According to the police, he temporarily relocated to Colombia and didnt disclose the crime until April 1995. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Marc Schiller locations in Boca Raton, FL. It's a moment Judge Ferrer will never forget. But his captors realized they couldn't set him free. Where is Sun Gym Gangs Survivor Marc Schiller Today? "Danny was a big muscular guy," said Jimenez. [26] The trial, which began on February 24, 1998 was the longest and most expensive criminal trial in the history of Dade County. Once the group got hold of the properties, they kept Marc for a while before deciding to kill him. "And they 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. They knew they were gonna kill them from the outset," said Ferrer. "It was a sham," Ed Du Bois said. So what was the plan?" [5] His professional career has spanned the United States, and he has worked for US-based companies in Colombia and Ecuador. So, in November 1994, as Marc was leaving his restaurant, he was abducted by a group of men. Poor people. In a plea deal, Schiller ended up serving two years in federal prison and paying $137,000 in restitution. "Of all the cases I've tried this is by far the most fascinating case," said Ferrer. me," Schiller explained. Other times, they played Russian roulette. The movie does have a disclaimer during its final credits with the message: "Some names have been changed and certain characters, events and dialogue are fictionalized.". She knew all the gang's secrets and details of their Jurors wasted little time making their decision. developed with police in investigating the case," she explained. By the age of nine he started several small businesses to fund his educational and personal needs. "He had Marc Schiller's Medicare fraud trial. Schiller says he was allowed to make one phone call. Schiller and Delgado had been in business. "So you had your .45 with you?" And they're "She was a very, very attractive woman," Jimenez said. up helping the federal government make their case. "They're waiting for him to drive by to stage this accident," Ferrer CLOSED NOW. "She And she just keeps going, 'No you weren't Schiller can't forget the sick soundtrack that came with his daily beatings. the trial, he was surrounded by armed FBI agents who arrested him on film, released by Paramount Pictures, is part of Viacom, a company "And they told him that they were investors and that they had a way to make 20-percent return on the dollar," said Levine. About Marc Schiller. "What person gets kidnapped, held for a month, and when he finally seven members of the gang would do time. the Keystone Cops gone bad.". "Pain and Gain" was a box office smash, netting more than $20 million on its opening weekend. In addition, he has written two books, Pain and Gain: How I Survivedand Triumphed and Pain and Gain: The Untold True Story.Marc appears to be doing well in life, is the delighted father of a son and a daughter, and seems to reside in Florida. Lugo took Schillers car and ran it into a utility pole to make it appear as though Schiller was involved in an accident. The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade: Roid Rage. At one point, Marc was allowed a phone call and asked his family to leave town immediately. Schiller was tortured endlessly. Where is Sun Gym Gang's Survivor Marc Schiller Now? The group kept Marc after they took control of the properties until they decided to kill him. I guess they came at 10 to look for me, to kill us all, all three of us," said Schiller. Hulus Death in the Dorms: Where Are the Killers Today? "Paramount only had to say it was based on a true story, but in order to make money Paramount said it was a true story," said Peter Ronai, lawyer for Schiller. The judge provided favorable testimony in February 1999 to Marc Schiller, the Sun Gym gang's first victim. Bahamas the -- the-- following day. [13] Krisztina Furton, Griga's girlfriend, was also at the apartment talking to Lugo in a separate room to Doorbal and Griga. The two crimes would become one huge case -- a case that Judge Alex [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. The surprised Sun Gym gang moved in to finish off Marc Schiller. "When I left Schiller was sitting in the chair he was taped Roberts asked Jimenez. been grabbed by a gang. Frank Griga's sister The house was now confiscated and became government property. member who had first told Lugo about Schiller and his millions - ended I was kidnapped. (Jaimie Trueblood). times and he stood up not only the prosecutor, but the police, to He brought me a can of a - canned ravioli, which I had to eat with Penthouse magazine, but filled the rest of her time as an exotic dancer. of Frank Griga into a couch and Krisztina Furton into a large cardboard "I think being in a jail cell for the rest of their life is "Why didn't either of you go to the police at that point?" And they just blew it off.". They discovered that Schiller was at South Miami Hospital and in a critical but stable condition. and, strangely, despite his ordeal, Schiller did not report it to They told me my death sentence," said Schiller. nature --just the biggest crimes. Schiller has had a career as an entrepreneur and as a professional working for several large companies occupying several positions as an accountant, controller, CFO and auditor with such companies as Ernst and Whinney and Enserch. Marc Schiller Escapes Abduction Marc Schiller was abducted and tortured. [5] Jorge Delgado and Marc Schiller had been business partners since about 1991, and Schiller trusted Delgado so much that Delgado knew the alarm code and layout of Schiller's home. I just made a mistake," he told Roberts. 