Spring/Summer 2013

SUMMER 2013

SOUTH FLORIDA

behind the scenes of

stirring history of

MYSTERY SOLVED

Remembering the Shoemaker of Dreams in an exclusive interview with Wanda Ferragamo

www.cartier.us Š2013 Cartier

Summer 2013

South Florida OPULENCE

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Ballon Bleu de Cartier

New 33 mm collection, automatic movement

Summer 2013

South Florida OPULENCE

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SOUTH FLORIDA

T o p F E AT U R E S

sUMMer 2013

SOUTH FLORIDA

22 THE SPECTACULAR JOURNEY OF A WAR HORSE

behind the scenes of

stirring history of

The Tony-Award Winning stage spectacle War Horse made its way to South Florida, moving audience members to tears at its opening. Take a compelling look behind the scenes!

Mystery soLVed

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO remembering the shoemaker of dreams in an exclusive interview with Wanda ferragamo Spring 2013

South Florida OPULENCE

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Cover PHOTO courtesy of Ferragamo USA

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33 OLIVE SOUP: A STIRRING

HISTORY OF MARTINIS

THE LEGENDARY

A delicious look at the history of America’s favorite cocktail.

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

An exclusive interview with Mrs. Wanda Miletti Ferragamo, wife of world-renowned Italian shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo.

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THE REAL MAN BEHIND THE ROCKEFELLER SUIT A thrilling interview with Mark Seal, author of “The Man in the Rockefeller Suit,” reveals the shocking story of a man who, for years, passed as a phony heir to the Rockefeller fortune in order to hide his own misfortune.

Images ProvIded courtesy of BomBardIer Inc.

Images provIded courtesy of BomBardIer Inc.

SOUTH FLORIDA

Photo Courtesy of Barry Seidman

features

64 A FAREWELL TO MARGARET THATCHER

British journalist Nicholas Wapshott, author of Ronald Regan and Margaret Thatcher: A Political Marriage, writes about the personal side of the Iron Lady.

26 WORLD CLASS CAVALRY:

BEACH POLO WORLD CUP La Martina Miami Beach hosted the world’s largest and most prestigious Beach Polo competition for the ninth year.

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UNIQUE WINE FOUND OFF THE BEATEN PATH Wine Director of Azul at Mandarin Oriental, Todd Phillips, sets out in search of intriguing new wines and discovers a noteworthy twist on the classic Sauvignon Blanc.

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THE WONDER OF COFFEE Get the scoop on the fascinating history behind the iconic drink that jump-starts your day.

AHOY ARIANNA! Plan a summer voyage aboard the majestic Arianna yacht, where luxury meets comfort and entertainment.

MIAMI DESIGN WITH AN ASIAN TWIST An interview with design mogul Steven G. detailing how Asian-infused designs influenced his latest work.

TRUTH OR TALL TALE? Physician Carl Werner tests the theory of evolution through a series of scientific experiments and comes to a surprising conclusion.

56 CULTURAL INSIGHTS Q&A

Ava Roosevelt interviews Donald and Ivanka Trump about their $200 million golf course renovation.

61 CONSERVING THE HERITAGE

OF PALM BEACH How the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach is protecting the history and heritage of this world-renown city.

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T HE ORDINARY BECOMES EXTRAORDINARY Photographer Barry Seidman sees the ordinary and transforms it into extraordinary with stunning results.

70 THE SURREAL FELINE WORLD OF GUSTAVO NOVOA Gustavo Novoa’s whimsical paintings dually showcase his undeniable talent and love for art.

THE BAKING ARCHITECT Carolina Montoya bakes up art that is good enough to eat.

CARTIER: THE JEWELER OF KINGS A look into the exceptional talent and dazzling history behind the venerable Cartier jewelry house.

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74 BIRTHDAY SUIT PUZZLES

Cecelia Webber redefines digital photography with her scintillating compositions of the human body.

78 YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLES M. SCHULZ The wife of famed cartoonist Charles M. Schulz shares the story of her husband’s lasting comic legacy.

80 94

T HE TRIPPY, ARTISTIC LIFE OF PETER MAX The sensational pioneer in visual psychedelics.

T HE SCHEDONI’S: ITALIAN LEATHERCRAFTERS An exclusive interview with Simone Schedoni whose family has crafted leather cases for supercars – and the Pope!

96 TIME TRAVEL TO TIVOLI

The spectacular ancient wonder of Tivoli, Italy, is a popular tourist spot with fascinating fountains.

98 ENLIGHTENING LANDSCAPE

Mary and Hugh Williamson blend art and landscaping to bring peace and Zen into your own backyard – or condo porch!

SOUTH FLORIDA

Photo Courtesy of Barry Seidman

features (continued) 100 SCULPTURES UNDER THE SEA

Women’s Beauty

106 America’s Circus City

S arasota – “America’s Circus City” – isn’t just for circus fans. Today, it attracts thousands to view remarkable circus memorabilia, a worldrenowned art collection, vast gardens and the opulent mansion owned by a circus magnate.

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THURSTON: THE WORLD’S GREATEST MAGICIAN Magician Howard Thurston began his career humbly and ended it as the greatest magician the world has ever known.

THE MECHANICAL MAN A bygone craft revised by the Oscar- Winning Martin Scorsese film, “Hugo.”

LUXURY CAR WITH A PURPOSE Tesla is electrifying the driving experience with the first true luxury electronic automobile.

COSMETIC TRAVEL ADVENTURE FOR A NEW SMILE Meet the cosmetic smile dream team from Minnesota and New York that makes dreams come true.

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Calendar 20-21 Dining Guide

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Men’s Accessories

Fabulous summer finds from Robert Graham.

28 -30

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Women’s Fashion

90-91

Custom luxury designs of Della Terasi.

Law Enforcement

122

Wire-tapping secrets of the FBI.

Condo Living

130,140

CSI reaches the Pinnacle in Sunny Isle!

Should your condo association fund reserves?

Condo Law

132, 138 Court rules on board of director resignation requirements When it comes to maintenance delinquencies, should directors name names?

CSI Resident Profile

departments Gadgets

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A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH What once was a tropical hideaway could now be your Caribbean getaway.

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Men’s Grooming

The Art of the Shave: Why men are returning to traditional bowl-soap-and-a-brush shaves.

104 CALIVIGNY ISLAND,

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86

Ferragamo summer ensembles.

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor’s breathtaking underwater sculptures bring attention and assistance to the world’s failing coral reef.

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Men’s Fashion

Meet technology guru Robert Bucher and his fashionista wife, Alena Klenot, residents of the Continuum North Tower in South Beach.

SOCIAL LIVING

134,135

141, 142,144

Editor’s Letter What a Difference a Smile Makes!

It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words – but a smile can make you feel like a million bucks. Clichés aside, the power of a smile is truly serious science.

Using MRI imaging technology, university researchers in Munich, Germany, report that our brain’s “happiness circuitry” automatically activates when we smile.

Similarly, studies commissioned by Hewlett Packard in Britain found that the brain’s reward center is stimulated far more by a simple smile than by 2,000 chocolate bars or being given $16,000 in cash!

I can tell you personally, however, that a nice smile is not something to take for granted. In past editor’s letter photos, I show a happy grin, but not a toothy smile. There’s a reason for that. As an infant, I was born three months premature and was given antibiotics that turned my teeth intrinsically gray. I never let that get in my way, but – more often than not – it did lead me to smile with closed lips.

As a young adult, I tried everything to whiten my teeth – professional bleaching and laser treatments – but nothing worked. Dentists told me there was nothing more they could do.

So, I accepted the fact and went on with life.

And then one day in January 2012, something serendipitous happened. While shopping in Bal Harbour, I stopped by to say hello to the owner of the Santa Maria Novella boutique who had flown in to attend a South Florida Opulence event. He introduced me to a friend of his, Dean Maragos, who was visiting from Minnesota. I learned that Dean’s father, Chuck Maragos, was a pioneer in the cosmetic ceramic dental industry and the founder of Valley Dental Arts in Stillwater. He invited me to explore the idea of having a smile makeover. Little did I know that I was about to embark on a smile travel adventure that would change my life.

(You can meet the “smile dream team” on page 126.)

Today, a year later, I am smiling from ear to ear. And I’ve never been happier or more grateful for a great group of dental professionals.

Robin Jay , Editor in Chief

South Florida Opulence is a 2013 Gold Addy Award Winner in the category of 4-color multiple-page publications!

TAKE OPULENCE WITH YOU! SCAN THE QR CODE WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE TO FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND RECEIVE UPDATES ON NEWS AND EVENTS!

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HORIZON PUBLISHING Executive PUBLISHER & Owner Geoff Hammond, CEO Jayne Hammond, President Associate PUBLISHERS Mark Blackburn P U B L I S I David Hammond

N G

EDITOR IN CHIEF Robin Jay editor@southfloridaopulence.com CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR Adriana Naylor artdirector@southfloridaopulence.com 954-331-3912 PR AND MARKETING MANAGER Chantal Forster marketingmanager@southfloridaopulence.com 954-331-3390 Business Development John Terboss jterboss@southfloridaopulence.com Editorial Assistant Melissa Bryant CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John. D. Adams Mary & Hugh Williamson Michael Bender, Esq. Todd Phillips Donna Berger, Esq. Andy Rand Melissa Bryant Ava Roosevelt Rory Feldman Alex Starace David Freeland Joshua Stone Jule Guaglardi Nicholas Wapshott Robert Kaye, Esq. Carl Werner, MD Ronald Kessler Brooke Schuchts Dale King Christine Windmiller Photographers: Jule Guaglardi Douglas Lance Barry Seidman Jason deCaires Taylor Cecelia Webber PROOFREADER Susie Shaw EVENT MAKEUP ARTIST Alena Klenot South Florida Opulence Magazine is published quarterly by Horizon Publishing LLC. Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved. Horizon Publishing LLC, 6700 North Andrews Avenue, Suite 400, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 – Vol. 3, No.2, Summer 2013 (ISSN # 2157-5274) Subscription Rates: $40 per year, $10 per issue.

For subscription inquiries or change of address, contact the subscription department, (954) 308-4300 Ext. 4312, Fax: (954) 331-6028. Horizon Publishing, LLC, its affiliates and contributing writers have exercised due care in compiling the information contained herein, but with the possibility of human or mechanical error, cannot assume liability for the accuracy of this data. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in part or in full in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording and any information storage and retrieval system without first obtaining permission from the publisher.

Town Center at Boca Raton robertgraham.us

Gadgets At Home on the Links

When you can’t hit the links, invite your golf group over and play this arcade-style golf video game. Play on two virtual courses using a real putter and real balls while you explore the casino-themed Las Vegas course or the tiki torch-themed Paradise Island course on the 32” high-def LCD TV. Comes with its own putter (you may substitute your own) on a tether and five balls. Hammacher Schlemmer. $6,900. http://m.hammacher.com/

Acoustic Immersion Pod

This is the pod that immerses a listener in an acoustically optimized chamber, providing an enveloping audio experience with its robust six-speaker surround sound system. Its interior is lined with open-cell acoustic foam – the same used in recording studios – that deflects, disperses, and absorbs sound waves, creating a personal sound environment that will not disturb those nearby. www.hammacher.com. $3,000

Two Person 60 MPH Hovercraft

Able to reach locations traditional watercraft cannot access, this personal hovercraft travels briskly over water and land, powered by a 60-horsepower gasoline engine and an efficient 12-volt battery. The two-cycle, two-cylinder air-cooled engine’s powerful 36” pulley-driven fan keeps the craft aloft on an 8” cushion of air while propelling it forward at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. www.hammacher.com. $19,500

Remote Control

Solar Powered Hydrogen Car Learn to build your own hydrogen cell car and then have a blast driving it via remote control. The car runs on a combination of water and solar power to generate an electric charge. Drives about 328 feet on a full hydrogen fuel cell. $129.99. www.Sharperimage.com

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Authentic Boardwalk Photo Booth

Identical to the classic units found in amusement parks, arcades, and boardwalks, this is the photo booth that can take and print a four-frame strip of pictures in 16 seconds. Unlike prior models that used chemical processes to develop pictures, this one uses a thermal printer exclusively designed by Polaroid, producing 2” H x 2” W 72-dpi monochrome images. www.hammacher.com. $11,000

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Out and About June-SEPTEMBER

8-9/1

JUNE

6

July

Summer Shorts Festival

5-10

october

Adrienne Arsht Carnival Studio Theater in the Ziff Ballet Opera House Miami

Tanabata Around CHICAGO the World Broward Center for the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens Delray Beach

Performing Arts Fort Lauderdale

Summer Shorts is America’s Short Play Festival, with an incredible line-up of scripts penned by the country’s best writers including City Theatre National Short Play Competition winners. It's the most fun 90 minutes you’ll have all summer. www.arshtcenter.org.

Charles M. Schulz: Pop Culture in Peanuts

Art & Culture Center of Hollywood Pop Culture in Peanuts features 70 original cartoon strips spanning nearly five decades by the legendary Charles M. Schulz. For ticket information go to www.artandculturecenter.org or call 954.921.3273.

9-20

Take part in a time-honored Tanabata tradition when you leave your wish on Morikami’s own Tanabata tree. www. morikami.org or call 561-495-0233.

“‘Chicago’ still GLITTERS HYPNOTICALLY.” - Ben Brantley, The New York Times.

A true New York City institution, CHICAGO has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping-song after another; and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen. www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.

AUGUST July

5

Sushi & Stroll Summer Walk Series

June

20-30

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens Delray Beach

SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW

Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami This thrilling aerial spectacular is a “sexy, exhilarating, gravity-defying world” by more than a dozen aerialists, dancers and musicians creating a sultry kaleidoscopic action. www.arshtcenter.org. 305.949.6722

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Bruno Mars - The Moonshine Jungle World Tour American Airlines Arena, Miami

Summer nights in South Florida are something special, especially when they are augmented with taiko drums and a cultural backdrop that can't be beat!

Add a cold drink, a breathtaking sunset and a walking path through a tranquil garden, and you've got Sushi & Stroll Summer Walks! 5:30 - 8:30pm. www. morikami.org or call 561.495.0233.

Peter Gene Hernandez, known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and recording producer. Read more here: www.aaarena.com

OCTOBER

11-13

MAMMA MIA!

Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami Broadway in Miami’s 2013 - 2014 season extra and the ultimate feel-good musical filled with ABBA hits. www.broadwayacrossamerica.com. 305.949.6722

Want to win free event tickets or promos?

Visit www.southfloridaopulence.com often to check for special promotions!

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Scan the QR code to visit us online

Up & Coming Events november-december

DECEMBER

The Book of Mormon

ELF

february

march

26-12/22 31-1/5 4-9

4-9

WARHORSE

Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami

Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami

ELF is an original musical that brings to Broward Center for the Performing Arts Fort Lauderdale life the heartwarming and hilarious tale of Buddy, an orphan who mistakenly Winner of 9 Tony Awards® including believes he’s really one of Santa’s elves.

Best Musical! From Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of “South Park,” and Robert Lopez, co-creator of Avenue Q, comes The Book of Mormon, a new Broadway musical that Entertainment Weekly calls “the funniest musical of all time.“ www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.

The 2011 Tony Award-winner for Best Play based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo comes to a city near you. www.broadwayacrossamerica.com. 305.949.6722

ONCE

Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami The Tony-winning musical based on the Academy Award-winning film. www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.

305.949.6722

february-march 2014 January 2014 December

10-15 WE WILL ROCK YOU

Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami From London’s West End, the worldwide smash hit musical by Queen and Ben Elton comes to a city near you for a limited engagement! www.broadwayacrossamerica.com. 305.949.6722

7-19

THE WIZARD OF OZ Broward Center for the Performing Arts Fort Lauderdale

“We’re off to see…“ The most magical adventure of them all. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of The Wizard of Oz is an enchanting adaptation of the all-time classic, totally reconceived for the stage. “Andrew Lloyd Webber finds new magic over the rainbow! A gorgeous sense of spectacle!” - New York Post www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.

800.764.0700

25-3/9 Memphis

Broward Center for the Performing Arts Fort Lauderdale

march-April 2014

25-4/6 American Idiot

From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, comes a hot new Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale about a white radio DJ who wants to change the world and a black club singer who is ready for her big break. 800.764.0700 www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.

Broward Center for the Performing Arts Fort Lauderdale

Tony Award® winning hit musical AMERICAN IDIOT tells the story of three lifelong friends forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Their quest for true meaning in a post 9/11 world leads them on the theatrical journey of the season. www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.

800.764.0700

April-May 2014

SEASON 2013/ 2014

Program I: First Ventures October 18-20, Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami October 25-27, Broward Center, Fort Lauderdale November 15-17, Kravis Center, West Palm Beach Program includes Ballo della Regina (Balanchine/Verdi), Polyphonia (Wheeldon/Ligeti), and Serenade (Balanchine/Tchaikovsky). www.miamicityballet.org. (305) 929-7010

29-5/11

GHOST The Musical Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Relive the iconic and magical moments from the Oscar-winning movie GHOST in a brand-new Broadway musical.

GHOST The Musical follows Sam and Molly, a young couple whose connection takes a shocking turn after Sam’s untimely death. www.broadwayacrossamerica.com. 800.764.0700 Summer 2013

South Florida OPULENCE

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WarHorse A Spectacular Journey

Tony-Award winning stage spectacle moves audience members to tears

By David Freeland

WarHorse

, the astounding theatrical experience that opened in Fort Lauderdale in May and returns to Miami in March 2014, exerts its pull from the moment the title character, Joey, first trots on stage as a foal, petted by his owner and best friend, 15-year old Albert. The audience gasps, aware that Joey is a puppet, not a real horse, but captivated by the way he shudders and whinnies at Albert’s loving touch. Joey’s lifelike eyes, shining and reflective, draw us into the soul of his journey; as the evening progresses, and Albert sets out to rescue Joey after he has been sold to the English cavalry, we find ourselves carried along and hoping for Joey to make it home.

It’s that kind of emotional power that has made War Horse an international phenomenon, sweeping up audiences and awards on both sides of the Atlantic and even inspiring an Oscar®-nominated film directed by Steven Spielberg. Most recently, War Horse won five 2011 Tony® Awards (including Best Play) for its New York premiere, plus a Special Tony® Award for Handspring Puppet Company for creating the eleven puppets at the heart of the show.

“One of the things we like to imagine,” observes Basil Jones, who runs Handspring with co-founder Adrian Kohler, “is people in the audience nudging the person next to them, saying, ‘did you see that?’”

Set during the First World War and based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel, War Horse combines a powerful story with thrilling stagecraft and music. In addition, it showcases what may be the most inventive use of puppetry ever seen on a North American stage.

Soon after meeting him as a young horse, we watch in amazement as an adult Joey, seven feet tall, materializes before our eyes. Two puppet masters working inside Joey’s frame (built of light, malleable cane) raise and lower his torso, letting out forceful breaths, while a third manipulates his ears, lifting and pulling them back to register tender shades of emotion.

Spielberg’s film version of War Horse employs real horses, but these onstage creations fully personalize equine ideals of courage, strength and loyalty in ways that reinforce the themes of the story.

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During World War I, more than one million horses were conscripted by the British military alone; of these, only 62,000 returned. As Joey is forced into battle, serving in both the British and German armies, we are moved by his bravery and the trust he places in those who exploit his strength.

His innocence makes him seem above the fighting: In War Horse, animals behave with a dignity that humans do not always achieve. Still, Joey is unprepared for the true brutality of 20th century warfare.

Determined to save his horse, Albert runs away from home with the hope of getting close to the front. Will Albert find Joey in time? As War Horse reaches its beautiful climax, the hopes of parents, children, and beloved friends merge into a shared experience, as tissues are drawn from pockets and eyes glisten with tears.

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Joey Facts & Figures 1. The puppet (Joey), which weighs 120lbs, is handmade by 14 people. Its frame is mostly cane, soaked, bent and stained.

2. An aluminum frame along the spine, lined partly with leather for comfort, allows the horse to be ridden.

3. Stretched, hosiery-like Georgette fabric makes up the “skin” beneath the frame.

4. A puppeteer at the head controls the ears and head; one in the heart controls breathing and front legs; a third in the hind controls the tail and back legs.

5. A harness connects the puppet’s and puppeteer’s spines so his or her movements become the breathing of the horse.

6. The tail and ears are moveable instead of the lips or eyelids, because that’s how horses usually express themselves.

7. Two levers connected with bicycle brake cables control the leather ears.

8. The puppet, just under 10ft long and about 8ft tall, has about 20 major joints. Vertical levers curl the knees and lift the hooves.

9. The neck is made of carbon fiber glass for flexibility.

10. The eyes are black color behind clear resin so light refracts through them.

11. The right hind lever moves the tail up and down; the left hind lever, left to right; moved together, it spirals.

12. The hair in the mane and tail is made of Tyvek, a plastic-like paper.

Watch the video on the making of War Horse at www.SouthFloridaOpulence.com!

Plus check out the "Illusion of Joey” on southfloridaopulence.com/events/

Summer 2013

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miami beach

Polo WORLD CUP IX

world class cavalry 26

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Summer 2013

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annual La Martina Miami Beach Polo World Cup IX, the world’s largest and most prestigious Beach Polo competition, culminated on Sunday, April 28th with a riveting men’s final that put a capacity crowd on the edge of their seats, as defending team champions, The Raleigh Hotel / Comcast, narrowly edged through to beat the La Martina team 12-10, to retain the coveted title.

th

More than 10,000 people attended this year’s La Martina Miami Beach Polo World Cup over the four days, and the tournament featured the world’s top professional polo players from as far as Russia, Switzerland and Malaysia, as well as the very best from South America.

The Raleigh Hotel/Comcast team, comprised of Bash Kazi, John Gobin, Juan Monteverde and David Totari, trailed by two goals at halftime but exploded with six third chukker goals to ride past a talented La Martina foursome, consisting of Santi Torres, Carlos Gracida and Guillermo Steta, to win during a closely fought final afternoon match. Gobin was named MVP for the final match.

