I am sad to see the passing of Louie
Casuso, he was a major player in his day, yet he was always humble and
friendly. If you work at this building long enough, it is inevitable that many
of your contemporaries will come and go. So many have passed through the doors, scratched-up
elevators, continuously broken escalators, and perpetually smelly bathrooms
(the one on the first floor has a permanent urine stench) of the Metro Justice building.
The curse of criminal law is that,
usually, once you are gone, you are gone…and quickly forgotten. There is a
problem with the preservation of history as to people that made a big difference
in this decrepit old building. Here are
some names that deserve recognition and preservation through the beloved halls
of this trailer park of court houses.
Note, this is hardly an exhaustive list so add your favorites. I didn’t work at the PD’s office, so I have a lack of familiarity. I’m also embarrassed that I have no females on here; there are tons of fantastic female attorneys yet they’re all pretty much classy and not that controversial. This is not so much focusing on a list of the best lawyers but, rather, I am concentrating on extremely memorable characters . Lastly, I’m drinking a big bottle of Chimay Blue so the quality and cohesiveness of my writing may diminish the further on you read
1. Sy Gaer- What a character this man was! He was a stereotypical New Yawker that was a cantankerous trial animal. He had as many clients as he wanted. He never took discovery, didn’t assemble files yet he had to have tried more cases than anybody…possibly in the whole universe. When you’ve tried more than 500 (I’m guessing this number) cases, you must become extraordinary at it. Sy beat a lot of excellent ASA’s. If you were a newbie ASA or APD, at first you were offended by this man (he had carte blanche to do anything in the courthouse). Once you were able to know him, he was, by far, the most interesting lawyer in the courthouse.
2. Judge Henry Vidal- He wasn’t on the bench that long, but he developed into a top-notch criminal judge…and then, so quickly, he passed away. He was a budding star.
3. Richard Sharpstein-He was the best of the best; brilliant, so persuasive, a killer trial lawyer and was as successful as anybody. Despite how accomplished he was, he could socialize with the elite or with the janitor…he had unbelievable people skills…everybody loved Dicky Sharpstein
4. Judge Calvin Mapp- Nobody trained new ASA’s and APD’s better, and with more enthusiasm than him. He wrote a criminal law book that was sold at the building’s snack stand; if you cited it, you earned serious brownie points with his rulings.
5. APD Carl Vizzi- When I was a young ASA, I jumped into a trial with an older ASA but, there was a lack of proper preparation, and we were up against Carl Vizzi…big mistake…one wrong move and he took that wrongful move and shoved it really deep up your rear end. He taught me to always anticipate your opponent’s every move.
6. State Attorney Janet Reno- I had the privilege to work for her. The first thing she said to our new class of ASA’s was to stress to “protect the innocent”. She was as classy as she was personable but most of all, she stood for JUSTICE. Her tenure brought Miami’s criminal justice system into an elite class.
7. Bondsman Barry Hodus- There was a time when being a bondsman could be quite lucrative and when it was, they were able to get know all the players since they were always in the courthouse. He had a ultra-baritone voice like Froggy from the Little Rascals. He was always in the court house and always looking to befriend anybody in order to increase his clientele.
8. ASA/ Div Chief David Stern- David was a regular guy and didn’t try to impress anybody. He was sincere and big-hearted which may have interfered a bit, especially since he was the division chief before one of the more volatile judges. David was especially loyal to his ASAs but infinitely fair. There were always lively discussions in the hallways since he was the epitome of a hands-on division chief.
9. ASA Paul Mendelson- Paul was in the legal department ( I think he became the chief). The State Attorneys Office legal department offers definitive (at least to them) legal opinions concerning important issue on their pending cases. Paul was one of the nicest people that you could ever deal with.
10. Judge Robert Pineiro-Everything that any lawyer ever wished a judge would do, Rob did it all. If you were to build a perfect, criminal law judge, it would have been him.
