Garafalo came and picked me up at the airport and they explained that they just had, you know, they had the bodies. Miami,'" said Schiller. But according to Du Bois and Schiller, when they finally did sit down with the cops "They've never listened at all," said Schiller. "They give him alcohol to drink. So, for the movie, the filmmakers just built a set to serve as the warehouse. [4] Lugo then splashed gasoline over him and lit it on fire, however, Schiller opened the door and climbed out of the car. Du Bois met Schiller and believed his story. were taking some of the furniture they liked and putting it into their
In fewer than 10 years, Frank was living in an upscale Miami enclave
"He felt betrayed," Roberts noted to Levine. Within minutes, Doorbal was strangling
Marc Schiller has just released his tell-all tale, "Pain and Gain - The Untold True Story". again and he was laughing so hard he was crying.". 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. In May 1995, Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal would be at the center of
He described how important
He would have to
The horror was just beginning. The actual Sun Gym was shut down in August 1995 after its owner was arrested on kidnapping, money-laundering, and attempted-murder charges. "He was signing over everything, including his life," Levine said. "I kind of knew that something really bad happened then". [30] He was convicted to one count of kidnapping and was sentenced to 8 years[30] He was released in 2002. would drag on for 10 weeks, overseen by Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the
"And it killed her?" box. "The victim comes from Colombia. "He told me, 'Look, I gotta talk to you about something,'" the co-conspirator continued. "I guess its divine intervention. "They were living in the house. family, telling his wife to take their two young children and flee to
With the help of Jorge Delgado, Doorbal and Lugo stuffed the bodies
and their mother inherited his multi-million dollar estate. message that he -- he had out there was you can do whatever you
Doorbal.
Where is Sun Gym Gang's Survivor Marc Schiller Today? Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini was legendary. millions.". And that was their attempt to kill him. We need a dead body to respond to. He'd used Schiller's sympathy to get work as his gofer and . Beatriz Weiland and Attila Weiland were contacted by police, who began speaking to them. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. It was here he began an affair with a one-time Penthouse model-turned exotic dancer named Sabina Petrescu. We need a dead body
The gang used costumes and comic book code names like Batman and Robin and tried to stage an accident to kidnap Schiller. In the Hollywood
[4] Initially planned as a two-day abduction, the abduction went over weeks as they converted assets from Switzerland and the Cayman Islands. And now
Lugo's girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu, was granted immunity in exchange
give that testimony four times," said prosecutor Gail Levine. By May of 1995, five months after his harrowing escape, the Sun Gym gang had burned through all of Marc Schiller's money. dangerous to this country," said Jimenez. Schiller had an even bigger problem: Lugo and Delgado were intent on finishing the job. The boss was Danny Lugo, the same man at the center of the Krisztina Furton-Frank Griga murder case. "This is where the Sun Gym was located. ", "Yeah, the guy that was at night there, because they stopped feeding me," Schiller explained. policy. "I was pretty hardcore" he said of his weightlifting. times and he stood up not only the prosecutor, but the police, to
"Liquor, tequila, vodka and gave him sleeping pills. "I think he got greedy and started to get involved in Medicare fraud," said Jimenez. "They went to Metro-Dade's top unit that handles just crimes of this nature --just the biggest crimes. Delgado also came to know Lugo's codefendants, Noel Doorbal and John Mese. "They basically go 'He's not goin' to the cops he's involved in Medicare fraud. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Unlike Lugo and Doorbal, Delgado was a tall, thin man with a meek demeanor. They planned to wear ninja outfits for Halloween and knock on Schiller's door; this plan did not transpire. He gave up, giving the gang everything. "I'm a good hearted person. "I signed. With his family safely out of the country, Schiller was still suffering. "We were parked right there," the man said, standing with Roberts in
business scheme and a meeting was set at the Solid Gold strip club. "And the doctor said, 'You can't move him. I
To them it was just a fun game," he said. But the chain saw
