MiamiMan Magazine V1N3

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PUBLISHER Ken Dunek

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ashley Dunek

EDITOR George Brinkerhoff

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Chloe Senatore

ART DIRECTOR Steve Iannarelli

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

George Anastasia, Jan L. Apple, George Brinkerhoff, Sam Carchidi, Alan Espino, Vincent Mantuo, Chloe Senatore

Photographer

Natalia Garcia, Miami Lights Studio

Event Coordinator & Administrative Assistant Alexandra Dunek

Website & Digital Coordinator Jamie Dunek

Editorial gbrinkerhoff@jerseymanmagazine.com

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Sales Associates

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MiamiMagazine is a product of a partnership between Peter Cordua, Ken Dunek, Anthony Mongeluzo, and Alcom Printing Group, are published by New Opportunity Publishing, LLC, with offices at 5 Perina Boulevard, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003. Copyright 2022.

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Mike Adada Black Steel Group

Ernesto Alvarez Gutters by TK

Keith Asplundh Asplundh Tree Expert Company

Amie Balchunas Lamacchia Realty

Stephen Bellosi Prudential

Devin Bender PCH Technologies

Alex Bort MedPro Healthcare Staffing

Louis Bucelli Bucelli & Company LLC

Tim Campbell 1/ST + Gulfstream Park

Ethan Capri Capri Bookkeeping Solutions, LLC*

Daniel Checchia Colliers Engineering & Design

Ann Conlin Philly’s Original Milan

Natalia Garcia Miami Lights Studio

Jimmy Gibson Alcom Printing

Fernando Gomez TD Bank

Jason Gonzalez DGA Security

Jim Jacobs Focus Insite

Mikayla James PayDay, LLC

Matt Lill Corcoran Group Real Estate

Vincent Mantuo Copesetic Therapeutic Bodywork

Robert Marovik Mechanical Piping Solutions

Isabelle Martinez Paramount Residential Mortgage Group

Dean Parsons Epic Cigars

Rob Paul SwagWorld, Inc.

Rich Rogers 6 Degrees Golf

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FROM

THE PUBLISHER

BY KEN DUNEK

To our Florida brethren

I have always thought of Ian as a pretty cool name.

Certainly, it has a European Irish/English kind of a flair to it.

But the storm that hit Florida in early October has changed my perception of the name Ian— forever.

To those in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, it was little more than a nuisance.

But to those in Ft. Myers and the surrounding area, it was an unmitigated disaster and a life changing event.

The remnants of the storm have lingered in South Jersey where I live, and it is causing some coastal flooding at the shore with mostly minor inconveniences. We were lucky.

Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to our Florida brethren on the west coast as they try to rebuild and recover.

To those of us who escaped the wrath of the storm, we should be forever grateful and help those in that area.

Many of whom will have to start all over again.

Albacorps

The Insurance Doctor

Steve Solomon CBMC South Florida

Joy Strempack Sol Inspire LLC

Dianna Vasturo Lazy Days Restaurant

Mark Vasturo Ziggie & Mad Dogs #miamiman

JOTTINGS

BY GEORGE BRINKERHOFF

The short-lived Miami Seahawks

What was the first major league sports franchise in Miami you ask?

How about those Miami Seahawks, circa 1946!

As the first major league sports franchise to be based in Miami, they were unique. However, they were also uniquely bad. In 1946, Miami was the 42nd largest city in population in the United States and the small est market in the All-American Football Conference’s (AAFC). As football towns go that supported a major league franchise, only Green Bay was a smaller market in the competing National Football League at the time.

The Miami Seahawks were the last of the AAFC teams to be estab lished in 1946, in what was also the league’s inaugural year. In the very first game of the nascent AAFC’s season, the Seahawks were absolutely steamrolled by Paul Brown’s Cleveland Browns by a score of 44 to 0 in front of a record crowd of 60,000 people. The old phrase, “If it wasn’t for bad luck, they’d have no luck at all,” seems appropriate here. For starters, they had a tough schedule as seven of their first eight games were on the road. Two of their games were postponed by hurricanes, and they had lousy attendance results at their home venue, Burdine Stadium (later known as the Miami Orange Bowl), when they did finally return home. They finished the

season with a record of 3 wins and 11 losses, which left them solidly in last place in the standings. To top it all off, the franchise ended the season $350,000 in debt. The principal owner was declared bankrupt, and the league seized the team. Upon receiving a winning bid from another group of investors which the AAFC accepted, the team was relocated to Baltimore and rebranded as the Baltimore Colts.

As a result, Miami wouldn’t see another professional football franchise until 1965 in the form of the somewhat better known and rather more successful Miami Dolphins of the American Football League.

The Palm Beach Post, Saturday, August 31, 1946

The 1946 Miami Seahawks

National Museum of the American Latino planned for the National Mall in Washington D.C.

RECENTLY, 36 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) sent a letter to Presi dent Biden. The letter urged him to publicly support building the National Museum of the American Latino on the National Mall in Wash ington D.C. For his part, more recently, during the White House Hispanic Heritage Month reception, President Biden affirmed his support. On October 27, 2022, the Smithso nian Board of Regents announced their support to designate two sites on the Mall, the Tidal Basin and the South Monu ment, one of which will be for the National Museum of the

What we read.

The Ravaged

by Norman Reedus

The Ravaged is a book about three middle(ish) class American peo ple trying to find themselves in life. And not in the ‘hippie-ish’ finding oneself way, but more of the bil dungsroman kind of way. Written by The Walking Dead star, Norman Reedus (right), this story is an easy read that keeps you entertained. While it might be a little bit surface-level and a tad overly descriptive at times, Reedus gives us a novel with three different storylines about altogether average people with the types of lives that don’t always get on to the page. The kind of people and cir cumstances encountered in this book feel like people the reader could really see themselves interacting with, from trashy waitresses and old friends to scruffy bartenders.

American Latino (and the other for the American Women’s His tory Museum). While additional legislative action is necessary before the Smithsonian Board of Regents can make their final designations, considering the important contributions of Lati nos throughout South Florida and the rest of the country, it’s exciting to have new museums dedicated to showing the history and telling stories celebrating more elements of our American experiment on the National Mall.

One of the main characters, the “gear-head” motorcycle mechanic, Hunter, is a thirty-something-year-old Marine veteran who discovers his father died in a mysteri ous fire, prompting him to embark on a cross-country road trip with his friends from North Carolina to California, to get his affairs in order. An other storyline follows Jack, a wealthy businessman who re alizes he wasted his whole life working while neglecting his family. Jack, a sixty-year-old, overweight man, decides to take a spontaneous journey to South America to see what life is like for people who have to fight for everything they have, every day. Lastly, Anne is a young, 17-year-old girl, born into an abusive, poor family in small-town Tennessee. When she gets fed up with her home life, she decides to become a train hopper with her friends. Throughout her story, she sees more of the USA than ever before and discovers more about life than she ever thought possible.

A relatively short, 283 page novel with three separate storylines makes for a quick and easy read that ends up being a refreshing story about life in middle America. While you can tell this is Reedus’ debut novel, the not entirely fleshed-out writing is made up for with the interesting storylines that might hit closer to home than expected.

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MOB SCENE

BY GEORGE ANASTASIA

Tale of the Tape

THEY TALK TOO MUCH. Except for the guy in Florida. That’s the takeaway from the latest federal prosecution of the Phila delphia branch of Cosa Nostra, arguably the most recorded Mafia family in America.

The case, which has resulted in a slew of guilty pleas, was built in large part around secretly recorded conversations by mob in formant Anthony Persiano back in 2015. So incriminating are the conversations that all the major defendants, including mob leaders Steven Mazzone and Domenic Grande and drug dealer Joseph “Joey Electric” Servidio, have opted to plead out rather than go to trial. Mazzone and Grande are scheduled to be sentenced next month.

While many of the tapes are incrimi nating, the most embarrassing is the one Persiano recorded while wearing a body wire to his own mob initiation ceremony in October 2015. Among other things, that tape picked up Mazzone describing some of the dos and don’ts of the organization and pushing for a greater mob presence in Atlantic City, once a stronghold of the Philadelphia crime family.

