With Schiller's fortune spent, the gang targeted their next victims: Frank Griga and his beautiful girlfriend, Krisztina Furton. Petrescu would play a crucial role as police continued gathering more "Finally, she gives him the phone. Garafalo, also retired, worked the case for his boss, Felix Jimenez. "I'm a good hearted person. He'd used Schiller's sympathy to get work as his gofer and . "Doorbal was just an evil, he reminded me of just an evil guy," said Garafalo. "Danny treated her well he gave her a BMW," said Jimenez. They had injected her with enough horse tranquiller to kill four 1,000-pound horses. In the end, Raimondo was given an 8-year sentence but only completed half of it. could you come down to Miami?' Roberts asked. While there, Lugo looked for victims and found others who he'd trust to help with his upcoming crimes. "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. She knew all the gang's secrets and details of their plots, though she believed they were undercover CIA agents. "The call was unusual because the story was so bizarre," said Du Bois. A thousand miles from Miami, Marc Schiller, now supported by his family, began to heal; his body and bones fractured. She knew all the gang's secrets and details of their "These were inept, incompetent people, but they were at the same time malicious and cold-blooded murderers.". "I thought they were gonna take me and kill me," he said. I would imagine most CPAs in Miami have," she explained. You can't claim misidentification. " and they brought that back and they end up buying an electric chainsaw," said Garafalo. a big Hollywood movie, he won't get a dime. "And it killed her?" days. Another gang member would dump Frank Griga's yellow Lamborghini on the side of the road, in the swampy Florida Everglades. Roberts asked. of Frank Griga into a couch and Krisztina Furton into a large cardboard she thought he was her CIA agent.". Sun Gym Gang Accomplice Speaks About "Pain & Gain" For First Time times and he stood up not only the prosecutor, but the police, to enough horse tranquiller to kill four 1,000-pound horses. Asked what he remembered next, Schiller told Roberts, "Waking up in a hospital.". Danny Lugo had convinced her he was a spy on a secret mission. his CPA license, he had a medical billing business that did very well," [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]. Metro-Dade police had also been looking at Danny Lugo and Adrian flames revive him enough that he stumbles out of the car and towards the Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. But according to Du Bois and Schiller, when they finally did sit down with the cops "They've never listened at all," said Schiller. strange because in homicide we need a crime scene. We need a dead body to respond to. For some reason, it just felt to me that that should be taken into He would have to urinate and defecate on himself.". The Sun Gym Gang. who once dated Frank Griga. "At your peak you could bench 475 pounds?" "We were parked right there," the man said, standing with Roberts in the parking lot, " and as soon as he came out of his restaurant, they saw him so they said 'There he is, there he is'". "Why didn't either of you go to the police at that point?" "The plan was actually very simple: kidnap Marc Schiller, have him write his own ransom and then kill him," she replied. invited her in and introduced her to two muscle-bound men that were "His wealth did afford him certain luxury items," Roberts noted. In return for testifying in favor of the state, Delgado was sentenced to two prison terms of 5 and 15 years. message that he -- he had out there was you can do whatever you "The last day? The third dose of tranquilizer was administered, resulting in her death. urinate and defecate on himself.". "And I'm like, 'That's not happening.' They're looking at the dent of the car, and they say, 'I don't Ultimately, the rest of the gang went to prison, too. "And he would burn me, you know, burn my skin and then he'd do this It was that car that [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. [10], On May 25, 1995, after several meetings, Doorbal killed Griga during a fight at his apartment. However, the drums did not contain the victims' heads, hands, and feet which were crucial to the identification. The "Well, guilty, yeah, but -- I don't believe in the -- death penalty," "And I said, 'The easy answer is for you to get out of the hospital," said Du Bois. "This case was all over the news," retired homicide detective Felix Jimenez told Troy Roberts. him?' I wasn't involved in that at all.". "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. Prosecutor Levine would eventually lead the investigation and try the case. give that testimony four times," said prosecutor Gail Levine. Roberts asked Levine. "They give him alcohol to drink. First published on April 28, 2013 / 11:56 AM. "He was Argentinean born, grew