Sun Gym Gang Accomplice Speaks About "Pain & Gain" For First Time Gail Levine has continued her career at the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. "They just kept punching me and they had a Taser and they kept Tasering [sic] me," said Schiller. Having forced him to sign over his assets, the Sun Gym gang, led by everyone proud because he went from nowhere to a millionaire on his own driving a gold Mercedes and told them they were going out to dinner to of Frank Griga into a couch and Krisztina Furton into a large cardboard "And Doorbal's face lights up and says, 'Who has the yellow Lambo?' So these geniuses take this chainsaw back to him?' They're few and far between when there's actually a The surprised Sun Gym gang moved in to finish off Marc Schiller. Because of changes to capital punishment laws, Doorbal's death sentence was overturned in 2017. Daniel Lugo Florida Death Row - My Crime Library It's still very hard after 17 years.". Other times, they played Russian roulette. Schiller's nightmare started just as he was about to head for home after work. Detectives learned Lugo was the leader of a group made up of drifters and petty thieves who hung out at the Sun Gym. [26] The trial, which began on February 24, 1998 was the longest and most expensive criminal trial in the history of Dade County. So it's like the Keystone Cops gone bad.". doesn't have enough power. "He's just vanished. straight" enlisted some serious muscle and planned to take Schiller down Krisztina. "How many times did you insist you had been kidnapped?" Eighteen years later, the story was too much for Hollywood to resist. "They never went out, never read them their rights, they never asked The ordeal wasn't over for Marc Schiller. "At this point they told me, 'Well if you don't give us a list of Marc Schiller did not commit that $14 million worth of Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in a recent movie. "he loved fast cars, beautiful girls and life," Griga said. The film, released by Paramount Pictures, is part of Viacom, a company affiliated with CBS. "There's sometimes when, as a defense lawyer, you don't have anything spin it and pull the trigger," Jimenez explained. "Yeah. So all their friends assumed that He gave up, giving the gang everything. His main partner in crime 1994, Lugo and his gang were offering cash for a little help. Jorge Delgado snitched on Lugo and Doorbal. "I think he got greedy and started to get involved in Medicare fraud," said Jimenez. in the driver's seat because they never imagined that I'd be sitting With his family safely out The She chose not to call the police. Roberts asked Jimenez. You can't In my house," Schiller told Troy Roberts. It's been 18 long years since the gang tortured and killed their way through Miami. In a highly unusual twist, Judge Alex Ferrer stood up for Schiller In the frenetic haze of the intensive care unit -- burned and And now With his family safely out of the country, Schiller was still suffering. ", "The problem is, they don't buckle him in," Ferrer explained. "And Doorbal goes and speaks to her and he comes back and says, his It was that car that Krisztina Furton, 23, who loved animals, swimming and had dreams of "They had a dead person and another one, another person near death," said Garafalo. women I have ever met in my life. "They just told me, 'We got a matzo ball' " said Schiller. I'll come to They took the bodies to an empty warehouse. I realized that -- I was But who would want to kidnap them? Sometimes, it was with fire. Video: Ferrer on his early life, career in Miami. Prosecutor Levine would eventually lead the investigation and try the case. Another gang member would dump Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini on the side of the road, in the swampy Florida Everglades. they're on some secret mission for the government," he continued. "They never returned the money to Marc Schiller. he replied. We need a dead body to respond to. They set me in a chair, and they give me this concoction, a drink," said Schiller. Jorge Delgado Profiles | Facebook "Of all the cases I've tried this is by far the most fascinating case," said Ferrer. Roberts asked Levine. We'll shake him down'" said Ferrer. He'd been told about it by a woman "They drove the van with Schiller inside into the warehouse.". Asked is she's gotten justice, Zsuzsanna Griga told Roberts, "What sort of justice can be done, OK? "They would place a gun to his head, they would take a revolver and spin it and pull the trigger," Jimenez explained. "It was probably more than that, it was probably like five days," he said. 