Delgado was also in possession of the entry code to one of Schiller's houses. We're breathin' down your neck,'" said Du Bois. was missing out of Golden Beach," he explained. But business went badly, and later Schiller and Delgado had a falling out over a deal. [4] The Sun Gym gang then took Schiller to Delgado's warehouse. thousands of dollars on strippers and it was all his money," said Judge "I kind of knew that something really bad happened then". We have the next door neighbor. Petrescu was another recent immigrant who made a splash in Miami. . I hadn't eaten for like three "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. Sun Gym In Miami Lakes - 2023 | UsFitnessFinder.com "At this point, we realized that something bad -- something bad had happened to this couple," said Sam Garafalo. would never forget. Hungarian couple you know, this yellow Lamborghini found in the But the real plan mirrored the violent abduction of Marc Schiller: kidnap and torture Frank Griga until he signed over every nickel he had and revealed to the gang where his assets were kept. Schiller's brother and sister booked an air ambulance, grabbed their brother and bolted out of Miami, heading north -- not a minute too soon. "The I'll come to Miami,'" said Schiller. [4] Noel Doorbal worked part-time at the gym alongside Lugo. policy. "He'd do anything and everything that Danny Lugo told him to do.". I would imagine most CPAs in Miami have," she explained. Having forced him to sign over his assets, the Sun Gym gang, led by "How did this all go down?" They were now hungry for another score. circumstances. But business went badly, and later Schiller and Delgado had a falling would be an easy mark. "When I left Schiller was sitting in the chair he was taped up -- hands and legs and they were beating on him," the co-conspirator told Roberts. [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. "They never went out, never read them their rights, they never asked He told her he As he left the court after the trial, he was surrounded by armed FBI agents who arrested him on charges relating to an extensive Medicare scam. "I was pretty hardcore" he said of his weightlifting. matter of time. "It was one of those days in Miami where a storm was coming in," Schiller recalled. was very beautiful. Please enter valid email address to continue. By May of 1995, five months after his harrowing escape, the Sun Gym gang had burned through all of Marc Schiller's money. that happened to me," he said. "And they said, 'I think we got another case just like yours could you come down to Miami?' The prosecution rested. times and he stood up not only the prosecutor, but the police, to "What he accomplished should make everyone proud because he went from nowhere to a millionaire on his own just by using his own resources.". discuss a business deal," said Jimenez. Jorge Delgado snitched on Lugo and Doorbal. I'm grabbed from behind by three guys," said Schiller. So we have a lot to go on," said Jimenez. The prosecution rested. "He was "Finally, she gives him the phone. He described how important Schiller's testimony was in bringing down the Sun Gym gang. Schiller's nightmare started just as he was about to head for home after work. Today, while Schiller refuses to talk about the charges, he does say Garafalo, also retired, worked the case for his boss, Felix Jimenez. And these two [29] In 2008, he was arrested for felony grand theft, receiving one year of probation. They're looking at the dent of the car, and they say, 'I don't All that changed, though, when a police made a stunning discovery. "They also needed Krisztina," said Levine. "And I said, 'The easy answer is for you to get out of the hospital," said Du Bois. "And Doorbal's face lights up and says, 'Who has the yellow Lambo?' stupid attempts," Ferrer explained. muscle-headed gang had trashed his home and burned through his money. would drag on for 10 weeks, overseen by Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the he replied. "They never returned the money to Marc Schiller. The ordeal wasn't over for Marc Schiller. He's my old boyfriend," Levine explained. "This is a warehouse that was rented by one of the members of the Sun Gym Gang," Jimenez told Roberts as they stood outside the building. "Danny treated her well he gave her a BMW," said Jimenez. "You know we were very poor when we were young" she continued. "And they started chopping the body parts. [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. during the federal fraud investigation. They set me in a chair, and they give me this concoction, a drink," said Schiller. [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 third dose of tranquilizer was administered, resulting in her death. of the country, Schiller was still suffering. "I have never passed that mile marker without saying a little prayer for Frank and Krisztina," said Levine. [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. they're on some secret mission for the government," he continued. Transcript: 18. Miami's Murderous Muscleheads (Part 1) - The Sun Gym The neighbor would tell police she'd met the driver of the gold Mercedes and knew his name: Danny Lugo. The body of Furton was later identified through her breast implants' serial number, which was matched to the records held by her plastic surgeon. Griga paused before continuing. "We have the housekeeper who was also at the home when the -- the everything you have we're gonna bring your wife down here and rape Bound and gagged, he'd be dumped at a warehouse and held for more than a month. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Within minutes, Doorbal was strangling Frank in the bedroom. Don't you know him?' She's tried more than 00 cases. Schiller's nightmare started just as he was about to head for home after work. months?" "And Seven years after opening Sun Gym, accountant John Mese was on the verge of ditching the enterprise. "Number one, she was smitten with Danny Lugo, and number two, I think Pain & Gain - the Real-Life Sun Gym Gang Muscle and Mayhem No views Jul 20, 2022 Pain & Gain -the Real-Life Sun Gym Gang .more .more Dislike Share Seekers Crime 5.24K subscribers. "They duct taped him they put tape on his mouth and we took off right out of here," said the co-conspirator. "They waited in a van and they had their biggest gym rats come out," said Levine. "But this case really got to me.". "he loved fast cars, beautiful girls and life," Griga said. "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. missing person that we would respond. "Did you fear that Delgado and Lugo were going to come to hospital to finish the job?" You can't claim misidentification. He calls his lawyer," said Ferrer. [4] Meanwhile, the Sun Gym Gang, after hearing of no one being admitted into the morgue, started calling the area hospitals. Schiller was admitted into the hospital on December 16, 1994, being treated as a John Doe and possible DUI case. He has a lot of money, more money than. Roberts asked Jimenez. . Delgado, one of Lugo's clients at the gym, had once worked for. Metro-Dade police had also been looking at Danny Lugo and Adrian In the new movie "Pain and Gain", Lugo is portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. out over a deal. [4] He had been convicted of fraud for pretending to be part of a Hong Kong bank looking to invest in American small businessesthe scheme involved collecting up-front fees for loan insurance and then not delivering any loans. She chose not to call the police. "I was starved. Where is Sun Gym Gang's Survivor Marc Schiller Now? reached their verdict: Daniel Lugo was found guilty of first-degree Delgado exercised at Sun Gym in the Miami area, where Lugo was employed.5 The two became good friends, and at times Lugo would accompany Delgado on visits to Schiller's home. seven members of the gang would do time. "He's trying to convince the nurse to give him a phone, because he "And they told him that they were investors and that they had a way to make 20-percent return on the dollar," said Levine. Prosecutor Levine would eventually lead the investigation and try the [15] It was here that the gang dismembered and disposed of the bodies of Griga and Furton, with Doorbal doing most of the work. there accusing them," said Schiller. Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini was legendary. It has to be highly suspicious It has to be highly suspicious circumstances. We'll shake him down'" said Ferrer. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but served only seven. him, I mean he must be dead,'" Ferrer continued. "Think my final words were, probably, 'May God have mercy on your soul,'" said Ferrer. So these geniuses take this chainsaw back to Home Depot and return it," said Ferrer. I said, 'Yeah, yeah. . now, she wouldn't tell detectives where Lugo was. He was in control as the prosecution's star witness. With Schiller's fortune spent, the gang targeted their next victims: Frank Griga and his beautiful girlfriend, Krisztina Furton. "He felt betrayed," Roberts noted to Levine. to respond to. Jimenez told Troy Roberts. but they were at the same time malicious and cold-blooded murderers.". caught the eye of Adrian Doorbal. "So you had your .45 with you?" Mercedes and just basically living off his money. "His wealth did afford him certain luxury items," Roberts noted. In a highly unusual twist, Judge Alex Ferrer stood up for Schiller to go on. Asked what he remembered next, Schiller told Roberts, "Waking up in a hospital.". According to Lugo, businessman Marc Schiller had stolen $100,000 from him and $200,000 from another gym member named Jorge Delgado. Soon, both men realized. After his release, "Finally, she gives him the phone. guys don't have a dime," Ferrer explained. To get the final piece of the puzzle, two-million-dollar life insurance pay-out, Marc had to be dead. The Sun Gym Gang were active in Miami, Florida, during the mid-1990s[1] and were responsible for the murders of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton along with the kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder of Marc Schiller. He came from Budapest, Hungary, and found a minimum wage job in New York City. "And Doorbal goes and speaks to her and he comes back and says, his abduction and torture to nurses, doctors -- anyone who might listen. [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]. Lugo and Doorbal hatched a scheme to kidnap Marc Schiller, who they claimed stole $200,000 from a gym member named Jorge Delgado. Schiller can't forget the sick soundtrack that came with his daily beatings. They make identification. "It was $1.2 million in cash and assets and a $2 million life insurance policy. And for some inexplicable reason, none of Schiller's employees, friends or extended family raised the alarm. They come back Lugo's girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu, was granted immunity in exchange The crimes and the trial would captivate and horrify all of south Florida. "Schiller was tied to a pipe in a very small bathroom. Where is Sun Gym Gang's Survivor Marc Schiller Today? My heart breaks when I think of what she went through.". The two crimes would become one huge case -- a case that Judge Alex Ferrer, now TV's "Judge Alex", and Miami-Dade prosecutor Gail Levine would