up in the U.S., went to school, got his CPA license, he had a medical billing business that did very well," Jimenez explained. involvement in Schiller's kidnapping and Jorge Delgado got 15. "First, I can't walk and second of all, who knows how many of these people are out there," he said. Bound and gagged, he'd be dumped at a warehouse and held for more than a month. They are now both CBS News consultants. Crossfit, Gym - OdessaFit - Odessa, Texas "So we got a call that there was a missing -- a wealthy couple that was missing out of Golden Beach," he explained. From there, it took just moments to figure out Marc Schiller needed a lot more than just a lawyer. "Danny Lugo was a Puerto Rican-Cuban kid from the Bronx," added Garafalo. Roberts asked Schiller. The Sun Gym gang left a massive, bloody trail of evidence. The case would be career defining for prosecutor Gail Levine. Griga paused before continuing. His main partner in crime was another muscle head, Adrian Doorbal. "Did Marc Schiller And for some inexplicable reason, none of Schiller's employees, So these geniuses take this chainsaw back to Home Depot and return it," said Ferrer. Hollywood could not resist this crazy scene. she believed what he was saying -- that he was a CIA operative -- that Daniel Lugo Florida Death Row - My Crime Library "It was like a service station he was changing the oil, washing cars," Zsuzsanna Griga explained. But catching Schiller to shake him down was tougher than it looked. "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. I'll come to We're breathin' down your neck,'" said Du Bois. The muscle-headed gang had trashed his home and burned through his money. She said her boyfriend wasn't a criminal. Sometimes, it was with fire. I told Delgado that Lugo would get him in trouble one day. [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. "Danny treated her well he gave her a BMW," said Jimenez. he was reaching for the skies, " Griga continued. [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. accident to kidnap Schiller. The horror was just beginning. 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. Jurors wasted little time making their decision. "It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic because they made these It's a moment Judge Ferrer will never forget. [19] She acquired the help of Judi Bartusz a friend of Furton and the two entered the empty house together. A co-conspirator, who "48 Hours" agreed to keep anonymous, worked with the Sun Gym gang to kidnap Schiller. Muscle and mayhem: The real-life story behind Miami's murderous Sun Gym again and he was laughing so hard he was crying.". Schiller's sister ripped the medical tubes from his arms. Asked why she didn't she call police, Schiller told Roberts, "I don't know. "At this point, we realized that something bad -- something bad had happened to this couple," said Sam Garafalo. With 100 witnesses and thousands of pieces of evidence, the case "So after a while, you and Marc decided to go to the police?" And that was their attempt to kill him. detectives. The actual Sun Gym was shut down in August 1995 after its owner was arrested on kidnapping, money-laundering, and attempted-murder charges. Roberts asked Levine. "They plied you with alcohol for three straight days" Roberts noted to Schiller. Roberts asked. 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. [4] During 1994, Carl Weekes moved from New York to Miami to live with his girlfriend's cousin, Stevenson Pierre. "That was a little was missing out of Golden Beach," he explained. Well, at that [4] After this last failed attempt, Doorbal and Weekes dropped Pierre and recruited Mario Sanchez, or "Big Mario," a former Sun Gym weightlifting instructor and licensed Florida private eye. worse punishment.". And it so happened in this case there was.". Asked what he remembered next, Schiller told Roberts, "Waking up in a hospital.". Jimenez explained. "And the Krisztina Furton would probably be alive today," said Ferrer. Help for Inmates Before, During and After Prison Roberts asked. "They waited in a van and they had their biggest gym rats come out," said Levine. the Keystone Cops gone bad.". "As I was sentencing him, Danny Lugo was standin' there lookin' at me, and his eyes were watery. "How many times did you insist you had been kidnapped?" Fire!' "She was very beautiful. [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. Incredibly, one of Schiller's torturers, Jorge Delgado - the Sun Gym "Danny was a big muscular guy," said Jimenez. She says Schiller didn't come forward, because he had his own "You must have been terrified," Roberts commented. "I guess its divine intervention. Jorge Delgado's warehouse where the Sun Gym Gang tortured their victims is now a bakery for desserts and cakes. Schiller had an even bigger problem: Lugo and Delgado were intent on finishing the job. Police would soon learn that Lugo was a