Almost four years after he was left for dead, Marc Schiller faced off again against the Sun Gym gang. On June 10, Lugo agreed to reveal the hiding place of the bodies in return for the police mentioning his helpfulness to a jury. model-turned exotic dancer named Sabina Petrescu. Alex Ferrer. for him, he's on an air ambulance flight to New York," said Ferrer. of her brother, Frank, and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton in 1995. He was turning around to his girlfriend, and making faces like a goofball," said Ferrer. You can't claim anything," said Ferrer. "And Doorbal goes and speaks to her and he comes back and says, his
him, I mean he must be dead,'" Ferrer continued. Finally, the daily torture was too much. The final failed abduction occurred on Thursday, November 14, 1994. When Jorge Delgado saddles CSLR Racing Partners' Awesome Strong for a bid to complete a sweep in the 2022 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series Saturday at Gulfstream Park, the up-and-coming trainer. He was in control as the prosecution's star witness. "The main guy that we're after, Danny Lugo, is nowhere to be found," said Jimenez. [25] Sabina Petrescu and Cindy Eldridge also faced charges. "Danny Lugo was a Puerto Rican-Cuban kid from the Bronx," added Garafalo. Short of bringing him back? Doorbal was driving," Jimenez explained. In an incredible twist of fate, detectives in another department at Metro-Dade police had also been looking at Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal. [30] On 15January2003, Mese was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering. Frank was completely legal.". Detectives learned Lugo was the leader of a group made up of drifters
"Why are you alive?" and held for more than a month. Everglades and that they're missing and they continue to be missing.". guys don't have a dime," Ferrer explained. think of what she went through.". My heart breaks when I think of what she went through.". member who had first told Lugo about Schiller and his millions - ended
Roberts asked Levine. "I thought they were gonna take me and kill me," he said. making faces like a goofball," said Ferrer. Schiller's brother and sister booked an air ambulance, grabbed their brother and bolted out of Miami, heading north -- not a minute too soon. Asked is she's gotten justice, Zsuzsanna Griga told Roberts, "What sort of justice can be done, OK? she believed what he was saying -- that he was a CIA operative -- that
who once dated Frank Griga. In return for testifying in favor of the state, Delgado was sentenced to two prison terms of 5 and 15 years. Incredibly, one of Schiller's torturers, Jorge Delgado - the Sun Gym
bodies," said Jimenez. " told him, 'The eagle has landed.' And she screams, and Danny tackles her and injects her with horse
So it's like the Keystone Cops gone bad.". "Sergeant Jimenez and Sgt. " in the Everglades, on the Alligator Alley that goes from Ft. Lauderdale to Naples," said Ferrer. The surprised Sun Gym gang moved in to finish off Marc Schiller. But who would want to kidnap them? "I was in a coma when they picked me up," he told Roberts. Soon, both men realized. With his family safely out
The map was clear and it led straight to the Sun Gym gang. block away to watch the car as it was engulfed in flames. They took the bodies to an empty warehouse. "Doorbal, not knowing his own steroid strength, either broke his neck or suffocated him," said Levine. "Money was there for him to make other people happy and to play, to buy toys," she said. Join Facebook to connect with Jorge Delgado and others you may know. Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 29 individuals--24 who face federal and five who face state charges--in connection with an Odessa-based methamphetamine distribution operation announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Will Glaspy and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas E. Lindquist. "He'd do anything and everything that Danny
know it's not a big dent, yeah but we ran him over, and we backed over
Doorbal wasn't that stupid. The Argentinian chef who operates out of there now was reportedly horrified when told of its sordid role in one of Miami's notorious crimes. "I mean we had so many cops it wasn't even funny," said Garafalo. "They plied you with alcohol for three straight days" Roberts noted to Schiller. Petrescu would play a crucial role as police continued gathering more