Federal prosecutors say Mazzone, as under boss of the crime family, “oversaw the activi ties of criminal associates…and profited from their crimes.” Gambling, loansharking, extor tion and narcotics trafficking were detailed in the indictment, although Mazzone and his brother Sonny, another defendant in the case, were not charged with drug offenses.

In many ways, the investigation is a con tinuation of the dismantling of the Philadel phia crime family that began with a series of high-profile racketeering cases in the late 1980s. Testimony from mobsters who became cooperating witnesses and tapes from hightech electronic surveillance helped the feds establish nearly air-tight cases.

Audio recordings are devastating pieces of evidence. Juries are mesmerized by the

conversations, listening to what sounds like real-life episodes of The Godfather or The So pranos. More important from a prosecutor’s perspective, it’s impossible for a defense at torney to cross-examine a tape. A defendant’s own words go unchallenged and help build

Newark-based gangster who was part of the Philadelphia organization, wore a body wire to his own making ceremony back in 1990. Persiano repeated the feat while working for the feds in the current case.

O ther cases, which played out after Freso lone but before Persiano, included the twoyear bugging on the law office of Salvatore Avena that resulted in hundreds of tapes used in the prosecution of mob boss John Stanfa and most of his associates and the year-long undercover investigation built around bodywire tapes made by the late Ron Previte that targeted mob boss Joey Merlino along with Mazzone and nearly a dozen others.

Merlino, now living in the Boca Raton area but still identified as the head of the Philadel phia mob, has been picked up on tape several times. His words, however, have seldom been used against him. He is taciturn and when he does speak, he is circumspect in what he says. In the Previte investigation, for ex ample, prosecutors alleged that Merlino had given Big Ron the okay to pursue a cocaine deal in Boston. But Merlino’s words on tapes played in court were so vague that his law yer was able to argue that the discussion was not about cocaine, but rather a stolen tractortrailer load of frozen shrimp.

Merlino beat the drug rap in that case.

In fact, most of the tapes on which he has been recorded are less than definitive when it comes to criminality. That can’t be said for other members of the organization.

the case against him.

It is a pattern that has been repeated in cit ies throughout the United States. In Philadel phia, it has been writ large. On two different occasions, the feds have been able to record secret, and once sacrosanct, Mafia initiation ceremonies. The late George Fresolone, a

THE CURRENT CASE includes tapes of Servidio explaining why he deals drugs (the money) and Grande de tailing how ill-gotten gains are distributed (everyone has to kick up). And then there is Mazzone offering a primer on mob life and advocating the push into Atlantic City.

“Nobody break this chain,” Mazzone was recorded telling the new members following the initiation ceremony in which they were

The tape picked up Mazzone describing some of the dos and don’ts of the organization and pushing for a greater mob presence in Atlantic City.

Mazzone

told they all served under the same flag. “You know what I’m talking about?”

With that, everyone shouted “La Fami glia!” according to an FBI document.

From there Mazzone went on to talk about Atlantic City, the casino resort town that the Philadelphia mob once controlled but that was now a city where independent book makers and loan sharks were operating.

“Got to get a hold back on Atlantic City, buddy!” Mazzone said as the Persiano tapes were rolling. “That’s what I want. That’s what I want. We have to get that back… I don’t want nobody just glomming our f***ing shit. You know what I mean? You un derstand what I’m saying? “

That’s not the way things should be, Maz zone explained, before adding, “we’re still street guys. Let’s face it… We’re f***ed, we’re gangsters. I mean, you know, I’m not going to let no sucker take that.”

With Mazzone’s guilty plea and those of every other major defendant in the case, the making ceremony tape now gets put on a shelf. It’s in federal storage, so to speak, but is available if the feds bring another rack eteering case that targets the organization. Several other wiseguys whose voices are heard on that tape have not been charged but remain on the FBI’s radar.

WHETHER THERE IS ANOTHER racketeering case in the cards for the Philadelphia mob is an open question. The consensus in law enforcement and underworld circles is it’s unlikely unless authorities can develop enough evidence to add three or four of the still unsolved mob murders to a new indictment. The murders of Raymond “Long John” Martorano, Ron nie Turchi and John Casasanto remain open investigations but with the passage of time, gathering enough evidence to bring charges becomes problematic.

Mazzone served more than eight years fol lowing his conviction in the Previte case back in 2001. It appears he’ll be behind bars again by the new year. Grande, considered the next generation of South Philadelphia wiseguy, will be heading off to jail for the first time. Servidio is now a three-time convicted drug dealer and is already serving a federal sen tence for a New Jersey conviction also built around Persiano’s tapes.

Merlino, who was nowhere near the mak ing ceremony or any of the other recordings, will continue to bask in the Florida sunshine while the others serve their time.

Twice while living in Florida following his release from prison in 2012, federal in vestigators made a run at the charismatic,

60-year-old mob leader. Nicholas “Nicky Skins” Stefanelli paid a visit shortly after Merlino was released from prison but those conversations, which have never been made public, apparently offered little in the way of criminality.

FBI informant JR Rubeo got close to Mer lino a few years ago while wearing a body wire. But the New York mob associate played fast and loose with those tapes, at one point erasing recordings on his own. He was a wit ness against Merlino in an aborted racketeer ing case that ended with Merlino’s guilty plea to minor gambling charges.

Rubeo, who moved in mob circles in New York and Florida, described Merlino as a typi cal mob boss always interested in money.

“They’re all the same,” Rubeo once said while describing how most of the high rank ing wiseguys with whom he dealt always grabbed for a piece of his action.

The difference, he said, was that “Joey makes you feel good while he’s doing it.”

That’s part of Merlino’s underworld charm.

It’s one of the reasons he has beaten sev eral murder and racketeering cases that could have sent him away for life.

The other is that while many of his South Philadelphia associates talk too much, Merlino knows when to keep his mouth shut. n

THE NEW LOOK PANTHERS SEEK THEIR FIRST STANLEY CUP

BY SAM CARCHIDI

THE FLORIDA PANTHERS FINISHED WITH THE MOST POINTS IN THE NHL LAST SEASON.

They want more.

Much more.

They want to do more than dominate the league in the regular season, want to advance past the first round of the playoffs, want to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since the franchise started in 1993-94.

Which may explain why general man ager Bill Zito made several major changes to his high-scoring roster in the summer, even though the Panthers are coming off a season in which they went 58-18-6 and accumulated a

franchise-best 122 points.

Florida was a goal-scoring machine in 202122, averaging 4.11 goals per game. That was the highest NHL output since Pittsburgh in 1995-96.

Yeah, it had been a while.

But Florida flopped in the second-round of the playoffs, getting swept by Tampa Bay in four games. The Panthers managed just three goals, total, in the four games. Three.

Zito took it to heart. He stunned the hockey world with several eye-opening moves in the summer.

He sent two franchise pillars, Jonathan Hu berdeau—a 29-year-old left winger who led the team with 115 points last season—and highly respected defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to Calgary in the blockbuster trade that brought

power forward Matthew Tkachuk to Sunrise. Florida also dealt a prospect and a lottery-pro tected, 2025 first-round draft pick to Calgary in the July deal.

In addition, the general manager didn’t bring back interim coach Andrew Brunette, even though he was the Jack Adams runnerup as the NHL coach of the year.

Paul Maurice was named his replacement.

Did Zito overreact?

Or will his moves propel the Cats to their first Stanley Cup?

ADDING THE HIGH-SCORING right winger Tkachuk (104 points), Zito told reporters, “allows us to keep that core. Now we have a 24-year-old that fits right in there with Sasha (Barkov) … and allows us

to keep a younger core of high-end players together—hopefully to grow together and win together.”

Tkachuk, who grew up in St. Louis, said it was “unbelievable” to be in Florida. “It seems like a very close group, and a solid group that is close to winning,” he said.