Women’s Polo Cup V Earlier in the week, the La Martina South Beach Women’s Polo Cup V saw eight women’s teams battle to claim the prestigious championship title during a one-day tournament on Thursday, April 25th.

“The intensity of competition and rivalry among the teams gave this year’s event an extra special edge and elevated the standard of Polo played on the sand to a new level. We thank all our sponsors, patrons and supporters for helping to make this year’s championship the most memorable.”

Team Cheeki, consisting of Whitney Ross, Cristina Hosmer and Tiffany Busch, fell behind The James Royal Palm Hotel/Jet Blue team 3-1, but scored five goals in the final chukker to capture the coveted trophy.

“This year’s La Martina Miami Beach Polo World Cup was a penultimate celebration before our 10-year anniversary next year and proved to be the best tournament we have had to-date,” said Bruce Orosz, president and co-founder of The Polo Life, LLC.

Summer 2013

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Dining Guide Miami

Fort Lauderdale

Temaris

da Campo Osteria

1250 S. Miami Avenue Miami (Mary Brickell Village) 305-836-2747 www.temaris.com For an ultra-unique but casual sushi experience, try Temaris in Mary Brickell Village. Temaris sushi (also called in some regions temarizushi) are tightly rolled small balls of sushi rice topped with thin slices of fish, sauces and garnishes.

The Japanese term temari refers to the tradition of making colorful toy balls made out of kimono dresses, bright paper and Round Temari Sushi silk that are given to young girls as gifts in the spring. At some point in history – no one knows exactly when – sushi chefs occasionally formed sphere-shaped sushi, which are more bite-size for women.

The artful sphere-shaped sushi at Temaris is as fun to look at as it is to eat. Temari toppings include cream cheese with mango sauce, ponzu sauce, guacamole, sliced almonds, olives, habanero peppers, shallots, cucumber, micro greens and special spicy sauce. The combinations are nearly endless.

Don’t skip dessert! The passion-fruit frozen mousse is delicious!

Located in il Lugano Hotel 3333 NE 32nd Ave., Fort Lauderdale • (954) 226-5002 www.dacamporestaurant.com A best kept secret in outstanding authentic Italian cuisine is located in Fort Lauderdale’s il Lugano Hotel: da Campo Osteria.

At the helm is Executive Chef Steven Acosta who designed a stunning new Italian menu that includes Super Mozzarella Canelloni di Maiale – a delectable suckling pig confit, made with locally sourced pork from Delray Farms; Roasted Beet & Robiola Cheese Salad; Ravioli di Costola Breve – braised short rib ravioli; Guance di Vitello Brasate – braised veal cheeks served with roasted cauliflower, oven cured tomatoes, cipollini onions, and artichoke chips; and Pollo Arrosto al Funghetto – roasted boneless half chicken atop a melody of caramelized Brussels sprouts, fingerling potatoes, roasted mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes.The specialty of the house continues to be Fresh Pulled Mozzarella prepared tableside! “da Campo is a truly hidden gem!” said Robin Jay, Editor in Chief of South Florida Opulence. “The entertainment and interactivity of the tableside-prepared fresh pulled mozzarella was a show-stopper!”

Patrons can learn how to make the pulled mozzarella in a weekly Thursday night class taught by the chef. Space is limited; please call for details and availability.

S irocco Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar Adjacent to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood 5791 SE Seminole Way 954-316-7997 www.siroccohollywood.com Named after the wind that blows from the Sahara across the Mediterranean to Southern Europe, Sirocco Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar is a chic, contemporary dining and entertainment experience. Sirroco offers a full menu of exotic dishes that capture the essence of Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Morocco and Lebanon accompanied by a fine selection of global wines and innovative cocktails. Live entertainers and musical performances accent its provocative atmosphere.

Sirocco’s menu is presided over by Chef Federico Elkarout who was born in Beirut, Lebanon and trained classically in Italy. Chef Elkarout built a name for himself in the kitchens of Rome before migrating to the United States where he established a following for his 28

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Greek chicken kabobs fusion of traditional Lebanese dishes with southern Italian cuisine.

He opened Il Posto in Michigan that received accolades earning the restaurant the title of Best Restaurant in Michigan for three consecutive years.

Sirocco’s inventive dining menu and a late night small plate tapas menu is crafted with a prime selection of meat, fish, and pasta, with an emphasis on fresh, local produce, and delicate preparation that enhances the flavors of ingredients and tantalizes the palate.

Dining Guide Miami Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill 3252 NE First Avenue Miami (Midtown) (786) 369-0353 www.sugarcanerawbargrill.com Sugarcane raw bar grill is inspired by international influences and South American spirit. Three distinct kitchens, robata, hot and raw bar, unite for a fresh take on Bacon-wrapped dates tradition and a unique culmination of flavor. Embarking on a quest for the simple pleasures of life: eating well, kicking back and celebrating with friends – the concept focuses on a ‘shared experience’ through its tapas style menu– eclectic small plates, artisanal cocktails and an extensive rum selection.

“From the moment you enter the garden courtyard of Sugarcane, the vines, white lights, star globes, herb garden, and the faint aroma of Ubame Japanese oak burning in the Robata grill, are sweet foreshadowing of an unforgettable evening,” Torrejas said Robin Jay, Editor in Chief of South Florida Opulence Magazine.

“Sugarcane cocktails are refreshing avant-garde – like the ‘strawberry balsamic’ with muddled strawberries, aged balsamic vinegar, vodka and fresh lime juice. Our favorite and exceedingly clever tapas were the goat cheese croquettes, bacon-wrapped dates, duck and waffles and the peach and kale salad.”

The Forge 432 41st St. Miami Beach (305) 538-8533 www.theforge.com Miami’s Teen Foodie, Brooke Schuchts, reviews the Forge Burger One of my favorite restaurants, the Forge, has the decor, food and ambience that Brooke Schuchts I love. I recently had the opportunity to watch Chef Dewey LoSasso make the Forge White Cheddar Truffle Burger that was showcased in the Burger Bash competition at the 2013 South Beach Food and Wine Festival.

The Forge Burger is made with ground sirloin on a brioche bun. The sauce is composed of cream and four-year-aged white cheddar cheese, which is topped with flash-fried crispy truffles. After the tasting, I spoke to Chef LoSasso. I asked how, in the recent re-launch of The Forge, he went about transforming the menu to meet the expectations of today’s Miami Foodie. “I give the food a comforting feeling,” LoSasso said. “My favorite dish is the roasted chicken, because it is my mother’s recipe.”

I also talked with the owner of The Forge, Shareef Malnik, to find out what makes The Forge such an iconic part of Miami. “It’s the history, the famous guests, and it has been around for a long time,” Malnik said. “My dad, Al Malnik, came up with the concept years ago. He always said he couldn’t find a good place to eat, so he had to build one.” Malnik says the old Forge used to be about ‘excess. “Now I think that ‘access’ is more appropriate.” Do you want to top that burger with a rich chocolate soufflé and a glass of champagne?!

SushiSamba SushiSamba Miami Beach, 600 Lincoln Road, 305-673-5337 SushiSamba Coral Gables, 180 Aragon Ave., in the Westin Colonnade Hotel, www.SushiSamba.com SushiSamba Miami Beach – whose Sous Chef, Cara Tompson, won the grand prize on the Chopped cooking competition on the Food Network – and recently opened SushiSamba in Coral Gables, offers cutting-edge concepts in cuisine.

Only at SushiSamba will you find a unique blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine, music and design. The tri-cultural coalition took root in the early 20th century when thousands of Japanese emigrants traveled to South America’s fertile soil to cultivate coffee plantations and find their fortune. In bustling cities like Lima 30

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in Peru and São Paulo in Brazil, the integration of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cultures flourished.

This cultural phenomenon launched a culinary coup. Hearty moquecas and colorful ceviches found a place at the table along - side simple miso soup and tender sashimi. Sushisamba also serves inventive fare, including Sashimi Ceviche, Tuna Tataki and Wagyu Gyoza.

Equal parts imagination and history, the SushiSamba experience is truly unique.

Discover the Pioneering Spirit of Rare California Wines

By Todd Phillips, Wine Director at Azul at Mandarin Oriental, Miami

i

n a recent visit to a local wine shop in search of something new and interesting, I kept coming across wines from Santa Barbara. I’ve always enjoyed their Pinot Noirs from Santa Rita, but on this trip I discovered an unusual beast.

I couldn’t resist straying off the beaten path and in turn discovered two incredible wines.

Quest for intriguing wines During this quest I discovered the wines of Sans Liege, where winemaker Kurt Schalchiln has transformed my opinions of “high octane” labels. I stumbled upon their 100 percent Grenache, “En Gedi,” from the Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard. Weighing in at 15.9 percent abv (alcohol by volume), I turned away thinking it was too boisterous, like a brute with no balance or intellect. After a moment of reflection, I decided to embrace the challenge and later found this wine exudes a distinct elegance, which is enveloped by its undoubted strength – Audrey Hepburn meets Mike Tyson. Rich with baked fruit and hinting at herbaceousness, this wine is robust and dark. Its almost sweet fruit is underlined by a searing pencil lead-like minerality. Big, bold and opulent, it floats like a butterfly… and you know the rest.

Wines off the beaten path I decided to continue my trek down the road less traveled and that’s when I discovered The Scholium Project Sauvignon Blanc.

Although Sauvignon Blancs are quite common, this variation is worthy of note. If you want to discover wines that are off the beaten path, you will find this one is the result of getting rid of the path all together. It is 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc and that is the only thing common about this wine. They ferment in wood and also with lots of skin contact. Both of these techniques on Sauvignon Blanc are rare to say the least. This results in a warm hue that is slightly candied orange and a nose reminiscent of fresh yuzu and orange blossoms baking in the afternoon sun. What stunned me most was the texture – waxy and in the most alluring way possible, making it a perfect lesson in perceiving texture.

The Scholium Project’s philosophy is very hands off; nothing added or taken away.

Both wines are very low production, unique and high quality, and most importantly their pioneering spirit is the very embodiment of what California has always been about. Cheers!

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Aw ard Winning Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak

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olive soup

The Stirring History of Martinis

BY ROBIN JAY

S

haken or stirred, one thing is for certain when it comes to a martini: The concoction of gin, vermouth and a sundry of garnishes has reinvented itself throughout time to mirror the present day generation. “Martinis are the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet,” said H.L. Mencken, a journalist and well-respected critic on American life.

A Medical Heritage

The components of a martini toast a history as rich as the drink itself and, strangely, one of a medical nature. Gin, a blend of juniper berry oil and grain alcohol, was originally known as “genever,” dating back to the 17th century. Dutch medical professor Francois de Boe Sylvius used it as a remedy to treat gout, gallstones and kidney problems.

Vermouth is the protégé of gin in a traditional martini. Presently, vermouth is simply white wine instilled with alcohol, caramel, sugar and spices. But in the 1700s when it made its debut in a cocktail, vermouth was a red dessert beverage made of wormwood flowers, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, nutmeg, tree bark and brandy that Europeans drank in lieu of polluted water. Interestingly, the term vermouth comes from the German word for wormwood and was an apothecary treatment for jaundice, rheumatism and intestinal worms.

“A man must defend his home, his wife, his children, and his martini.”

— Jackie Gleason Summer 2013

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It wasn’t long before patients prescribed gin and vermouth noticed the inexpensive elixirs were tasty and offered a pleasant side effect: a nice buzz. It was then that the liquid blend began its transition from a medical preparation into what would become the iconic cocktail known for its sophistication and panache.

How the Martini Got its Name

“Martinis are the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet.”

— H.L. Mencken

The origin of the word “martini” depends on which historian you ask. New Yorkers say bartender Martini di Arma created the cocktail for John D. Rockefeller in 1911 at the Knickerbocker Hotel. But Californians may tell you it was in 1850 in San Francisco that professor Jerry Thomas first made the mélange for a miner en route to Martinez who placed

a gold piece on Thomas’ bar and tempted him to blend something extra special. Legend has it that the professor created the martini prototype – a drink he called the Martinez – the recipe for which was initially printed in the 1887 Bartenders Guide.

Lemon Splash Martini 2 Servings 3 jiggers vodka 1oz triple sec 1oz amaretto almond liqueur juice of 1 lemon wedge Mix vodka, amaretto, triple sec and a 1/2 squeeze of lemon wedge in a shaker with ice. Shake. Squeeze remaining lemon juice into martini glass. Pour mixture into glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Lemon Splash Martini recipe www.drinksmixer.com

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But ask a resident of Martinez, California, and you’ll likely hear a different variation of this story. They claim the martini was invented right in the city of Martinez in 1870 by bartender Julio Richelieu. Their tale of the martini saga says a miner didn’t like the whiskey Richelieu served him for the cost of a bag of gold, and that the barkeep reciprocated by creating the Martinez, a blend of gin, vermouth, orange and bitters with an olive garnish.

The naming folklore of the martini doesn’t end there. Look up the term in the Oxford English Dictionary and you’ll find credit given to a company called Martini e Sola (today better known as Martini and Rossi). Oxford’s dictionary definition says that in 1871, Martini e Sola sent nine dozen cases of vermouth to New York.

Cosmopolitan Martini 2 Servings 1oz Cointreau® orange liqueur 2oz vodka juice of 1/2 lime 2 splash cranberry juice Pour all ingredients in mixing glass half filled with ice, shake and strain into chilled martini glass.

Cosmopolitan Martini recipe www.drinksmixer.com

Some historians say this rendition of the account isn’t credible because it was printed a year after the Richelieu story and two decades after the Thomas story.

Fred Astaire in a Glass No matter which martini origin strikes your fancy, or whether you prefer to garnish one with an olive, lemon twist or cocktail onion, the legendary drink has no doubt fascinated famous comedians, singers, authors and world leaders alike.

George Burns once quipped, “I never go jogging; it makes me spill my martini.” Frank Sinatra was noted for saying, “Let me fix you a Martini that’s pure magic.” In Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway wrote, ‘’I had never tasted anything so cool and clean. They made me feel civilized.’’

President Gerald Ford said, “The three martini lunch is the epitome of American efficiency. Where else can you get an earful, a bellyful and a snootful at the same time?” Winston Churchill made martini history when he announced, “Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” And Johnny Carson summed it up when he said, “Happiness is finding two olives in your martini when you’re hungry.”

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The Baking Architect

By Robin Jay

S

ome who can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen. But for architects Carolina Montoya and husband Fernando Puga, leaving the corporate drafting table for a hot kitchen was the perfect career move.

“Before the economic turmoil five years ago, we were successful architects working at a top firm in Miami,” said Carolina, who created architectural models for the Icon Brickell and Jade Beach. “We never imagined we would both be out of work at the same time. Sadly, it happened in 2009. However, we kept the faith! I knew I could use my architectural knowledge and experience and apply it to other industries.”

After a day of watching her favorite shows on The Food Network, an idea dawned on Carolina. “Why not fuse my architectural background with my culinary skills and create captivating, edible pieces?

It was a simple equation: change the materials, such as acrylic and plastic, for sugar and chocolate and, voila, we created edible scale models,” she said.

Together, Carolina and Fernando planned the next chapter of their lives: Unique Designer’s Cake. “Baking with my husband is wonderful! We make a great team and support each other tremendously,” she said.

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Recipe Starts on the Virtual Drafting Table It all begins with architecture. Fernando uses AutoCAD and Photoshop software to sketch and create the “blueprints” of the cake. He handles all the baking and then passes the baton to Carolina who takes care of the decorating. The couple’s home-baked business skyrocketed to instant success – with a surprise that felt uncannily serendipitous.

“I was surprised when The Food Network called me to be on their television show ‘Sugar Dome,’” recalled Carolina. “The producers received well over 12,000 entries for every show. However, in my case, we hadn’t even applied! They had heard rave reviews about my cakes and wanted to know if I had what it takes to be on the show.”

Carolina submitted a three-minute video about herself and Unique Designer’s Cake. Within two days, she received a call back with an invitation to appear on the show. “This was the most amazing experience I have ever had in my life,” said Carolina. “I attribute this to a little bit of luck. Luck! I was so blessed to be on the show.”

Born to Bake – and Design

Yes, the shirt and watch are cakes!

In Colombia as a child, Carolina practically grew up in the kitchen, watching her mother bake. “Mom was most well-known for her signature carrot cakes, which she baked from home, and I loved to help her!” said a reminiscent Carolina. “I vividly remember this time in my life because my mom baked to sustain our family. I think this experience impacted me because I thought of her often when we were going through our own economic trials and tribulations.”

Whether in the kitchen or at the drafting table, Carolina has continuously felt a passion for designing. “I remember tearing my mother’s curtains to create drapes for my scale models. I always had it in me!” said Carolina.

Carolina and Fernando have built some amazingly sweet architectural masterpieces – such as the Villa Vecchia Miami Beach Mansion on Pine Tree Drive. The replica was created to exact scale and was completely edible.

“What I love about baking is making people happy with our creations,” said Carolina, who refuses to mass-produce cakes and insists on making them one-by-one, with the freshest gourmet products available. “We love walking into a room to deliver a Unique Designer’s Cake and watching everyone’s faces light up.

We believe that a cake is an important part of every celebration, but most importantly, we believe that a Unique Designer’s Cake completes every celebration.”

Indeed it does. Carolina and Fernando designed the stunning celebration cake for South Florida Opulence magazine’s 2013 Mega

Yacht Gala on Fisher Island in April. “Our inspiration for this cake came from taking Edwina Sandys’ exquisite painting on the latest cover of South Florida Opulence and combining it with Romero Britto’s portrait of Ava Roosevelt, giving it a unique, artistic twist. We topped the cake with the magazine’s signature O, which gave it a harmonic, architectural composition,” explained Carolina. “We have a funny anecdote to share with you! Our cake for the Gala included a replica of a cigar box that was beautiful and full of details. Before the event was over, we realized that someone loved the cigar box so much, that it actually disappeared from our cake! That was really funny!”

What’s the special recipe for a Unique Designer’s Cake?

Carolina offers her secret ingredients, “Include a cup of dedication, a tablespoon of passion and a whole lot of Love!!”

If you’d like to experience “happiness in a bite,” go to www.designerscake.com, call 786-351-4276 or visit the Unique Designer’s Cake studio at 69 NW 9th Street, Miami.

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Coffee

T he W onder of

By Alex Starace

Long ago, an Ethiopian herder noticed that his goats became extremely animated after eating a certain red berry. The goatherder, named Kaldi, sampled a few of the berries himself and felt similarly stimulated.

Soon the discovery was shared with the local monastery, which made a drink out of the berries (the pits of which are what we think of today as coffee beans). And so begins the myth-tinged story of coffee, a plant native to the highlands of Ethiopia that, by the fifteenth century, was drank regularly in nearby Yemen, particularly the town of Mocha, which had a major marketplace for the good.

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Because of coffee’s growing popularity, individuals from both the west and east wanted a share of the market: In 1616, Dutch trader Pieter van der Broecke smuggled a few coffee seedlings out of Mocha, Yemen, and cultivated them in a greenhouse in the Netherlands. Around 1670, Baba Budan smuggled seven fertile beans from Mocha to India, and began planting on the subcontinent. Once these two cracks were made, it was only a matter of time before the Turkish monopoly crumbled: By the 1700s, coffee was cultivated in Indonesia, India, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.

Not long after, coffee became a full-fledged international phenomenon, one that continues to this day. So, when you drink your morning cup, give thanks to the Ethiopian goatherder who started it all.

Coffee Trivia 900 BCE – Homer made reference to a mysterious black and bitter beverage with the power to ward off sleep 500 – Coffee legend claimed its discovery by goatherder Kaldi 575 – The first cultivation of coffee in Yemen 900 – Rhazes, famous Arabian physician, first wrote about coffee in his encyclopedia on medicine 1000 – Arab traders brought coffee back to their homeland.

They boil the beans, creating a drink they call qahwa (literally “that which prevents sleep”) 1400s – Alcohol forbidden by the Koran so coffee soon became its replacement stimulant drink

A coffee bearer from the Ottoman quarter in the year 1857, painted

by John Frederick Lewis.

Before long, coffee’s reach expanded throughout the Arab world – among other uses, it was very popular with Sufis, who used it to stay alert during their nighttime prayers. The drink soon became associated with the Ottoman Empire, as well as with the Egyptians, who imported it regularly. By 1554, the first coffee shop opened in Constantinople. These coffee houses, which spread throughout the empire, were known as kaveh kanes, and were used for playing chess, sharing gossip and enjoying music.

To Westerners, however, coffee remained an exotic drink. The Turks had placed a strict ban on the exportation of fertile coffee beans and coffee plants, so coffee arrived only via trade with the Ottomans. Regardless, the drink grew in popularity across Europe: After some initial controversy, the Pope had deemed coffee acceptable fare for Catholics, and it became widely consumed in Italy.

Much like in the Arab world, coffee houses sprang up throughout the continent, and became hubs of political and social interaction.

1475 – First coffee house, called Kiva Han, opened in Constantinople. Turkish law made it legal for a woman to divorce her husband if he failed to provide her with daily coffee 1570 – Religious zealots in Constantinople, jealous of the popularity of the coffee houses, ordered them closed, classing coffee with wine, forbidden by the Koran. The order was not strictly observed, and coffee drinking continued 1607 – Coffee was brought to the New World by Captain John Smith, founder of Virginia at Jamestown 1668 – Coffee replaced beer as New York City’s favorite breakfast drink 1822 – Prototype of the first espresso machine created in France 1908 – The invention of the world’s first drip coffeemaker 1910 – German decaffeinated coffee was introduced to the U.S. 1940 – The U.S. imported 70 percent of the world coffee crop 1971 – First Starbucks opened in Seattle 1995 – Coffee is the world’s most popular beverage. More than 400 billion cups are consumed each year

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Finding the Most Satisfying Cup of Coffee in South Florida Outside of Cuba, South Florida is the best place in the world to get a cup of Café Cubano, the famed Cuban espresso brewed with demerara sugar. The two favored brands for brewing are Bustelo and Pilon – and while it’s possible to make the drink at home, many locals love to go out for it. Try the El Cristo Market Cafeteria & Restaurant in Little Havana, or Islas Canarias Restaurant in West Flagler. Both serve a full menu of Cuban fare, and also provide a great cup of joe.