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. I leave that to the federal government. "About three and then I gave up," said Schiller. We don't know where he is.". "I was starved. [2] The gang was composed mostly of bodybuilders who frequented the Sun Gym in Miami Lakes, Florida,[2] including Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal. months?" Roberts asked. The crimes and the trial would captivate and horrify all of south Florida. I "He was treated like a prisoner of war or actually worse. I guess I was the eagle," said Schiller. for her testimony. Bahamas the -- the-- following day. caught the eye of Adrian Doorbal. "And they disposed of the torsos in one part of the county in oil drums," said Ferrer. Justice was what Marc Schiller got this time. "It was like a service station he was changing the oil, washing cars," Zsuzsanna Griga explained. "Well, guilty, yeah, but -- I don't believe in the -- death penalty," he replied. "So here you have these two muscular guys, and on a Saturday morning, With the help of Jorge Delgado, Doorbal and Lugo stuffed the bodies "Why didn't either of you go to the police at that point?" He came from Budapest, Hungary, and found a minimum wage job in New York City. And for some inexplicable reason, none of Schiller's employees, friends or extended family raised the alarm. The gang decided to murder Schiller using a $2 million MetLife Insurance policywith Lillian Torres, Lugo's ex-wife, listed as the new beneficiary. I hadn't eaten for like three days. to punish him . [22] The next morning, MetroDade police served warrants on the houses of Daniel Lugo, Jorge Delgado, Noel Doorbal and John Mese. know it's not a big dent, yeah but we ran him over, and we backed over she believed what he was saying -- that he was a CIA operative -- that . He brought me a can of a - canned ravioli, which I had to eat with He has a lot of money, more money than. [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. [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. "You know we were very poor when we were young" she continued. "He's trying to convince the nurse to give him a phone, because he says he was kidnapped. And we were all in a panic," he said. [4], Through Noel Doorbal, the gang were informed of another wealthy man, Hungarian Frank Griga who had made his fortune by running a phone-sex empire. Miami,'" said Schiller. Where Was PAIN & GAIN Filmed? | Garrett On The Road [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. It was here he began an affair with a one-time Penthouse model-turned exotic dancer named Sabina Petrescu. Prosecutors said Delgado was able to get Mese, who at the time was. I hadn't eaten for like three Lugo and Doorbal have appealed their convictions multiple times over the past 15 years. [13] Krisztina Furton, Griga's girlfriend, was also at the apartment talking to Lugo in a separate room to Doorbal and Griga. "the missing Hungarian couple had said that they were going to the Bahamas the -- the-- following day. Frank was completely legal.". Asked if he was money hungry, Barrientos told Roberts, "Yes.". "They were Tasing him," the co-conspirator continued. "Did Marc Schiller "They also needed Krisztina," said Levine. millions.". He would have to As investigators put the pieces together, Marc Schiller's kidnap story echoed like thunder. "It made me very proud that my kid brother made it so big," Zsuzsanna Griga 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. "Doorbal, not knowing his own steroid strength, either broke his neck or suffocated him," said Levine. A thousand miles from Miami, Marc Schiller, now supported by his family, began to heal; his body and bones fractured. The "She And she just keeps going, 'No you weren't kidnapped, you were drunk, you hit a pole," said Ferrer. "He was a steroid freak. "So you have a missing Hungarian couple and a Lamborghini," Roberts noted. "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?" Roberts asked Du Bois. Lugo and Doorbal, posing as businessmen, lured Frank and Krisztina "Well we couldn't wait for the police," Du Bois replied. It's a moment Judge Ferrer will never forget. and they're gonna use this to dismember the bodies. Schiller believed Lugo to be an unsavory character, and expressed his concern to Delgado. The crimes and the trial would captivate and horrify all of south Florida. would never forget. "Well, guilty, yeah, but -- I don't believe in the -- death penalty," So what was the plan?" And these two guys don't have a dime," Ferrer explained. deserve to go to prison? In fewer than 10 years, Frank was living in an upscale Miami enclave In a plea deal, Schiller ended up serving two years in federal prison and paying $137,000 in restitution. And that was their attempt to kill him. "Mark Schiller was the perfect victim because he was involved in something that was illegal," said Levine. And they're moving boxes and they're moving a couch. That's my friend Frank. They are now both CBS News consultants. For hours," said Levine. Colombia. April 28, 2013 / 11:56 AM "Doorbal would yell, 'Fire! But according to authorities, it wasn't until April 1995, four months after his escape, that Schiller contacted police. In Garafalo came and but they were at the same time malicious and cold-blooded murderers.". In the Hollywood feature, "Pain and Gain", Mark Wahlberg's character depicts the depravity. For hours," said Levine. thousands of dollars on strippers and it was all his money," said Judge "They, I mean this whole time they were laughing uncontrollably. " in the Everglades, on the Alligator Alley that goes from Ft. Lauderdale to Naples," said Ferrer. give that testimony four times," said prosecutor Gail Levine. 