He said he will bring “a certain swagger” to the Panthers, and wants to increase the fan base in South Florida. “I’m excited for the chance to grow the game here, and I hope in a couple years, nobody on the team can walk outside without someone saying something to them, like it is in some other cities.”

Tkachuk, who brings both scoring and te nacity, had Florida on the top of his trade list. He immediately signed an eight-year extension with an annual cap hit of $9.5 million.

“First and foremost was winning, not just winning now, but in the future,” he said at his introductory news conference. “No. 2 is the lifestyle… and No. 3, they have a bunch of elite players I can play with.”

As Florida’s 2022-23 season opener ap proached, this was the Panthers’ tentative lineup, along with their stats from last season:

Line 1: Barkov (team-high 39 goals, 88 points) centering Carter Verhaeghe (24 goals, 55 points) and Tkachuk (42 goals, 104 points).

Line 2: Sam Bennett (28 goals, 49 points) centering Rudolfs Balcers (11 goals, 23 points) and Sam Reinhart (33 goals, 82 points).

Line 3: Anton Lundell (18 goals, 44 points) centering Nick Cousins (nine goals, 22 points) and Colin White (three goals, 10 points in 24 games).

Line 4: Eetu Luostarinen (nine goals, 26 points) centering Ryan Lomberg (nine goals, 18 points) and Patric Hornqvist (11 goals, 28 points).

Defense 1: Gustav Forsling (10 goals, 37 points, plus-41) and Aaron Ekblad (15 goals, 57 points, plus-38)

Defense 2: Lucas Carlsson (three goals, nine points, plus-3) and Radko Gudas (three goals, 16 points, plus-27).

Defense 3: Marc Staal (three goals, 16 points, minus-1) and Brandon Montour (11 goals, 37 points, plus-15).

Goalies: Serge Bobrovsky (39-7-3 record, 2.67 GAA, .913 SP) and Spencer Knight (19-9-3, 2.79, .908).

General Manager Bill Zito stunned the hockey world with several eye-opening moves in the summer

Tkachuk, White, Balcers, Cousins, and Staal are among the players added by Zito since last season.

Among the departures: Huberdeau, Weegar, winger/center Claude Giroux, left winger Ma son Marchment, and defensemen Ben Chiarot, Noel Acciari and Robert Hagg.

Yes, Zito had a busy off-season.

The off-season also saw winger Anthony Duclair need surgery on his Achilles tendon while working out. He had a career season with the Panthers in 2021-22, collecting 31 goals and 51 points while playing primarily on the top-6. Duclair will probably miss around half the season.

Without Huberdeau, who set an NHL leftwing record with 85 assists last season, and Duclair (for a while), the Panthers will huff and puff to repeat last year’s remarkable scor ing pace.

A year ago, the Cats had four 30-goal scor ers, six 20-goal scorers, and 13 players in double figures.

The X-factor is Tkachuk, who will try to duplicate a superb year without Calgary line mates Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm.

He should mesh well with two other multitalented forwards, Barkov and Verhaeghe.

Now his job is to get the Panthers to close the deal, something they failed to do last sea son.

“To be given this opportunity is humbling,” Maurice said. “They’ve got a lot of really strong pieces here.”

Maurice said he was invigorated to get the Panthers to the next level, that management had done “some tremendous work to get to where they are.”

He ranks seventh in NHL history with 775 wins. Maurice is 775-680-130-99, and his ca reer playoff record is 41-51. In 2002, he directed Carolina to the Stanley Cup Final, where it was beaten by Detroit in five games.

MAURICE SAID the team’s focus will be to outwork every team.

“Certainly there’s enough talent here that you think we can get going in the right direction,” he said.

Tkachuk agreed.

LAST SEASON’S FOUR-GAME sweep against the Lightning jolted the Pan thers, their fans, and Zito.

Tkachuk can relate.

“I personally haven’t been on any teams that have had playoff success,” he said. “I have a bitter taste in my mouth, just like (these Panthers) teams have had the past few years.” Tkachuk said. “I think that’s a good thing. Part of the fit. … I have that hunger to win, and I know everyone else here does, too.”

Maurice has that hunger, too. When he was named the new coach in late June, it added to an odd turn of events for him. On Dec. 17, he stepped down as the Winnipeg coach, say ing the team “needed a new voice.” He was in his ninth year with the Jets, and also was the head coach in Toronto and Hartford (at age 28)/Carolina.

“Hopefully once we get there,” he said of the playoffs, “we take each series as it comes. You can’t look ahead. Take care of the team you’re playing against. You play hard. You play in their face. You have great goaltending. We have all the tools here. We have the play ers. We have a great coach. Unbelievable own er, from what I’ve heard. Great owner. Spends to the cap. There’s no reason why this can’t work here.”

Maurice said it’s “very difficult to blast through the playoffs if you just think, ‘You play your game,’ right? The other team is getting paid, too. So we invest every single day in our future by our work ethic that day.”

Besides having a talented group, Maurice was fortunate to land a job close to his son, who is attending the University of Miami.

This would make Maurice’s new job per fect: Removing last season’s disappointing finish by leading the Florida Panthers to their first Stanley Cup. l

Hole-In-One Networking with Rich Rogers

BY CHLOE SENATORE

Rich Rogers with Lisa Mooney

IT’S NO SECRET that business deals of ten happen on the golf course. We see it in movies and in real life all the time. Golfing is the perfect, non-threatening way to do business in the modern world.

With this age-old knowledge in mind, Rich Rogers, CEO of On Course Insurance, made the no-brainer decision to found a golf-based networking group, 6 Degrees Golf, seventeen years ago. And the results have proved fruitful.

“I play golf and I sell insurance. Those are the only two things I know,” he laughed.

Rogers found the perfect way to bring his passion for golf and his business together. 6 Degrees Golf is a group of over 100 members who golf together once a month in small groups at Grand Oaks Golf Course in Da vie, Florida (which also just happens to be the golf club featured in the 1980 film Cad dyshack).

“So, the end result, what we have now, is that I have five separate groups, 110 members, and I get introduced to 250 owners of compa nies per year. They all don’t join, they all don’t come to the events, but I get the chance to talk to them… It opens up dialogue for what I do,” Rogers said.

Rogers said that he learned a lot from the large networking group, BNI (Business Net working International), when he opened a BNI branch in Florida circa the 1990’s.

“I really learned how to network and what to do from that organization… But I wanted to take it one step further and I wanted to co ordinate target marketing with BNI. So, I took a lot of what they do well, and I put it on the platform of the golf course.”

“What I want to do is invite owners of com panies to the golf course,” Rogers said.

The main thing Rogers has learned since founding 6 Degrees Golf is that helping others is the best thing you can do for yourself and for your business.

“I firmly believe that when you associate with people that are trying to help others, it puts your organization on steroids. At the end of the day there’s two kinds of people, people that give and people that take. And I only want to deal with the givers. So, when I come into a relationship, I look for every way to help the other person. If they help me, great. If they don’t, no big deal. But I believe in the concept that giving comes back to you tenfold.”

“If everyone had that same attitude towards helping others, how good would the world be?” he said.

For Rogers, one of the most rewarding parts of 6 Degrees Golf is when he gets to teach people how to play the sport. Yes, that’s right,

you don’t have to be a seasoned golfer to join! Rogers offers an option for members to sign up and take lessons when they attend the month ly meetings on the course.

“If we develop a great relationship and I want to get you in my group, if you say, ‘I’m not really a golfer’ (which half of the people I meet are not), I developed a platform to teach golf. Me and the teaching Pro sit down in December, and we create the curriculum,” said Rogers.

Lisa Mooney, one of his long-time members, was brand new to the sport when she joined about eight years ago. Rogers told the touching story of how learning to play golf meant a lot more to her than just any other networking op portunity.

“Two or three years ago she sent me a pic ture of her and her dad on the first hole, saying ‘I just wanted to thank you, I would’ve never had the opportunity to play with my father on Father’s Day if it wasn’t for you.’ The stories

I get from the people that have joined 6 Degrees are priceless… and that’s the essence of what I’m doing,” he said.