For unique coffee at home, consider ordering beans sourced from the Panamanian Gesha tree – the tree has only been rediscovered by connoisseurs this past decade and provides a flavorful, chocolate-tinged cup. For best results, try

the Klatch Panama Don Pachi Natural, or the CafeTasters Esmeralda Natural. Both are dry processed, meaning the beans are dried within the fruit, giving them an extra fruity kick. Expect to pay for the experience however – Geshas run approximately $100 per pound.

For a more manageable day-to-day cup, consider investing in a high-end Colombian coffee for a balanced, delicious flavor. Lone Pine Coffee Roasters sells Colombia Martha Cecilia Rojas, while Doma offers a Colombia Organic roast – both products can be found online, and cost under $20 per pound. Their smooth, delicious flavors make them a great choice for your daily cup.

Kopi Luwak: The Wildest – and Most Expensive – Coffee You Can Find How far would you go for a truly great cup of coffee? The purveyors of Kopi Luwak are betting you’ll drink coffee excreted by a tropical mammal that leaps through trees. Yes, that’s right, Kopi Luwak is made from the dung of the Asian palm civit, a lemur-like arboreal creature indigenous to Indonesia. Depending on the sourcing and quality, the coffee can retail anywhere from $100 to $1,000 a pound. What makes it so special? It’s known for its lack of bitterness – as the civit eats and digests coffee cherries (the pits of which are coffee beans), the creature’s digestive enzymes work on the beans, causing them to have shorter proteins, which in turn results in a coffee (after it’s been collected, washed, and lightly roasted) that’s virtually free of bitterness. Tasting experts agree that Kopi Luwak is different (and smoother) than traditional coffee, but there’s no consensus on whether the brew makes for an excellent cup of joe – or merely an overpriced oddity. That’s for each individual taster to decide. Just ask Jack Nicholson – whose character in the 2008 hit movie The Bucket List sipped the pricey java.

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Ahoy Arianna

Sail the Caribbean this summer aboard a majestic floating palace

By Robin Jay

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N

o summer voyage could be more splendid than aboard the palatial Arianna yacht.

Adorned with silk carpets, Koa and Wenge accents, Fendi furniture and specialty exotic woods like coconut, Macassar ebony and bamboo wood, the stately vessel designed by Delta Design Group boasts 7,500 square feet of luxurious living space, including six poshly furnished cabins that can host up to 12 guests, not counting the 10-member crew and Captain Mark Lacey.

While cruising to the Bahamas, Caribbean or Central America, the grand Arianna offers all the comforts of home – and then some. The master stateroom is magnificent with its Isinglass panels, mini bar, mosaic tiled rain shower and heated stone bathroom floors. A fully equipped fitness room and sauna ensures you’ll stay fit while on holiday, and the tempting sundeck sports a cascade Jacuzzi, BBQ and full island bar for you to relax and unwind with your guests.

When it comes to entertainment, the Arianna doesn’t disappoint. Technology amenities include HD flat screen televisions in each cabin, iPads, iPod dock, WiFi, Blu-ray

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and DirectTV satellite. For play, you’ll enjoy the water toys: 2 jet skis, 2 sea bobs, 2 paddleboards, 2 sets of SCUBA diving and snorkeling gear, as well as fishing gear, hammocks, wakeboard and adult and child water skis.

And let’s not forget the haute cuisine. While sailing on board Arianna, Chef Stuart will whip up delectable entrees and desserts that rival the fare from any five-star dining establishment.

A special rate of 10 nights for the price of 7 (Rate is $195,000/week, plus expenses) is extended from now through October to residents of luxury condominium properties managed by CSI Management Services, as well as to all readers of South Florida Opulence.

For details, call International Yacht Collection/ Luxury Yacht Vacation Division at 954-522-2323, charter@iyc.com or log onto www.iyc.com.

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I N S UR A N C E

Cartier: Jeweler of Kings A brief look at the history of the venerable jewelry house

By John D. Adams

Cartier.

Amid the international history of fine jewelers, few names conjure up a greater sense of luxury, exceptional quality and craftsmanship. And at more than 150 years old, Cartier remains one of the Cartier boutique in New York opened in 1909 oldest custom jewelry houses in

by Pierre Cartier, with a view down Fifth the world, holding a long Avenue and St. Patrick’s cathedral. (1922). history of ties to Cartier Archives © Cartier royalty and celebrities. Indeed, King Edward VII of England referred to Cartier as “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers.” For his coronation in 1902, Edward VII ordered 27 tiaras and issued a royal warrant to Cartier in 1904, beginning a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Britain’s Royal Family. Similar warrants soon followed from the courts of Spain, Portugal, Russia, Siam, Greece, Serbia, Belgium, Romania, Egypt, Albania, Monaco and the House of Orleans.

Tiara – Cartier London, 1937 Gold, platinum. Round old-and baguette-cut diamonds.

One large octagonal emerald-cut 62.35 carat dark citrine.

Calibré-and baguette-cut citrines, one hexagonal citrine.

Photo credits: Nick Welsh, Cartier Collection © Cartier

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Panther clip brooch – Cartier Paris, 1949 Platinum, white gold single-cut diamonds. Two pear-shaped yellow diamonds (eyes). One 152.35 carat Kashmir sapphire cabochon.

Sapphire cabochons (spots).

This panther is the second threedimensional example that Cartier made for the Duchess of Windsor (the first one in gold and black enamel surmounted an emerald cabochon).

Sold to the Duchess of Windsor.

Photo Credits: Nick Welsh, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Exceptional talent As a brilliant young designer, Louis-Francois Cartier officially founded Cartier in Paris in 1847 when he took over the workshop of his master. At the time, Paris was being introduced to the Industrial Revolution, which helped usher in the city’s largest transformation in 1852 with the Second Empire under Napoleon III. The accompanying prosperity created a boon in the Paris jewelry industry. Cartier fortunately got the recommendation of Princess Mathilde, the young cousin of Napoleon III, growing his business exponentially. By 1902 Cartier had already established locations in Paris, London and New York, the latter gradually becoming Cartier’s international headquarters.

While Cartier had developed a reputation as an exquisite jewelry maker, in 1904 a chance conversation steered the Cartier Empire toward a new milieu. Brazilian pioneer aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont, complained to his friend Louis Cartier of the unreliability and impracticality of using pocket watches while flying. Cartier designed a flat wristwatch with a distinctive square bezel. The trend of wearing a “wrist watch” took hold, and the “Santos” – Cartier’s first men’s wristwatch – was born. It is a testament to Cartier’s business acumen that in just 5 more years, the jeweler would become one of the most successful watch companies in the world.

Alfred Cartier and his three sons.

From left to right: Pierre, Louis and Jacques.

(1922).

Santos Wristwatch – Cartier Paris, 1915 Made by Jaeger marked on the dial: Cartier Case of polished and satin-finish gold, raised bezel of polished gold with 8 screws.

Beaded winding crown capped with a sapphire cabochon. Leather strap, deployant buckle of yellow and pink gold. Square grained-silver dial with Roman numerals around a “railroad” minute track. Breguet hands of blued steel. Round LeCoultre caliber 126 movement, Côtes de Genève decoration, silver-plated, 8 adjustments, 18 jewels, Swiss lever escapement, bimetallic balance, Breguet balance spring.

Photo credits: Nick Welsh, Cartier Collection © Cartier

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the stones.

Tutti Frutti necklace Cartier Paris, special order, 1936, altered in 1963.

Platinum, white gold. Marquise-, baguette- and round old-cut diamonds. Thirteen briolette-cut sapphires weighing 146.9 carat in total, two leaf-shaped carved sapphires (50.80 and 42.45 carats), sapphire beads, one sapphire cabochon. Square carved emeralds, fluted and smooth emerald beads, emerald cabochons.

Leaf-shaped carved rubies, smooth and engraved ruby beads, ruby cabochons. Each emerald, ruby and sapphire bead is studded with a collet-set diamond.

Photo credit: Nick Welsh, Cartier Collection © Cartier

1942. Creation of the “Caged Bird” brooch as a symbol of the Occupation. In 1944, Cartier created the “Freed Bird” to celebrate the liberation of France.

1950. Gloria Swanson appeared in “Sunset Boulevard” wearing the two diamond and rock crystal bracelets that she had purchased from Cartier in 1930.

1953. Marilyn Monroe sang “Cartier!” in the film version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

1969. Cartier acquired a 69.42-carat (13.88 g) pear-shaped diamond which it sold to Richard Burton. He gave it to Elizabeth Taylor. The Cartier Diamond was thus renamed the Taylor-Burton.

1975. Cartier celebrated the centenary anniversary of the birth of Louis Cartier.

Opening in Monte Carlo of the first major retrospective, “Louis Cartier: Art Deco Masterpieces.”

1997. Cartier celebrated its 150th anniversary with exceptional creations including a necklace in the form of a serpent, paved with diamonds and set with two pear-cut emeralds of 205 and 206 carats.

Cartier Throughout history Of course, throughout this period and beyond, Cartier has maintained the highest reputation as a purveyor of fine jewels and jewelry. And during the next 50 years, almost annually, Cartier has unveiled a masterpiece. Notable dates include: 1906. Cartier jewelry was the first to incorporate the Art Deco style, characterized by its abstract and geometric variations. Just one year later, Cartier held its first exhibition and sale in Saint Petersburg, at the Grand Hotel Europe.

2012. Cartier announced the international release of “L’Odyssee de Cartier,” a three-andone-half minute film showcasing Cartier’s 165-year history.

Cartier recently opened a new Watch Espace in Weston Jewelers located in the Weston Town Center. Please turn to Page 144 to see three stunning vintage Cartier watches that are currently available at Weston Jewelers.

1907. Appointed as official purveyor to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.

1924. Creation of the three-band ring and bracelet combining gold in three colors, known in the U.S. as “Trinity.” Jean Cocteau adopted the ring and made it fashionable among Parisian society.

1933. Cartier developed the “invisible mount,” a stone-setting technique in which the metal of the mount disappears to show only

Still strong Today, Cartier remains as timeless and resilient as the very diamonds and jewels it celebrates. The jeweler that was one of the first brands to democratize luxury is now reclaiming its position as the “king of jewelers and jeweler of kings.” “Since 2000 there has been an acceleration of wealth and these clients are demanding service, exclusivity and the unique,” said Bernard Fornas, president of Cartier International.

Some things, it seems, really do last forever.

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By Robin Jay

The family room in this luxury condominium, located on the Intracoastal in Ft. Lauderdale, was designed with warmth and comfort for a couple relocating from Washington, D.C. Touches of Asian influences with warm woods and a custom-designed ceiling in wood hides the indirect lighting. Warm silks and linens were the fabrics used throughout the home. Art and sculptures played a big role in the entire unit.

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South Florida’s multicultural influences are infused into so many levels of our lifestyle tapestry – and not just in creative culinary fare or flirty fashion – it’s also the hot trend in interior design.

Take for example this stunning luxury high-rise family room in Fort Lauderdale created by Florida design mogul Steven G. Touches of Asian influences are infused with both period and modern pieces, blended with warm woods, vibrant pillows, art, sculptures and a custom-designed ceiling that hides the indirect lighting. South Florida Opulence sat down with Steven G. to talk about what inspired the sophisticated, yet warm and comforting look.

South Florida Opulence: What inspired the Asian influences in this design?

Steven G.: In this case, the Asian influence came from years of traveling all over the world by the owners. The Asian influence was an important consideration when we were selecting products and fabrics.

SFO: What role did lighting play in creating the drama, intensity and serenity in this room?

Steven G.: Lighting is probably the most important feature that any designer needs to make a project successful. Having the apartment controlled by your iPad makes life that much easier. For us as a design team, without proper lighting, what else are you really left with to build an ambience? So, yes, lighting for us and for this particular client was imperative.

SFO: When you decide with a client on a theme for a room, how did you go about selecting items? Do you have to travel abroad to hunt for them?

Steven G.: In the selection process, the items were found here within our 100,000 square-foot showroom. We import from all over the world. The client was able to sit, touch and see the quality firsthand.

SFO: Since the owners of this condo were moving here from Washington, D.C., how did you communicate colors, textures and accents?

Steven G.: After the initial meeting with the client, we are able to Skype weekly with them and review the design process on a step-by-step basis. For the final presentation, the client did fly in to review and approve the final selections.

SFO: Many of your recent designs use modern monochromatic tones. What inspired you to use the splashes of color in this project?

Steven G.: Most clients are afraid of color! But understanding the Asian influence of reds and brick colors throughout the apartment was a natural because we had Asian art and artifacts. Our client embraced the color, as they were very savvy and understood the reasoning behind them. Our clients wanted the creativity! So they allowed us to really design a bit out of the norm, but also wanted to stay with a warm look, but yet very livable.

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I

f you categorized my life story as “unusual,� I would be the first to agree. I am a physician, but in the last 30 years I have traveled 200,000 miles to nine countries, testing the theory of evolution. I have now abandoned this theory because of the problems that I have discovered.

This all began for me when I was 19 years old. I was a sophomore at the University of Missouri Kansas City, on a full tuition four-year science scholarship. At that time I believed in evolution but I began to have some doubts after a friend challenged me.

His scientific criticisms of the theory of evolution were so startling, I went on a worldwide adventure testing evolution.

Test #1 My first test of evolution was to look for change in the fossil record. My idea was that if evolution was false (as my friend suggested), I should find modern animals and modern plants next to dinosaurs. To my surprise, when I investigated, I found representatives from all of the major animal groups (phyla) and all of the major plant divisions living today – fossilized next to the dinosaurs, and they looked unchanged.

Here are some of the modern animals that were found in the dinosaur rock layers: par-

This fossil crayfish looks modern, yet the fossil was found next to a dinosaur.

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Truth or Tall Tale?

BY Dr. Carl Werner, M.D.

rots, flamingoes, ducks, possums, hedgehogs, boa constrictors, box turtles, iguanas, alligators, frogs, salamanders, ladyfish, herring, sardines, angel sharks, and shovel nose rays. All of the major invertebrate groups living today have also been found with dinosaurs, including the nautilus, crayfish, spiny lobsters, shrimp, crabs, crickets, katydids, dragonflies, starfish, sea urchins, brittle stars, earthworms. All of the major plant divisions living today were also found alongside dinosaurs, including: everglades palms, rhododendrons, lily pads, sensitive ferns, cycads, peat moss, sequoias, poplar tees, oak trees, chestnut trees, sassafras trees, walnut trees, ash trees, magnolia trees and bald cypress trees. (These fossils are documented in my book and DVD called Living Fossils available from Amazon.com. )

dence of evolution. Corals just show up.

Jellyfish just show up. Same with sponges, worms, echinoderms, and vertebrates. If evolution is true, why can’t evolution scientists find the links between animals showing change over time, in light of this enormous fossil collection? Even within the phyla groups, such as vertebrates, there are problems. For example, 1,000 fossil bats have been collected, but no ancestors for bats have been found. 500,000 fossil fish have been collected, but each fish appears without ancestors. Same with flying reptiles.

Carl Werner, MD

Test #2 My second test of evolution was to review the fossilized evolutionary links, the fossil proof that one type of animal or plant changed into another. To my surprise, one billion fossils have been collected by museums, but evolution scientists have not found a single evolutionary ancestor for any of the animal groups (phyla). In other words, shrimp just show up without eviSummer 2013

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Fossil fish found in dinosaur rock layer in England versus modern orange roughy.

Dr. Werner preparing to film in Mexico.

(The problems with the fossil record are documented in my first book/DVD called Evolution: The Grand Experiment.)

Test #3 My third test of evolution was to examine the best fossil proofs to see if they held up to scrutiny, but they did not. For example, a scientist at the University of Michigan (Dr. Phil Gingerich) claimed he had found a whale with four legs, yet when I interviewed him, he admitted he had made up the whale tail and flippers. (He had not actually found the fossils of the tail or flippers.) Another scientist from the Canadian Museum of Nature (Dr. Natalia Rybczynski) claimed she had found the missing link for seals, yet when I placed a photograph of a common river otter next to her fossil, they looked, for all practical purposes, indistinguishable.

Another scientist from the American Museum of Natural History (Dr. Nancy Simmons) claimed she had found a missing link for bats but her fossil looked nearly the same as a modern bat. Even the ape men that I was told about as a teenager have not held up. I have documented more than 50 species of ape men which have turned out to

Evolution: The Grand Experiment has played on seven television networks worldwide. The book/ DVD series is used in many schools and universities and is available at Amazon.com or TheGrandExperiment.com

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be something else. One ape man skull turned out to be the skull fragment of a donkey, another the jaw of an orangutan, another the tooth of a pig, another the leg bone of a procyonid (raccoon family) and still another the rib of a dolphin. Most of the other ape men turned out to be either humans, Homo sapiens or apes. Arguably, all of the ape men presented in the first 100 years of the theory of evolution turned out to be something else other than an ape man.

When I considered my friends original criticisms of evolution (and the big bang), along with my discoveries, it appears that the natural theories of how we got here have collapsed. As my friend originally pointed out, how could the universe form naturally from nothingness, since matter cannot form from nothingness? How could life begin naturally from chemicals, since DNA, RNA and proteins do not form from chemicals spontaneously?

Why are there so many missing links in the face of enormous fossil collections? It appears to me that tens of thousands of evolutionary scientists at our best scientific institutions have made a mistake.

Living Fossils Vol. II, the book/DVD series, is a deeper study of the questions raised in Volume 1.

Evolution: The Grand Experiment, Vol 2 – Living Fossils, takes advanced students on a factfilled, learning adventure around the world.

Tw o P r i v a t e 1 8 - h o l e l e g e n d a r y G o l f C o u r s e s E a s e o f Te e T i m e R e s e r v a t i o n s • C h a m p i o n s h i p L a y o u t s S p e c t a c u l a r Wa t e r F e a t u r e s • Fa m i l y E n t e r t a i n m e n t

C O N TA C T M E M B E R S H I P A M B A S S A D O R S TA C E Y P E R S I N G E R AT 3 0 5 - 9 3 3 - 6 5 9 5 P R I V A T E B E A C H | M I C H A E L M I N A’ S B O U R B O N S T E A K | S P A | T E N N I S | P O O L S

TurnberryIsleMiami.com

Cultural insights

With Ava Roosevelt

Donald & Ivanka Trump The $200 Million Makeover of Doral’s Blue Monster

Having met Mr. Donald Trump only on a few social occasions, both at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach and in New York, the prospect of being able to ‘chat’ with him inspired me to visit his latest project, Trump National Doral. A remarkable host, Mr. Trump rolled out a red carpet for all of us at South Florida Opulence, and for that we thank him.

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PHOTO: Carter Berg

Donald and Ivanka Trump Being able to mingle at arm’s length with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott was very special, even for me, who is not a golfer! During the press conference preceding the Cadillac Golf Championship at Doral, a true nature of this versatile mogul extraordinaire clearly emerged. Surrounded by his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and his daughter Ivanka, who all play an integral role in the project, it was apparent that Trump National Doral is not only dear to him as a golfer, but also as a patriarch of a family of which he’s very proud.

Q. to Donald: Of all your extraordinary projects, golf appears to be of great interest to you. Why golf? In your opinion, who is the best player in the world today?

Mr. Trump: I have loved golf since I was a high school student. I have always been attracted to the game on several levels—it’s a brain game, it requires patience and technique, and is a great way to get to know people. It’s a great business tool. I think Tiger, Rory, Phil and Ernie are the greatest players today—hard to choose just one.

Q. to Donald: Why did you choose Doral Golf Course?

Mr. Trump: I’ve always loved Doral. The Blue Monster is legendary, for one thing. Miami is an amazing city and area. So it’s very desirable on several levels. We are doing a total renovation and the courses will be designed by Gil Hanse. It will be the finest club of its sort in the U.S.

Q. to Donald: Why did you appoint your daughter Ivanka to spearhead the project?

Mr. Trump: Ivanka is a very good golfer and she knows the game.

She’s also an accomplished businesswoman and has terrific insights into whatever project she works on. She has everything it takes to make it work and terrifically—she’s not just capable, but superb in her abilities.

Q. to Donald: How high do you set the bar? Are your expectations higher when it comes to your own children? Or, do you cut them some slack?

Mr. Trump: I don’t cut them any slack and they wouldn’t expect otherwise. The Trump brand represents the gold standard worldwide and that’s the bar. It has to be the best and all of us have the same expectations—the best!

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Q. to Ivanka: How do you feel about leading the charge at Trump National Doral?

Mr. Trump: If you’ve seen it, then you know why. It’s incredible.

It’s like a Venetian palazzo only better.

Ivanka: I’m excited about it. Our golf portfolio is already impressive and Trump National Doral is a significant addition to it. The end result will not only be a comprehensively beautiful resort but will provide an exceptional golf experience.

Q. to Donald: You’re a genius when it comes to picking the crown jewels of real estate. Is it instinct? Did you learn it, and if so, from whom?

Q. to Ivanka: Do you feel pressured when working for your father?

Ivanka: No. I put pressure on myself to do the utmost best in my work. My standards are the same as his—so that makes things much easier to deal with. The scope of the project is enormous, but it is a challenge that I am enjoying.

Q. to Ivanka: How do you plan to make your mark on the Trump National Doral project?

Ivanka: We are not just renovating but redesigning an iconic 800acre property. It will have the attributes of a cutting-edge resort while maintaining the grace and history for which it is known.

There will be nothing finer anywhere.

Q. to Ivanka: Where and from whom do you draw your inspiration and creativity?

Ivanka: I draw my inspiration from history, art, architecture, fashion and design. However, my family is the most important thing to me—my husband and daughter, and my parents and siblings. We are close and are always there for each other. It’s the best combination of assets anyone could have!

Q. to Donald: Marjorie Merriweather Post, the first owner of Mar-A-Lago, was my late husband David Manson Weir II’s godmother. So just after we got married, in 1971, I had a chance to see Mar-A-Lago in its absolute glory. You’ve acquired it in 1985.