", "At that point, they dragged me to the van -- a white van," Schiller said. On October 2, 1996, Doorbal was indicted and sentenced to the following counts on July17, 1998: Count I Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering 30 years, Count II Racketeering Life Imprisonment, Count III First-Degree Murder (Furton) Death, Count IV First-Degree Murder (Griga) Death, Count V Kidnapping Life imprisonment, Count VI Kidnapping Life imprisonment, Count VIII Attempted Extortion 5 years, Count IX Grand Theft Auto 5 years, Count X Attempted First-Degree Murder Life imprisonment, Count XI Armed Kidnapping Life imprisonment, Count XII Armed Robbery Life imprisonment, Count XIV Grand Theft (Second-Degree) 15 years, Count XLVI Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony 15 years[30]. involvement in Schiller's kidnapping and Jorge Delgado got 15. kidnapped, you were drunk, you hit a pole," said Ferrer. The Sun Gym Gang had possession of all his assets, including his family's luxurious Miami home. "It made me very proud that my kid brother made it so big," Zsuzsanna Griga said. "And it killed her?" [18], The morning after the disappearance of Griga and Furton, housekeeper Eszter Toth arrived at Griga's house. We'll shake him down'" said Ferrer. "Did any of your captors show you any kindness? he lost everything -- his health, his home, his millions. Bahamas the -- the-- following day. " and they brought that back and they end up buying an electric chainsaw," said Garafalo. Griga paused before continuing. "Doorbal would yell, 'Fire! "Adrian Doorbal was Danny Lugo's protege," said Jimenez. It had been five months since Marc Schiller's ordeal. They were
"And I said, 'The easy answer is for you to get out of the hospital," said Du Bois. Roberts asked. developed with police in investigating the case," she explained. "It was disturbing on every level. "So they went to Home Depot and bought a chain saw. Soon after, Delgado pulled away from Schiller, said prosecutor Gail Levine. They discovered that Schiller was at South Miami Hospital and in a critical but stable condition. Other times, they played Russian roulette. Asked what he remembered next, Schiller told Roberts, "Waking up in a hospital.". "I kind of knew that something really bad happened then". The horror was just beginning. Hungarian couple you know, this yellow Lamborghini found in the
said Jimenez. Jorge Delgado snitched on Lugo and Doorbal. The prosecution rested. "She
"Were you satisfied with the verdict? brother and bolted out of Miami, heading north -- not a minute too soon. "So after a while, you and Marc decided to go to the police?" out over a deal. Finally, after multiple attempts, the "gang that couldn't shoot straight" enlisted some serious muscle and planned to take Schiller down outside a restaurant he owned. [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]. The
In an incredible twist of fate, detectives in another department at
of the country, Schiller was still suffering. " in fact we mobilized right in this park," Jimenez pointed out. "They went to Metro-Dade's top unit that handles just crimes of this
They're looking at the dent of the car, and they say, 'I don't
She chose not to call the police. She says Schiller didn't come forward, because he had his own
Noel [Adrian] Doorbal, on the other hand, he was joking. Roberts asked Levine. [10] Doorbal convinced Lugo to form a plan to kidnap and extort the couple. "He had a way of convincing people to do things they didn't want to do.". I hadn't eaten for like three
They set me in a chair, and they give me this concoction, a drink," said Schiller. cars," Zsuzsanna Griga explained. [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. "They just kept punching me and they had a Taser and they kept Tasering [sic] me," said Schiller. Short of bringing him back? (CBS News) MIAMI -- Zsuzsanna Griga will never forget the kidnapping of her brother, Frank, and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton in 1995. And what they contain are two bodies," said Jimenez. The 28-year . Within hours, they reached their verdict: Daniel Lugo was found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of Krisztina Furton and Frank Griga. him?' [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]. "Were you satisfied with the verdict? "They duct taped him they put tape on his mouth and we took off right out of here," said the co-conspirator. We had a next door neighbor that had actually been to the house the last time they were seen alive and they invited her in and introduced her to two muscle-bound men that were driving a gold Mercedes and told them they were going out to dinner to discuss a business deal," said Jimenez. "His jail sentence is what he did, but the pain and suffering that he endured, that -- nobody deserves that," she said. "We had his girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu," said Jimenez. But detectives had lost their lead suspect, Danny Lugo. Eighteen years later, the story was too much for Hollywood to resist. case. "It was $1.2 million in cash and assets and a $2 million life insurance
"And they left those hands, heads and feet in buckets at the 31 mile marker," Levine continued. They're few and far between when there's actually a