ROGERS ALSO GIVES his take on why golfing is the perfect place to do busi ness; because you can see how some one reacts to certain situations on the golf course and how that may translate into the business world.

“People react to bad golf shots differently. There are people who throw clubs, break clubs, and use the f-word consistently.”

“That’s the thing that is most diligent about playing golf with somebody. It’s how they re act to adversity. The people that laugh when they hit the ball in the water are the people I want to hang out with. They don’t take life too seriously. At the end of the day, we all live and die, it’s about what you do in the middle,” Rogers said.

Not only does golfing together show how people deal with adversity, it’s also a great and non-threatening way to build trust with someone.

“When I meet a business owner who plays golf, we can have a 30-minute conversation about our games yesterday. It kind of breaks down the barrier of untrustworthiness… Once people feel comfortable around you, they have a common thread, then if there’s an opportuni ty for business, it just tightens it. At the end of the day, we’re all selling something,” he said.

Looking back, Rogers couldn’t have pre dicted how hugely successful 6 Degrees Golf would be, he just simply wanted to find a way to bring his passion for golf into his workspace.

“I didn’t know what the intent was, I just wanted to do something around golf,” Rogers said.

And he certainly did. l

that

6 Degrees Golf meeting

For Rogers, one of the most rewarding parts of 6 Degrees

Golf is when he gets to teach people how to play the sport. You don’t have to be a seasoned golfer to join.

Inspiring and Changing Lives

Christian Business Men’s Connection – South Florida

Steve Solomon is on a mission

– one that he’s been passionate about for decades.

The 67-year-old Miami resident is area di rector of the Christian Business Men’s Connec tion (CBMC) South Florida. It’s a position he’s held since 2018, following a 30-year career as a telecommunications sales executive. In fact, he retired from his longtime career when he was asked to take the helm of the non-profit, faith-based organization.

Solomon’s affiliation with CBMC dates to 1993 when he first attended one of their events. There he met Steve Estler, who became a mentor. One thing led to the next and in 1997, Solomon was asked to join the board of directors. He accepted the position and served on the governing body until 2005. “I served on

BY JAN L. APPLE

and off the board for years,” noted Solomon. There was a period of time when Solomon’s job with BellSouth required extensive travel. During those years, he noted that he didn’t have the time to dedicate to the organization. But in 2015, when travel demands weren’t as great, he again became active. Suffice it to say, being affiliated with the non-profit has proven life changing. “It helped me grow in my leader ship abilities and to develop more genuine and longer-term relationships with clients and coworkers,” he said. So much so, that Solomon wants to share that experience and inspiration throughout the South Florida community.

“Over 450 men are connected to us,” said Solomon. The organization, he elaborated, fo cuses on men in the marketplace and sponsors various types of group meetings, predomi nantly throughout three South Florida coun ties: Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward.

Solomon

The Christian Business Men’s Connection

Yet their reach also extends to the West coast of the state, including Naples, Fort Pierce and Punta Gorda.

CBMC is for men of all ages who are busi ness owners, executives, C-suite managers. Solomon explained that the organization is driven on Christian principles, such as: “Love your neighbor, be generous, use business as a way of building community, be honorable in all your business dealings.

“We bring faith-based values in what we do,” continued Solomon, who has grown the organization exponentially since taking the position. “They didn’t have an area director for 20 years. I took over a very mature organi zation that needed some energy and direction. In the last four years, we’ve gone from three to 50 groups. We’re bringing in a young and diversified group, getting young leadership in volved.”

Solomon is a transplanted New Yorker. He was born and raised in Yonkers, but also lived in the Bronx. He moved to the Sunshine State in 1990. He noted that CBMC is a national or ganization that was established in 1930. It ex

ists in over 400 cities across the country, and it’s been in Florida since 1959.

The organization achieves its goals through a series of small groups and events. The groups meet monthly. “We try to limit at tendance to about 12 men,” said Solomon, which allows for more intimate conversation and connection. Recruitment to the groups is frequently through word of mouth; often a friend brings a friend to an event. They also partner with Christian radio stations, such as Moody South Florida (an event sponsor), the Christian newspaper The Good News (with a 10,000 a month circulation), and social media.

Soloman is frequently out and about in the community as he tries to recruit men and ex pand CBMC’s reach. He partners with various local organizations such as the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as well as other chambers and business networking groups. He is quick to explain that the men involved in CBMC are not technically known as members. There is no membership fee. The organization is funded through the generosity of donors.

ABOUT 40 PERCENT of the men connected with CBMC South Florida are immi grants from Latin American countries, such as Venezuela, Brazil, Columbia, Domini can Republic, Nicaragua. “Many have been here for a long time,” said Solomon, who shared a glimpse of how their groups operate.

He described the Trusted Advisory Forum, created nearly two years ago, as a mastermind group. A successful businessman hosts a meeting in his place of business and then pres ents a scenario that is discussed by the group. Ideas and suggestions are bandied about and reflected upon.

Their Young Professionals Group, with men from about 25 to 45, was launched three years ago. It meets at Banyan Air, a fixed base opera tion at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The group kicked off with in-person meet ings, went to all virtual when the pandemic hit, then was hybrid and is now back to a live format. “It’s the same format as the Trusted Advisory Forum,” said Solomon. “We bring in a businessman to share how he became suc cessful. He talks about what to do, what not to do. It’s as if he’s talking to his younger self.”

The group has met with so much success that CBMC will soon be launching two more before year’s end: in Palm Beach and Doral. Several more are planned for 2023.

Their Connect Group is comprised of about six to 10 men who meet weekly – either virtu

‘‘

ally or in person. “They check in with each other, pray for each other,” said Solomon.

CBMC South Florida holds monthly lun cheons in Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Doral (Miami-Dade County). Typically, these draw anywhere from 50 to 100 men. They also sponsor a Cigar Outreach Night, Men’s Re treats and Marriage Retreats.

Solomon said that with all the stress and pressure put on families and marriages in the last several years, the retreats have been well received. They’re a place where people can just talk to one another and connect in an intimate environment. CBMC’s Marriage Retreats – for couples and those soon to be married – are led by licensed counselors. Solo mon leads the Men’s Retreats, which host ac complished businessmen who share insight on using faith and sound business principles to achieve success.

In addition to the numerous groups that en hance business practices and values, Solomon said CBMC is committed to making an im pact locally and globally. The desire to effect change on a larger scale evolved from conver sations during Cigar Outreach events. Besides getting together and smoking cigars, Solomon said the men wondered what else they could do to not only improve their businesses, but also expand in the world. The answer came in the form of supporting charities such as Habitat for Humanity, and others that aid the homeless as well as helping people around the globe, including in Latin American countries and in Ukraine.

And in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and its devastating impact in late September on the West Coast of Florida, Solomon has been coordinating with CBMC Tampa Bay to pro vide needed assistance. l

For more information, visit www.cbmcsouthflorida.com • Contact Steve Solomon at ssolomon@cbmc.com or 954-805-0351.

IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE’VE GONE FROM THREE TO 50 GROUPS. WE’RE BRINGING IN A YOUNG AND DIVERSIFIED GROUP, GETTING YOUNG LEADERSHIP INVOLVED.”

BY CHLOE SENATORE

Doing

in

“It’s a luxury experience,” said Tiffany Carnevale-Russo, salon manager.

“You walk in and there’s very masculine tones, so they feel very com fortable. We have a full scotch and whiskey bar, where we serve coffee, tea, and wine as well. It was really designed to let people come in and do some work if they really needed to. If they have a 12 p.m. appointment and they want to come in at 10am, they’re more than welcome to stay, hang out at the bar, do a zoom call if they need to,” she said.

Co-founder of the company, Madison Boehm recognized that salons like this haven’t always existed for men, and that men enjoy coming there to feel comfortable with being pampered. Jaxson Maximus offers many services beyond haircuts like facials, grooming, waxing, and teeth whitening.