Why have you chosen Mar-A-Lago?

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Mr. Trump: I learned a great deal from my father, Fred C. Trump, about real estate, including construction and development. That experience cannot be underestimated. However, there is a certain amount of instinct involved. You have to go with your gut sometimes. As time goes by, this instinct can be honed so that decisions can be made quickly. That is never an excuse to avoid due diligence—but it provides an advantage.

Q. to Donald: Your family — how do you manage NOT to play favorites?

Mr. Trump: Easy. They are all my favorites.

Q. to Donald: What is your biggest accomplishment to date, and why? Has it changed anyone’s life except your own?

Mr. Trump: Being a father to terrific children has been a great accomplishment. I am proud of them and they have a lot to offer.

My three eldest have been very active—and effective—with their charities already. It’s just the beginning! They have already made a difference.

Q. to Donald: Is there ‘enough’ for Mr. Donald Trump?

Mr. Trump: Probably not and that’s a good thing. I am not a complacent person. I intend to keep on going for a long time to come. The world is an exciting place and that excitement does not escape me—ever! — Donald J. Trump

architecture for the art of living

designs for every room 305.623.8282 Miami 900 park centre blvd.

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Preserving the Architectural Legacy of Palm Beach

By Ava Roosevelt

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach has dedicated 33 years to the conservation of the historic, architectural and cultural heritage of Palm Beach In the early spring of 1999, John D. Mashek, Jr., the Chairman of the Preservation Foundation, invited Bill Roosevelt, my late husband, and me to a luncheon at the Sailfish Club. We were stunned to learn that original drawings of the most distinguished architects, such as Addison Mizner, Maurice Fatio, Marion Sims Wyeth, John Volk, Howard Major and Clarence Mack, were warehoused, endangering the legacy of those who have made Palm Beach one of the most architecturally notable towns in the nation.

The then-headquarters on Chilean Ave., a one-story-bungalow, which architecturally speaking missed the Palm Beach standards of excellence by the size of Texas, were bursting at the trusses with the Preservation Foundation’s growing projects in restoration, education and beautification of the town many love to call home.

At the time of our luncheon, it had been nearly 20 years since the concept to preserve Palm Beach was conceived by Honorable Judge James R. Knott. A dedicated historian and author, Judge Knott forever changed the face of restoration and rehabilitation.

Instead of ‘razing’ historical structures, he encouraged education about and appreciation for them.

A Personal Connection to the cause As the lunch went on, we discovered that the first schoolhouse in southeast Florida was founded in 1886 as a community project. Under the auspices of the Preservation Foundation, since 1990 The Little Red Schoolhouse has become the site of the ‘Living History’ Heritage Education program serving 6,000 students a year from all over Palm Beach County.

As it happened, Bill Roosevelt went to school there before it was moved from Hobe Sound in the early 1950s to its present location at Phipps Ocean Park. Suddenly, John Mashek’s concept became intensely personal. “I recall the mornings spent there as a child to be the happiest of my life,” Bill confessed to me that day.

Planning New Headquarters John Mashek’s vision and his iron will to build the new Preservation Foundation’s headquarters took shape when Bill enlisted the help of his family — The William H. Donner Foundation. What followed was to become the most awe-inspiring initiative – Campaign for Heritage 2001. It united friends and same-minded Palm Beachers who stepped up to raise $5 million needed to build the center.

As the list of donors and members is simply too numerous to mention, I strongly encourage you to visit the Preservation

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1. Wilbur & Hilary Geary Ross 2. John Mashek & Michele Kessler 3. Diana & LIwyd Ecclestone 4. Alexander Ives & Carolina Portago 5. Jean Tailer & John Loring 6. ( Left to right) Sue Whitmore, Earl E.T. Smith, Lesly Smith, Alice Willard, Le Baron Willard 7. Donald Trump & Beverly Sills

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“When I think of the Foundation’s Annual Dinner Dance, I think of old world Palm Beach, I think of everything that is gorgeous, everything that is right with the world.” -Talbott Maxey

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8. Jessie & Rand Araskog 9. Martin & Audrey Gruss 10. Susie & Ambassador Ed Elson 11. Kit & Bill Pannill 12. Liz Schuler 13. Talbott Maxey 14. Beth Dowdle & Scott Moses 15. Ava & Bill Roosevelt 16. Jane Dudley 17. Pauline Pitt & Steven Stolman 18. David & Julia Koch & Scott Snyder

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Foundation headquarters, designed by a notable local architect Jeff Smith. Please take time to honor those who gave freely and created a lasting monument to perfection and above all, to friendship. A sea lover, had he lived to see the completion of the Preservation Foundation in 2004, Bill would have noticed John’s most grateful acknowledgment to him on a bronze plaque placed in the Foundation’s serene lobby, facing a small fountain.

The rest is an ever-evolving history of one of the most successful drives to preserve the beauty and architectural integrity that has saved Palm Beach from becoming a gateway to mediocrity.

In addition, by creating many educational programs allowing both children and grown-ups to benefit from over 20,000 archival records representing the best of Palm Beach architectural legacy, the Preservation Foundation is making history: The annual Ballinger Award commemorates the best restoration of an original Palm Beach property; The Gruss Master Architect Lecture brings world-renowned architects to speak; The Elizabeth L. and John H. Schuler Award recognizes new architecture in keeping with the traditional styles; The Polly Earl Award has inspired many to achieve architectural brilliance and preservation and to learn how to go about doing it ‘properly.’

“Historic preservation and landmarking are now well accepted in the town and we now have over 280 landmarked properties,” said Mashek.

interior design. It is all about being the Janus face, the Roman god whose head looks both to the past and the future at the same time,” said Ives.

30+ Years of Exquisite Dinner Dances In addition to being the destination ‘to study, learn and be inspired,’ the Preservation Foundation Dinner Dances that date to 1980 are the most coveted invitations of The Season. Mar-a-Lago, the former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, commissioned by her husband Edward F. Hutton and designed by John Urban, became most appropriately the site of the first ball when Donald Trump purchased the National Historic Landmark in 1985. In 1990, the event was relocated to the Flagler Museum. In 2003, due to its growing popularity, Dinner Dances were moved to The Breakers. The Dinner Dances have raised millions of dollars to support the Foundation’s mission.

Today, there are no more ‘naming opportunities’ available in the Preservation Foundation’s present location. It seems the quest for excellence is again outgrowing its ‘home.’ Always a visionary, John Mashek’s next dream is to acquire a parcel of land to build an annex, preferably in walking distance to the Foundation’s headquarters.

When the time comes, an abundance of ‘naming opportunities’ will become available for those who would like to partake in the vision that is easy on the eye, light on the heart and uplifting to the soul.

For more information, go to www.Palmbeachpreservation.org.

Editor’s Note: Ava Roosevelt is the author of The Racing Heart, a romantic thriller set at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans Endurance Race (www.theracingheart.com). She is also a Palm Beach philanthropist and wife of the late William Donner Roosevelt, grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Under the watchful eye of Alexander C. Ives, Foundation Executive Director with Palm Beach family ties dating back 80 years, the Preservation Foundation has leaped communication-wise well into the 21 century and offers an array of films and lectures available to Foundation members and their guests.

“We now see a large part of our work being dedicated to inspiring the best in new design across the board, from architecture to landscape and

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A Farewell to Margaret Thatcher

By Nicholas Wapshott, author of the book Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher: A Political Marriage

M

argaret Thatcher was such a dominant figure during every moment of her 11 years in power that, even though everyone knew she was Britain’s first woman prime minister, it was hard to remember that behind the Thatcher myth was a real woman. But few who worked with her or close to her could ever doubt her femininity or her willingness to use her womanly wiles to get her way. She was happy to charm, flatter, coax, or bully, just so long as she won the day.

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The traditional system of cabinet government in Britain soon fell to Thatcher’s method. For centuries, ministers who gathered around the prime minister operated as if they were members of an exclusive gentlemen’s club. Good manners were all important. Arguments were best avoided and differences well disguised. Reprimands were softened by a quiet word and a compensatory glass of sherry. Then in 1979 Margaret Thatcher got to sit in Winston Churchill’s chair in the cabinet room and she threw out the male traditions.

Margaret’s Family Life One of Thatcher’s abiding regrets was that she did not spend enough time with her children when young. Indeed, on the day she discovered she was expecting twins she entered for the final law exams arguing that if she had not done so at that moment she would never have had the willpower to become a lawyer.

Of her children, the wayward Mark was her unashamed favorite and Carol, who reminded her of her housewife mother, taken for granted. When in 1982 Mark went missing during a car rally in the Sahara, Thatcher openly wept. Though Carol tended to her mother in her dotage, she received only grudging thanks. “As a child I was frightened of her,” Carol complained. “I always felt I came second of the two.”

Thatcher was so energetic, she was incapable of taking a holiday. As education secretary she once returned home early from vacation and summoned her civil servants back to work. As prime minister, when Parliament took time off, she would hurriedly invent an important foreign trip and take the press along with her as company. Arriving at the plane, reporters were surprised to discover the prime minister plumping up their cushions.

Margaret Thatcher with her twins Carol and Mark

Leadership of the Iron Lady Instead of acting as “primus inter pares” – first among equals – Thatcher led from the front. She had a radical agenda she wished to pursue, to reduce the size of the state, and she made clear she did not have time for argument. Surrounded in her cabinet by wealthy, landed aristocrats with pronounced liberal views, she threw aside convention and fiercely argued with them one-on-one. When she found she could not win them over, she ignored their views and took her own decision. Within two years, she fired the faint-hearts and promoted the obedient. Breaking the will of the men in her cabinet was the key to her relentlessly iron grip over the British government.

Outside the cabinet room, Margaret Thatcher could be enchanting.

She tended to encourage tall, good looking, well groomed, elegantly dressed men – the Labour MP John Mackintosh, the Tories Humphrey Atkins, Cecil Parkinson and John Moore – and a string of her favorites were touted to succeed her, though few believed she intended to step aside for anyone. When her putative heirs fell by the wayside like hapless victims in an Agatha Christie mystery, she was compared to a female praying mantis who eats her partner after making love to them.

Those rare politicians who outsmarted her were kept in check with the sort of faint praise all mothers make and all sons hate. Geoffrey Howe, her foreign secretary and deputy prime minister, was humbled and diminished when Thatcher chose to lavishly praise the new sweater he had been given. Nigel Lawson, her most successful chancellor of the exchequer, was put in his place with, “Nigel, isn’t it about time you had a haircut?” As for encouraging other women, they were barely allowed a place at the cabinet table so long as Thatcher presided.

On the flight home there was a traditional champagne celebration to mark the trip’s inevitable success. Once I offered to help her open a bottle and discovered Thatcher’s raw energy at first hand. She told me to stop fussing and sit down. I demurred. I was reluctant to sit in the prime minister’s throne and, in any case, if there was one thing I was good at it was opening champagne. She passed the bottle to her press secretary, placed her hands on my shoulders, and pushed me down into her chair. A shiver of excitement ran up my spine. It was my Mrs. Robinson moment.

About Nicholas Wapshott: An editor at the New York Sun and the former New York bureau chief for the Times of London, Wapshott was previously editor of The Saturday Times of London and founding editor of The Times Magazine. As political editor of The Observer, Wapshott covered Margaret Thatcher’s final years in office.

Those rare politicians who outsmarted her were kept in check with the sort of faint praise all mothers make and all sons hate.

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eye

of the Beholder

By John D. Adams

Within his new book, photographer Barry Seidman transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Eight years ago, New York advertising photographer Barry Seidman pointed his car south and headed to a new chapter of his life in South Florida. Unfettered by the demands of clients, Seidman set out to rediscover his photographic talents by developing projects over which he alone would have control. Now releasing his third volume of photos titled “New Eyes,� Seidman has melded his expertise photographing still lifes with his unique artistic bent. The results are stunning.

Barry Seidman

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A wink and a kiss “New Eyes” delivers an opening punch, thanks to an 11” x 16” spread of fuchsia tulips across a black velvet backdrop.

What makes Seidman’s pictures unique is his ability to transform everyday objects into sexy and unique vignettes.

And with chapter titles like “Wet,”“Hung,” and “Bloomers,” Seidman’s advertising acumen lures the viewer in with a mirthful wink. “I knew they would be nothing like what people had seen before. If you look at anything from my peppers to my handscapes, you’ll find a lot of eroticism,” he says. Seidman captures peppers nuzzling each another; flowers delicately bending in for a kiss; cocktails and bottles gleaming with dewdrops of sweat; and human hands enveloping, lying prone atop each other.

Voyage of discovery The book’s title “New Eyes” comes from Seidman’s adopted philosophy of a Marcel Proust quote. Proust wrote: “The real voyage of discovery consists of not seeking new landscapes but having new eyes.” Seidman elaborates: “I sit here in my darkened studio and work out an idea for a new image. I don’t go out into the world and bring things back. I don’t take pictures. I make them.

Do I need to create another photograph of a flower or a vegetable? Yes. Because I have my own eyes; I can see them in a different way. And I hope that observers also see these objects in a different way.”

A legacy How does an advertising photographer become a fine artist? Seidman, with his characteristic dry humor, responds: “I don’t know how fine it is, but that’s what they call me. I guess the difference is that fine artists are done when they say so, commercial art is done when whoever is paying you says you are done.” Whatever the label, Seidman is sure of one thing – his personal connections to his work have never been stronger. “My book is an entity. It breathes, it has a pulse.

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I named the book, I designed it, I picked the typeface, I laid it out, and I narrated it. It’s not simply a catalog of work but a volume of who I am – it’s my photobiography. I guess the best way to describe it is that it’s my reason for living. It’s a file folder with my life between the covers.”

For more information about Barry Seidman’s work, visit his website at: www.barryseidman.com or call 561-630-5745.

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Visiting MME Recamier, 1997, Acrylic on Canvas, 30x30, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Brenner. “The idea here was to have my felines invade the world of art and reinterpret the works of the masters,” said Gustavo Novoa.

The Surreal Feline World of Gustavo Novoa

By Robin Jay The distinguished Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde once said, “We all desire to know what lies beneath…” Had Wilde been alive today to view the wondrous works of Miami painter Gustavo Novoa, he’d likely note how the artist’s expression through jungle animals reveals “reality hidden behind appearance” – with reminiscent scenes hinting of a more peaceful earth.

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Temple of Venus, 2004, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30 in., The Artist’s Collection. “The name says it all,” said Novoa. “This is about sexual attraction and reverence that two hot-blooded leopards can experience toward a half human, half leopard female.”

Remembering the W.T.C., 2002, acrylic on canvas, 24x32 in., Wally Findlay Gallery. “Having lived in New York for 25 years, Sept. 11th created a painful void in the city I always called home. In that painting, to me, the Twin Towers will always be there; if only like ghosts amid the clouds.”

(L-R) 2 & 17 Black and 7 & 16 Red, both 2006, acrylic on canvas, 25 x 30 in. Wally Findlay Galleries. “Both of these paintings represent the boredom my cats feel hanging between 17th century saints or Warhol colored serigraphs, and how happy they are to jump out of their frames. Another interpretation is that they are roulette numbers waiting their turn to pop out,” said Novoa.

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‘I could do that’ – and I did for almost five years. I was 20, and at that age, it was not a question of courage, but rather the excitement of my next move: selling my watercolors in Montmartre!”

The Start of a World Journey Born in 1941 in Valparaiso, Chile, Novoa grew up with the expectation of following in his father’s footsteps as an attorney. Like a faithful son, he marched to that beat during a year at law school in Santiago. Yet, Novoa yearned to discover what lay beyond his native Chile and began saving for a summer ship voyage abroad. When he arrived in the City of Lights in the summer of 1960, Paris tugged at Novoa’s true love – art.

Gone to Switzerland to visit the Queen

Gustavo Novoa

“At the time, having some painting skills was acceptable to explore, perhaps on Sundays.

I am fairly argumentative and might have been a successful lawyer,” Novoa recalled. “But in Paris, after seeing those artists selling their paintings in the streets, I immediately thought,

In 1962, Novoa’s career took another exciting turn when he was introduced to Queen Victoria Eugenia. The Queen was living in exile because she had turned down the marriage proposal from a Russian Grand Duke and chose, instead, to marry the King of Spain.

“She played bridge with a friend of mine, which is how I met her,” Novoa said. “She probably found me amusing, and since I was planning a show in Lausanne, she decided to attend. Walking the Queen around my exhibit – a room full of bejeweled ladies bowing as we went by – was unforgettable. It was right out of ‘My Fair Lady.’ She did not buy a painting, I gave her one: ‘noblesse oblige.’ This experience did not impact my art, only me: I became a name-dropper for a while. After all I was only 21.”

Evolving to the Jungle In 1965, Novoa said he succumbed to the American Dream, boarding the steamship HRH Queen Mary headed for New York.

“At first I painted landscapes, boat scenes and still-life, but I found they weren’t well received in New York,” said Novoa. “In 1968, I moved into my world of imaginary jungles, where I finally found myself more at ease and being rewarded with a more positive response from my audience.

Calling Miami Home “I moved to Miami at the perfect time, almost 20 years ago when it was just awakening to its own potential. I feel I have grown with the city. Miami is young, new, and is both laid back and dynamic, but in a less stressful way. It’s pretty everywhere you look – it’s hard to find an ugly view here,” Novoa said.

Custody, 1997, acrylic on canvas, 40x30 in. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Kamal Hotchandini.

“Here, my black panther is posing exactly as the Mona Lisa down to the smile. I wanted to demonstrate to the world that I could paint like anyone I wanted. That is why I chose artists from different centuries to illustrate my point,” said Novoa.

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To view the paintings of Gustavo Novoa in person, visit the Wally Findlay Gallery in Palm Beach or New York. You can also visit www. gustavonovoa.com or reach him directly at gustavonovoa2007@yahoo.com.

“Paradise Revisited" and "Seven Arrows" (Novoa’s new children's book) are available at Amazon.com.

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Birthday

Suit

Puzzles

By Robin Jay

Bluebell

Q

uick! Zoom in and take another look. Notice anything unusual? On first glance at the captivating digital photography of artist Cecelia Webber, the image as a whole takes your breath away. But what’s even more interesting about these works of art is that the components aren’t pixels or dots or brushstrokes. They’re a scintillating composition of human nudes.

A Master Beyond Her Years What’s especially mindboggling is that Cecelia is just approaching her 28th birthday. The clever genre she’s singlehandedly created would take most artists a lifetime to master.

“I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember. I recall trying to figure out the correct way to draw hands back in elementary school, thinking the way other kids were doing it was wrong,” said the New Hampshire native.

“The photo art I’m known for didn’t start until my last two years of University [at Southern California]. I was really struggling to get by.

I lived in a tiny single bedroom in a dilapidated house with 20 other students. I had a tiny hotplate, a sink by the window, and a futon mattress on the floor. I was living on potatoes and oatmeal and oranges.

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Cecelia Webber 2007 and the initial recession fallout was omnipresent. I decided to make a piece of artwork and I pushed my mattress up against the wall and rigged this little digital camera on a tripod balanced on a rung in my closet in such a way that I could photograph myself from above. I curled into a ball and took a photo of my back against this faded gray carpeting, and then I cut it out and placed it in a black background to make a photo of a girl floating in a black void. However, when I looked at it, I saw that my back looked like a little petal. I abandoned my first

idea and threw myself into making the first flower. It all started in that moment, unplanned. I just wanted to make more and more.”

A Toiling Process The organic process of creating a puzzle of hu-

images are very large. My pieces are designed to be printed over five feet tall!”

Cecelia has a self-described pragmatic approach to photographing her subjects.

“I shoot anywhere! I’ve taken aerial photos over railings in two-story houses; I’ve shot in

man forms can take Cecelia upwards of two months to explore, plan, execute and finalize.

“I look closely at the shape of things and I see analogies in the body. I research as many photos of a creature or plant as I can find, and then sketch ways a person could form the shapes I see within its body,” Cecelia said.

“Other times, I take a photograph and recognize that it looks like a part of something else, an eyelid, or a beak maybe, and I go off in an entirely new direction. Every piece is different.

“My models pose just as they are, nude. Often, though, I ask them to leave on something special. Some of them are wearing tiny rings or have tattoos that you don’t see until the

“I take a

photograph and recognize that it looks like a part of something else, an eyelid, or a beak maybe.”

a big studio space; I’ve photographed subjects on the floor of my bedroom even, standing on a table. Most of the time I use one model per image, but sometimes there are up to three different people in a piece.”

Getting that Special Glow How does she get the lighting just right? Surprisingly, Cecelia almost never works with professional lights – she doesn’t even own any. “I have a pretty good sense for natural lighting. I love the unexpected shadows I get on people’s bodies as a result of losing that dimension of control. Unusual shadows have a lot to do with the ultimate form an image takes. I recently took a photo with the lower part of a leg lit up while the body was shaded – it’s turning into some incredible owl wings illuminated at the tips,” she explained.

Here’s another surprise: Sometimes the model in the art piece is Cecelia herself.

(Check out her portrait on page 74 and compare for yourself.)

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Dragon Flower

Monarch

The Work of a Genius It seems Cecelia surprises even herself with the shrewd work she fashions. I asked what other artists might have inspired her.

“I like that I stumbled upon it, and that I’m the first one doing this, but most of all that I can generate these vivid portraits of the natural world without anything but my mind,” she said. “I see it in my head and then steer it into reality. It’s amazing to create something you can see in your mind and then watch other people looking at it, too.”

Success by accident. How does one top that? It takes an inventive genius to continuously come up with an idea that outshines the last. No doubt, Cecelia – who originally studied neuroscience and has had no formal art training – may be the da Vinci of our time.

Sunflower

Ink Flower

“I see something and there is a sudden realization. There is a moment “I’m in a lot of my own artwork, because when I am photographing myself, I have the freedom to create very difficult poses. A lot of the images you see in the artwork require a great deal of balance and muscular control. It’s actually quite athletic at a certain point, although they all look tranquil once captured.