never forget. For some reason, it just felt to me that that should be taken into consideration," said Ferrer. "The main guy that we're after, Danny Lugo, is nowhere to be found," said Jimenez. The co-conspirator was sentenced to two years imprisonment for his involvement in Schiller's kidnapping and Jorge Delgado got 15. "Did you fear that Delgado and Lugo were going to come to hospital to finish the job?" says he was kidnapped. endured, that -- nobody deserves that," she said. "Very handsome couple, they looked like they were made for each and their mother inherited his multi-million dollar estate. I wanna grow, I wanna be somebody very big'" said Barrientos. In my house," Schiller told Troy Roberts. I run into them by accident, I'm dead.". during the middle of the day, it looks like they're moving. She was only 23 years old. [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. was a CIA agent. In the end, Raimondo was given an 8-year sentence but only completed half of it. "Oh he loved cars, yes, he loved cars," Griga said. In May 1995, Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal would be at the center of from the day I met everybody involved, from the relationship that I tape guns, [stun guns], handcuffs -- there was so much evidence in "And they were taking some of the furniture they liked and putting it into their own apartments, wearing his jewelry, driving his Dodge Viper, and his Mercedes and just basically living off his money. A man named John Meese owned the Sun Gym, a place for serious body builders. spin it and pull the trigger," Jimenez explained. Schiller's sister ripped the medical tubes from his arms. "They had a dead person and another one, another person near death," said Garafalo. Jimenez explained. Garafalo, also retired, worked the case for his boss, Felix Jimenez. They took the bodies to an empty warehouse. But according to Du Bois and Schiller, when they finally did sit down with the cops "They've never listened at all," said Schiller. wasn't involved in that at all.". And what they contain are two bodies," said Jimenez. "It was like a service station he was changing the oil, washing cars," Zsuzsanna Griga explained. Pain & Gain - the Real-Life Sun Gym Gang Muscle and Mayhem "Lugo's gone, we have a warrant for his arrest," Jimenez said. kidnap and torture Frank Griga until he signed over every nickel he had "Money was there for him to make other people happy and to play, to buy toys," she said. "Their Lamborghini was found in an abandoned, wooded area far outside of Miami," said Jimenez. 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. business scheme and a meeting was set at the Solid Gold strip club. Free Workout. At first, the detectives hoped they could find Frank and Krisztina alive. police. Ferrer. It was here he began an affair with a one-time Penthouse model-turned exotic dancer named Sabina Petrescu. Asked what did they do with the bodies, Levine told Roberts, "Well, they got creative.". The last act of the sordid play had begun. "Money was there for him to make other people happy and to play, to buy toys," she said. Roberts asked Schiller. Felix Jimenez explained. He gave up, giving the gang everything. It appears that Jorge currently resides and operates a gym in Buenos Aires, Argentina. "And he says, 'How would I know him?' Marc Schiller has just released his tell-all tale, "Pain and Gain - The Untold True Story". Danny Lugo learned about Schiller from Jorge Delgado, who also worked The In all, "And they get back to their place, and they go, 'You think we killed him?' Where was the real Sun Gym? - Tonyajoy.com 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. Bahamas the -- the-- following day. [4] The gang visited the hospital intending to kill Schiller, but he had already been transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital. "It was probably more than that, it was probably like five days," he said. was a finalist in the Miss Romania contest in 1990, then came to the "Why didn't either of you go to the police at that point?" But the chain saw Petrescu would play a crucial role as police continued gathering more evidence connecting Lugo and Doorbal to the disappearance of Frank and Krisztina. He was on top "The bodies were found that day," Zsuzsanna Griga told Roberts of the Join Facebook to connect with Jorge Delgado and others you may know. "And I remember saying, 'We don't have a missing persons, we have a very major homicide,'" said Levine. "It boggles the mind that they would return a chain saw that they were going to use to dismember these people," Roberts told the detectives. The life Frank Griga had built on those dial tones of his sex phone empire. "They had a dead person and another one, another person near death," said Garafalo. Other times, they played Russian roulette. 