“The concept really formed based around the idea that men just want to go to one location and do all their services together, including haircuts and custom clothing. They want to see more of an experience than doing a chore”

“It’s an experience above and beyond everything else. You have ev erything from the scotch and whiskey bar to the clothing, to the salon. You’re not just getting a haircut; you’re getting the whole experience.”

While women are no stranger to getting salon treatment, having this kind of luxury experience for men normalized at a place like Jaxson Maximus is something men in Miami have responded to very well.

“We actually hear that a lot from our clients; ‘Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen something like this for men!’” Boehm said.

Not only does Jaxson Maximus provide pampering services, but it also provides an expert tailoring and custom clothier service like none

The Jaxson Maximus salon

Photos courtesy Jaxson Maximus

other. They take a minimum of 35 measurements from each individual to ensure fitted perfection, whether you’re looking to get a whole suit or just a pair of shorts.

“It’s not just picking out clothing, you’re really transforming your image and your level of confidence,” said Boehm.

“We are one hundred percent true custom. We design the garment from scratch and hand make it based on your pattern. It’s not a custom premade computer, it’s your own individual measurements that are cut by our master cutters,” she said.

WHILE ‘OFF THE RACK’ CLOTHING might be the norm for many people, Madison points out that manufacturers pro duce clothes that don’t typically fit most people the way clothes should.

“What we specialize in is catering toward any body type, whether you’re big & tall, you’re short, you’re skinny, you’re a little bit bigger, etc. Custom made clothing is fitted to the guy that can’t usually fit into off the rack clothing. I would say close to 99% of all body types don’t fit into standard, off the rack clothing,” Boehm said.

Their commitment to providing their clients with the ultimate experi ence has garnered many frequent clients, especially those who work in Miami’s booming business district.

“I have been going there because of the treatment they have. The way

they treat clients, it makes you feel like you’re home – and they do it in style!” said Roshan Abeyweera, who has been a weekly client for over two years. “I consider them family.”

“It’s like a man cave where you can go to reset, recharge,” he said.

Miami has been the perfect location for Jaxson Maximus with the cli entele who are suited [pun intended] for the services they provide.

“I think Miami was the right market for us. The climate, the types of interactions we get from the clients, the income level,” said Boehm.

So, what’s next? Well, as Madison describes, they are looking to open more locations throughout the country in the future, and they are plan ning on launching a clothing line of men’s athleisure as well.

“We’re looking to expand the concept. We’re looking to open up an other location and shortly after that we’ll open up more and then eventu ally expand throughout the country,” Boehm said.

Overall, the Jaxson Maximus philosophy is a simple one, emphasizing the importance of feeling your best through looking your best. l

“When you are confident in how you look and feel, it brings out the best in you – further bettering the world one person at a time.”

– Jaxson Maximus website

Photos courtesy Jaxson Maximus

WHAT WE WEAR

Jaxson Maximus

AT JAXSON MAXIMUS, we specialize in creating the per fect custom suit. With over 35+ years in the custom clothing industry, our founder Christian Boehm has been making garments for some of the biggest names in the industry.

A well-tailored suit is a timeless garment that, no matter the trends in fashion, will nev er go out of style. Being located in Miami, FL, our custom clothing team specializes in cre ating one-of-a-kind garments that are tailored to fit your unique lifestyle and adapt to the humid climate.

Our custom clothiers put together this fan tastic guide on some of the best fabrics and styles for a suit in warmer climates.

WHAT IS SO UNIQUE ABOUT A CUSTOM SUIT?

A custom suit is a one-of-a-kind garment that is tailor-made for you as an individual. When you begin your appointment, a custom clothier will typically start by asking you a list of questions about what you do for work, the

occasion for the outfit, lifestyle preference, how often you travel, and more. This is the best way for your custom clothiers to deter mine what fabric options and design choices make the most sense for you and your gar ments. Think of it as a doctor writing out a prescription for you. When individuals hear the word “custom suits” or see it at a retail store, oftentimes, they are referring to madeto-measure or MTM.

MTM is the entry-level to the custom cloth ing space. It is a very cookie-cutter approach to custom and often has very limited features, design capabilities and can only solve some minor fit considerations. In comparison, a “full custom” clothing experience means that your pattern is cut by hand by a master cut ter and is individualized to you. See our com plete guide explaining the differences between MTM and “full custom”

Being a custom clothier, full custom is what we do at Jaxson Maximus. Every one of our patterns is cut by hand by a master cutter. The most important details of your custom-made suit are sewn by hand or machine, such as the

WHY IS FABRIC SO IMPORTANT FOR A CUSTOM SUIT IN HUMID CLIMATES?

There is a plethora of fabric options from all over the world available at a tailor’s disposal. While they all might seem very similar on the surface, they are all unique in their own ways. A custom clothier will have books of fabric swatches available from hand-selected mills. Though wools and specialized fabrics are sourced worldwide, most well-respected mills like Scabal and Dormeuil are located in the UK and Italy. Not only are the fabrics from these mills made from very luxurious hard-to-find fibers, but they only make a certain amount of that fabric in the entire world.

When you get a custom suit, you are not only getting a one-of-a-kind garment, but you are getting a garment made out of fabric that is exclusive due to the amount produced and sold to the marketplace.

armhole and interior canvas to the functioning buttonholes.

Photos courtesy Jaxson Maximus

BEST FABRICS FOR A SUIT IN HUMID CLIMATES

BAMBOO

One of our most sought-after fabrics comes from Gladson’s bamboo fabric collection. Made in Italy of pure bamboo, this unique fab ric exhibits a silky luster, luxurious tailor abil ity, and extensive color spectrum. It is ideal for all-year-round wear, especially for those who are traveling between warm and cold climates.

We create a ton of custom short sleeve, sport and long sleeve dress shirts as well as bamboo jacketing. With bamboo’s natural comfortability and moisture-wicking proper ties, it is one of the materials we highly recom mend to our clients in humid climates, such as in Miami, which is where Jaxson Maximus stores are based.

Bamboo Fabric Benefits Summary:

• Antibacterial: Keeps you odor-free and smelling fresh all day long

• Moisture Wicking: Perfect for hot and hu mid climates like Miami. Naturally draws moisture away from the skin, making you sweat less

• Insulating: Keeps you cool in the summer and hot during the winter

• Silky Soft Feel

• Naturally Protects Against UV’s

• Hypoallergenic

• Non-Irritating: A great option for those with sensitive skin

• Eco-friendly

• Lightweight & breathable

SUMMER WORSTED WOOL

Summer Worsted Wools make you not only feel great in warm weather, but they look amazing on. The word “worsted” refers to the industrial combing of the raw goods as part of their milling process.

Because worsted wool is a finer type of wool than regular woolen wool it is better at keeping out the elements such as wind and rain. The natural fuzziness of the wool helps trap air circulate throughout your body mak ing it more resilient and cooler in the summer. A great example of a summer weight wool would be Vitale Barberis Canonico’s Blassone by Gladson.

SILK

Silk is a natural fiber spun from the cocoon of the silkworm. Silk is often regarded as one of the most lustrous fabrics in the world and except choice for those looking to get a custom made suit here in Miami.

It is feather light and has the inherent char acteristic of giving a beautiful luster to the

garments. Most silk jackets made with silk are blended with other summer fabrics such as lightweight wool or linens.

A great example of a summer silk and wool blend is this 100% silk jacket made with cloth from famed English mill Scabal’s Nobility collection.

Silk Benefits Summary:

• Hypoallergenic

• Helps sooth eczema and asthma

• Moisture Wicking: Perfect for hot and hu mid climates like Miami. Naturally draws moisture away from the skin, making you sweat less

• Insulating: Keeps you cool in the summer and hot during the winter

• Natural luster

• Super durable: often regarded as being stronger than steel

SEERSUCKER & COTTON

Seersucker is when cotton is woven with a crinkled vertical line in the goods. They are super lightweight and comfortable in tropical climates or the dog days of summer in north ern climates.

The best kinds of cotton are long staple cot tons, which produce the finest feel and best performance when spinning the yarns into cloth. With advancements in technology, mills have discovered that blending high-quality long-staple cotton with a bit of lycra provides a cloth with stretch, which makes it extremely comfortable.