“The large wing feathers in ‘Hummingbird’ were extremely hard to shoot the first time – I was balancing on the ball of my right foot, trying to keep my left leg elevated a certain level, leaning forward for balance and to the side to create the arc of the back, all without seeing myself directly through my camera lens, because I was working with a timer. I run back and forth looking at the image and photographing again. At one point I had to re-create that particular pose on a larger format, and I had someone photographing me, but it was still so hard to get it right. We ended up taking over 50 photos. On my own, I’ve taken hundreds of photos with the timer for a single petal, just to get it right. The whole body has to work in concert to create the right shape, and I’ve had to stop due to muscle fatigue and start again later. I’ve also developed a strange ability to visualize my body in three dimensions.”

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in which I know a piece is going to become a reality. I imagine it’s the way it feels for a bird to realize it can fly for the first time, and then to leap and be flying, there is no effort, it all just unfolds,” said the artist who makes it sound so easy. “I am not sure what I’ll be doing next, but I think we are at a pivotal moment in human history where we have to take responsibility for the environment. We are part of a massive ecosystem, full of diversity of life. I want to see people take responsibility for protecting this huge system we are destroying and hardly understand.”

Cecelia’s personal side It’s easy to see that Cecelia emphatically loves philosophy – and humanity. She’s also a painter, grew up with five Welsh corgis and is a fan of Russian literature. Currently, she’s on page 30 of Dostoyevsky’s War and Peace. “Somehow, all of that affects my art.

I feel great rushes of emotion up and down. I try to live life like a work of art; there is so much possibility in the world.”

To see more of Cecelia Webber’s photography, go to www.ceceliawebber.com.

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You're a Good Man

Charles M. Schulz An exclusive interview with Jeannie Schulz on her husband’s ‘Peanuts’ comic-strip legacy

By Dale King dog Snoopy and other Peanuts folk, would spend the next half-century changing the world, its culture and way of thinking as the pen-and-ink progeny of artist Charles M. Schulz.

This summer, the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood (Florida) gives visitors a chance to view more than 70 original Schulz-drawn strips when it hosts “Charles M. Schulz: Pop Culture in Peanuts,” the largest display of original works exhibited outside of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California.

“The only thing I ever wanted to be was a cartoonist. That’s my life.

Drawing. I would draw comic strips even if I weren’t getting paid for it. I’m obsessed with thinking of funny things.” – Charles M. Schulz Charlie Brown was only a round-headed comic strip kid drawn by a little-known artist when he and his friends stepped into the “funny papers” Oct. 2, 1950. Charlie, with buddies Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, 78

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“No one else will ever draw Peanuts,” says Jeannie Schulz, widow of the famed comic strip guru who died in 2000. In his will, Schulz prohibited anyone from creating new panels. Strips currently being published “are reruns” of classic Peanuts tales, she says.

But a big screen Charlie Brown film is definitely in the offing for 2015. Schulz’s heirs and 20th Century Fox Animation, along with Fox’s Blue Sky Studios division, are developing a feature film starring the legendary comic strip characters, says the late artist’s

son Craig Schulz, president of Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates.

So who, exactly, was this gentle cartoonist from Minnesota who created such a worldwide phenomenon? “He was a very curious man, a great observer,” says Jeannie. “His creativity had its own twist.

He saw a side of things that most of us can’t see.”

“I always say he was the best husband I could have asked for,” says Jeannie. “He was adoring, but focused on his own work, which for me was perfect because I’m a busy person. He didn’t want me to be over his shoulder in his studio, though he fully appreciated the interest.”

Schulz used his personal experiences and reflections to give his strips a whimsical, contemporary flair. Such as Snoopy surfing in a 1966 cartoon and fearing that if he were to fall off the board, he’d have to “dog-paddle.” Jeannie says her cartoonist husband – nicknamed “Sparky” – heard one of his then-teenage children use the phrase, “Grody to the max.” The pop culture term for something awful soon found its way into a Peanuts tale.

The cartoon genius was vitally aware of the world and its cultural evolution and used it as grist for his comics. When women’s lib was in vogue, he drew Lucy building a snowman, which she was quick to call a “snow person.” The characters soon developed such vivid personalities and traits that “they wrote the story.”

While Sparky’s lifestyle tended toward the quiet, he did occasionally cut loose, Jeannie remembers. “When he played golf, he would tease the other players unmercifully. He was always funny; he always had an interesting take on things. He could not play an instrument, but he loved music. And he loved hockey, too.” So much so that a rink in St. Paul, Minn., bears his name. It used a portion of money raised through an auction “to create a downtown park with permanent Peanuts statues.”

Coincidentally, Jeannie and Sparky met at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena in 1973 where each of their 12-year-old daughters was on a precision skating team. They married soon after and shared 27 years together.

Jeannie Schulz Thirteen years later, she still tends her late husband’s museum as president of its board of directors. She also works tirelessly to make sure his legacy is preserved. “At the museum, we want people to appreciate what goes into a comic strip. We want them to understand how Sparky was able to tell the story of the human condition through his characters for 50 years.”

The exhibit at the Art & Culture Center continues through Sunday, Sept. 1. For information, call (954) 921-3274 or visit ArtAndCultureCenter.org.

“The only thing I ever wanted to be was a cartoonist. That's my life.

Drawing. I would draw comic strips even if I were not getting paid for it.

I'm obsessed with thinking of funny things.” – Charles M. Schulz Summer 2013

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e

By alex starace

ven if you’ve never heard of Peter Max, you know his work.

He’s the painter who pioneered the psychedelic visual lexicon that we now associate with the era of great cultural and social foment, the 1960s. By the end of the decade, his full-spectra patterns were licensed by 72 corporations, and his art was on consumer products as wide-ranging as clocks, socks, bed sheets and pantyhose. He’s even sometimes credited with launching the college student’s obsession with dorm room posters – Max’s designs sold literally millions of copies within months of their issue. All told, Max’s licensing agreements and pop fame added up to approximately $4 million in earnings (an enormous sum in the 1960s) and a 1969 appearance on the cover of Life magazine.

If this ascendance sounds fantastical, Max’s childhood was no less so: He was born in Berlin in 1937. A year later, he and his family fled the metastasizing Nazi regime and moved to Shanghai. In China, Max first learned to paint: As he tells it, his family’s pagoda had four balconies. His mother gave him art supplies and told him to paint on whichever balcony he chose, and not to worry about the mess: She’d clean it up. It was this spirit of exploration and artistic freedom that Max took with him to Haifa, Israel, when the family moved there in 1948.

The family, which was still finding its place in the postwar years, slowly moved westward across Europe, including a stop in Paris, where Max took art classes at the Louvre.

The family eventually settled in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in 1953. In New York, Max enrolled in the Art Students League and studied under realist Frank J. Reilly.

After his graduation in 1962, he got his big break at a copy shop where he’d left 80

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1969 poster for Capitol Records

Peter Max in his studio "I think 'Vincent van Gogh' is one of Max's most important works and truly reflects his very expressive and illustrative style," said Geoff Hammond, Executive Publisher of South Florida Opulence who owns an original Vincent van Gogh painting by Peter Max. "It's known by those familiar with his works that when he signs in the upper right corner, he particularly likes the piece. I feel very fortunate to own this original from a modern-day master." his work to be turned into prints. A record executive happened to see it and offered Max a commission to design the album cover for pianist Meade Lux Lewis’ new record. The cover won the Society of Illustrators annual award, giving Max a minor reputation, which he would ultimately turn into international fame.

Portrait of Vincent van Gogh by Peter Max

These days, he’s known for painting the Statue of Liberty annually and for his portraiture of six U.S. presidents, including the “100 Clintons” series he made for the 1993 Inauguration. Max recently renewed his interest in musicians by painting several portraits (based on her album covers) of country music star Taylor Swift, who’s rumored to have one such image hanging in her Nashville home. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Max occasionally works on a grand scale: His paintings have appeared on the fuselage of a Continental Airlines Boeing 777, as well as on the hull of the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway. So, the next time you take a cruise or fly on an airline, you may just find yourself riding in a world of Peter Max’s creation.

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Beauty

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Vbeaute Lip Spread Color Glosses With bio-cellular peptides, cocoa butter and papaya extract, these glosses offer anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, soothing protective color.

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remembering the

shoemaker of dreams Salvatore Ferragamo An exclusive interview with Mrs. Wanda Miletti Ferragamo, Salvatore’s wife

By Robin Jay

E

ven before Hollywood films produced sound, Salvatore Ferragamo soled the shoes of the silver-screen’s most sultry starlets: Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich and Ingrid Bergman. And while Ferragamo became famous as the pioneer of modern shoe design, the artisan could write as eloquently as he could sketch.

“There is no limit to beauty, no saturation point in design, no end to the materials a shoemaker may use to decorate his creations so that every woman may be shod like a princess and a princess may be shod like a fairy queen. There is no limit to the materials I have used in these 50 years of shoemaking. I have used diamonds and pearls, real and imitation; gold and silver dust; fine leathers from Germany, Britain, America, and wherever else they may be found. I have used satins and silks, lace and needlework, glass and glass mirrors, feathers. I have used fish, felt, and transparent paper, snail shells and raffia, synthetic silk woven instead of raffia, raw silk, seaweeds and wool.

“I love feet. They talk to me. As I take them in my hands I feel their strengths, their weakness, their vitality or their failings. A good foot, its muscles firm, its arch strong, is a delight to touch, a masterpiece of divine workmanship.” – Salvatore Ferragamo in his 1957 autobiography, “Shoemaker of Dreams.”

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A Private Chat with Mrs.Wanda Ferragamo Striving to keep Salvatore’s memory and legacy alive, his wife, Wanda Miletti Ferragamo, launched the Fondazione Fer­ragamo in Florence, Italy, in March. South Florida Opulence interviewed Mrs. Ferragamo about her husband’s legacy – to both the fashion world and to her family.

“It has been for me a privilege and a big discovery to learn from Salvatore, my husband, so much about the anatomy of the foot, the perfect fitting and shoe construction,” said Mrs. Ferragamo, who married Salvatore when she was 19 and he 42. “The first thing that Salvatore did was to study the anatomy of the foot. Thanks to his studies, he realized that the arch of the foot sustains the weight of our body and, therefore, needed major support.

1924

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Led by Mrs. Wanda Miletti Ferragamo as Honorary President, three generations of the Ferragamo family run Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. in Florence, Italy.

1947

1958

“In fact, in every Ferragamo shoe, you can find a steel barrel (not visible) in the arch of the shoe. Salvatore was really dedicated to the perfect fit, giving balance to our body, and I am very proud to see that nobody after him has discovered anything as essential as he did,” said Mrs. Ferragamo.

She established the Ferragamo Foundation with the belief that young people are “the engine of any society,” the force that ensures continuity and the future. Her goal is “providing them with know-how, creativity, technology and, above all, the desire to move forward, to overcome all obstacles, values exemplified by my husband’s life and his life’s work.”

Salvatore, the family man Mrs. Ferragamo describes Salvatore as a generous man who liked people and adored his family.

“When he was not at work, Salvatore spent a lot of time with me and our six children,” she said. “He loved the countryside. Salvatore’s hobby was agriculture. When he could, he loved to take us to our farm, which is only 20 minutes from Florence.”

It’s anyone’s guess just how many shoes Salvatore Ferragamo made over his lifetime. “As far as I am concerned, I have in my closet, for my personal use, about 100 pairs of shoes,” said Mrs. Ferragamo with a reflective smile. “Salvatore was a wonderful person. He treated me as a queen, and I was always grateful for this. I miss Salvatore every day terribly, but at the same time, I feel him near me throughout the lovely memories that we have had together.”

1967

1987

Salvatore Ferragamo with the wood shoe “lasts” created for his celebrity clientele.

2000

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men's ferragamo 86

South Florida OPULENCE

Double breasted trench coat in rubberized cotton $2,100 2 button diamond jacquard suit $2,660 Printed slim fit shirt $690 Graphic tie $190 Sheer round neck cotton sweater $690 Multi color leather sneaker $550

Summer 2013

White 2 button blazer $2,300 White button-down with green collar detail $410

Yellow 2 button blazer $2,300 Sheer round neck cotton sweater $830

Pleated denim trousers $470

White slim fit dress shirt $250

White leather sneakers $550

Pleated denim trousers $470 Multi color leather sneaker $550

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The Art of the

By Dale King

T

he art of men’s grooming is getting a new edge with implements like your great-granddaddy probably used. “They had it right from the start. Using a bowl and a brush has always been the better way to shave,” says Marty van der Hagen, president of van der Hagen Enterprises of Austin, Texas, manufacturer of premium shave products for men.

In fact, van der Hagen products mirror those used by whiteshirted professionals who styled coifs and trimmed face and neck hair with a straight razor sharpened on a leather strop, then offered hot towel treatments and a slap of alcohol-based aftershave. Those were the days when a “little dab would do ya.”

The family-owned trade has historic roots. Pappy van der Hagen and kin mixed, cooked and cooled their own soap by hand for personal use after emigrating to the U.S. from Holland in 1905. Marty says they put soap-making aside for other entrepreneurial areas such as dairy farming, but went back to their foamy roots later after Marty’s dad found that bulk-made soap irritated his face.

Marty remembers watching gramps mixing up a froth of shaving soap in a cup. “That is so cool,” he would think. Revival of “bowl and brush” grooming is not just a nostalgia kick. “It also gives you a great shave.” The heaviest demand for products, he notes, is from young men and the affluent.

Starting with the Soap While the family-owned company has been making shaving implements since the 1980s, its handmade, retro-inspired soaps are much like those Pappy whipped up. Using new equipment, but with the same basic process, van der Hagen soap was reborn – this time for the men’s accessories market.

Like from a century-old barber shop with a red-and-white pole outside, van der Hagen produces items for men who prefer the art-ofthe-shave – yet far more advanced compared to the olden-time era when a spinning pole reflected barbers who performed surgery and tooth extractions.

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Shaving Nostalgia

The product line includes badger and boar bristle brushes, scented and unscented shave soaps, monogrammed shaving bowls, post shave balms, lotions and face scrub. “A wet shave with bowl soap is better than gel,” says Marty. Boar and badger bristles hold water better and lift whiskers for a smoother shave.

As if responding to the Gillette parrot’s inquiry, “How ya fixed for blades?” the company is about to market its first safety razor – akin to what men used in the 1950s. The heavy, metal shaver will use traditional double-edged blades made in Solingen, Germany, an area known for outstanding blade making.

It’s a niche market with a lot of clout, he says. “We’re not just a name. We want the sizzle.”

Men’s Accessories

YES! It’s a Robert Graham Design

The beloved fashion house Robert Graham has opened a new boutique at Boca Town Center! Check out these great accessories for the man in your life. Also available at www.robertgraham.us

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This classic canvas messenger bag possesses functionality and style. Full grain leather trim. Custom printed woven guitar shoulder strap. Length: 15 1/2” Height: 11 1/2” Depth: 5”. $168

BECK LEATHER IPAD SLEEVE Cut in a custom woven paisley fabric, this iPad sleeve will help keep your tablet safe. Full grain leather back and trim.

Button closure. Padded. Length: 15 1/2” Height: 12 1/2” Depth: 6 1/2”. $148

Eclectic JETTY GRAPHIC PRINT FEDORA HAT Make a statement with this colorful printed fedora hat. Signature RG logo embroidered on grosgrain ribbon band. 100% Polyester, Spot Clean Only. $148

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MULFORD REVERSIBLE BELT Add a burst of color with this men’s leather belt featuring a vibrant grosgrain ribbon. This versatile accessory reverses to solid black. $68

Playful Summer 2013

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LIMITED EDITION Mandarin Tunic in Fortuny速 Sevigne Melon and White

Della Terasi Luxury Made To Order

By Rachel Kessler

Ikat Caftan in Turquoise

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A new American design house, Della Terasi personifies true luxury by creating a made-to-order resort collection featuring exquisite, artisanal fabrics gathered from along the Ancient Silk Road.

Each Della Terasi is a true original. Clients choose a style from clutches to opera coats, tunics to caftan, and then select from legendary Venetian Fortuny cottons or brilliantly colored, hand-woven Ikats from Central Asia. Once an order is received, their fabric selection is matched, hand cut, sewn and finished one at a time ensuring something truly extraordinary. To customize your summer resort wardrobe, go to www.dellaterasi.com.

Mezza Luna Clutch in Fortuny速 Papiro Ebony and White

Ikat Tunic in Aubergine Multi

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Unmistakably

Schedoni An exclusive interview with Italian leather-crafting aficionado Simone Schedoni

By Robin Jay

Modena, Italy, is world-renowned for its legacy of producing the very best artisanal craftsmanship – supercars, fine leather, even balsamic vinegar – and a family by the name of Schedoni holds a rich heritage in all three. What is it about the Modena tradition that makes extreme quality so inherently important? South Florida Opulence sat down with Simone Schedoni, who currently runs the generations-old family leather-crafting business, to find out.

“Leather and supercars represent our business. However, traditional balsamic vinegar is, for us, a family hobby given from father to son since 1916,” said the modest Schedoni, whose family Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale “hobby” was recently named the world’s finest in a competition. “In any case, all three have a common base: PASSION in doing all the efforts to achieve the best. In Modena, apparently people do not compromise on things.”

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Meet the Schedoni’s If you haven’t before heard of the family brand called Schedoni, you have certainly heard of the brands for which they make leather goods: Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Pagani. If you’ve ever purchased one of those supercars and ordered the custom-fitted luggage option, then you’ve had Schedoni in your trunk or back seat all along. The family-owned company is more than a century old. Even Pope John Paul II trusted them to make his chalice travel case.

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“Actually, it all started when my great grandfather opened a shoe shop in 1880. The tradition of leather working has passed from father to son since then,” said Schedoni. “We still use production methods typical of the shoe production from 1880, and today, the final stitching of the Ferrari F12 luggage or the Bentley Mulsanne luggage is made using a 65-year-old sewing

machine that was in use at my grandfather’s shoe factory.”

From Shoes to Supercars How did the Schedoni family business evolve from being shoemakers to craftsmen of fine luggage for luxury sports cars? One might say it was out of a kind heart. You see one day, Simone’s father, Mauro, noticed that traditional luggage wouldn’t fit in the narrow trunk of the Ferrari owned by his brother-in-law, Franco Folli. Mauro decided to make a set of luggage for Folli that would fit perfectly in his car. As luck – or fate – would have it, Folli’s friend, a salesman for the Italian supercar brand, showed the luggage to Enzo Ferrari. The supercar magnate was so taken by the beauty of the exquisitely crafted luggage, that he asked Mauro to make leather cases for his customers, too.

“In the ‘60s, mass-produced items came to the market and prices of goods decreased. Wealth was spreading out and people were looking for shoes that would cost less so that they could afford to buy two or three pairs instead of just one,” said Schedoni. “At the end of that decade, instead of decreasing the quality of shoes, my father decided to change the production focus and started to produce high-end luggage. In less than 10 years, he found himself producing luggage for Ferrari.”

Since then, the Schedoni family has made leather products – including tool cases,

document folders, racecar seat covers and other commissioned items – for not only Ferrari, but also for Bentley, Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani and Rolls-Royce.

The Schedoni Difference “All of our luggage sets are custom produced by using the very same leather – same color – as the car’s interior, as well as the color of stitching. This means that every single set of luggage is different to the other. Today’s luxury market is full of products: Some are of good taste and good quality. We like to custom produce our items by using special materials. Our Schedoni carbon fiber attaché case, for example, combines materials used in a F1 car: The outside parts are made in carbon fiber; our logo

is engraved on a titanium badge and its interior is lined with the same suede leather we used to cover the F1 seats. The outcome is a fantastic and sleek case!

“I feel blessed being the fourth generation involved in my family’s business. In today’s world, it becomes more and more difficult to keep on this kind of tradition. My dream would be to pass on these values and the passion to the fifth generation – my children Niccolò and Sara, and nephew Alessio.”

For more information about Schedoni fine handcrafted leather goods, go to www.schedoni.com.

The Schedoni family still use production methods typical of shoe production in 1880.

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TIME TRAVEL

To Tivoli Famous for thousands of years, Tivoli, Italy, offers spellbinding fountains and spectacular ancient wonders

By John D. Adams

P

lanning a trip to Italy? If you find yourself in Rome, consider taking a weekend to explore the ancient (and we do mean ancient) village of Tivoli. Situated just 20 miles east of Rome, Tivoli is located on the Aniene River in the Monti Tiburtini hills. Tivoli is also strategically situated near the Sabine Hills and Tiber River.

Remarkably, the city has been a significant trade route as far back as the 2nd century B.C. When the town came under Roman control in 90 B.C., Tivoli’s surrounding landscape, thermal springs, fresh mountain air and cascading waterfalls became a resort area for Rome’s elite citizenry. In ancient times, everyone who was anyone either had a home in or visited Tivoli.

Water, water everywhere Perched above the stunning landscape of the Roman Campagna, it is obvious to see why Tivoli has always been such a popular destination. The views from this vantage point, across the countryside from the reaches of Mount Tiburtini, are only one of the draws to the area.

Just as stunning is the palpable sense of the thousands of years seeped into every gray stone and oaken doorway. Modern Tivoli has around 50,000 inhabitants, and spreads out far beyond the gloriously crumbling capital. As a waterway city, Tivoli residents 96

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have always had the luxury of an abundance of water.

Hence, the city is a definite “go-to” destination for anyone interested in seeing glorious fountains, grottoes and ingenious plays of water.

Villa d’Este

Villa d’Este A must-see is the breathtaking Renaissance Villa d’Este. Built in the 1500s for Cardinal Ippolito d’Este (son of the infamous Lucretia Borgia), this masterpiece of the Italian Garden is included on the UNESCO world heritage list. Come for its architectural splendor but stay for the lavish gardens. These gardens contain a seemingly endless array of water features. Marvel at the majestic “Fountain of the Dragons” and “Hundred Fountains.” Scrutinize an intricately tiny watery reproduction of Rome. And stand awestruck at the Villa’s masterpiece, the enormous “Water Organ Fountain.” Just as named, this Baroque structure contains a hydraulic-pneumatic organ which produces music through a combination of air and water.