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. she believed what he was saying -- that he was a CIA operative -- that "Liquor, tequila, vodka and gave him sleeping pills. " when you have a case that's that grotesque and you know people suffered what do we do to bring justice to the victims of this case, either in their name or for their surviving members ," said Rundle. Krisztina Furton would probably be alive today," said Ferrer. "She Roberts asked Jimenez. invited her in and introduced her to two muscle-bound men that were "Him and Jorge Delgado started a mortgage business together," said Jimenez. Al Harper phoned Ed Du Bois III and they began to collaborate with the police investigation. gets free, leaves the country and doesn't call the police for four "How many times did you insist you had been kidnapped?" " when you have a case that's that grotesque and you know people A thousand miles from Miami, Marc Schiller, now supported by his family, began to heal; his body and bones fractured. But it would be just a 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. They planned to wear ninja outfits for Halloween and knock on Schiller's door; this plan did not transpire. "Yeah, I told 'em I was kidnapped, and they go, 'No no, you were in a A thousand miles from Miami, Marc Schiller, now supported by his family, began to heal; his body and bones fractured. boyfriend," Levine explained. Roberts asked Du Bois. Doorbal was also found guilty and both men were sentenced to death. "He felt betrayed," Roberts noted to Levine. Delgado also came to know Lugo's codefendants, Noel Doorbal and John Mese. Lugo and Doorbal continue to appeal their death penalty convictions. "He was a steroid freak. "Did any of your captors show you any kindness? "And they get back to their place, and they go, 'You think we killed "Doorbal would yell, 'Fire! "This case was what made me who I am today, a career prosecutor," said Levine. And we were all in a panic," he said. he was reaching for the skies, " Griga continued. Bingo. a way of convincing people to do things they didn't want to do.". "She was very beautiful. The surprised Sun Gym gang moved in to finish off Marc Schiller. torture and the beatings and the -- the attempts to kill him and all of It's been nearly two decades since the gang tortured and killed their way through Miami. She made it onto the pages of "And they disposed of the torsos in one part of the county in oil drums," said Ferrer. he ended up half dead at Jackson Memorial, Miami's top trauma center. Jurors wasted little time making their decision. co-conspirator continued. Well, at that point, you can't let the guy live so they decide he's gotta go.". feature, "Pain and Gain", Mark Wahlberg's character depicts the "I knew they weren't gonna do anything,"said Schiller. Roberts asked. "They're waiting for him to drive by to stage this accident," Ferrer The Sun Gym gang left a massive, bloody trail of evidence. 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. for him, he's on an air ambulance flight to New York," said Ferrer. "We had his girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu," said Jimenez. "You must have been terrified," Roberts commented. doin? straight" enlisted some serious muscle and planned to take Schiller down Police quickly hit pay dirt in the apartment of Danny Lugo's girlfriend. So what was the plan?" Eighteen years later, the story was too much for Hollywood to resist. 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. "What was the defense strategy?" [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. And what they contain are two It was Delgado's relationship with Lugo that caused a rift between Delgado and the Sun Gym Gang's first victim: Marc Schiller. "It was disturbing on every level. "He'd do anything and everything that Danny and they're gonna use this to dismember the bodies. In all, seven members of the gang would do time. dangerous to this country," said Jimenez. "If the police had listened to him and investigated, Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton would probably be alive today," said Ferrer. 10 Murders That Were Committed By Bodybuilders - Listverse With the little money he had, he spent a lot of it at the Solid Gold who knows how many of these people / CBS News, Produced by Chuck Stevenson, Jamie Stolz, Tamara Weitzman and Alicia Tejada. "They were Tasing him," the co-conspirator continued. In a plea deal, Schiller ended up serving two years in federal prison and paying $137,000 in restitution. "There's a lot of things about this case that boggle the mind," said Jimenez. "He felt betrayed," Roberts noted to Levine. and revealed to the gang where his assets were kept. Justice was what Marc Schiller got this time. Fire!' Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is now dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in the new movie. You just don't. And I've tried serial killers," Ferrer said. hand, he was joking. And she says, 'Oh, don't you know? "the missing Hungarian couple had said that they were going to the Bahamas the -- the-- following day. "There's a lot of things about this case that boggle the mind," said Jimenez. Marc Schiller. Roberts asked Levine. "He was a steroid freak. "Sorry. "Schiller was tied to a pipe in a very small bathroom. " and they brought that back and they end up buying an electric chainsaw," said Garafalo. Miami,'" said Schiller. "They put him in his Toyota 4Runner, his SUV," said Ferrer. "Of all the cases I've tried this is by far the most fascinating case," said Ferrer. "And it killed her?" It was that car that caught the eye of Adrian Doorbal. him?' "What person gets kidnapped, held for a month, and when he finally " and then douse the car with gasoline and set it on fire. [14] After this, Furton stopped supplying them with information. "His jail sentence is what he did, but the pain and suffering that he endured, that -- nobody deserves that," she said. the reason they weren't home was because they were in the Bahamas," said [21], Eight days after the disappearance of Griga and Furton, Capt. So, in November 1994, as Marc was leaving his restaurant, he was abducted by a group of men. and petty thieves who hung out at the Sun Gym. He was desperate for money and sometimes worked at the Sun Gym. It would be months before Schiller could grasp the full horror of how he ended up half dead at Jackson Memorial, Miami's top trauma center.
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