Cotton Suit Benefits Summary:

• Weatherproof

• Low maintenance

• Hypoallergenic

• Comfort: moves with you

• Moisture Wicking: Perfect for hot and hu mid climates like Miami. Naturally draws moisture away from the skin, making you sweat less

• Able to be worn year-round

LINEN

Linen is made from the flax plant and has incredible natural wicking properties, which draws moisture away from the body resulting in a light and breezy garment.

Linen can be super soft or even stiffer de pending on how they weave the cloth. The one characteristic of linen that may deter some people from buying linen is that it is guaranteed to wrinkle. It’s OK though, as the look of a linen suit, pant or jacket is one that is supposed to be soft and sporty casual.

Don’t let the arm whiskers bug you; every one knows you are wearing linen.

A great example of summer linen and wool blend jackets is made with cloth from Italian mill Kerry Knoll.

Linen Suit Benefits Summary:

• Eco-friendly/sustainable

• Breathable and absorbent

• Low maintenance

• Hypoallergenic

• Comfortable

• Moisture Wicking: Perfect for hot and hu mid climates like Miami. Naturally draws moisture away from the skin, making you sweat less

• Static-free l

Photos courtesy Jaxson Maximus

THE Magic OF Mio

Magic By Mio is a close-up magic and mentalism act that is mind-boggling enough to spread the word – even among some of the biggest stars in the world.

BY KURT SMITH

Mio Rodriguez is surprisingly polite while he makes your head explode.

Throughout our discussion, he repeatedly called this simple scribe “Sir,” and thanked me for the interview in a truly sincere tone. He even threw in a brief performance free of charge.

Mio is unfailingly gracious and genuine… which, when you think about it, is an odd quality for someone whose career is about de ception.

It’s a key component of not just his consid erable lifelong success, but also contributes to being repeatedly invited to entertain some of the most well-known humans on Planet Earth.

Just for the record though, he’s really, really good at magic and mentalism too.

During the interview, Mio divined a digit I had mentally chosen from an eight-digit number on my phone’s calculator. Then he followed up by intuiting what I had just searched for on Wikipedia, guiding me with skilled patter.

It’s all tricks of course, but I was duly im pressed…and couldn’t wait to play the record ing for my children.

I’m not the only one

Mio performs astounding card magic and confounding mind-reading tricks, both at an exceptionally high level. His goal is always to bring out the wonder we had as kids.

“I’ll do close-up magic, cards and coins in the cocktail hour, followed by a mentalism show after dinner. People come to me and say, ‘You know, the magic with cards was amaz ing. We didn’t see any sleight of hand, we just figured that’s how you did it.

“’But the mentalism…were you really read ing our minds?’

“Mentalism is the new magic for adults,” Mio said. “They think they know how the card trick was done, but when it comes to mental ism, there’s still that childlike wonder… ‘How the heck did he know what we’re thinking?’”

Mio’s Magic and Mentalism Show is well known, not just in Miami, but in the high ly exclusive celebrity world.

The list of names Mio has dazzled includes

not just Miami’s own Dan Marino, Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Huizenga, and Don Shula. You can view many more on his website…Stallone, DeNiro, Jordan, Gretzky, and countless others.

It started with Marino, though. Or more cor rectly Mrs. Marino.

“His wife saw me at someone’s party,” Mio remembers about a fateful moment, “and she has me at a birthday party for Dan at the Sig nature Grand.

“He liked what I did, and he said, ‘I want you to come to my celebrity golf tournament.’”

Then, at that tournament, Mio indicated, “I met Mario Lemieux. He said, ‘Wow, I love your stuff. Can you do my celebrity golf tournament in Pittsburgh?’ One of his guests was Michael Jordan.”

And so on.

Mio has plenty of amusing stories about en tertaining celebrities. He remembers a Christ mas gathering with Pat Riley’s Heat: “Riley had seen me at a party, and he wants me to come to the Heat’s Christmas party. He liked it so much he hired me for 12 parties in a row.

“For the last four years I did the party, LeBron was there. The first three years, other players would bring me over: ‘LeBron, you gotta see this!’ He would be like, ‘I don’t like magic, I don’t wanna watch.’ The fourth year, finally he goes, ‘Okay, let’s see what you got.’

If You’re Interested...

MiamiMan probably doesn’t need to point out that if Mio is good enough to work the Heat’s Christmas party for over a decade, that his skills are exceptional enough to perform at a corporate event.

But he’s very easy to get a hold of, in case you’re interested…there is a contact form on his website, www. magicbymio.com, and his direct cell phone number is prominently displayed online as well.

You should probably contact him well ahead of time, though. Mio estimates that he performs about 145 shows a year, and many of those gigs put him on flights. The list of cities where he per forms include Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, and many others. His list of corporate clients includes IBM, Citibank, AT&T, UPS, Walgreen’s, and many, many more.

You get it; Mio is in high demand… for his skills obviously, but also for his professionalism.

“For corporate, you want a really top rate entertainer who’s sophisticated. There’s a lot of CEOs, high level people, they’re spending a lot of money, and they don’t want anything hokey. They want to make sure they have a sophis ticated entertainer who’s on a higher level, because they’re often wanting to impress other people.

“That’s what they get from me, and that’s one of the reasons I’m busy with so many corporate events, because once they find that out, the word also travels as well.

“I’m able to take care of their clients a professional, sophisticated, classy way, and that’s what they look for.”

Mio with Dan Marino

“I do my favorite effect, a signed card to a wallet. When I bring his signed card out of the sealed envelope, he was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s too much.’

“I go, ‘Let’s do one more.’ I have an invis ible deck in my hand. I throw it to him and say, ‘Take a card out invisibly, turn it upside down, and throw it back.’ He throws the invis ible deck, when I catch it, there’s a deck in my hand. I go, ‘I caught a pass from LeBron James! Sir, what card did you put in upside down?’

“At this point, Pat Riley [has] come over. LeBron said, ‘The king of spades.’ I spread open the deck and there’s a card upside down. When I turn it over, it’s the king of spades.

“And Pat Riley goes, ‘You got the king with the King!’”

It’s a fallacy that anyone is born to do anything, especially in entertainment. It discounts the deliberate intention to excel at a craft, and the persistence to convince others that your skills are worth a look.

Mio’s had life experiences pointing him to a career in magic, including coming from a show business family and performing in front of Mrs. Dan Marino. But he’s worked at it plenty, and he’s made his own breaks.

“My father was a professional costume de signer, and my mother was a dancer. In fact,

Almost Seen On TV

Mio Rodriguez just missed—twice—on capturing nationwide audiences on a level where he could add a “notoriety fee” to his performance price. He auditioned for both America’s Got Talent and Penn & Teller’s Fool Us shows, and just missed making it to the show both times…for reasons that had nothing to do with any lack of ability or skill.

“On America’s Got Talent, they called me up and wanted me to come on the show. I was doing mentalism in the audition, and they told me, ‘You don’t even have to wait in line. We want you to come audition for us.’

“We rehearsed in the morning, and I had two or three mentalism effects that were ready to go, but the producer or the director at the time had never heard of mentalism, and he kept skipping me. They just didn’t really understand what mentalism was. Now, of course they do, they’ve had mentalists get to the finals.

“What they actually ended up doing was choosing another magician who wasn’t very good. He was triple-X’ed off. I guess they needed, I don’t know, some humor on the show. It re ally upset me to the point where I didn’t try to get back on it.

His exclusion from Penn & Teller’s Fool Us is even more inexplicable.

“Penn & Teller, before they had their show, they were at one of those conventions in Vegas, and they saw me do some moves with the cards. They said, ‘Man, that’s the best we’ve ever seen. We want to film you, because we’re doing a documentary about the convention.’

“They never did do that show, but in the meantime, I auditioned for Fool Us. They said, ‘Here’s the date of filming, make sure your calendar is open.’

“But in the end, they never called me back.”

It’s unfortunate that America hasn’t had a chance to see Mio’s act on television. Mio has had audience members tell him that he’s as good as David Blaine. And more personable.