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. Born in Merrick, New York, he moved to Florida with his family in 1984. . Schiller's sister ripped the medical tubes from his arms. Fire!' The next year, he received his license back after working for his brother and running a vending machine route. He said, [Adrian] Doorbal would yell, Fire! "We left at 8 o'clock in the morning. discuss a business deal," said Jimenez. "I kind of knew that something really bad happened then". We got our next victim.". Schiller awoke and fled the burning vehicle. " in fact we mobilized right in this park," Jimenez pointed out. They had injected her with "And I go, 'No, no, no, no. Therefore, they only made minor inquiries into the case. outside a restaurant he owned. "And they started chopping the body parts. After forcefully making him drink alcohol and then giving him sleeping pills, they put him in his car. feature, "Pain and Gain", Mark Wahlberg's character depicts the 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.. them a question, they never even said, 'Hello, here I am. "And it killed her?" Marc said, I walked out to my car as soon as I opened my door Im grabbed from behind by three guys, The group attempted to kidnap Schiller and had a variety of schemes. "Very handsome couple, they looked like they were made for each enough horse tranquiller to kill four 1,000-pound horses. [19] At 7:30 am, on May 31, 1995, Lloyd Alvarez, a friend of Griga's, spotted Griga's yellow Lamborghini travelling in a convoy between two other cars. they're on some secret mission for the government," he continued. [6], While Schiller was in New York, Lugo and his group emptied all his belongings from his house.[2][9][10][11][12][13]. a big Hollywood movie, he won't get a dime. months?" They make identification. Soon, both men realized. during the middle of the day, it looks like they're moving. Petrescu was another recent immigrant who made a splash in Miami. I wanna grow, I wanna be somebody very big'" said Barrientos. of her brother, Frank, and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton in 1995. "You know we were very poor when we were young" she continued. boyfriend," Levine explained. immigrant, came to this country with $10 dollars in his pocket and made he replied. bodies," said Jimenez. The It would be months before Schiller could grasp the full horror of how bad accident,'" he said. co-conspirator continued. He calls his lawyer," said Ferrer. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. "As they're walking the halls of Jackson Memorial Hospital looking "Doorbal, not knowing his own steroid strength, either broke his neck or suffocated him," said Levine. Krisztina Furton, 23, who loved animals, swimming and had dreams of "This is a warehouse that was rented by one of the members of the Sun [7], In 1994 Daniel Lugo again planned to extort and kidnap Winston Lee, a Jamaican man who frequented Sun Gym. [25] Sabina Petrescu and Cindy Eldridge also faced charges. They planned to wear ninja outfits for Halloween and knock on Schiller's door; this plan did not transpire. day she arrived. They set me in a chair, and they give me this concoction, a drink," said Schiller. "They never went out, never read them their rights, they never asked [4] At 2:30 am on December 15, after three days of forced drinking, Schiller was placed into the passenger seat of his car with Lugo driving while Weekes and Doorbal followed in the Camry. Another gang member would dump Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini on the side of the road, in the swampy Florida Everglades. His main partner in crime "We have the housekeeper who was also at the home when the -- the Pete Collins published a three-part series in the Miami New Times in 1999 and 2000 chronicling the stories of the gang titled "Pain and Gain"[3] which was then loosely adapted into the 2013 film Pain & Gain directed by Michael Bay. "Liquor, tequila, vodka and gave him sleeping pills. "His jail sentence is what he did, but the pain and suffering that he Marc subsequently accepted a plea agreement, spent two years in prison, and was eventually freed in 2001. Firm Size: 6-10. Within hours, they "This case was all over the news," retired homicide detective Felix The circumstances of the vanishing reminded the authorities of the kidnapping of another millionaire businessman, Marcelo Schiller. He told residents of the neighborhood that his name was Tom and that he and the other gang members were members of the US Security Forces. Well, at that credibility issues due to his alleged involvement in Medicare fraud. "They were Tasing him," the co-conspirator continued. After the groups arrest for Frank and Krisztinas murders, Marc was in court and recounted what happened to him. [citation needed] Schiller received a bachelor's degree from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee in accounting and an MBA in finance from Benedictine University. think of what she went through.". give that testimony four times," said prosecutor Gail Levine. They hardly gave me anything to eat." Eighteen years later, the story was too much for Hollywood to resist. Roberts asked 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. Roberts asked. In a 1994 encounter, Daniel Lugo enquired about Noel Doorbal and Stevenson Pierres interest in working for, I never trusted Lugo. [6] "I've ended up calling it Hotel Hell," says Schiller. "Finally, she gives him the phone. side of the road and they yell, 'Run him over, run him over,'" said wide," Jimenez continued. "They went to Metro-Dade's top unit that handles just crimes of this "Money was there for him to make other people happy and to play, to buy toys," she said. I can't explain it," he replied. [12] The gang planned to bring Griga back to a warehouse where they could begin to extort him as they had Schiller; however, they were frustrated in their plan when they accidentally killed the victim early. In [22] On Friday June 2, Marc Schiller returned to Miami, two months after he had first told investigators his story. (OstrovRonai/Splash News). "He was Argentinean born, grew up in the U.S., went to school, got Hollywood could not resist this crazy scene. Marc Schiller is a managing and founding partner of The Schiller Kessler Group. [19] After some time, the Golden Beach Police Department were called. [30] He was convicted to one count of kidnapping and was sentenced to 8 years[30] He was released in 2002.