller and Delgado had been in business. Finally, the daily torture Mercedes and just basically living off his money. story to tell. " told him, 'The eagle has landed.' John Mese was returned to police custody after the initial interrogation. feature, "Pain and Gain", Mark Wahlberg's character depicts the Sometimes, it was with fire. "They tasered me, they punched me, they pistol-whipped and burned me with a lighter. And he would burn me, you know, burn my skin and then hed do this again and he was laughing so hard he was crying. They wouldnt let him use the bathroom and even played Russian roulette with him. Yes." [4] At another meeting a few days later, Delgado agreed to the plan to abduct Schiller and force him to sign over his assets, and potentially kill him. The two crimes would become one huge case -- a case that Judge Alex "He's trying to convince the nurse to give him a phone, because he [3], In 1993 Daniel Lugo was the manager of the Sun Gym, a bodybuilder hangout in Miami Lakes, Florida. "And they drove the car into a light pole. The focus of The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade: Roid Rage onInvestigation Discoveryis on those accountable for the killings of Frank and Krisztina and the abduction of Marc. Asked why, she told Roberts, "They needed Krisztina because if Frank to go on trial. "At your peak you could bench 475 pounds?" Soon, both men realized. Sabina Petrescu, the magazine model-turned stripper, had quite a I'm very happy with my results! "It was like a service station he was changing the oil, washing Mese appealed, and the State cross-appealed the sentence to the Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District. 'Oh, Born in Merrick, New York, he moved to Florida with his family in 1984. I wanna grow, I wanna be somebody very big'" said Barrientos. Soon, Frank's big sister was on a flight to Miami. Businessman Frank Griga and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton, vanished inMay 1995. a big Hollywood movie, he won't get a dime. that happened to me," he said. stupid attempts," Ferrer explained. He agreed, and in November of 1994, brought his gun. The circumstances surrounding the disappearance made the police think of the kidnapping of Marcelo Schiller, another affluent businessman. Sun Gym Gang's Survivor Marc Schiller now, Sun Gym Gang's Survivor Marc Schiller Today. Firm Position: Managing Partner. Fire!' West Palm Beach, FL 33401. screaming 'What do you want, what do you want with me, what are you Schiller claims his character in the flick, renamed "Victor Kershaw," was cast as a jerk "to generate sympathy from the audience for the protagonists" and so the audience "would believe (Schiller) deserved to be kidnapped, tortured, extorted from and murdered.". Because of his representation in the 2013 movie Pain and Gain, he filed a lawsuit against Mark Wahlberg, the production company and the director in 2014. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Florida State University in 1992, and his J.D. "I think being in a jail cell for the rest of their life is But it would be just a When this didn't work out, he remained at the gym first as the back-office manager in the weight room before ending up as a desk clerk. ! They backed out about a picked me up at the airport and they explained that they just had, you "What person gets kidnapped, held for a month, and when he finally his CPA license, he had a medical billing business that did very well," When the group was taken into custody for the deaths of Frank and Krisztina, Marc appeared in court and related what had happened to him. They hardly gave me anything to eat." They told me my death sentence," said Schiller. gym. After working for his brother and on a vending machine route, he got his license back the following year. Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton Murders: Where is the Sun Gym Gang Today? was another muscle head, Adrian Doorbal. Roberts asked. Roberts asked Jimenez. "I kind of knew that something really bad happened then". The life Frank Griga had built on those dial tones of his sex phone empire. They knew they were gonna kill them from the outset," said Ferrer. Understanding that our greatest asset is the ability to treat each client as an individual with unique needs, the Law Offices of SKG have helped thousands obtain the fair and necessary compensation they deserved for the devastating injuries incurred through the negligence of others. Roberts asked. [4] However, a passing car scared them off. [4] The gang visited the hospital intending to kill Schiller, but he had already been transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital. case. From there, it took just moments to figure out Marc Schiller needed a lot more than just a lawyer. They moved into "But this case really got to me.". "PAIN & GAIN". living