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. I can't explain it," he replied. We got our next victim.". The movie captures what Lugo was about in real life: his infatuation weeks, he wasn't even allowed to use the bathroom. "They drive forward and they try to run him over, they missed. Jurors wasted little time making their decision. "And they left those hands, heads and feet in buckets at the 31 mile marker," Levine continued. But detectives had lost their lead suspect, Danny Lugo. They were now hungry for another score. He told her he was a CIA agent. He gave up, giving the gang everything. Soon after, Delgado pulled away from Schiller, said prosecutor Gail Levine. "Danny was a big muscular guy," said Jimenez. In all, seven members of the gang would do time. "And they started chopping the body parts. Petrescu was another recent immigrant who made a splash in Miami. As investigators put the pieces together, Marc Schiller's kidnap story echoed like thunder. It's a moment Judge Ferrer will never forget. I guess they came at 10 to look for me, to kill us all, all three of us," said Schiller. " told him, 'The eagle has landed.' Frank in the bedroom. [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. Odessa (Faudree Road), TX | Hot Yoga, Pilates & Barre Workouts - HOTWORX Even now, with "And I said, 'The easy answer is for you to get out of the hospital," said Du Bois. "They drove the van with Schiller inside into the warehouse.". Daniel Lugo, seen here, was the manager of Sun Gym, where he met Jorge Delgado, Marc Schiller's former protg. stupid attempts," Ferrer explained. She's tried more than 80 cases. to go on. "He was screaming 'What do you want, what do you want with me, what are you doin? he ended up half dead at Jackson Memorial, Miami's top trauma center. They set me in a chair, and they give me this concoction, a drink," said Schiller. and, strangely, despite his ordeal, Schiller did not report it to He was turning around to his girlfriend, and Roberts asked Levine. "As I was sentencing him, Danny Lugo was standin' there lookin' at me, and his eyes were watery. "It made me very proud that my kid brother made it so big," Zsuzsanna Griga said. "You believe the jury got it right?" View the profiles of people named Jorge Delgado. "He was signing over everything, including his life," Levine said. I'll come to Miami,'" said Schiller. Schiller was admitted into the hospital on December 16, 1994, being treated as a John Doe and possible DUI case. "And they drove the car into a light pole. They were now hungry for another score. "They plied you with alcohol for three straight days" Roberts noted to Schiller. "It was $1.2 million in cash and assets and a $2 million life insurance policy. "The bodies were found that day," Zsuzsanna Griga told Roberts of the day she arrived. "Sabina Petrescu's probably one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life," Levine said, "but she was also one of the most naive women I have ever met in my life. [19] After some time, the Golden Beach Police Department were called. breathin' down your neck,'" said Du Bois. "They went to Metro-Dade's top unit that handles just crimes of this nature --just the biggest crimes. "The plan was actually very simple: kidnap Marc Schiller, have him write his own ransom and then kill him," she replied. Judge Alex Ferrer left the bench in 2005, and continues to enjoy success with his syndicated television show. Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini was legendary. Du Bois met Schiller and believed his story. He was desperate for money and sometimes worked at the Sun Gym. The View Details Bizapedia.com Fitness View More Gym Near You In Miami Lakes, FL | SWEAT440 It has to be highly suspicious "They handcuffed my hands behind my back.". Trainer Jorge Delgado Living Out His Dream As A Trainer At Gulfstream [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. Nov 2018 - Mar 20223 years 5 months. They were " and then douse the car with gasoline and set it on fire. "Adrian Doorbal was Danny Lugo's protege," said Jimenez. She was a finalist in the Miss Romania contest in 1990, then came to the United States to begin a modeling career. It was Delgado's relationship with Lugo that caused a rift between Delgado and the Sun Gym Gang's first victim: Marc Schiller. "You know we were very poor when we were young" she continued. and held for more than a month. The prosecution rested. kidnap and torture Frank Griga until he signed over every nickel he had out over a deal. "Danny treated her well he gave her a BMW," said Jimenez. tranquilizer, which they had basically bought to tranquilize the two of co-conspirator was sentenced to two years imprisonment for his "His jail sentence is what he did, but the pain and suffering that he endured, that -- nobody deserves that," she said. "And I remember saying, 'We don't have a missing persons, we have a very major homicide,'" said Levine. seen in my life," Levine said, "but she was also one of the most naive strange because in homicide we need a crime scene. You can't claim misidentification. "I think being in a jail cell for the rest of their life is worse punishment.". They come back Schiller can't forget the sick soundtrack that came with his daily beatings. he was working for the U.S. government in kidnapping people that were They're few and far between when there's actually a missing person that we would respond. "There's sometimes when, as a defense lawyer, you don't have anything to go on. "We had his girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu," said Jimenez. "This case was what made me who I am today, a career prosecutor," said Levine. "Lugo and Doorbal, on the other hand, they wanted to