Mio in Egypt

My father’s great love was magic, and although he wasn’t a professional, he was a very good magician. He would teach me magic with cards.

they met doing a show together. My father’s great love was magic, and although he wasn’t a professional, he was a very good magician. He would sit me on his lap and teach me magic with cards. When we would go to magic shows, he would tell me how things were be ing done.

“I just thought everybody’s dad knew, I didn’t know I was getting privileged informa tion! I knew a few great card tricks, fun at a party or whatever, but I never thought of it as a career.”

But then one of those fateful nudges hap pened.

“A magician just happened to move in next door, who made a living at close-up magic. I’m like, ‘Wow, you can make a living?’

“He showed me an effect, and it turned out to be one my dad had taught me. I grabbed the deck and showed him my version, and he showed me his other version. Because I had some knowledge, he started sharing with me like I was a magician. He said, ‘If you learn these seven basic moves of sleight of hand, you could be a magician.’

“I studied and practiced, hours and hours a day for months and months. After about a year, I decided I was gonna try to make the transition and be a magician. I moved from Dallas to Florida in 1990.

“My friend was doing magic in restaurants; restaurant jobs are the basic fundamental steppingstone, the bottom rung of the ladder. I would come in Wednesday, Friday and Sat urday, and go from table to table for a small salary and tips.

“Once I got those first jobs, I built off of those, then I started calling entertainment agents. I said, ‘Listen, I work at this restaurant, come in and have dinner, watch what I do and see if you like me. If you do, you can hire me for your private and corporate parties.’”

A performer never knows

when momentum is going to kick in. But years of hard work and making connections finally turned into “overnight success.”

“I gave my cards out for the first four or five years. Then one day I got a phone call: ‘I had your card for three years; we have a party.’

Then the next day I got a call, and then the next thing I knew I’m getting calls three, four, five times a week. All of a sudden business just exploded.”

“I’ve been working full-time for 32 years now. We’ve had a really great year here this year. People are coming back out of Covid, and it’s been some record numbers.”

Not bad for someone who started with a few card tricks at parties.

As much as he enjoys the travel and perfor mance life, Mio is planted in South Florida. It is, he said, a great place for a magician to call home.

“There’s a lot of corporations, conferenc es, and also parties, bar mitzvahs, all kinds of events. People come here and want to do something fun. Florida has a lot of people that have the ability and desire to have these par ties, and they want great entertainment.

“I love Florida, the sporting activities, the fishing and the water activities. Even though it’s hot in the summer, the weather is over all fantastic. You’re not locked in. There’s so many opportunities here. It’s just a fun place to live.”

It’s an admirable lifestyle Mio’s carved out

in the Magic City. He does quite well perform ing at corporate events, celebrity parties, and on cruise ships. His well-honed act sends him across the country…including Las Vegas, where magicians can be easily hired without travel expenses.

His lovely assistant, his wife Rhonda, per forms a much more important function for Magic By Mio, Inc. than getting sawed in half. She handles Mio’s promotion, marketing, con tracts, and the rest of the business end, so Mio can focus on staying on top of his game.

“It’s helped bring our business up,” Mio gratefully acknowledges. “She sends out all these email blasts and marketing that remind people of us, and they call us back, it just makes everything much more professional to have her.

“One job leads to another, because word of mouth is my strongest method of promotion. I don’t advertise. With the website there’s SEO [Search engine optimization], that’s the only thing I pay for.

“Things are newer, but back in the day, it was all word of mouth. And it still is.”

Those who have witnessed The Magic of Mio would agree. Just ask Pat Riley. l

WHAT WE DRINK

BY CHLOE SENATORE

The Angel’s Share - A Whiskey Overview

THE WIDE WORLD OF WHISKEY is certainly delicious, but it can be a bit overwhelming, so let’s break it down.

Whiskey is typically a coppery gold/brown liquor that’s made a variety of ways, but gener ally speaking, it is derived from a grain mash which is fermented, distilled, and then aged, most commonly in wooden barrels for differ ent periods of time. A labor of love.

Is it whiskey or whisky or bourbon or scotch? If you’re someone who’s heard all of these different terms before without ever actu ally figuring out the difference between them, let me fill you in.

The spelling difference between whiskey and whisky is a subtle one, but the reason for it is due to a long-lasting liquid gold feud be tween Ireland and Scotland. To give you a full history lesson would be boring, but let me give you a nutshell version:

Whisky/whiskey as a noun is derived from the Gaelic word “uisce beatha” which means the “water of life” (and the amber liq uid surely is!)

Early whiskey making in the 1800’s saw a feud arise between distilleries in Scotland and Ireland who laid claim to the triple distilling process. So, to settle the heated dispute, the spirit that came from Scotland would be legally called “whisky” while its equivalent in Ireland would be called “whiskey.” End of story, right? Well, not really.

Due to America welcoming a large popula tion of Irish Immigrants over the years, Ameri can whiskey would take on the Irish spelling, but would eventually develop its own version of the liquor– bourbon (more on that later).

Interestingly enough, probably based on proximity, Canadian whisky and the up-andcoming Japanese whisky industries would in

herit the Scottish spelling.

Okay but is there actually a difference be tween all the different liquors other than the production location? Yes indeed.

Scottish whisky can be distilled a different number of times but is aged a minimum of three years while Irish whiskey is almost al ways triple distilled and must be aged for three years and one day.

To make things more complicated, “Scotch” is Scottish whisky, but not all Scottish whis ky is considered scotch. Basically, in order to qualify as scotch, it must be made from 100% malted barley.

Similarly, all bourbon is American whiskey, but not all American whiskey is bourbon. To qualify as bourbon, it must be made from at least 51% corn mash.

I think that’s all the education we can do for today, let’s get down to drinking the stuff!

Since we discussed the main differences between Irish Whiskey and Scotch, let’s talk about two of the best in each category:

PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS world wide whiskey is Jameson Irish whiskey. Jameson has notoriously popular flavor and it is impeccably smooth due to the triple distilled trademark process. It is made using both malted and unmalted barley and aged in used American Oak barrels. With notes of sweet vanilla and sherry mixed with slightly spicy woodiness, this blended Irish whiskey is a classic for a reason. Sláinte!

Macallan 12 is one of the most significant Scotches out there, and a luxury one at that. Aged in a selective mix of sherry seasoned American and European oak barrels for 12 years, and in true scotch fashion, it’s made from 100% malted barley. While the flavor of

this scotch may come out swinging in the first sip with overwhelming notes of warm spices, it settles into a sweet spicy plum flavor with those notes very clearly coming from the sher ry barrels. Macallan signifies what it means to be a quality scotch: complex, luxurious, and rewarding.

To wrap up, I want to mention an American whiskey that has recently caught my eye.

While Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey is not new by any means, the company’s new “Gentleman Jack” is a uniquely new bottle of American whiskey that begs to be sampled. It’s foundation is made and aged similarly to regular Jack Daniels; from corn/rye/malted barley, distilled in copper pots, and filtered through the company’s unique pro cess of “mellow ing” through sugar maple charcoal. However, Gentle man Jack is double mellowed by filter ing it through the charcoal a second time after the barrel aging process—an unprecedented step. The result is a sweet and smooth whiskey like no other, with strong floral notes of caramel and vanilla, but a subtle hint of spice as well. A great example of an American whiskey that demands attention.

The “angel’s share” refers to the small per centage of whiskey that evaporates into the air during the aging process—a share of whiskey for the angels. l

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STEPHEN BELLOSI - ADVICENT SOLUTIONS

Start the discussion

Once you start thinking about the future and how you want your wealth to live on, it’s tempting to dive right in and start putting money strategies into place immediately. However, without a comprehensive family discussion about this wealth transfer, problems can arise when it comes time to put these strategies into action. Talking about money with your family can be uncomfortable, but it is a necessary step to achieving your financial goals. It can also help create a more open and trusting relationship within your family, allowing you to pass down more than just monetary wealth.