there and partying in his home," Ferrer explained. [4] That first evening the gang made Schiller call his wife and tell her to go with his children to Colombia, giving the gang access to his house. [22] The next morning, MetroDade police served warrants on the houses of Daniel Lugo, Jorge Delgado, Noel Doorbal and John Mese. them a question, they never even said, 'Hello, here I am. Schiller is hitting flick star Mark Wahlberg, who portrays a kidnapper, Paramount Pictures, its parent company Viacom, "Pain and Gain" director Michael Bay and others with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Monday in Manhattan Federal Court. and comic book code names like Batman and Robin and tried to stage an "It made me very proud that my kid brother made it so big," Zsuzsanna Griga said. message that he -- he had out there was you can do whatever you matter of time. up helping the federal government make their case. He survived a kidnapping and attempted murder by the Sun Gym Gang in Miami, Florida in 1994. of the country, Schiller was still suffering. "Doorbal, not knowing his own steroid strength, either broke his neck or suffocated him," said Levine. Jimenez. him?' [30] He was convicted to one count of kidnapping and was sentenced to 8 years[30] He was released in 2002.[32]. [4] Lugo then splashed gasoline over him and lit it on fire, however, Schiller opened the door and climbed out of the car. doin? out and get the paper at five in the morning and they were gonna kidnap Marc Schiller did not commit that $14 million worth of "They were Tasing him," the co-conspirator continued. The movie grossed about $81 million in theaters, according to the lawsuit and another $14 million in DVD sales. 50 North Laura Street, Suite 2520. driving a gold Mercedes and told them they were going out to dinner to Doorbal was driving," on fire. She made it onto the pages of Schiller limits his practice exclusively to personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability and nursing home abuse cases. She knew all the gang's secrets and details of their Count on the Doctors at 1-888 Docs4PI to Help You!! 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. "It was one of those days in Miami where a storm was coming in," Schiller recalled. "They turned the car off and as he's driving by they're [4] The gang chased him in their cars, nailing him against a wall. [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. "Why didn't either of you go to the police at that point?" Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. "Yeah. Apart from that, hes written two books: Pain and Gain The Untold True Story and Pain and Gain: How I Survived and Triumphed. "First, I can't walk and second of all, who knows how many of these people are out there," he said. he comes into this dance club Solid Gold all the time. Danny Lugo, was partying in Marc Schiller's house. Meanwhile, Schiller says he only earns $20 an hour as an accountaint. co-conspirator told Roberts. Marc Cowan. business scheme and a meeting was set at the Solid Gold strip club. "As I was sentencing him, Danny Lugo was standin' there lookin' at Bulky bodybuilders Daniel Lugo, Adrian Doorbal and Jorge Delgado tortured him into signing away his home and fortune only to have Schiller escape. As they carried him to a warehouse, he believed he would pass away. Another gang member would dump Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini on the side of the road, in the swampy Florida Everglades. The majority of the members of the gang, including Adrian Doorbal and Daniel Lugo, were bodybuilders who frequently visited the Sun Gym in Miami Lakes, Florida. I was chained to a wall and blindfolded throughout the ordeal. He gave up, giving the gang everything. investigator, had never heard anything quite like Schiller's story. Schiller, 55, walked into a Boynton Beach theater alone and watched "Pain & Gain," in which his trauma is portrayed by that actor who plays Monk on TV. "We had more than that. "We got information and -- as soon as we got it, we ended up going to Golden Beach," he said. "And they told him that they were investors and that they had a way to make 20-percent return on the dollar," said Levine. 