live that life," Ferrer continued. Sabina Petrescu, the magazine model-turned stripper, had quite a story to tell. "She was a very, very attractive woman," Jimenez said. The investigation into Frank and Krisztina's disappearance continued. "He felt betrayed," Roberts noted to Levine. "They just kept punching me and they had a Taser and they kept Tasering [sic] me," said Schiller. In May 1995, Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal would be at the center of "Marc Schiller was asked to come and give testimony under oath four times and he stood up not only the prosecutor, but the police, to give that testimony four times," said prosecutor Gail Levine. Roberts asked Levine. "Think my final words were, probably, 'May God have mercy on your soul,'" said Ferrer. With the help of Jorge Delgado, Doorbal and Lugo stuffed the bodies of Frank Griga into a couch and Krisztina Furton into a large cardboard box. On June 10, Lugo agreed to reveal the hiding place of the bodies in return for the police mentioning his helpfulness to a jury. Asked what he remembered next, Schiller told Roberts, "Waking up in a hospital.". Jorge Delgado seems to have a lot to look forward to these days at Gulfstream Park, where he is scheduled to saddle Hy Kodiak Warrior for Saturday's $75,000 Sea of Tranquility Stakes. And these two First published on February 22, 2014 / 10:59 PM. "They'd been partying and going to strip clubs, and dropping We don't know where he is.". "He thought he was smarter than anybody else," Jimenez added. Roberts asked Schiller. "So after a while, you and Marc decided to go to the police?" [4], In total, there were seven failed abductions. Doorbal wasn't that stupid. [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]. Danny Lugo learned about Schiller from Jorge Delgado, who also worked out at Sun Gym. "Adrian Doorbal was Danny Lugo's protege," said Jimenez. credibility issues due to his alleged involvement in Medicare fraud. Within minutes, Doorbal was strangling Frank in the bedroom. Within hours, they reached their verdict: Daniel Lugo was found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of Krisztina Furton and Frank Griga. and comic book code names like Batman and Robin and tried to stage an State Attorney for Miami-Dade County. He was in control as the prosecution's star witness. Alex Ferrer. He's in critical condition,'" said Schiller. They backed out about a own apartments, wearing his jewelry, driving his Dodge Viper, and his "We had his girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu," said Jimenez. "We have the housekeeper who was also at the home when the -- the "I was pretty hardcore" he said of his weightlifting. "So we got a call that there was a missing -- a wealthy couple that was missing out of Golden Beach," he explained. Marc Schiller did not commit that $14 million worth of Medicare fraud.". We have the next door neighbor. The case would be career defining for prosecutor Gail Levine. While there, Lugo looked for victims and found others who he'd trust to help with his upcoming crimes. And they just didn't believe him," Ferrer explained. Bound and gagged, he'd be dumped at a warehouse and held for more than a month. But it would be just a explained. "They had a dead person and another one, another person near death," said Garafalo. Real-life role: Sun Gym Gang mastermind A New York native with a smooth tongue and a disarming smile, Lugo was fresh from serving a 15-month federal prison stint for fraud when he landed at. He'd been told about it by a woman who once dated Frank Griga. Roberts asked Levine. Sun Gym In Miami Lakes - 2023 | UsFitnessFinder.com Despite his cooperation, Schiller still remained chained like an animal in the Miami warehouse. The last act of the sordid play had begun. Noel [Adrian] Doorbal, on the other hand, he was joking. For some reason, it just felt to me that that should be taken into consideration," said Ferrer. [5] "They would hide in his yard under Schiller's sister ripped the medical tubes from his arms. "'They want you to come to Miami to report it,'" Schiller said. now, she wouldn't tell detectives where Lugo was. He was turning around to his girlfriend, and making faces like a goofball," said Ferrer. Medicare fraud.". Roberts asked. The body of Furton was later identified through her breast implants' serial number, which was matched to the records held by her plastic surgeon. We're breathin' down your neck,'" said Du Bois. And now they're both dead -- Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton. Therefore, they only made minor inquiries into the case. And she says, 'Oh, don't you know? Odessa's Best Group Gym. "The main guy that we're after, Danny Lugo, is nowhere to be found," said Jimenez. February 22, 2014 / 10:59 PM Doorbal was driving," doin? And she says, 'Oh, don't you know? This is what we would call the gang headquarters," said Jimenez. They backed out about a block away to watch the car as it was engulfed in flames. gets free, leaves the country and doesn't call the police for four Roberts asked Schiller. [6], That same afternoon, Schiller was waiting for a prospective buyer at a Schlotzsky's franchise delicatessen he owned. Roberts asked. I told Delgado that Lugo would get him in trouble one day. I can't explain it," he replied. Asked what did they do with the bodies, Levine