Involving your future heirs in setting a multigenerational wealth plan can greatly improve your chances of following through with that plan. By establishing open communication from the beginning, children and grandchildren are given the opportunity to express their opinions and money values, which helps to develop mutual respect between you and your heirs. It also provides a way to teach financial management skills to children and grandchildren by involving them in processes such as family philanthropy and investment. If all family members are involved in the decision-making process, it can help avoid later arguments over who is given what. If the reasons behind financial decisions are made clear be fore your death, heirs are more likely to stick to the plan after your death.

Setting common goals

Before you talk to your financial professional, it’s good to get an idea of where family members stand on money values. Even something as simple as an interview process with future generations can help to high light common and differing areas of money management. More than just dollars and cents, however, it is important to get an idea of what the wealth will mean to the members of your family. Even with the most carefully thought out plans, without a sense of family cohesiveness and shared values, money can be lost due to arguments among beneficia ries or careless spending by descendants. Making sure your financial principles are in line with those of your future heirs, beneficiaries and trustees can help to establish the direction of your wealth transfer and prevent future conflicts.

Change your thinking

One of the hardest parts of transferring wealth can be forcing your self to think of your money in a different way. Instead of thinking of your money as your own, you are now forced to think of it in terms of “us,” and how to make that wealth live on through future genera tions. This can be especially frustrating since you don’t know and

can’t control how future generations will take care of this wealth. “The denominator problem,” or the fact that your wealth will be split into smaller and smaller portions as new branches of your family tree appear, is an important factor to consider when think ing about the future. The next generation will almost certainly look to you for finan cial guidance, whether consciously or sub consciously. However, when talking to and setting an example for the next generation in terms of spending, you must remember that their amount of family wealth may be con siderably less than yours if they rely solely on inheritance. This realization allows you to be more realistic when helping the fu ture generation plan and can encourage the next generation to look to education or skills training to get the tools to build their own wealth.

Non-financial wealth

If all family members are involved in the decision-making process, it can help avoid later arguments over who is given what.

Instead of thinking of your money as your own, wealth transfer forces you to think of it in terms of “us,” and how to make that wealth live on in through future generations.

When you hear the term “wealth transfer,” it’s easy to focus solely on financial assets—money, investments, businesses, real estate, etc. How ever, a successful wealth transfer should focus on money as part of a larger transition and consider what else predecessors pass down besides financial wealth. This can include family stories, values or principles. How does this relate to keeping your money secure? If you focus on what you hope your heirs can achieve and talk with them about these hopes, it can help establish cohesiveness, which in turn can help them focus on these goals rather than squabble over money.

Planning is never truly “done”

After talking to an advisor and putting money transfer strategies into place, many people consider themselves “done” with multigenerational planning. However, changes in financial standing, health issues and gaining new family members are all natural parts of life. Each of these adjustments will affect how you want to plan for the future, so checking in with your financial advisor after a change to adjust your wealth trans fer plan is important. It’s equally important to do evaluations of your plan every few years, as factors like family member personal growth or attitude development aren’t always obvious enough to do on an “as needed” basis. l

THE BREW BEAT

BY ALAN ESPINO

Miami’s Craft Brewing Scene

AS THE FALL USHERS IN changing leaves and cold weather elsewhere, in Miami, we . . . don’t do that. In fact, we do almost everything dif ferently. As a comparatively young city, we’re still finding out exactly what defines us, but one thing is clear: Miami is, without a doubt, unique in its sabor [flavor].

Culturally and geographically, we’re better understood by someone in Barcelona or Berlin or than by someone in Boise or Buffalo. The rest of the US tends to define us as generically “Latin,” but in Miami, we need you to be more specific: Cu ban? Venezuelan? Puerto Rican? Guyanese? Where the rest of the country sees a generic mash of international flavors, the Miami man sees a smorgasbord of op tions.

Nowhere is that more evi dent than in our craft brewing scene. While small in number – similarly sized San Diego has over 170 breweries to our piddly

dozen or so – our beer scene is defined by the individuals who shape it and our unique expe riences growing up in the Magic City.

For example, my brewery, Beat Culture Brew ery, sells Mango Passionfruit tart ale called Fuácata – a Cuban onomatopoeia for getting smacked with a sandal. From the flavors to the name to the iconic chancleta emblazoned on the can, it’s an homage to the Cuban upbring ing we share. “We,” in this in stance, includes my brother, who co-founded the brewery, our friends who helped us start it, and many of the loyal cus tomers who’ve made it our bestselling sour beer. (You don’t have to have been on the receiv ing end of an Hispanic mother’s ire to enjoy the beer, though – it also just tastes great.)

For a long time, breweries and brewpubs in Florida have missed this sort of personal connection to beer because the “craft” beer space was domi nated by major conglomerates

acting like small operations. But with brands like MIA Brewing, which embraces our Miami Vice and deco roots, and Lincoln’s Beard, whose on-premise tasting room invites cus tomers to get weird in their eclectic aesthetic, our real craft breweries embrace the individual stories of the people who’ve built them.

MY STORY STARTS

in a microbiology class at FIU in 2005 with Dr. Stephen Winkle. There was no textbook in Dr. Winkle’s class. Some days he’d walk into class and just start rambling something fascinating. But one day, I walked in and saw a complicated formula on the chalkboard – that’s not an ex pression; it was a literal chalkboard. When he explained to us that this was a biochemical pathway and how it all worked together, I real ized that we have little alien things inside of us at all times . . . and those little alien things are how you make beer. From there, my love of beer was cemented and, on a post-grad trip to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro with my best friend, I decided I wanted to start a brewery with my friends and family. Over a decade later, in 2019, we brewed our first beer in our new Miami brewpub.

Since then, the community we come from has shaped our beer in more ways than just inspiring names and flavors. We partner with brands and companies we grew up with to make excellent beers, like Vicky Bakery with our Guava Pastelito IPA, and the Friends of Mi ami Animals (FOMA) rescue organization with our new Best Friend golden ale, whose pro ceeds help place stray dogs in forever homes.

Because we made it our mission early to uplift local brands and people who have helped shape our lives, there’s almost no way to churn out commoditized fizzy water. Like the rest of the burgeoning Miami craft brew scene, we’re making beer from our hearts for the people that matter to us most. That sense of community is why we’re thriving despite major coronavirus setbacks, and it’s what’s making the rest of the country notice: Miami is coming into its own and finding its flavor in ways we’ve never done before. And that’s something to drink to. l

BY VINCENT MANTUO

954-260-2655 • vmmantuo@gmail.com

Inflammation and Toxins

RELAXATION, DE-STRESSING, REBALANCING, and detoxing are some of the few things that massage ther apy can provide, but as a therapist, I have noticed that clients aren’t making decisions that align with getting the full benefits. Many forget to drink plenty of water along with eating correct meals after a massage. This is a key component in the recovery process as the body is trying to release its built-up inflammation and toxins.

Water is important not only because it hydrates you, but also because it helps cleanse the body. Instead of thinking about water as just a bev erage, we should look at it as a vital substance, seeing as about 60% of our bodies are made up of it. When receiving a massage any stored inflammation and toxins will be released, which needs to be flushed out and stabilized by intaking water afterward. It is recommended to drink 11.5 – 15.5 cups (2.7 - 3.7 liters) of water per day to keep the body in homeostasis. On average, most people are not even close to the recom mended daily intake. In addition to flushing out toxins, water helps lubricate joints, protects soft tissues like your organs, and allows your body to have more energy.

As stated above, eating the correct meals is another important piece in the recovery process after a massage. First, try to stay away from nightshades, which can cause inflammation. Nightshades are a family of vegetables including tomatoes, white potatoes, red peppers, and egg plant. Some substitutions are sweet potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and beets. The

last thing you want is to have an inflammatory response from food after you just had a massage. It would be a lost game of tug-of-war. The body needs to replenish, rest, and recover.

So, next time you schedule a massage make sure you drink plenty of water and eat a healthier meal to aid the body’s recovery process. This will help you to feel better and heal properly by cleansing the inflamma tion and toxins from your body. l