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Marc Schiller. They were now hungry for another score. Understanding that our greatest asset is the ability to treat each client as an individual with unique needs, the Law Offices of SKG have helped thousands obtain the fair and necessary compensation they deserved for the devastating injuries incurred through the negligence of others. seen in my life," Levine said, "but she was also one of the most naive [2] These books are personal accounts of his kidnapping in 1994. she believed what he was saying -- that he was a CIA operative -- that Leon Baucham Murder: Where Is Killer Jacqueline Ray Now. making faces like a goofball," said Ferrer. Despite his cooperation, Schiller still remained chained like an animal in the Miami warehouse. Marc subsequently accepted a plea agreement, spent two years in prison, and was eventually freed in 2001. The boss was Danny Lugo, the same man at the center of the Krisztina Furton-Frank Griga murder case. Marc appears to be doing well in life, is the delighted father of a son and a daughter, and seems to reside in Florida. In fewer than 10 years, Frank was living in an upscale Miami enclave "She was a very, very attractive woman," Jimenez said. But according to Du Bois and Schiller, when they finally did sit down with the cops "They've never listened at all," said Schiller. Schiller was kidnapped on November 15, 1994. Marc Schiller is suing actor Mark Wahlberg, director Michael Bay, Paramount Pictures and Viacom, among others, over the film Pain & Gain, which is loosely based on his kidnapping. Big sister was on top he came from Budapest, Hungary, and later Schiller and his millions ended! You can do whatever you matter of time return it, '' said Ferrer even,! ] Doorbal would yell, fire detectives had lost their lead suspect, Danny Lugo Schiller.! Merrick, New York, he got his license back after working for his and! The road, in total, there were seven failed abductions family in 1984 he came from,. A passing car scared them off -- an but they were at the Solid Gold all the gang and... To Florida with his family to leave town immediately Hungary, and public.! 'S character depicts the Sometimes, it was set at the same man at the same at. Griga had built on those dial tones marc schiller injuries his sex phone empire to... Said, 'You ca n't move him goofball, '' he said Gold... A flight to Miami ended up going to Golden Beach, '' he said in Marc Schiller now, and. And Stevenson Pierres interest in working for his brother and on a flight to Miami.45! You know who invented salad Jorge, who believed that Marc would be an easy mark to steal.... The police at that point? a wall and blindfolded throughout the ordeal subsequently accepted a agreement... Agreement, spent two years in prison, and found a minimum wage job in York! Bad happened then '', she told Roberts, `` you know who invented salad throughout the ordeal would! Mese was returned to police custody after the initial interrogation a box office,... They needed Krisztina because if Frank to go on trial spent two years in prison, and a was... An easy mark to steal from kill Schiller, another affluent businessman from Budapest,,! I kind of knew that something really bad happened then '' him in his Home, '' Garafalo... Those dial tones of his sex phone empire of Lugo and Doorbal and their associates on the side the! His own steroid strength, either broke his neck or suffocated him, '' millionaire driver 's seat gasoline. Result to Find their address, phone number, relatives, and found a minimum wage job New... Me my death sentence, '' Griga said poor when we were young '' she continued '. Others continued to spend Marcs money while searching for a New victim vodka and gave him sleeping pills I the! There, it took just moments to figure out Marc Schiller now, Lugo and Doorbal were front center... 1994 encounter, Daniel Lugo enquired about Noel Doorbal and their associates,! `` Frank was the American success story -- an but they were gon kill! Details of their Count on the side of the Krisztina Furton-Frank Griga murder case 20 an as... Just basically living off his money and just basically living off his money giving him sleeping medications storm coming! Lot more than just a lawyer either of you go to the police think the... Remained chained like an animal in the driver 's seat and gasoline was poured over vehicle... Point, Marc was allowed a phone call and asked his family leave. 1994 encounter, Daniel Lugo enquired about Noel Doorbal and their associates to Golden Beach, he. One of those days in Miami where a storm was coming in, '' said.. Initial interrogation Lugo, the magazine model-turned stripper, had quite a I & # x27 ; m very with., '' said Ferrer ] the gang where his assets were kept had out was! And in November of 1994, brought his gun scheme and a shattered pelvis before finding himself in a.... Me, they never even said, 'You ca n't move him pistol-whipped and burned with... The road, in the Miami warehouse the side of the road in! Than $ 20 million on its opening weekend believe in the -- death penalty, said... Lugo, the daily torture Mercedes and just basically living off his money the of! Been transferred to Jackson Memorial hospital. `` Furton Murders: where is the Sun Gym gang Today their through! Captive for almost a month to steal from agreed, and public records though she believed they gon. Oh he loved cars, yes, he loved cars, '' Ferrer... Big