[32]. But catching Schiller to shake him down was tougher than it looked. "I knew they weren't gonna do anything,"said Schiller. The group wanted to stage a drunken accident and rammed the vehicle into a pole. "And The body of Furton was later identified through her breast implants' serial number, which was matched to the records held by her plastic surgeon. At one point, Marc was given permission to make a phone call, and he told his family to leave town right away. Bingo. Mr. In return for testifying in favor of the state, Delgado was sentenced to two prison terms of 5 and 15 years. [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. Wahlberg plays Lugo, the leader, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as a sidekick. He gave up, giving the gang everything. [4] Noel Doorbal worked part-time at the gym alongside Lugo. The words of the actor's circle are blunt. called "Golden Beach" and running a phone sex line empire. The gang used costumes "I don't go out much anymore. [4] Initially planned as a two-day abduction, the abduction went over weeks as they converted assets from Switzerland and the Cayman Islands. He is obsessed with movies, comic books, and television shows, and he spends much too much money on collectibles. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. "They basically go 'He's not goin' to the cops he's involved in Medicare fraud. However, Marc was also arrested by the FBI for a Medicare scam, which Ed insisted didnt happen. Marc somehow ended up in a hospital with burns, cuts, and a broken pelvis. West Palm Beach, FL 33401. "This case was what made me who I am today, a career prosecutor," said Levine. They even played Russian roulette with him and wouldnt allow him to use the restroom. "It boggles the mind that they would return a chain saw that they They took the bodies to an empty warehouse. Mese was indicted on October2, 1996, for the kidnapping, extortion, and murders of Furton and Griga in addition to crimes against Schiller. breathin' down your neck,'" said Du Bois. So these geniuses take this chainsaw back to His car was set on fire. served time for running a phony loan scam operation. The life Frank Griga had built on those dial tones of his sex phone empire. Krisztina. I would imagine most CPAs in Miami have," she explained. Marc was beaten and tortured there for days. He attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, participating in sports and was member of the school's track team. What Happened to Marc Schiller and Where Is He Now? "Oh he loved cars, yes, he loved cars," Griga said. We'll shake him down'" said Ferrer. [11] At this meeting, Lugo and Doorbal posed as serious business men, offering Griga investment opportunities. hand, he was joking. The captors noticed his escape and ran him over with their car twice. case. 45 counts. Roberts asked Du Bois. Zsuzsanna had seen her brother's love for the glittery side of the American dream. In one scene, Schiller's character, portrayed by "Monk" actor Tony Shaloub, "is shown sticking out his middle finger and shouting, "A-wipe!" "I guess its divine intervention. model-turned exotic dancer named Sabina Petrescu. "They were living in the house. She made it onto the pages of Raul Ortiz Murder: Where is Erin Robinson Now? 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. All that changed, though, when a police made a stunning discovery. 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. 50 North Laura Street, Suite 2520. [20] He followed the trio of cars, and recognised Daniel Lugo in the Mercedes. a way of convincing people to do things they didn't want to do.". ", Pain & Gain starred (left to right) Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie and Mark Wahlberg. But Marc claimed that the police didnt believe him when he eventually told them. The gang planned to get Schiller drunk over a few days and send him out in his car in a fatal crash. The 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.. Schiller limits his practice exclusively to personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability and nursing home abuse cases. 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. Sana Ali Murder: Where is Mindy Kaur Sanghera Now? She chose not to call the police. "Doorbal would yell, 'Fire! He has a lot of money, more money than. In the meantime, Danny and the rest, who ran through Marcs money, were looking for a new target and found Frank. [4] Schiller was then strapped into the driver's seat, and Lugo moved into the passenger side and stomped the gas pedal and steered the vehicle toward a concrete utility pole jumping out just before the collision. Marc said, I walked out to my car as soon as I opened my door Im grabbed from behind by three guys.. everything you have we're gonna bring your wife down here and rape she thought he was her CIA agent.". Ferrer, now TV's "Judge Alex", and Miami-Dade prosecutor Gail Levine strange because in homicide we need a crime scene. "I signed. Marc Stuart Schiller Member in Good Standing . Jimenez. but they were at the same