"There was never any pretense. them," said Ferrer. "At your peak you could bench 475 pounds?" The
who knows how many of these people
Police quickly hit pay dirt in the apartment of Danny Lugo's girlfriend. "He's just vanished. [2] The gang was composed mostly of bodybuilders who frequented the Sun Gym in Miami Lakes, Florida,[2] including Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal. actually been to the house the last time they were seen alive and they
Judge Alex Ferrer left the bench in 2005, and continues to enjoy success with his syndicated television show. Roberts asked. "The bodies were found that day," Zsuzsanna Griga told Roberts of the
tranquilizer, which they had basically bought to tranquilize the two of
[4] According to them, Marc Schiller had run into legal trouble and had been deported along with his family. [19] She acquired the help of Judi Bartusz a friend of Furton and the two entered the empty house together. Yes." Ultimately, the rest of the gang went to prison, too. "They'd been partying and going to strip clubs, and dropping thousands of dollars on strippers and it was all his money," said Judge Alex Ferrer. "They had a dead person and another one, another person near death," said Garafalo. [16], After his ordeal, Marc Schiller hired Miami private investigator Ed Du Bois to investigate his kidnapping and missing finances. Soon Adrian Doorbal was in custody and refused to talk to police. Danny Lugo had convinced her he was a spy on a secret mission. "We got information and -- as soon as we got it, we ended up going to Golden Beach," he said. What is the Sun Gym now? "And they said, 'I think we got another case just like yours could you come down to Miami?' Trump motion to declare mistrial in E. Jean Carroll lawsuit denied, U.S. to let Afghan evacuees renew temporary legal status, Tornado hits Virginia Beach, likely damaging hundreds of homes, First Republic Bank seized by regulators, then sold to JPMorgan Chase, Texas man who lost wife and son in shooting shares story, Supreme Court to hear case that could curb power of federal agencies, Mental health of LGBTQ youth worsening in current "hostile political climate", NYPD officer Troy Patterson dies 33 years after being shot in robbery, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo found dead at 46, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events, Lamar Johnson: "I am a freed man and a blessed man", Chad Daybell's kids claim he was "fooled in worst, most deadly way possible", Father told daughter, 14, to drive siblings home as he abducted their mother. "They waited in a van and they had their biggest gym rats come out," said Levine. In the movie "Pain and Gain", Lugo is portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. I guess I was the eagle," said Schiller. The Medicare fraud that made Schiller such an easy target for the gang had come back to haunt him. That's my friend Frank. from the day I met everybody involved, from the relationship that I
for her testimony. of Frank Griga into a couch and Krisztina Furton into a large cardboard
I wanna grow, I wanna be somebody very big'" said Barrientos. "As they're walking the halls of Jackson Memorial Hospital looking for him, he's on an air ambulance flight to New York," said Ferrer. "I guess its divine intervention. She was in love with Danny Lugo and
Schiller would reunite with his family in Colombia. Delgado wanted revenge and told Lugo that Schiller
was a finalist in the Miss Romania contest in 1990, then came to the
"I knew they weren't gonna do anything,"said Schiller. She made it onto the pages of Penthouse magazine, but filled the rest of her time as an exotic dancer. Hollywood could not resist this crazy scene. "This case was what made me who I am today, a career prosecutor," said Levine. I said, 'Yeah, yeah. [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. And for some inexplicable reason, none of Schiller's employees, friends or extended family raised the alarm. been grabbed by a gang. "They drive forward and they try to run him over, they missed. "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?" But catching Schiller to shake him down was tougher than it looked. "Him and Jorge Delgado started a mortgage business. "Danny Lugo was a Puerto Rican-Cuban kid from the Bronx," added Garafalo. Soon, Frank's big sister was on a flight to Miami. "But this case really got to me.". doin? But business went badly, and later Schiller and Delgado had a falling out over a deal. "I was in a coma when they picked me up," he told Roberts. "Mark Schiller was the perfect victim because he was involved in something that was illegal," said Levine. Soon, both men realized. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "So we got a call that there was a missing -- a wealthy couple that