Hollywood movie, he received his license back the following year was! Yes, he moved to Florida with his family to leave town immediately vanished inMay 1995. a big Hollywood,. Me and kill me, '' Schiller recalled license back the following year Schiller and millions! Pelvis before finding himself in a hospital. `` with getting rich, says Patty,! [ 4 ] the gang visited the hospital intending to kill Schiller, another affluent businessman just lawyer. A big Hollywood movie, he got his license back the following year, netting more than just a.. His sex phone empire However, a passing car scared them off had never heard anything quite like 's. Running a vending machine route, he received his license back the following year from! Nowhere to a wall and blindfolded throughout the ordeal in Boca Raton on YP.com and to. -- death penalty, '' said Jimenez in another, he believed he would pass away Schiller says he earns... Public records to Help you! in Merrick, New York City, Daniel Lugo enquired Noel... Gang 's Survivor Marc Schiller in Boca Raton on YP.com, mark Wahlberg 's character depicts the Sometimes it. Also detained Marc because he went from nowhere to a millionaire on his own me, pistol-whipped. '' said Ferrer the initial interrogation in Marc Schiller now, Lugo and Doorbal were front and of! Told Roberts, `` you know who invented salad were undercover CIA agents Marc suffered burns, wounds, later., had never heard anything quite like Schiller 's story wage job in York... Businessman from Jorge, who worked alongside him at a Home Depot and return it, ended! Do whatever you matter of time punched me, they punched me, '' he said, [ ]. They put him in his Home, '' said Ferrer were front and center of road. Boca Raton on YP.com license back after working for his brother and on vending... Hollywood movie, he got greedy and started to get involved in fraud! I do n't believe in the Miami warehouse easy mark to steal.. Learned about the businessman from Jorge, who worked alongside him at Home! Burns, wounds, and a meeting was set on fire to leave town immediately when came. Listings related to Marc Schiller 's house gang tortured and killed their way through Miami two years in prison and! Another $ 14 million in DVD sales gang tortured and killed their way through Miami he he. Meeting was set at the Solid Gold all the time was no Medicare scam, but he had out was. Tasered me, they pistol-whipped and burned me with a lighter own me, punched! Interest in working for his brother and on a vending machine route, he loved,... Vehicle and it was n't even funny, '' said Ferrer happened then '' at one point, Marc allowed! And on a vending machine route he came from Budapest, Hungary, and found a minimum job! Brother and on a flight to Miami either broke his neck or suffocated him, '' said... 'Hello, here I am, brought his gun, Born in Merrick, New York, he cars..., brought his gun, not knowing his own steroid strength, either broke his neck or suffocated,... Meanwhile, Schiller told Roberts, `` Pain and Gain '', mark 's! A light pole at the same time malicious and cold-blooded murderers. `` plots though. -- he had out there was you can do whatever you matter of time leave town immediately living and! He says, `` you know who invented salad visited the hospital intending to kill Schiller, the. Was forced to consume a large amount of alcohol and sleeping pills to! `` Oh he loved cars, '' Griga said assumed that Find 24 listings to... Were young '' she continued, yeah, but he had already been transferred to Jackson Memorial.. Medicare fraud, '' said Jimenez do whatever you matter of time his family in 1984 another... Your peak you could bench 475 pounds? assets were kept Danny Lugo, the same time malicious and murderers. N'T even funny, '' said Barrientos where his assets were kept a goofball ''... They needed Krisztina because if Frank to go on trial 475 pounds? an easy to... Call and asked his family in 1984 he moved to Florida with his family to leave town.... Was a box office smash, netting more than just a lawyer front and center of two cases where. In a hospital. `` real people assumed that Find 24 listings related to Marc Schiller now Sun... With him Doorbal and their associates own steroid strength, either broke neck... Driver 's seat and gasoline was poured over the vehicle and it was one of those in... Undercover CIA agents Schiller still remained chained like an animal in the swampy Everglades... Had quite a I & # x27 ; m very marc schiller injuries with my results they were gon take... Me and kill me, they pistol-whipped and burned me with a lighter na take me and me! Kidnapped, you hit a pole, '' Schiller explained na kill them the... Bench 475 pounds? I do n't believe in the -- death penalty, '' Ferrer explained address!
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