time malicious and cold-blooded murderers.". "There's sometimes when, as a defense lawyer, you don't have anything [2] These books are personal accounts of his kidnapping in 1994. There, Marc was tortured and beaten for days. [6] He was placed in the driver's seat and gasoline was poured over the vehicle and it was set on fire. [29], Raimondo was indicted on one count each of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, First-degree Murder (Furton), Kidnapping (Furton) and attempted extortion. He thought he would die as they took him to a warehouse. Delgado received 15 years in prison after copping a plea. he spent the next 30 days, was handcuffed to that pipe," former homicide I leave that to the federal government. He described how important After working for his brother and on a vending machine route, he got his license back the following year. Roberts asked Levine. During the month, he was tortured and forced to sign over his assets to his captors. "And Doorbal's face lights up and says, 'Who has the yellow Lambo?' Even so, he was still alive. Metro-Dade police had also been looking at Danny Lugo and Adrian The neighbor would tell police she'd met the driver of the gold Mercedes and knew his name: Danny Lugo. [24] A month later, information about the missing body parts was supplied by an anonymous caller. blankets like they were some kind of ninja waiting for him to come Businessman Frank Griga and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton, vanished in. Firm: The Schiller Kessler Group, PLC. "She fell for Danny and believed everything he told her.". Weeks would pass, Schiller was kidnapped on November 15, 1994. Following this event, Lugo ceased cooperation with the police. The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade: Roid Rage focuses on the people responsible for. "Yeah. "Doorbal was just an evil, he reminded me of just an evil guy," said Garafalo. cranking it and the car won't start and he goes driving by. Miami New Times. kidnapped, you were drunk, you hit a pole," said Ferrer. The movie captures what Lugo was about in real life: his infatuation [19] She acquired the help of Judi Bartusz a friend of Furton and the two entered the empty house together. At the time of the incident, Marc had a successful medical billing business, owned a restaurant, and had nutritional supplements companies. He called his 'Oh, police. 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.". "They put him in his Toyota 4Runner, his SUV," said Ferrer. co-conspirator told Roberts. He was in control as the prosecution's star witness. Now, Lugo and Doorbal were front and center of two cases. Radar Online has spoken with his closest friends, who have shed some light on his situation. Once he was satisfied that his family was out of harm's way, he was forced at gunpoint to transfer all his assets to the Sun Gym Gang. Petrescu would play a crucial role as police continued gathering more He's like 5 foot 7 tall and 5 foot 7 He was forced to consume a large amount of alcohol and sleeping pills. And that was their attempt to kill him. [4] A crash site was chosen three blocks south of Schlotzky's. It's still very hard after 17 years.". "These were inept, incompetent people, Ferrer explained. In an incredible twist of fate, detectives in another department at Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in a recent movie. But according to authorities, it wasn't until April 1995, four months after his escape, that Schiller contacted police. [23] Lugo had already fled to the Bahamas, but was arrested five days later in Nassau by a multi-agency task force, who brought him back on a commercial flight to Miami.[23]. Lugo said that businessman Marc Schiller had taken $100,000 from him and $200,000 from Jorge Delgado, a different gym patron. AGE 50s Marc J Schiller Jackson, WY View Full Report Used To Live In Relatives Macon, GA San Mateo, CA New York, NY Fairfield, CT Mamaroneck, NY White Plains, NY matter of time. And now More Info Ben Hyman Ben Hyman is SKG's Managing Litigation Attorney and Lead Trial Counsel for the Personal Injury di. gets free, leaves the country and doesn't call the police for four [28], Count I Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, Count III First-Degree Murder (Furton), Count IV First-Degree Murder (Griga), Count X Attempted First-Degree Murder, Count XIV Grand Theft (Second-Degree), Count XVI Possession of an Identification Plate, Count XIX Money Laundering (Counts XIX XXVII), Count XXVIII Forgery (Counts XXVIII, XXXI, XXXIV, XXVII, XL, XLIII), Count XXX Uttering a Forged Instrument (Counts XXX, XXIII, XXXVI, IXL, XLII, XLV), Count XLVI Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony[28], He remains on death row for the murders of Griga and Krisztina Furton[29] and has made multiple unsuccessful appeals against his sentence.[29]. Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini was legendary. he ended up half dead at Jackson Memorial, Miami's top trauma center. "They duct taped him they put tape on his mouth and we took off right out of here," said the co-conspirator. Lugo told him to do.". "the missing Hungarian couple had said that they were going to the [30] he died of a stroke in 2004. [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. Danny Lugo learned about Schiller from Jorge Delgado, who also worked "As I was sentencing him, Danny Lugo was standin' there lookin' at on fire. caught the eye of Adrian Doorbal. of the world until May 24, 1995. [citation needed] On an entrepreneurial level, Schiller has launched several small businesses including accounting practices both in Miami and Houston, a delicatessen in Miami, a vending machine company and two options and stock trading companies.