The Villas of Tivoli

Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli, Italy Hadrian’s Villa Yes, that Hadrian. A Roman emperor from 117 to 138 A.D., Hadrian is perhaps most famous for the massive Hadrian’s Wall, which served as the eastern border for Roman Britain. Arguably even more spectacular, Hadrian’s Villa was a sprawling complex of over 30 buildings, covering 250 acres. The villa was the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian Garden re-creating a sacred landscape. Hadrian (known as one of the last of the 5 Good Emperors) was extremely well-traveled and maintained interests in art and architecture. The decorative features of his

Villa Adriana, Tivoli, Italy complex mirror Hadrian’s vast knowledge of Roman, Grecian and Egyptian culture. You could spend days exploring its palaces, temples, libraries, theatre, lakes, fountains, baths and gardens.

Step back in time Whether you desire a tranquil visit to the Italian countryside or you have a passion for water features and antiquities, Tivoli is a small town with an enormous history. Its beauty lies far deeper than surface stone, water and wood. Centuries of history are palpably steeped in its very bedrock.

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Objets d’Art in the Landscape: Ideas for Unique Presentations This is the second of a series of articles on Art in the Landscape

by Mary and Hugh Williamson Photo Right: Al Whitley Photography

Small-Space Gardens Impressive “landscape design” does not necessarily require a large amount of space. That is useful for many South Floridians, as their condominium balconies, decks and rooftop spaces offer constraints. These spaces can be made to be dramatic and can set a welcoming and glamorous tone using a concept that is comfortable in a space of any size. The Zen garden is a good example.

Zen gardens can be fashioned to integrate beautifully into limited space, yet expand if you have large grounds. Components include well-placed rocks that symbolize mountains, and raked gravel that is evocative of flowing water. Zen gardens incorporate strong design concepts, such as contrast, drama, repetition, texture and illusion.

As even small, low containers can serve as tabletop Zen gardens, complete with raked sand and small rocks, a balcony provides a rather large opportunity by comparison!

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Add a Collection Americans love to collect. As youngsters we start with stamps, or coins, or baseball cards. As our interests evolve, and our means increase, we turn to antique cars, fine art, emeralds or whatever makes us smile. An inspiring idea for a collection that is sure to heighten the beauty, interest and value of your space, expansive or tiny, might be garden seats.

The garden seat is said to have been a significant component of the Chinese Zen garden, hailing from about 600 AD. The Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) then saw the elite and wealthy incorporating these stone, porcelain or wood perches into their gardens to facilitate communing with nature at “plant level” and facilitating the tending of their plants. Perhaps the first seats were tree stumps and rocks.

Those natural seats were, of course, not portable, and imaginably not always in the right spot for meditation and being at one with nature’s beauty. So, a moveable solution was found in beautiful, elegant, colorful and often whimsical iterations. By the Ming Dynasty of the sixteenth century, garden seats were found in local markets, crafted by entrepreneurial artisans. They became very popular and, although usually barrel-shaped, sometimes took on unusual forms, such as animals and artistic interpretations of tree stumps. These very old and rare cottage-industry versions are still attainable, as are a few Song Dynasty versions. The Zen garden concept spread to Japan around 600 AD, and ultimately to the world.

The Nixon years brought a new interest in the Chinese culture, and that interest remains. Garden seats, especially antique examples, were rediscovered as an art form, and have enjoyed heightened value. The Silk Road Chinese trade routes, some of which began as early as 206 BC, had established a precedent for the inclusion of “things Chinese” into French, Mediterranean and English design. As principles of Zen garden design … simplicity, balance and beauty … became revered around the world, so did garden seats.

Garden seats can be collected as reinforcement to a color scheme, or even be the color scheme, building the indoor or outdoor experience around a spectacular find.

Or possibly this collection can become a treasure hunt for rare and diverse versions and unusual shapes as you travel. Maybe you will focus on one theme, like the tree stump. Perhaps you will decide to collect jewel-toned seats. Or maybe seek all-white finds. You may even choose to make them a part of your interior space. They make wonderful tables as well as seats. A pair of rare examples could be glass-topped to create a unique table. Be sure to work with a reputable dealer to ascertain that your purchase is what it is purported to be, and that the piece is sound (lacking cracks and other flaws). You will also collect stories that celebrate your quests for these gems.

The joy of the hunt As with any sought-after trophy, there are many commercially available versions. While those may convey the design intent, as does a fine art reproduction, they cannot equal the satisfaction of acquiring a meaningful and vetted celebration of an exquisite art form that has a relevant use in the landscape.

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Sculptures Under the Sea Artist Jason deCaires Taylor’s breathtaking underwater sculptures bring attention and assistance to the world’s failing coral reefs

By John D. Adams We have all seen sunken wrecks with hulls encrusted in barnacles, corals and other aquatic vegetation. These rusted hulks also become habitats for a plethora of sea life. For decades, as we have lost more than 40 percent of our natural coral reefs, global initiatives have produced the deliberate sinking of ships and other durable and environmentally sensitive materials to help support and create artificial reefs around the world.

Now underwater artist Jason deCaires Taylor has discovered a unique and breathtaking way of bringing attention to the dire state of the world’s marine environments. Taylor is the first artist to craft massive underwater art installations that delight and amaze while lending critical infrastructure to dying coral reefs.

Taylor didn’t start out as an environmentally concerned underwater artist.

He worked for a time in London, traversing the country sides building temporary installations, which he would then photograph and dismantle.

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Finding the work less than fulfilling, Taylor began traveling, sampling a variety of jobs. It was during his stint as a dive instructor that Taylor first began mulling a new concept for sculpture installations. “I spent a lot of time underwater and came across the idea of developing art pieces that could also become artificial reefs. I thought that would be kind of a wonderful canvas for my art; not just as an aesthetic piece but one that has real function and purpose. I felt much more comfortable building objects after that revelation. I started small and it’s been escalating every year since.”

Finding a niche Installing sculpture in a gallery is one thing. Taylor had to install his pieces underwater. Using cement, silicone and glass fiber, Taylor developed a “recipe” and procedure for sinking his sculptures, then securing them on massive bases positioned on rocky surfaces of the ocean floor. Once he felt he had perfected his formulae, Taylor contacted the Grenada government in 2006 and asked if he could submerge pieces in an area that had been devastated by hurricanes. “That was the first seed. I started with 10 figures, until I reached about 65. Then the government turned the location into a national marine park.”

The Mexican government saw Taylor’s project and invited him to consider doing similar work there. “They had a problem with too many tourists coming to Cancun, which caused too much stress on the reef systems,” says Taylor. The government wanted to close

Top photo: The Lost Correspondent in Grenada Lower photo: The Banker in Cancun, Mexico Large image: The Silent Evolution, Cancun, Mexico

Photo Credit: Jason deCaires Taylor

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some of the reefs so they could recuperate. Yet when local businesspeople protested and demanded that if the government had to close access to the reefs, then they had to offer some type of alternative. “And that’s how they came to contact me.”

Taylor has now created and founded two large-scale underwater museums. The first, in Grenada, has subsequently been documented as a “Wonder of the World” by “National Geographic” magazine.

The second museum, called MUSA (Museo Subaquático de Arte) in Mexico, boasts more than 450 pieces and is now listed by “Forbes” as one of the world’s most unique travel destinations.

Under the sea Along the Manchones Reef system in Mexico, just 26 feet under the tropical waters of Cancun, stand 450 figures of men, women and children.

These aquatic sentinels make up Taylor’s largest work to date: “The Silent Evolution.” How to describe this voiceless throng that, at this very moment, continue to morph and change as sea life moves in? Haunting? Beautiful?

Hopeful? Ironic?

Taylor purposely crafts figures or objects that are easily recognizable. “I know it will be changed so dramatically I want to begin with something easily recognizable. If I start with something abstract, it just becomes a rock.

I prefer strong forms that you can still see as they are transformed. Sea life takes over lightening quick,” says Taylor. “Within three days you already see a film of algae forming, then after a few more days, the fish start eating the algae, which attracts more, bigger fish. Then you start to see junipers and baby sponges and bigger algae. The real process is watching a group of residents take over, then after a period of time, another lot move in, and this pattern continues to evolve. They transform the familiar human forms into an evolving narrative of nature.”

Today, Taylor’s installations continue to grow, change and inspire. “The bigger goal is to educate people to how wonderful the seas are and how amazing the creatures are who live in them. There is a symbiosis of nature living with humans. I believe the two can coexist quite happily. If I can convey that, I will be very happy.”

Learn more about Jason deCaires Taylor’s works at www.underwatersculpture.com

Progression from model to sculpture to infrastructure for coral reefs.

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The classic, Mediterraneanstyle, private residential community of Fisher Island is a tropical-lush island just off South Beach. Residents from around the world enjoy the privacy and security that Fisher Island offers.

Fisher Island...

Luxury, Privacy and Security...

One of the most beautiful and exclusive pieces of real estate in the world is just a 7-minute car ferry ride off the southern tip of Miami Beach.

Fisher Island offers pristine beaches, P.B. Dye-designed golf course, Spa Internazionale, 18-court Tennis Center, 2 deepwater marinas and 8 casual and fine dining restaurants.

Opulence

at its best

To make an appointment, please call Fisher Island Real Estate, LLC 305.535.6071 Lars Ekdahl Licensed Real Estate Broker 305.498.4352 lekdahl@fisherisland.com

The Story of Calivigny

By Jule Guaglardi Dreaming of owning your very own tropical island? Well, you’re not the only ones. Georges and Martine Cohen had a similar dream, which they realized some 10 years ago, creating a grand oasis of French and Balinese-inspired opulence on an enchanting island in the Southern Caribbean.

It started quite innocently, a girl sailing through the Southern Caribbean chain with some friends, probably enjoying some good wine and fresh catch, cultivating the world’s greatest tan – well, that all seemed like enough for a perfect Caribbean vacation until she spotted it, the 81-acre island she would soon lay claim as her and her husband’s newest private hideaway.

artine Cohen was the girl’s name — and after swimming ashore onto this diamond in the rough, just 1 mile offshore from Grenada, she was in a word, bewitched. Her mind racing, envisioning the grand potential seemingly bestowed upon her, she could hardly wait. Neighbors in the nearby village of Woburn revealed that the island was up for sale. In a moment she rang her husband Georges, and within hours he touched down in Grenada. It was, perhaps, destiny — however one that would require some serious assistance.

Calivigny Island, as it was named, has taken 10 years to build, to create, and to adopt the very spirit Martine and Georges had envisioned. It is a majestic and magical hideaway of pampered decadence drenched in a sea of most outstanding natural beauty.

Electric turquoise is adorned with swaying palms, brilliantly vibrant flowers and appetizing trees bearing delicious fruit. The architecture is commanding and yet completely fluid to its surroundings, as if it had always been there. Little do visitors know what an arduous effort it would take to make Calivigny such a masterpiece.

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After purchasing an entire nursery the couple had discovered in Barbados, Calivigny Island is now teeming with tropical vegetation of nearly every kind, enveloping the island like an emerald canopy.

In fact, over the 10-year development process, 20,000 containers charted courses leading to Calivigny, delivering nature’s most treasured flora.

Although the couple had initially designed the property for private family use, they had also been familiar with the yacht charter business, owning and making available for charter rental

the Atmosphere, 173-foot Perini Navi. And imagining the two businesses couldn’t be that terribly different — a wealthy clientele, discerning taste, high expectations, a staff to cater to their every whim, foodie cuisine, top-notch comfort and pampering, fine wines, and so on, the Cohens decided Calivigny was too beautiful not to share — and so it would be, they would give “chartering” the island a go.

As fate would have it, however, Hurricane Ivan paid a visit to Grenada in 2004 wreaking havoc on the mainland and causing understandable delays in the project’s progress. The Cohens were not discouraged and showed their devotion to Grenada by flying a private jet filled with rescue supplies and by funding the redevelopment of the fisherman’s jetty in Woburn, the nearest neighboring village.

Tremendous effort was placed in making Calivigny what it is today. The Cohens hired a highly specialized building guild from France. This was to ensure the utmost in woodwork and craftsmanship. The Frenchmen worked closely with a local workforce of nearly 300, teaching them trade secrets that had been handed

down in France from generation to generation. The precision and upkeep of the project was of terrific importance, therefore the Cohens arranged for on-island woodworking and manufacturing shops, as well as its own power and desalination plants.

Calivigny Island hosts luxurious accommodations for 50 people.

The décor of the 139,000 square foot Beach House, adorned with10 “Opulent Suites,” marries the elegance of French Colonial design to the natural, rustic chic of Bali.

The island comes with four impressive boats, an ROV to record diving expeditions, wave runners, snorkeling gear, diving equipment, a gym, a spa and a plethora of certified individuals awaiting your requests.

This is merely a taste of the magic that awaits, on this amplified Gilligan’s Island — but you best come see for yourself. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to be shipwrecked, as this is one castaway experience you may never want to be rescued from!

For more information on Calivigny Island, visit: www.calivigny-island.com Summer 2013

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Sarasota – “America’s Circus City” – isn’t just for circus fans. The immense influence of the Ringling

A m e r i c a’ s

Circus City

Brothers – particularly circus magnate John Ringling and wife Mable – gave the history of this city of some 51,000 a three-ring swing.

Today, it attracts thousands to view remarkable circus memorabilia, a world-renowned art collection, vast gardens and the opulent mansion owned by the circus magnate.

Setting your sites on the circus The Ringling Museum of Art, the Mable Ringling Rose Garden and the 56-room Ringling mansion dubbed “Ca d’Zan” (“House of John” in Venetian dialect) are among “must-sees” in this multicultural center of Sarasota County, says Jan Thornburg, the city’s public information officer.

By Dale King

“Ca d’Zan” (“House of John” in Venetian dialect) Sarasota and environs are “known as Florida’s cultural coast because there are so many activities,” said Lynn Hobeck Bates, media liaison for www.VisitSarasota.org. “We have an opera, a performing arts hall, a multitude of theaters and an orchestra.”

A touch of history The first “visitors” to Sarasota some 500 years ago were explorers – Ponce de Leon and Hernando de Soto among them. De Leon “found” his fabled Fountain of Youth which, today, is the site of the Warm Mineral Springs Spa. De Soto was immortalized by John Hamilton Gillespie, a Scottish aristocrat and lawyer who built the DeSoto Hotel on Main Street in 1902. Gillespie was also the city’s first mayor, elected in 1902.

Sarasota was strongly influenced by Scots. Also, a thriving Amish community living in “500 tiny homes” calls Sarasota their seasonal home, says Hobeck Bates. Nearby is Northport, largely Ukrainian.

A closer look at the Ringlings Still, the Ringling influence is strong even decades after the circus master died in 1936. His legacy is seen in architecture, landmarks, people and culture.

He and four other Ringling brothers started the famed under-thebig-tent spectacular in 1894. Thirteen years later, they acquired the Barnum & Bailey Circus and offered spectators the combined clout of “the greatest show on earth.”

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The 66-acre Ringling estate includes the art museum, the “Ca d’Zan” mansion and theater reflecting Italian Renaissance architecture that Ringling loved. The historic Asolo Theater and the Tibbals Learning Center – containing the Ringling Museum of the American Circus, the first institute to document the rich history of the circus – also share the site.

The Ringlings bequeathed most of their holdings to the state of Florida. As a result, admission is free for most Ringlingrelated sites.

The circus, along with investments in rail lines, oil and 30 other enterprises, brought John Ringling vast wealth. John and Mable acquired an inestimable collection of art – including more than 600 Baroque masterpieces and a Peter Paul Rubens collection considered the finest in the world.

A tour aboard a “Big Top Bus” hosted by veteran performer Toby Circus Ballantine includes visits to homes of those who contributed to the circus’ success as well as the historic Sarasota Opera House, St. Martha’s Church (known as “the church the circus built”) and John and Mable’s personal railroad car.

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The Greatest Show on Earth, a mural by William Woodward,1990.

Other Sarasota “must-sees” Thornburg urges visitors to end their day by viewing the spectacular “sunset on Lido Beach.” The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, which recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation, offers a stunning tiki-lined private beach on Lido Key that guests can enjoy via complimentary shuttle service. At the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota’s main property, located on the Sarasota Marina, be sure to check out the

exquisite one-man gallery of painter William Wolk (see below) who studied, in part, at the Ringling College of Art & Design. And for an amazingly interactive and intriguingly clever dining experience, be sure to check out the new Jack Dusty restaurant, also on property (next page). The next time you’re searching for the ideal Florida vacation spot, keep in mind Sarasota, a sunny slice of paradise.

Sarasota Painter: William Wolk

By Dale King American Realist painter William Wolk has depicted dancers, athletes, landscapes, still lifes and portraits in his much-in-demand, award-winning work.

As a child, Wolk began drawing freehand portraits in charcoal at age 8 and in oils at age 9. He went on to study at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, and in Europe, in particular, the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. He then established a gallery in the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia and remained there 25 years. In 2007, his painting of President

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Conundrum – Oil on Canvas 24" x 30" George W. Bush at the site of the 9/11 attack in New York was inducted into the Presidential The artist, William Wolk, and his wife, Marie, Collection. Wolk has located his gallery in the Ritz- are pictured here with President George W. Carlton Hotel in Sarasota.

Bush in the Oval Office. William was being honored for his post 9/11 portrait of the president.

Jack Dusty Serves Grog and Grub Sure to Shiver Thee Timbers

By Robin Jay eafarers and landlubbers visiting Sarasota should check out the newest dining hot spot that has locals buzzing: Jack Dusty at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. Named after the 18th century short-hand term for the naval store clerk whose responsibility included doling out the daily lot of rum to sailors and maintaining the ship’s inventory of food supplies, Jack Dusty offers guests dining and drinking “interactive experiences” with the same whimsy explorers would share after coming home from a long voyage.

From the time “Jack Dusty” (your server) arrives at your table, clad in an industrial apron, your dining adventure begins. This

ingenious concept restaurant was a team effort, but the roots were the creative brainchild of Executive Chef Dwayne Edwards and Food & Beverage Director James Cole while they were on a flight to Puerto Rico.

“We wanted to create a fun place that had a story,” said Cole. “Jack Dusty was perfect. Back in the days of the Royal Navy, the Jack Dusty (the Jack of Dust) had to cook cleverly in a small galley and recycle what he had. So we decided our beverage glasses should be made of recycled wine bottles, the dishes to look like hand-thrown pottery, the utensils shaped like fish, and the dessert menus should come rolled up in a bottle.”

[All of the serving items, incidentally, are available for purchase.]

Even the cocktails have related themes – like the “Descending Nelson.” Served in a sharable barrel, the red sangria is symbolic of the story of Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson who led the charge against Spanish and French fleets in 1805. Nelson died from a combat wound, and legend says sailors tried to preserve his body in a cask of rum for the voyage back to England.

However, the mariners pierced a hole in the barrel’s base and drank most of the rum. Hence the red cocktail name.

The locally fresh seafood-centric menu includes favorites like Jack’s Oysters (collard greens, Andouille and hollandaise), crab and fried green tomatoes, gator bites – and clever desserts like the toffee pudding served up in a lidded crock. But perhaps the most buzzed-about dish is the Jack Dusty signature Navy Brown Bread, baked and presented while still steaming – in a tin can. Served with rum-infused butter, it will melt your heart.

Photo left: Grouper Etouffee Photo right: Jack Dusty Oysters Upper right: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Jack Dusty Navy Brown Bread Baked in a Can Recipe: 1 cup Stone-ground polenta 2 cups Rye flour ½ cup Whole wheat flour 2 cups All-purpose flour 2 tsp. Kosher salt 2 tsp. Baking powder 2 tsp. Baking soda 1 cup Honey

½ cup Unsulfured molasses 2 ½ cups Buttermilk 5 Eggs, lightly beaten Butter, for greasing and serving Preheat oven to 350.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes in the cans.

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Luxury Living with the

Magic of Disney

By Robin Jay

When you wish upon a star … dreams come true

For affluent families who dream of living at Walt Disney World®, the dream has come true at Golden Oak, the exclusive luxury master-planned resort community of single family homes. This one-of-a-kind homeownership resort development blends world-class architecture with Florida’s natural environment, artfully designed with exquisite attention to quality and detail.

A private retreat for its residents, Golden Oak offers dedicated concierge-style resident services and inviting amenities. Architectural styles were chosen and meticulously developed to create a genuine sense of luxury fitting with the timeless traditions of Old World and Old Florida influences. A select group of expert custom homebuilders was chosen to build homes that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

“I recently toured the showcase homes at Golden Oak at Walt Disney Resort and was impressed by the privacy and the many

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features – like the proximity to the championship golf course designed by Tom Fazio and the concierge-like service that my family is accustomed to when visiting Walt Disney World,” said Mark Blackburn, associate publisher of South Florida Opulence.

Special services include door-to-door transportation, extra magic hours at the parks, dining reservations, even merchandise delivery. Homeowners will also enjoy Summerhouse, a private social and recreational club for its members and their guests.

Homeowners who close before December 31, 2013, will receive a complimentary Golden Oak VIP pass valid for three years for up to five members of the household. Each member can bring up to four guests daily to the Walt Disney World theme parks.

For more details about the homeownership opportunities at Golden Oak, go to www.disneygoldenoak.com or call (407) 939-5577.

Interior Design, Architectural Services and Construction Management

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The Greatest Magician

the World Has Ever Known

By Rory Feldman

hen asked to name a great magician, the first name to come to most people’s minds is Harry Houdini. His legacy has managed to last long after his death in 1926; there’s even a musical based on his life coming to Broadway.

Magician Howard Thurston But within the magic community lives the story of the true legend, Howard Thurston (1869-1936). Although Houdini emerged in his last years with only one attempt at a full evening show of magic, exposé of mediums and escapes, he should be best remembered as an escape artist and a flamboyant showman. In contrast, Thurston was a performer so great, that a magic historian once summed up the distinction between Thurston and Houdini by saying, “Houdini has to go out and do all sorts of wild escapes, and stunts to hold a crowd; and Thurston can do it by just walking on stage.”