burley ex-convict who had served time for running a phony loan scam operation. affiliated with CBS. straight" enlisted some serious muscle and planned to take Schiller down And I've tried serial killers," Ferrer said. [4] Lugo then splashed gasoline over him and lit it on fire, however, Schiller opened the door and climbed out of the car. Noel [Adrian] Doorbal, on the other hand, he was joking. "And Doorbal's face lights up and says, 'Who has the yellow Lambo?' [30] On 15January2003, Mese was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering. would be an easy mark. of the world until May 24, 1995. Al Harper phoned Ed Du Bois III and they began to collaborate with the police investigation. Schiller was tortured endlessly. Pain & Gain inspiration, The Sun Gym Gang inspiration in Pain & Gain everyone proud because he went from nowhere to a millionaire on his own "Lugo and Doorbal, on the other hand, they wanted to live that life," Ferrer continued. "They never returned the money to to Frank and Krisztina, there was the kidnap kit -- a case with duct And she just keeps going, 'No you weren't kidnapped, you were drunk, you hit a pole," said Ferrer. other," Jimenez explained. Lugo and Doorbal's attorneys chose not to put on a case. [19] After some time, the Golden Beach Police Department were called. The Sun Gym gang left a massive, bloody trail of evidence. "Frank was the American success story -- an immigrant, came to this country with $10 dollars in his pocket and made millions.". And eventually he passed out," said Jimenez. I realized that -- I was in the driver's seat because they never imagined that I'd be sitting there accusing them," said Schiller. So we have a lot to go on," The body of Furton was later identified through her breast implants' serial number, which was matched to the records held by her plastic surgeon. 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. "This is where the Sun Gym was located. Jorge Delgado - Director/Owner - Delgado Space Technologies LLC - LinkedIn [3], In 1993 Daniel Lugo was the manager of the Sun Gym, a bodybuilder hangout in Miami Lakes, Florida. The film, released by Paramount Pictures, is part of Viacom, a company affiliated with CBS. It's a moment Judge Ferrer will never forget. Daniel Lugo | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers point, you can't let the guy live so they decide he's gotta go.". [4] Pierre had been hired by Lugo in February 1994 to create a collection agency for overdue gym membership payments. Doorbal. The crimes and the trial would captivate and horrify all of south Florida. The gang planned to get Schiller drunk over a few days and send him out in his car in a fatal crash. But even Ed Du Bois, with 50 years of experience as a private investigator, had never heard anything quite like Schiller's story. Lugo's girlfriend, Sabina Petrescu, was granted immunity in exchange Because of changes to capital punishment laws, Doorbal's death sentence was overturned in 2017. He'd been told about it by a woman who once dated Frank Griga. "The main guy that we're after, Danny Lugo, is nowhere to be found," said Jimenez. "There's a lot of things about this case that boggle the mind," said Jimenez. February 22, 2014 / 10:59 PM nature --just the biggest crimes. John Mese was returned to police custody after the initial interrogation. "They just told me, 'We got a matzo ball' " said Schiller. "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?" [22] On Friday June 2, Marc Schiller returned to Miami, two months after he had first told investigators his story. they're both dead -- Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton. wouldn't she go to the police? "It made me very proud that my kid brother made it so big," Zsuzsanna Griga said. with getting rich, says Patty Barrientos, who worked alongside him at a [4] When Lugo inspected the wreckage, Schiller was alive but unconscious. They are now both CBS News consultants. Schiller had an even bigger problem: Lugo and Delgado were intent on finishing the job. "They would place a gun to his head, they would take a revolver and spin it and pull the trigger," Jimenez explained. It had been five months since Marc Schiller's ordeal. . Detectives learned Lugo was the leader of a group made up of drifters By May of 1995, five months after his harrowing escape, the Sun Gym gang had burned through all of Marc Schiller's money. Asked if he was money hungry, Barrientos told Roberts, "Yes.". Du Bois met Schiller and believed his story. Eighteen years later, the story was too much for Hollywood to resist. To get the final piece of the puzzle, two-million-dollar life insurance pay-out, Marc had to be dead. were going to use to dismember these people," Roberts told the everything you have we're gonna bring your wife down here and rape [2] The gang was composed mostly of bodybuilders who frequented the Sun Gym in Miami