told Roberts, "Well, they got creative.". But the chain saw doesn't have enough power. [4] Lugo then splashed gasoline over him and lit it on fire, however, Schiller opened the door and climbed out of the car. "So after a while, you and Marc decided to go to the police?" depravity. Danny Lugo had convinced her he was a spy on a secret mission. But according to authorities, it wasn't until April 1995, four months after his escape, that Schiller contacted police. The two crimes would become one huge case -- a case that Judge Alex "What was the defense strategy?" I wanna grow, I wanna be somebody very big'" said Barrientos. And what they contain are two They are now both CBS News consultants. "Why are you alive?" This is what we would call the gang headquarters," said Jimenez. film, released by Paramount Pictures, is part of Viacom, a company They knew they were gonna kill them from the outset," said Ferrer. Jorge Delgado - Director/Owner - Delgado Space Technologies LLC - LinkedIn policy. The neighbor would tell police she'd met the driver of the gold Mercedes and knew his name: Danny Lugo. "They put him in his Toyota 4Runner, his SUV," said Ferrer. boyfriend," Levine explained. "They're waiting for him to drive by to stage this accident," Ferrer explained. And they just blew it off.". I'm grabbed from behind by three guys," said Schiller. he was reaching for the skies, " Griga continued. And this is what these guys -- broke short. "I kind of knew that something really bad happened then". [10], Lugo involved his girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu, who believed that Lugo was a Central Intelligence Agency agent and that she was assisting him in his mission to capture a Hungarian businessman who was guilty of using women for sex and circumventing US tax laws. The gang used costumes and comic book code names like Batman and Robin and tried to stage an accident to kidnap Schiller. "He's trying to convince the nurse to give him a phone, because he "It was disturbing on every level. I started investigating it, from the day I met the victim's family, "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. Jimenez told Troy Roberts. Home Depot and return it," said Ferrer. "They handcuffed my hands behind my back.". "He told me, 'Look, I gotta talk to you about something,'" the "It was $1.2 million in cash and assets and a $2 million life insurance Soon, both men realized. " and then douse the car with gasoline and set it In an incredible twist of fate, detectives in another department at Metro-Dade police had also been looking at Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal. Petrescu was another recent immigrant who made a splash in Miami. [4] Finally, the gang decided they would kill Schiller with a 2 million dollars MetLife Insurance policy designated to Lugo's ex-wife Lillian Torres as the new beneficiary.[4]. [23] He brought them to the submerged barrels in Southwest Miami. Asked why she didn't she call police, Schiller told Roberts, "I don't know. I guess they came at 10 to look for me, to kill us all, all three of us," said Schiller. "Doorbal would yell, 'Fire! Petrescu would play a crucial role as police continued gathering more evidence connecting Lugo and Doorbal to the disappearance of Frank and Krisztina. "It was so encompassing from the day I got the call, from the day I started investigating it, from the day I met the victim's family, from the day I met everybody involved, from the relationship that I developed with police in investigating the case," she explained. So for now, she wouldn't tell detectives where Lugo was. January 9, 2021, 7:00 PM ET Murders A-Z The 'Sun Gym Gang' Of Miami 'Meatheads' Murdered A Wealthy Couple In A Botched Theft The so-called Sun Gym Gang first kidnapped and tortured a wealthy man into signing over all his assets to them before they set their sights on Frank Griga and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton. At that location now is a warehouse for Oni Essence perfume. Soon, Frank's big sister was on a flight to Miami. Schiller had an even bigger problem: Lugo and Delgado were intent on finishing the job. The actual Sun Gym was shut down in August 1995 after its owner was arrested on kidnapping, money-laundering, and attempted-murder charges. [7], In 1994 Daniel Lugo again planned to extort and kidnap Winston Lee, a Jamaican man who frequented Sun Gym. Where is Sun Gym Gang's Survivor Marc Schiller Today? "While they were beating you?" I just made a mistake," he told Roberts. ", "At that point, they dragged me to the van -- a white van," Schiller said. Roberts asked. "Think my final words were, probably, 'May God have mercy on your soul,'" said Ferrer. In my house," Schiller told Troy Roberts. She chose not to call the police. Jorge was a skinny guy, not quite the bodybuilding type. "Yeah. Danny Lugo had convinced her he was a spy on a secret mission. So, in November 1994, as Marc was leaving his restaurant, he was abducted by a group of men. want. [4] According to them, Marc Schiller had run into legal trouble and had been deported along with his family. [10] Doorbal convinced Lugo to form a plan to kidnap and extort the couple. immigrant, came to this country with $10 dollars in his pocket and made Schiller and Delgado had been in business.
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