A closer look

Thurston was a performer so great, that a magic historian once summed up the distinction between Howard Thurston was the greatest Thurston and Houdini by saying, “Houdini has to go out and do all sorts of wild escapes and stunts to hold a crowd; and Thurston can do it by just walking on stage.” magician and showman of his time.

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was a prestigious theater extravaganza that toured America – and was anticipated as much as Barnum’s Greatest Show on Earth.

Thurston would amaze audience members right before their eyes, with a 30-member troupe of dancers and assistants. They traveled by an eight-car train filled with more than 40 tons of illusions, scenery, animals, costumes, and they stunned audiences with a two-hour performance twice a day overflowing with music, humor, color, and the stunning impact of a master magician.

Passing mantles of magic Inspired by a performance of the great magician Alexander Herrmann (18441896), Thurston began performing sleightof-hand acts in the street, which turned into a career, playing the biggest theaters all over the world. Then in 1908, Harry Kellar, the most famous magician of his time (1849-1922) passed “the mantle of magic” to Thurston when he retired. Soon after, posters for Thurston’s show read,

“Mr. Kellar says: Thurston is the greatest magician the world has ever known.”

In fact, at one time in his career, Thurston’s catch phrase was “King of Entertainers, and the Entertainer of Kings.” He was known to have performed for Presidents Roosevelt and Coolidge, as well as Shahs and Czars from as far as Siam.

Some feats of prestidigitation in Thurston’s show included floating Princess Karnac in mid-air; making a horse disappear; sawing a woman in half, pulling cards, fish, and doves out of thin air; and vanishing a lady in a box after impaling her with 11 swords – eventually he made her reappear.

He also had the uncanny ability to make an audience member’s selected card rise from the deck.

Actor and director Orson Welles, who had seen Thurston perform in person, said of him, “He was the master… the finest magician I’ve ever seen.”

Howard Thurston (front row center) with his magic show cast.

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Thurston performs his “saw-a-lady-in-half” trick. in total, although today there is only 1 known to exist. The box came filled with a magic trick, chocolate taffy, and a coupon that could be redeemed for a more advanced magic trick. Thurston described his books and Magic Box of Candy as “two of the greatest educators of magic extant, with the exception of my show which has done more to popularize magic than anything in the world since the retirement of [predecessor magicians] Herrmann and Kellar.”

Historic Thurston Promotional Poster from 1915.

Influencing present-day magicians

Many magicians during Thurston’s time were doing similar magic, but it was Thurston who truly stood out as the greatest. After all, the secret to his success wasn’t the magic being performed — Thurston himself was the magic.

As a young magician striving to develop my own act, the advice I received most often from older magicians was, “If you want to be the best, you have to learn about the best.” They all pointed me in the direction of Thurston, calling him the most accomplished and respected in his day.

In my search to learn about the man behind the magic, I became an accidental collector, starting with books about the magician and quickly learning that he was also a radio personality, an amateur movie star, an inventor, entrepreneur and author. His first book on card tricks, published first in 1900, reached a circulation of over 2,000,000.

And my collection of Thurston quickly expanded as I realized how much there was to learn. Today, at the age of 32, twenty-one years after I started to collect, I have amassed almost 40,000 pieces related to his life. One of my most prized items is Thurston’s Magic Box of Candy.

This promotion was a huge success, selling a million numbered boxes

The Magic Candy box came filled with a magic trick, chocolate taffy, and a coupon that could be redeemed for a more advanced magic trick. Rory Feldman owns the only known remaining box.

About Rory Feldman: Rory Feldman is the Founder and Executive Director of the Museum of Magic, a notfor-profit educational organization. He is an internationally acclaimed magician, magic collector, and historian. He is the owner of the world’s largest collection on magician Howard Thurston and in 2010 he produced a three-hour documentary titled “When Thurston Came To Town.” Feldman, along with items from his collection, has appeared in over 100 publications including The New York Times, and has been seen by millions on various television segments on such channels as PBS, A&E, and the History Channel. He is considered to be the authoritative voice on Thurston. For more information, check out. www.thurstonmastermagician.com and www.museumofmagic.org 114

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AstounDing 18th century Automaton – Mechanical Man A bygone craft revived by the Oscar-winning Martin Scorsese film, “Hugo”

By John D. Adams

F The Automaton from the movie “Hugo,” inspired by the book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” written by Brian Selznick, shown in the image on page 117.

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or more than 200 years, the draftsman has repeatedly sketched the same four drawings and three poems (two in French, one in English). He has written with quill, pencil, fountain pen… His hands appear stiff from the exertion. But wait. A metal scaffold replaces bone, while intricate systems of gold and copper cogs and springs appear to power not only the hand, but indeed, the entire body. The draftsman is not a 21st century wonder. He is a marvel of 18th century craftsmanship and dedication. His name is the “Draughtsman-Writer.” He is an Automaton.

Mechanical masterpieces Automata are, most simply, self-operating machines, like far more intricate windup toys. While Automata have existed since as far back as ancient Greece (most often used as intricate tools or children’s toys), it was during the 18th century that these amalgams of clockworks reached the pinnacle of a shockingly realistic and decorative aspect. Along the bustling cobblestone streets of Victorian London and Paris, Henri Maillardet and Pierre Jaquet-Droz, both Swiss-born watchmakers with remarkable talents, showcase their marvels to boost sales and display their expert clock-making

skills. The dexterity and realism of their human figures will even shock some who believe the dolls to be inhabited by spirits.

The mystery of the “Draughtsman”

Automaton depicting Pierre Jaquet-Droz sitting at a writing table.

Today, Maillardet’s “Draughtsman-Writer” is considered the most complex Automaton made during that golden age.

On permanent display at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, he was even the inspiration for Brian Selznick, author of “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” a popular children’s book that was turned into the Oscarwinning Martin Scorsese film, “Hugo.”

Incredibly, Maillardet’s masterpiece was part of a wealthy Philadelphia family donation in 1928. The piece had been salvaged from a fire, but was so badly damaged that museum officials had no idea what they had inherited. After extensive tinkering and cleaning, they watched as if the spirit of the centuries-dead artist guided his creation’s hand once more, penning “Ecrit par L’Automate de Maillardet,” which translates to: “Written by the Automaton of

Maillardet.” A mystery was solved; and the triumph of Maillardet’s illustrious career was reborn.

Subtlety of movement Back in 18th century France, Pierre Jaquet-Droz creates his own fantastical Automata. His “The Writer,” “The Draughtsman” (not to be confused with our “Writer-Draughtsman”) and “The Musician” are still considered scientific marvels today. Perhaps JaquetDroz’s greatest talent was his ability to imbue his Automata with the subtlety of movement that separates human from machine.

No wonder many thought he was a wizard.

“The Writer” is the most complex. He is able to write any text up to 40 letters long. He uses a goose feather to write, which he inks from time to time, including a shake of the wrist to prevent ink from spilling. His eyes follow the text being written, and the head moves when he takes some ink.

“The Draughtsman” is a young child who can draw four images: a portrait of Louis XV; a royal couple (believed to be Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI); a dog with “Mon toutou” (“My doggy”) written beside it; and a scene of Cupid driving a chariot pulled by a butterfly. He also moves on his chair and periodically blows on his pencil to remove dust.

Finally, there is the stunning “Musician.” She is a female organ player.

She actually plays a real instrument by pressing the keys with her fingers. She “breathes” (you can see her chest rise and fall), and follows her fingers with her head and eyes. She completes her performance with a bow.

Photo courtesy of the franklin institute

Even with today’s groundbreaking technology, these forefathers to modern robotics continue to delight and inspire. Perhaps it is not surprising that Maillardet’s contemporaries often suggested that his creations were controlling him, not the other way around.

Author of the book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," Brian Selznick shows the drawing done by the “Draughtsman-Writer” Automaton at the Franklin Institute.

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The Verdict is in …

By Robin Jay

I

t’s chillingly bizarre but true. For decades, German-born Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter lived in the United States under the assumed name of “Clark Rockefeller.” The now 52-yearold imposter managed to fool his social circles – including two wives – into believing he was a member of the American blueblood Rockefeller family. His grandiose tales of deceit flew under the radar for years – even allowed him membership at a prestigious Boston gentleman’s club, which catered to his every whim under the guise he was an heir to the Rockefeller fortune.

The conman’s house of cards held firm until 2008. It started to crumble when his second wife asked for a divorce, triggering the panicked “Clark Rockefeller” to kidnap his daughter. Eventually, Gerhartsreiter was captured, tried and imprisoned. But what may be the final chapter in “Clark Rockefeller’s” sham came just this past April. A judge’s gavel came crashing down again, with a jury’s verdict in California: Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was found guilty of the 1985 killing of John Sohus, the son of his then landlord.

In an ironic twist of fate, the murder conviction came with no witnesses, physical evidence or motive.

But wait. There is one man who may have the answers. Mark Seal is the author of “The Man in the Rockefeller Suit” – a book about the life of “Clark Rockefeller.” South Florida Opulence interviewed Seal about his years spent tracking, investigating and writing about this grand imposter.

RJ: Mark, what were the circumstances in which you began investigating Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, the man who posed as “Clark Rockefeller”?

Mark Seal: I first wrote about the man calling himself Clark Rockefeller in the January 2009 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, after a longtime friend in New York called me saying she’d met him in an art gallery, gone to lunch with him, and listened to his unbelievably tall (and turns out to be false) tales. “And now he’s kidnapped his daughter!” she shrieked over the phone after Rockefeller kidnapped his daughter in Boston on July 27, 2008. That night the story of the kidnapping was all over the evening news, and I was hooked. Thus began a story for the magazine, followed by the book, “The Man in the Rockefeller Suit,” and a wild five-years-andcounting journey that continues to this day.

RJ: What was going through your mind as you dug up more and more absurd details about this Rockefeller imposter?

Seal: I did more than 200 interviews with people who knew “Clark Rockefeller” for the book, following the long and fascinating trail of the people “Rockefeller” duped in various ways. Just when I thought I had heard it all – that he was the 18th Baronet of Chichester, a relative of Lord Mountbatten, the graduate of an Ivy League college (or two), a producer of the 1980s TV series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” the owner of a billion-dollar contemporary art collection, a CIA operative who fully expected to be appointed to the Federal Reserve Board and so much more – I would meet someone new who would have a whole new, and absolutely wild, story to tell.

RJ: Have you ever met Gerhartsreiter in person and spoken to him?

Seal: I did not meet him or interview him. I observed him in court during both his Boston and Los Angeles trials and spoke to people who knew him. I believe he absolutely knew what he was doing as he told story after story to increasingly wide audiences of friends, associates and, in two instances, wives.

RJ: How do you think Gerhartsreiter pulled off the 12-yearmarriage to his wife without her finding out who he was (or was not)?

Seal: I watched Sandra Boss giving her testimony during the Boston trial. She is a intelligent, poised, highly successful businesswoman. But as she said from the witness stand, she had a “blind spot” when it came to her husband. “All I’m saying is that one can be brilliant and amazing in one area of one’s life and really stupid in another,” she said during the Boston trial.

In retrospect, there are endless clues that she could have seen, but as she also said in her testimony, she grew up in Seattle, where people didn’t even jaywalk, so she couldn’t fathom that the man she married would lie not just about basic things – like who he really was – but everything.

RJ: What did you personally find most astounding as you researched and wrote your book?

Seal: That he could spend 30 years creating an array of incredible false identities, and increasingly elaborate biographies to accompany these invented lives. Now, we know why: According to the Los Angeles jury that found him guilty of murder, he was fleeing a crime that occurred decades before in San Marino, California.

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had intensified over the years, guise by guise, lie by lie, until the pitiable defendant was living in a ‘magical, insane world.’”

The jury, however, rejected the insanity defense, which leads one to believe they thought he was smart and cunning enough to know right from wrong.

RJ: Have you ever met or seen interviews with any of his actual family from Germany? Did they have any idea he was posing as a Rockefeller?

In April, a California jury convicted the "Clark Rockefeller" imposter of murdering in 1985 John Sohus, the son of his landlord. Experts speculate it was following the murder that the imposter moved to the East Coast and began his grandiose cover-up rouse as Clark Rockefeller.

RJ: Do you know if “Clark Rockefeller” ever encountered or had dialogue with a real member of the Rockefeller family and, if so, whether he was able to pull the wool over their eyes, as well?

Seal: Yes, he did, in Boston. A friend told me about the encounter: The real Rockefeller hadn’t heard of the fake Rockefeller, so the fake Rockefeller receded, without pushing his point too much – something the imposter often did when questioned too hard on anything. After his arrest in 2008 for kidnapping his daughter, a representative of the Rockefeller family told the authorities that they’d never heard of him. The advent of Google and instant online information would have hampered the advent of a Clark Rockefeller today. But remember: He was living as Clark Rockefeller until the summer of 2008, when Google and other websites had been long established.

RJ: How was the jury able to convict him on the murder charges since there were no witnesses, physical evidence or motive?

Seal: The evidence against him was apparently strong enough for the jury to convict. As to motive, I have a chapter devoted to that very subject in my book.

RJ: Do you know if Gerhartsreiter still thinks of himself as Clark Rockefeller?

Seal: I’ve been told that he does indeed still conduct himself as if he were gentry. However, he was tried and incarcerated under his real name: Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter.

RJ: Was he ever diagnosed with any sort of personality disorder?

Seal: Much time was devoted to this subject in the Boston trial.

Here’s what his own lawyer said in the Boston trial (paper 313 of the paperback of my book): “However, [defense attorney Jeffrey] Denner submitted, his client wasn’t a calculating con artist but a mentally ill individual who couldn’t tell right from wrong. He exemplified a certain ‘narcissistic personality disorder and delusional disorder, grandiose type,’ which 120

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Seal: Only two reporters, from The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald met and spoke with the family (which is now comprised only of his mother and brother) in Bergen, Germany, just after “Rockefeller” kidnapped his daughter.

When I went to Bergen and called the brother, he said, “You don’t have to go any further – the answer is no,” and then hung up.

However, as you’ll see in the book, many people in Germany knew the future imposter well – and were more than happy to talk.

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, aka “Clark Rockefeller," with his daughter Reigh, whom he kidnapped when his wife uncovered his secret and asked for a divorce.

RJ: Do you know if Gerhartsreiter has ever admitted to his lies?

Seal: As far as I can tell, he hasn’t admitted or explained anything.

And, of course, he didn’t testify at either of his trials. The almost unbelievable exploits of the man who called himself Clark Rockefeller are entertaining, as stories about imposters and con artists usually are. But the heart of the story is a tragedy. One person, John Sohus, is dead, apparently bludgeoned with a heavy object to the skull, probably stabbed six times, his remains wrapped in plastic bags and buried in a backyard; his wife, Linda, is still missing. And the imposter has been found guilty of John’s murder. John and Linda’s friends (and there are many) are relieved that justice has finally, after more than 30 years, been done. However, the young couple, just married and still in their 20s, vanished under extremely mysterious circumstances, as if caught in a plot straight out of Alfred Hitchcock, who, of course, was Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter’s, a.k.a. Clark Rockefeller’s, favorite director.

About the author of “The Man in the Rockefeller Suit”: Mark Seal is a writer of more than 35 years, first in Texas newspapers, then magazines, and is currently a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. “The Man in the Rockefeller Suit” is the second nonfiction book that he has expanded from a story he wrote in Vanity Fair; the first was “Wildflower,” about the amazing life and brutal murder of the famed Kenyan naturalist and filmmaker Joan Root. He has served as a collaborator on more than 20 nonfiction books for major publishers.

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Is the FBI

Bugging You?

By Ronald Kessler

W

hen you call repair service to report noise on your telephone line, the man who shows up could be an FBI agent wearing a telephone company uniform.

Sure enough, he will fix your line, but he will leave a tiny bug inside the phone to pick up all your conversations.

That is one small trick revealed in my book The Secrets of the FBI about how secret teams of FBI agents plant bugs in the homes and offices of terrorists, Mafia figures, spies, corrupt politicians, and foreign intelligence officers without getting caught and shot as burglars. All authorized by court order, of course.

TacOPS The teams, called Tactical Operations, consist of 10 agents each.

There are seven such teams based at an undercover site in Virginia.

When conducting covert entries, TacOps agents tranquilize guard dogs and may stage fake traffic accidents, traffic stops, or utility breakdowns to waylay occupants and security personnel. To conceal agents as they defeat locks and alarm systems, TacOps creates false fronts to houses and fake bushes that hide agents.

In conducting surveillance of a target, TacOps agents employ a range of ruses. “One day we will be Joe’s Plumbing, complete with a white work truck, company label, uniforms, and telephone number,” says Louis E. Grever, who until recently was the FBI’s executive assistant director and was on the TacOps teams for 12 years. “If called, FBI personnel will say, ‘Joe’s Plumbing, can I help you?’”

A full wardrobe of about 50 assorted uniforms hangs on racks at the TacOps Support Center near the FBI’s Engineering Research Facility at Quantico, Virginia. There, the FBI makes custom-designed bugging devices, tracking devices, sensors, and surveillance cameras to watch and record the bad guys.

When breaking into homes, offices, and even embassies to plant bugging devices, TacOps agents try to avoid using rear doors. Since they are rarely used, rear doors could be booby-trapped. So when tasked with planting bugs in a Philadelphia electronics supply company that was a front for an organized crime drug gang’s hangout, TacOps agents decided to walk in through the front door. The only problem was that across the street was a bar with outside seating.

Patrons of the bar would spot the FBI team defeating the locks and disarming the alarm system at night.

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the bus had broken down. As the FBI agent who was driving the bus lifted the hood, agents scrambled out to work on the locks and break in.

Onlookers across the street could not see them behind the bus.

Once the agents were in the target building, the bus drove off.

When the agents had finished installing electronic bugs, the bus returned to pick them up. But the bus whizzed past two inebriated customers from the bar who were waiting at a nearby bus stop.

When the bus stopped in front of the business, the two angry patrons ran for the bus and jumped in. Since the agents on the bus were from different offices, they thought at first that the two men were part of the operation.

“We get a couple blocks away, we start peeling off our equipment,” says Grever. “We’ve all got weapons on and radio gear, and these two guys are kind of sitting there going, ‘What the hell?’ They start ringing the bell. Ding, ding! They want to get off. Now the bus driver, who was from the local office, was not a very good bus driver. I think he practiced for like 20 minutes driving this bus. He was knocking over garbage cans when he made turns. He yells back, ‘Hey, quit playing with the bell! I’m having a hard enough time driving the bus!’”

Other agents on the bus began to realize that the two men ringing to get off were not with the FBI after all.

Surprise!

“One of our guys got up, and he just happened to have a shotgun hanging on the strap on his back,” Grever says. “He walks over to them and goes, ‘Do we know you?’”

Now, Grever says, “They’re really ringing that bell. And we realize these guys are not with us. So we yell up, ‘Hey Phil, stop the bus!

We’ve got a couple of riders here!’”

The driver turned around, took one look at the patrons, and realized they were not agents. Swearing, he pulled over and opened the doors.

“They get out, and we never hear a word from them,” Grever says.

“They had no clue what was going on. They just happened to get on the wrong bus.”

Ronald Kessler is The New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets of the FBI and In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect.

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By Joshua Stone

TESLA: Electrifying the Luxury Driving Experience

t

esla Motors was started with a singular purpose: “to make driving an electric car awesome.” Elon Musk, the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of PayPal, is the CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors. Along with a diverse group of Silicon Valley engineers and professionals, Musk and his team are succeeding in reinventing the electric car. Where most manufacturers so far have come out with either hybrids or low-range electric cars, the Tesla Model S, Tesla’s first high-volume car, aims to change the game. This luxury electric performance sedan has done just what it set out to do – make electric vehicles realistic.

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“We will prove that technology really works and that consumers want to buy electric vehicles,” Musk said.

The First True Luxury Electric Automobile First of all, range is terribly important to making an electric car functional. Most electric cars on the market allow for between 50 and 100 miles of range. The Tesla has a 265-mile range, more than enough for the average commute and then some. In addition, Telsa is adding Supercharger stations that will recharge 150 miles of that range in about 30 minutes. Though mostly in Tesla’s home state of

California, Supercharger stations are popping up in Delaware and Connecticut, with planned expansion throughout North America.

“Without people even having to think about it or Tesla having to physically touch the car, the free long distance travel enabled by our Superchargers will steadily improve with each passing month,” said Musk.

Tantalizing Interior The interior of the Model S is exemplary as well. It uses premium materials, a minimalist approach to design, and a whopping 17-inch touchscreen LED monitor that controls all aspects of the vehicle, as well as offering Internet connectivity and constant over-the-air computer updates from Tesla. Add all of the niceties you expect – such as two USB outlets for charging devices, a true HD backup camera, Bluetooth hands-free phone integration, seating for five adults and two children, and a svelte figure that is both aerodynamic and practical, and the Model S really starts to make sense.

“For an added bit of fun, customers in most markets will have the choice of taking home one of our Tesla Roadster sports cars when their car is in for service. Few experiences are more sublime than driving a beautiful electric sports car on a road along the ocean or through a forest with the top down on a summer day and hearing only the sounds of nature,” said Musk.

Fast and Frugal The power train of the Tesla is as revolutionary as the rest of the car, with a focus on performance and handling unseen so far in the electric car world. The Model S battery pack is mounted below the floor for an ideal center of gravity and a near 50/50 front to rear weight distribution, both quite important for vehicle dynamics. With an estimated 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds, 416 equivalent horsepower, and a top speed of 130mph, the Tesla more than competes with its gas-powered competitors.

After hearing about all of these features, one would inevitably come to the conclusion that the Fremont, California, manufactured Model S is very expensive. Tesla has engineered the vehicle and production process to keep the price competitive with current luxury vehicles, such as the BMW 7 series and Mercedes S class, while delivering an astounding 89MPGe. With a baseprice of $63,000, including a $7,500 tax incentive for personal-use buyers, approximately 20,000 Tesla Model S will be produced in 2013. The first step is to design your car at www.Teslamotors.com.