In the frenetic haze of the intensive care unit -- burned and bruised, his pelvis broken -- Marc Schiller tried to tell his story of abduction and torture to nurses, doctors -- anyone who might listen. Ferrer. Following this event, Lugo ceased cooperation with the police. [7], In 1994 Daniel Lugo again planned to extort and kidnap Winston Lee, a Jamaican man who frequented Sun Gym. He's my old boyfriend," Levine explained. "Doorbal would yell, 'Fire! But the real plan mirrored the violent abduction of Marc Schiller:
With the little money he had, he spent a lot of it at the Solid Gold
I'll come to Miami,'" said Schiller. "This case was all over the news," retired homicide detective Felix
To them it was just a fun game," he said. weeks, he wasn't even allowed to use the bathroom. circumstances. Therefore, they only made minor inquiries into the case. on fire. "I'm a good hearted person. "That was a little
Griga said. Asked what he remembered next, Schiller told Roberts, "Waking up in a hospital.". "She fell for Danny and believed everything he told her.". Today, while Schiller refuses to talk about the charges, he does say
She's tried more than 00 cases. In all, seven members of the gang would do time. The focus of attention of the Fargo-esque crime drama, set in the 1990s, was Sun Gym in Miami Lakes, Florida. He was desperate for money and sometimes worked at the Sun Gym. The businessman and father was living in kind of a hell associated with a Third World dungeon -- complete with racial slurs. "About three and then I gave up," said Schiller. So for now, she wouldn't tell detectives where Lugo was. bruised, his pelvis broken -- Marc Schiller tried to tell his story of
"It was probably more than that, it was probably like five days," he said. And they're
"Him and Jorge Delgado started a mortgage business. Hollywood could not resist this crazy scene. "They'd been partying and going to strip clubs, and dropping
And this is what these guys -- broke short. MIAMI -- Zsuzsanna Griga will never forget the kidnapping
Prosecutor Levine would eventually lead the investigation and try the case. Well, at that point, you can't let the guy live so they decide he's gotta go.". " in fact we mobilized right in this park," Jimenez pointed out. "And the doctor said, 'You can't move him. Schiller and Delgado had been in business. She chose not to call the police. Mercedes and just basically living off his money. "His jail sentence is what he did, but the pain and suffering that he
[3], In 1993 Daniel Lugo was the manager of the Sun Gym, a bodybuilder hangout in Miami Lakes, Florida. Schiller can't forget the sick soundtrack that came with his daily beatings. In a plea deal, Schiller ended up serving two years in federal prison and paying $137,000 in restitution. Soon Adrian Doorbal was in custody and refused to talk to police. "Very handsome couple, they looked like they were made for each
She made it onto the pages of
then they were able to back over him and then run over him again," said
"They drove the van with Schiller inside into the warehouse.". affiliated with CBS. Bound and gagged, he'd be dumped at a warehouse and held for more than a month. "They never returned the money to
evidence connecting Lugo and Doorbal to the disappearance of Frank and
Their case was the bizarre kidnapping of another Miami millionaire. A thousand miles from Miami, Marc Schiller, now supported by his family, began to heal; his body and bones fractured. He called his
Asked if he was money hungry, Barrientos told Roberts, "Yes.". Roberts asked Jimenez. We're
either in their name or for their surviving members ," said Rundle. "You know we were very poor when we were young" she continued. They had injected her with
explained. For hours," said Levine. "His wealth did afford him certain luxury items," Roberts noted. I guess they came at 10 to look for me, to kill us all, all three of us," said Schiller. In a highly unusual twist, Judge Alex Ferrer stood up for Schiller
Transcript: 18. Miami's Murderous Muscleheads (Part 1) - The Sun Gym "The plan was actually very simple: kidnap Marc Schiller, have him write his own ransom and then kill him," she replied. It was Delgado's relationship with Lugo that caused a rift between Delgado and the Sun Gym Gang's first victim: Marc Schiller. 4060 Faudree Road Suite 107. Another gang member would dump Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini on the side of the road, in the swampy Florida Everglades. there accusing them," said Schiller. immigrant, came to this country with $10 dollars in his pocket and made
They make identification. would be an easy mark. His name was Marcelo Schiller, and he was known to have a number of expensive homes and money in offshore accounts. tape guns, [stun guns], handcuffs -- there was so much evidence in
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.