Lakes, Florida,[2] including Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal. "It was $1.2 million in cash and assets and a $2 million life insurance He's like 5 foot 7 tall and 5 foot 7 wide," Jimenez continued. he was reaching for the skies, " Griga continued. "Of all the cases I've tried this is by far the most fascinating case," said Ferrer. his house, they changed the pool contract to their name. "I was pretty hardcore" he said of his weightlifting. Eighteen years later, the story was too much for Hollywood to resist. They said they wanted to get the money back, and much more, to punish him. wide," Jimenez continued. Roberts asked. Delgado wanted revenge and told Lugo that Schiller would be an easy mark. Jimenez told Troy Roberts. All that changed, though, when a police made a stunning discovery. "The main guy that we're after, Danny Lugo, is nowhere to be found," said Jimenez. "About three and then I gave up," said Schiller. driving a gold Mercedes and told them they were going out to dinner to Schiller believed Lugo to be an unsavory character, and expressed his concern to Delgado. ", "The problem is, they don't buckle him in," Ferrer explained. So, in November 1994, as Marc was leaving his restaurant, he was abducted by a group of men. "They're waiting for him to drive by to stage this accident," Ferrer explained. Frank Griga's sister house. "How did this all go down?" Jorge Delgado, another associate, helped them find their first victim. to punish him . What is the Sun Gym now? "They handcuffed my hands behind my back.". brother and bolted out of Miami, heading north -- not a minute too soon. Asked why she didn't she call police, Schiller told Roberts, "I don't know. In an incredible twist of fate, detectives in another department at Metro-Dade police had also been looking at Danny Lugo and Adrian Doorbal. That's my friend Frank. Petrescu was another recent immigrant who made a splash in Miami. To them it was just a fun game," he said. So for That evening, they retrieved Schiller's car from the Deli parking lot and drove it to the warehouse. She made it onto the pages of Today, while Schiller refuses to talk about the charges, he does say / CBS News, Produced by Chuck Stevenson, Jamie Stolz, Tamara Weitzman and Alicia Tejada. day she arrived. Short of bringing him back? Roberts asked Schiller. "Schiller was tied to a pipe in a very small bathroom. " and as soon as they grabbed him the guy grabbed the steering wheel he was screaming the co-conspirator told Roberts. Soon, Frank's big sister was on a flight to Miami. Asked is she's gotten justice, Zsuzsanna Griga told Roberts, "What sort of justice can be done, OK? That's where Danny Lugo learned about Schiller from Jorge Delgado, who also worked out at Sun Gym. He was desperate for money and sometimes worked at the Sun Gym. Zsuzsanna had seen her brother's love for the glittery side of the American dream. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but served only seven. " and they brought that back and they end up buying an electric chainsaw," said Garafalo. "For the first couple weeks, he wasn't even allowed to use the bathroom. the reason they weren't home was because they were in the Bahamas," said He also started going to the glitzy Sun Gym to work on his image. Today, while Schiller refuses to talk about the charges, he does say he lost everything -- his health, his home, his millions. to go on. think of what she went through.". In Within minutes, Doorbal was strangling "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. "When I left Schiller was sitting in the chair he was taped "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. But who would want to kidnap them? [4], In a 1994 meeting, Daniel Lugo asked Noel Doorbal and Stevenson Pierre whether they were interested in making $100,000 for two days' work. The gang used costumes and comic book code names like Batman and Robin and tried to stage an accident to kidnap Schiller. Soon after, Delgado pulled away from Schiller, said prosecutor Gail Levine. he ended up half dead at Jackson Memorial, Miami's top trauma center. They backed out about a block away to watch the car as it was engulfed in flames. "They basically go 'He's not goin' to the cops he's involved in Medicare fraud. 45 counts. He was on top of the world until May 24, 1995. but real sick," Schiller said. "As I was sentencing him, Danny Lugo was standin' there lookin' at He calls his lawyer," said Ferrer. " and they see this guy that they just lit on fire standing by the side of the road and they yell, 'Run him over, run him over,'" said Ferrer. "Adrian Doorbal was Danny Lugo's protege," said Jimenez. he was working for the U.S. government in kidnapping people that were been grabbed by a gang. After his release, he became the manager of a suburban Miami health club called Sun Gym. seven members of the gang would do time. In fewer than 10 years, Frank was living in an upscale Miami enclave "He thought he was smarter than anybody else," Jimenez added. 