Elon Musk truly has led Tesla to make an intriguing product. It takes a visionary to engineer and produce a vehicle so drastically different. “We want people to buy the car because it’s a great car and – oh yeah – it’s electric.”

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i

n a world that emphasizes multitasking and extra-value combinations, it’s no surprise that dental care facilities are becoming destinations for those seeking top-notch practitioners within the context of a travel adventure.

The professionals at Valley Dental Arts in historic Stillwater, Minn., not only provide cutting-edge expert laboratory work, they also serve as your comprehensive travel concierge of sorts. They tend to your itinerary, arrange accommodations, set up local attraction tours, make dining reservations, schedule transportation, arrange consultations with other dental professionals around the world and manage your day-to-day schedule during your visits.

Meet the restorative, cosmetic dentistry pioneers Chuck Maragos – a leader in the field of restorative and cosmetic dentistry – is founder and CEO of the expansive dental laboratory and 65-seat auditorium that make up Valley Dental Arts. In that high-tech venue works an exceptional staff that the CEO praises for finely honed skills and professional expertise.

Valley Dental Arts has adopted the procedures pioneered by Willi Geller, a globally renowned dental technician based in Switzerland.

Geller’s innovative work revolutionized the way dental technology is practiced and aesthetic restorations are created. He is considered one of the most influential modern dental ceramists, praised for his breakthrough process of layering ceramics. Valley Dental Arts is part of Geller’s Oral Design Club, limited to the 100 best technicians in the world.

DestinationSmile

By Dale King

When Chuck Maragos opened Valley Dental Arts in 1974, “Professionals didn’t get the chance to advance themselves educationally.” So he did it himself, traveling to Zurich to work with Geller.

Valley Dental Arts also hosted Geller for tours and lectures.

Like Geller, Chuck Maragos was propelled by the desire to make certain that restored teeth are both lifelike and natural. Geller developed “Creation,” a unique line of ceramic materials that became a trendsetter in dental technology.

Dean Maragos, Chuck’s son, travels the world educating dentists about dental ceramics and how they are custom-blended for each patient. “At our lab, we use ‘Creation,’ ‘Vita’ and a dozen other ceramic types. Many are from a family-run operation in Austria. The choice of ceramic hue depends on a variety of things such as roots and colorations. Robin Jay got Ivoclar Emax porcelain for her teeth, a material from a large manufacturer in Liechtenstein.”

Let the Journey Begin Valley Dental Arts’ clinicians work with cosmetic dentist Dr. Ned Windmiller, whose office is just across the street in Stillwater, and

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periodontist Dr. Edward Gottesman in New York City. Together, they form the “Smile Dream Team.”

dentists and patients globally.

South Florida Opulence Editor-in-Chief Robin Jay discovered the “team” after meeting Dean Maragos in Bal Harbour, where his dad owns a home. “She had a nice glow, blonde hair and a regal attitude about life,” Dean says. “She was a real dynamo, but she wasn’t smiling.” Jay said her teeth had a gray shading, the result of an antibiotic that was administered at birth as a result of being several months premature.

Jay’s “Destination Smile” began with crown lengthening, a periodontal plastic surgery to lift and reshape the gumline, by Dr. Gottesman in Manhattan. “I really enjoy performing cosmetic periodontal procedures such as gumlifts because the results are immediate,” he said. “It’s so important to do this kind of gum work correctly because we are actually framing the smile. This can have a big impact on the final appearance of a smile just as the right picture frame can enhance an attractive piece of art, while the wrong one can distract you from it.”The dental professional resounds with pride about his association with Valley Dental Arts. “We work synergistically to meet and exceed patient’s expectations.”

The meeting led to Jay’s decision to have a dental makeover. Valley Dental Arts not only arranged her expert dental team in Stillwater and New York City, they also prepared her entire travel adventure. “I visited Minnesota five times and New York twice within a year,” she recalls. “I took different family members with me on each trip.” Dean arranged the interesting attractions – such as sketching at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and a tour of the historic Hill Mansion in St. Paul, a railroad baron’s 50,000square-foot compound. He took us on fascinating driving tours of Stillwater, Minneapolis and St. Paul – it was like having a personal tour guide.” In New York, “My son and I ventured all over the sites after my procedure.”

Dr. Gottesman, a board certified Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and the proprietor of “DocReels,” arranged for his film crew to document Jay’s dental and travel experiences. Video case stories are used to educate

A New Custom Smile

After her gum lift with Dr. Gottesman, Jay consulted with Dr. Ned Windmiller back in Stillwater. “I handled the prepartion, insertion and final inspection,” said Dr. Windmiller, an accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the American Society for Dental Aesthetics.

“We strive to make people as comfortable as possible.”

Jay seconded that idea. “The office was amazing; it was like a spa. They treated me like a Front row: Robin Jay, Dr. Edward Gottesman. Back row left to right: movie star. Dr. Windmiller is an Chuck Maragos, Dean Maragos, Dr. Ned Windmiller artistic perfectionist and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He would use special tools to perfect the shape of my teeth so they looked completely natural. My new smile is a dream-come-true – something I never thought possible. It has changed my life.”

professionals at Valley Dental Arts in historic Stillwater, Minn., not only provide cutting-edge expert laboratory work, they also serve as your comprehensive travel concierge of sorts.

The

For more information about planning a dental makeover and travel adventure, go to www.Valleydentalarts.com., or call 651-705-1075.

To arrange a consultation to find out what your new smile could look like, call Dr. Windmiller at 651-439-8840 or go to www.nedwindmiller.com.

And for details about a cosmetic periodontal gum lift, go to www.perionyc.com or call 212-756-8890.

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Real Estate

CSI Reaches The Pinnacle – In Sunny Isles

By Mark Blackburn, Principal, CSI Management Services

W

ith great pleasure, I personally welcome the residents of The Pinnacle to the CSI Management Services family!

The Association at The Pinnacle recently selected CSI to manage their ultra-luxury, oceanfront condominium development in Sunny Isles. The staff at CSI looks forward to providing stellar, comprehensive, five-star service with four key elements that have led CSI to the forefront of luxury residential property management in South Florida: quality, pedigree, value and trust.

Residents enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the ocean and bay. Inside, the property is brimming with luxury amenities – like semi-private elevators with key-coded cards that deliver homeowners directly to their double-door condominium entries; state-of-the-art spa-like health and fitness center, complete with steam rooms and saunas; and units with Italian cabinetry, granite countertops and other high-design features.

Word about CSI is Traveling Fast

From our family to yours, thank you. We look forward to a very long-term relationship in making your home the best it can be.

News about our highest standards of excellence in the business is making an impressive impact in Sunny Isles, as more luxury properties in this pristine community are turning to the experts at CSI when property management second-to-none is a must.

The Pinnacle is a beautifully manicured property, lush with tropical gardens, tennis courts, lagoon-style pool and Whirlpool Spa.

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We Value Your Business

Sincerely, Mark Blackburn Principal, CSI Management Services

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Condo Law

By Robert Kaye, Esq., Kaye Bender Rembaum

COURT RULES ON MANNER OF DIRECTOR RESIGNATIONS

I

n an oddly reasoned opinion, the Florida First District Court of Appeal has issued a ruling that director resignations should be in writing in order to be valid and enforceable. In the case of Pain Reduction Concepts, Inc. v. Frisbie and Paint Science Solutions, Inc., Case No 1D11-3928, April 24, 2013, the Court reviewed the resignations requirements under Chapter 607 of Florida Statutes (the Florida Corporations Act). Although community associations in Florida are subject to Chapter 617 F.S. (the Florida Not-For-Profit Corporations Act), the provisions on resignations are substantially the same in both statutes. As such, if this decision is not further appealed or there is no other appellate court ruling to the contrary, the holding of this case will have application to community associations in Florida.

Put it in Writing The Court reviewed the statutory provision that states: “[a] director may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the board of directors or its chair or to the corporation. . .“ and reached the conclusion that a resignation must be in writing, noting that the word “may” is applied to the act of resigning, as opposed to the method of delivery of the resignation. While this decision is contrary to that reached in other jurisdictions considering substantially similar statutory language (notably Delaware), there is no other reported decision on the topic in Florida. As such, until such time as there is another appellate decision or a change in the legislation, the ruling of this case is the law in Florida.

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Verbal Resignations Many associations have reported over the years that, in the heat of the moment at a board meeting, a board member verbally resigned and left the meeting, only to later claim that he or she changed his or her mind on the issue, attempting to rescind the resignation. In other instances, the resigning individual verbally quits and refuses to further participate in the operation of the community. So as to avoid potential confusion and discord on such issue in the future, should a member of the board verbally resign during a meeting or otherwise, it is recommended to obtain a written statement of the resignation from that individual. Of course, the possibility exists that a resigning individual may refuse to provide a written resignation. However, if such individual also refuses to attend meetings or otherwise participate actively as a director, significant problems for the association can exist in operating the association. Consequently, in order to best avoid the possibility of the problems that can occur, the association should consider adopting an amendment to the bylaws of the association to allow for verbal notifications, which is expressly authorized in Section 617.0141 F.S. Please contact your legal counsel for further assistance with the amendment process.

CSI Resident Profile

Robert Bucher & Alena Klenot Loving South Beach Business & Lifestyle

By Dale King

S

outh Beach residents Robert Bucher and Alena Klenot speak about their “on-the-go” lifestyle. “We live the life of 30-year-olds,” says Robert, who admits to being slightly older. Out of the condo by early morning, they may not be back until 9 p.m. – “exhausted.” Married since 2011, the couple lives in a 14th floor unit of the Continuum North Tower overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Their business acumen draws them together as they work and enjoy life in “vibrant” Miami.

Meet Robert Bucher Early in life, Toronto native Robert Bucher chose to hone his technological interests, studying engineering, physics and biomedicine. “My thesis professor had been a control engineer for NASA’s Apollo program,” he says. “When I graduated, I became a software engineer, developing the first computer control systems for nuclear reactors.”

This engineering guru took his knowledge to Silicon Valley. Initially, he designed system software for Measurex, one of the first firms to develop computer control systems. He “got to know all the greats in Silicon Valley,” Apple’s Steve Jobs among them.

Quite the technology wiz, Robert was involved in the creation of the first touch screens that are used so abundantly today on Smartphones and other devices.

His experience in software and systems technologies focused on alternative energy, advanced manufacturing, media and communication. Robert’s work in the field of robotics re-engineered “robots that made cars and turned them into robots for medical purposes."

Recently, Robert and his newly wedded wife, Alena, moved to Miami Beach, a city they felt was more conducive to their lifestyle and business aspirations. His diesel-fuel booster is skyrocketing in off-shore islands. In the Outer Antilles, use of the additive “cut the cost by 15 to 20 percent – and emissions by at least 50 percent.”

O La La! Robert and Alena have together created an interactive system called O La La designed to show women how to apply their company’s skin care products. The user can transfer an image of her own face onto a computer screen and create a new look using “virtual” technology. “We did it all in Toronto,” he says. “Now, we want to do it all again – O La La Miami style!”

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meet alena klenot Vivacious and charming, Alena Klenot has a lot to say – because her life has been touched by adventures both enlightening and dangerous.

Born in Czechoslovakia, she went “through hell” to get out of her native land which, at the time, was under Communist rule. With her then-husband, who worked at the Spanish consulate in Prague, and 1-yearold son, Jake, she managed to escape the manacles of a then-militaristic state. Her spouse’s family owned a Tatra 601 – a Czech-built, uniquely streamlined car driven only by high-ranked officials and members of the diplomatic corps – which they used to flee in “Mission: Impossible” style. (See photo of a similar Tatra car on the next page.)

They arrived in Austria where Klenot discovered that free trade happens in non-Communist nations.

She opened a shop and began dreaming of opportunities outside the Iron Curtain. “I didn’t have a bad life in Czechoslovakia.” She graduated from college, “but I felt there must be something better.

My father could not do what he wanted to do. My mother was a painter, but that was not politically correct. They made her design items such as camouflage for the army.”

Reaching Austria began Klenot’s climb from her Czechoslovakian malaise to invested entrepreneur.

Eventually, Klenot settled in Canada. Along the way, though, she honed her skills, studying with Dior, Chanel and Yves St. Laurent in Austria to master cosmetology and makeup expertise. She also studied special effects in film school in Salzburg.

From 1983 to 1988, she was a makeup artist in television, film and commercials, as well as co-owner of Model Specialty Services, a school for models.

Her cosmetology skills made her a favorite among celebrities and athletes attending Olympic Games between 1986 and 2000. In 1995, she met Celine Dion, then an aspiring Canadian singer. They bonded, she says, “Because we were both trying to learn English.”

Klenot’s creative talent soon attracted the likes of Janet Jackson, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, Cher, Paul Anka, Jason Priestley, Kurt Browning, David Foster and Scott Hamilton.

Following her final Olympic trip to Sydney, Australia, in 2000, Klenot returned to Prague and found a new, freer nation. “I went back to my roots.” She opened two spas, one at the Four Seasons Hotel, and also worked with famous Czech celebrities. Klenot discovered, somewhat to her surprise, that she had attained celebrity status of her own. She went on to broadcast her own TV show, “Makeovers,” for four years, and published a makeup book.

For a time, she journeyed back and forth between Canada and Czechoslovakia. But the travel was draining, so, in 2009, she made Canada her permanent home. Though not for long.

There, she met Robert Bucher, and they married in 2011. They are now happily ensconced as South Beach socialites.

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Perhaps Klenot’s most notable achievement since arriving in Miami is the creation of an upscale clothing and accessories shop called “Prague Princess” on trendy Collins Avenue and 13th Street.

“It’s a small, intimate boutique,” she says. “The Prague Princess” offers new and consigned articles – from many big-name

fashionistas, including pieces from a designer to the Princess of Monaco. “Young professionals can come and pay a fraction of the original price for these items.”

Giving a smile to her husband standing nearby, she says, “East and West have come together.”

Alena Klenot’s Escape Car The Tatra

By Christine Windmiller, docent of the Minneapolis Institute of Art Editor’s note: At our recent 2013 MegaYacht Gala on Fisher Island, Christine Windmiller met by chance Alena Klenot (who is featured in our condo resident profile above). Christine was intrigued to learn that Alena and her family had escaped then-Communist Czechoslovakia in a small car called a Tatra. Christine pointed out there is a similar Tatra model on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where she is a docent. She shares with us below the intriguing details…

This streamlined, eight-cylinder passenger car with air-cooled rear engine was designed for its speed and efficiency, and it comes with a colorful past.

In 1938, Nazi Germany invaded what is now the Czech Republic. Adolph Hitler is known to have loved the Tatra 87 model and is quoted as having said, “That is the car for my highways.”

Its designer, Austrian Hans Ledwinka, was at the zenith of his success at the time Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia. After the Nazis took control of the Tatra factory, the T87 was kept in production but, unfortunately, Communist rule determined the future design and production of Ledwinka’s Tatra. Displaying its ability to cruise up to 100 mph with only 75 horsepower on Germany’s new autobahns, the Tatra 87 became the favorite car of high-ranking Nazi officers and it was dubbed the “Autobahnmobil.” There were officers who became high-speed demons in the T87.

Not considering its tail-heavy body (65 percent of its weight is in the rear, 35 percent in the front), so many officers died while challenging its performance that Hitler suddenly had a change of heart, and to prevent further deaths, he banned top officers from T87 seat time. It’s a well-known fact that the T87 was then dubbed “the Czech secret weapon.”

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Condo Law

BY Donna DiMaggio berger, Esq.

Should a Board of Directors Name Names When It Comes to Delinquencies?

A reader recently asked if boards should mention the names of delinquent owners at meetings when the question is raised.

instead that the boards “discuss the names privately and just give a lump sum at the board meeting.”

Some boards handle this situation more sensitively than others, preferring to convey the information in a tactful manner. For instance, a response to “how many delinquencies do we have?” can very easily be “we currently have seven homes not paying and these files have been sent to legal.” That question does not require the disclosure of specific names or property addresses.

Naturally, this owner can contact her Representative or Senator and request that he or she change the law next year. These folks might be receptive to her request and we could see a proposal next Session which prohibits boards from disclosing the names of delinquent owners to the general membership. That is how new association laws are made each year.

What if, however, the questioner did ask the board to name names? Should they?

Once the matter has been sent to the attorney, the resulting paperwork becomes public record. Until that time, should boards alone have access to the names of the association members who are not paying their dues or should that information be disseminated to the members requesting same? Does naming names encourage folks to pay their assessments timely or is it simply designed to embarrass people?

Publishing a “dunning” list of delinquent owners is never advisable as the information can be/become inaccurate while the list is still posted. Doing so could also expose a board to potential defamation claims. However, responding to a question at a meeting from a member who has the right to know the specifics of his or her association’s financial health is a different matter entirely.

The reader who posed the question was incensed over the practice as she was delinquent in her assessments as a result of having lost her job. She asked if the law could be changed to prevent boards from releasing the names of delinquent members. She suggested

Donna DiMaggio Berger, Esq. is one of the Founding Partners of the statewide law firm, Katzman Garfinkel & Berger (KG&B), a firm that devotes its practice to the representation of community associations.

Ms. Berger can be reached directly at 954-315-0372 or via email at dberger@kgblawfirm.com.

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Condo Living

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA CHAPTER

Planning Reserves for your Association? Think about the benefits

By Andrew Rand, Director of Association Accounting at CSI Management Services The Board of Directors of a condominium association is required

by Florida statute to present a fully funded reserve budget to the membership. Unit owners, if given options by their Board, can choose to vote for less than, or even waive altogether, the fully funded amount.

Half way through the year is a great time to start planning for next year’s budgeted replacement fund and deferred maintenance expenditures. By planning now, the Association has ample time to get a full-blown reserve study or reserve study update. Your Board may also decide to prepare the estimated replacement costs and years remaining to replace each item, based on bids from licensed contractors or actual costs from recent replacements. For the preparation of the proposed budget, whether the Association estimates are calculated from a formal reserve study or from Board prepared estimates, planning now permits the reserves to be calculated appropriately according to the guidelines set out in the statutes.

It goes without saying that funding reserves enables the Association to have money when needed to replace and maintain the major replacement items when the time comes. To sum it up, the

membership either pays now as part of the operating budget or pays later through special assessments. Basically, if reserves are waived or funded less than the full amount, the Association will be less financially sound than those Associations who fund reserves.

According to John Stroemer, CPA, “In addition to having a financially sound association, there are other benefits that are widely ignored but should be considered regarding the funding of reserves. When it comes time to sell a unit, a savvy prospective purchaser – and his financing institution, if applicable – will look at the association financials to see if reserves are adequately funded. If they are not, that buyer may go down the street and buy in a building that has funded reserves. If reserves are funded, the seller will also be able to command a higher price on the unit. Furthermore, there are tax benefits to consider. Every dollar the owner pays into the reserve fund increases the basis of the unit, thereby reducing the taxable gain of the same amount. The result is the unit owner pays less income tax.”

For industry-related education events sponsored by the Community Associations Institute SE Florida Chapter, please scan the QR code at right for our Calendar of Events or visit our website at www.cai-seflorida.org

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opulence • fisher island • mega yacht gala

Social Living

AT FISHER ISLAND

2013 MegaYacht Gala on Fisher Island Benefits A Safe Haven For Newborns Our annual MegaYacht Gala on Fisher Island was a tremendous success! On behalf of South Florida Opulence Magazine, CSI Management Services and International Yacht Collection, I’d like to thank the residents, boards of directors and generous sponsors for making this year’s Gala an amazing evening of opulence for everyone.

Proceeds from the Gala benefited A Safe Haven For Newborn, which provides anonymous alternatives to abandonment through education, prevention and community involvement. Thank you to everyone who donated to help save lives.

We look forward to seeing you at next year’s MegaYacht Gala on Fisher Island!

With sincere gratitude, Mark Blackburn Associate Publisher

Members of Safe Haven for Newborns enjoying the generous support of others toward their cause.

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opulence • fisher island • mega yacht gala

Social Living

AT FISHER ISLAND

Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour Models wearing Donna Karen

Dean Maragos of Valley Dental Arts, Carlito Fuente and Rolando from Santa Maria Novella Dr. Edward Gottesman and Dr. Ned Windmiller

Opulence publisher Mark Blackburn and guests

Guests enjoying the ambiance of The Mega Yacht Gala

Servers greeting guests

Luxury cars are being viewed and enjoyed by guests Custom designed cake for South Florida Opulence

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opulence • black gala • Doral championship

Warren Henry Zinn, President and CEO of Warren Henry Auto Group, and Taylor Hicks at the Black Gala Artist Flo Rida with Lea Black

Dennis Rodman and Elaine Lancaster Sonia and Sammy Sosa

Doral Golf Course Designer Gil Hanse, Eric Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Jr. at the Cadillac Championship at Doral

Christopher M. Twardy and Ava Roosevelt at the Doral Cadillac Championship

Donald Trump chatting with Ava Roosevelt

Donald Trump on press night

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opulence • cartier • williams island • cartier

Social Living Bellini Williams Island — a Martin Z. Margulies project and the first development of the condo boom to be completed (summer 2013) — hosted an exclusive event to unveil its Artefacto-designed model and the all-new Williams Island Health Spa & Fitness Center. The event was attended by more than 150 of Miami’s elite, luxury real estate agents, clients and guests who were treated to champagne, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, live music and tours of the stunning model residence on the 7th floor (which sold after just one week on the market).

Ali Mahallati & Brandi Reddick

Tanya Brillembourg & Janet Cabada-Medina

Mark & Betty Faigenblat and Oscar Ascanio

Tracey & Ed Dykes, Owners of Weston Jewelers, in front of new Cartier Espace at Weston Jewelers

Sergio Vega, Roc Laseca, Karina Belity and Karen Starosta Glinski

Calibre de Cartier chronograph watch 1904-CH MC movement

Tank Américaine, medium model, white gold paved with diamonds

Tank Anglaise, medium model, pink gold and diamonds

Available at South Florida’s premier jeweler - Weston Jewelers located at 1728 Main Street in the Weston Town Center. For more information, please call 954-389-7990 or visit www.westonjewelers.com.

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