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. The View Details Bizapedia.com Fitness View More Gym Near You In Miami Lakes, FL | SWEAT440 [25], Police also arrested Carl Weekes and Stevenson Pierre. Du Bois met Schiller and believed his story. ", "Yeah, the guy that was at night there, because they stopped feeding him, I mean he must be dead,'" Ferrer continued. Schiller was tortured endlessly. "Yeah. "Did any of your captors show you any kindness? "How many times did you insist you had been kidnapped?" to respond to. [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. " in the Everglades, on the Alligator Alley that goes from Ft. Lauderdale to Naples," said Ferrer. (CBS News) MIAMI -- Zsuzsanna Griga will never forget the kidnapping of her brother, Frank, and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton in 1995. "And the doctor said, 'You can't move him. He gave up, giving the gang everything. And now Frank was completely legal.". for her testimony. [8] However, this plan never transpired. "Sergeant Jimenez and Sgt. The house was now confiscated and became government property. Schiller can't forget the sick soundtrack that came with his daily beatings. Prosecutors said Delgado was able to get Mese, who at the time was. The company's filing status is listed as Inactive and its File Number is J19909. Detectives learned Lugo was the leader of a group made up of drifters and petty thieves who hung out at the Sun Gym. "Finally, she gives him the phone. Short of bringing him back? Despite his cooperation, Schiller still remained chained like an animal in the Miami warehouse. says he was kidnapped. Sabina Petrescu, the magazine model-turned stripper, had quite a story to tell. "And they get back to their place, and they go, 'You think we killed him?' [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. Schiller's brother and sister booked an air ambulance, grabbed their Sabina Petrescu, the magazine model-turned stripper, had quite a But the second chain saw jammed in Krisztina Furton's beautiful, thick hair. Delgado was also in possession of the entry code to one of Schiller's houses. "And they told him that they were investors and that they had a way to make 20-percent return on the dollar," said Levine. women I have ever met in my life. I realized that -- I was "He felt betrayed," Roberts noted to Levine. "You must have been terrified," Roberts commented. abduction and torture to nurses, doctors -- anyone who might listen. With his family safely out "They waited in a van and they had their biggest gym rats come out," said Levine. But then they were able to back over him and then run over him again," said Jimenez. They told me my death sentence," said Schiller. "They went to Metro-Dade's top unit that handles just crimes of this Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton Murders: Where is the Sun Gym Gang block away to watch the car as it was engulfed in flames. "Did Marc Schiller deserve to go to prison? up -- hands and legs and they were beating on him," the The ordeal wasn't over for Marc Schiller. missing person that we would respond. 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. Mercedes and just basically living off his money. The businessman and father was living in kind of a hell associated with a Third World dungeon -- complete with racial slurs. We show them Daniel Lugo, seen here, was the manager of Sun Gym, where he met Jorge Delgado, Marc Schiller's former protg. They told me my death sentence," said Schiller. Schiller and Delgado had been in business. [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. MIAMI -- Zsuzsanna Griga will never forget the kidnapping was a CIA agent. [4] However, a passing car scared them off. That's where he spent the next 30 days, was handcuffed to that pipe," former homicide Felix Jimenez explained. Police quickly hit pay dirt in the apartment of Danny Lugo's girlfriend. "I started calling him and he wouldn't pick up the phone," Zsuzsanna Whether your goal is to get stronger, lose weight, look better, get moving or spend time with friends, Odessa CrossFit will deliver the results. "Liquor, tequila, vodka and gave him sleeping pills. who knows how many of these people "Very handsome couple, they looked like they were made for each other," Jimenez explained. "They just kept punching me and they had a Taser and they kept Tasering [sic] me," said Schiller. " and then douse the car with gasoline and set it "They would hide in his yard under We don't know where he is.". He wanted his own deals, his own identity and - ultimately - more money. "He was signing over everything, including his life," Levine said. out over a deal. [5] In Florida. "They put him in his Toyota 4Runner, his SUV," said Ferrer. "It made me very proud that my kid brother made it so big," Zsuzsanna Griga said.