11. Judge Tom Carney- He looked like an assistant manager for Payless Shoes in his short sleeve dress shirts and 50’s era hair style. However, he was a trial machine, an originator of the “back up division” where all he did was try cases. He was a real nice guy, a regular guy but don’t pull any funny stuff!
12. Judge Arthur Snyder- Trial by lie-detector test
13. Judge Ellen Morphonious- I swear I’m not lying, when you had a trial in front of her, she informed the lawyers to pick the jury on their own and then inform her when they are done.
14. The mid
90’s era ASA that had an affair with the super-hot Russian tennis star
29 comments:
PS. Judge Arthur Snyder was not a “great.” He did very bad things off the bench and was fortunate to not be prosecuted. Enough said.
Nice work Phil
Rumpole, was that super hot tennis star named Martina Hingis or Anna Kournikova?
Hingis was a stalking victim who banged her prosecutor who dressed like captain stubin. I remember. He was a very conservative old chap who feel in love and gathered all the money he could to be with her until she left him for road kill. Great days.
Hingis.
Add Ira Dibitski. A/k/a. "Count Dracula"
I believe the ASA who dated Martina Hingis was Christopher Lynch. U haven't mentioned some other 1970s regulars, such as Steve Bronis and Steve Mechanic. Wonder whatever happened to them.
I believe the ASA who dated Martina Hingis was Christopher Lynch. You also haven't mentioned 2 other 1970s regulars like Steve Bronis and Steve Nechanic. Wonder whatever happened to them.
Hingis who was a Swiss-Czech player and nothing like Anna Kournikova who is smoking.
Anyway the ASA in question, whose name I don't recall, quit his prosecutor job to travel the international tennis circuit with Ms Hingis. After about three weeks she dumped him, he came home and no one ever heard of him again.
zzzzzzz
You are quite correct with how Morphonious picked a jury. I was a young CLI doing an internship with the Dade SAO in the early 80's assigned to her division. A case (3rd F) I was handling 2nd chair was called to trial. Both parties were present, the bailiff brought in the panel, the judge gave some preliminary instructions, then told the state and defense to come get her when we had picked a jury. She then got up and went to her chambers. An hour or so later, we went to her chambers and told her we had a jury, and she came back and began the trial. Seemed perfectly normal to me. Fast forward 9 months later. I'm trying a MM in Broward. As the panel was coming in, I smartly asked the judge if he was sticking around for voir dire. He looked at me like the inexperienced rookie I was and responded with "Where do you think I'm going?" 35 years and 125+ trials later, I've never picked a jury without the judge present. Morphonious was one of a kind, in more ways than one.
Judge Henry Vidal was a wonderful man. Great friend. Outstanding lawyer and judge. Not many like Henry. May he R.I.P 🙏 and may his memory be a blessing 👍 💪
Here's a name from the past Teddy Mastos will remember- Carol Ann Guralnick.
A woman with class and style. Was an ASA and had her small little government office professionally decorated. Used to park her Porsche right in front of the court house and just pay all the tickets. A trial lawyer who had a great future in front of her but died tragically in an accident, and yes I know all of the details.
Tom Carney was indeed a great judge. He made his bones representing Publix from lawsuits filed by people who claimed to "slip on a grape," so he knew a thing or two about trying a case. I had only been a Division Chief in the SAO for a couple months when the judge I was assigned to transferred to Civil and was replaced by Judge Carney. Immediately, more senior DCs tried to elbow me out of there, but I was allowed to stay. One day, we were standing in the hallway and he said how glad he was to be trying criminal cases because the lawyers were so much more professional. Never having considered the REGJB to be a bastion of professionalism, I said, "Really?" He said, "Oh yeah. Dave, over here, you're only fighting over life and liberty. On Flagler Street, they're fighting over money." Great judge and a great human being. And a pretty good golfer, so I'm told.
The original riverboat gambler Stu Mishkin. No case was too big, no fee was too big, no meeting with a new client anywhere at any time was out of the question. Gave great opening statements, but it kinda went downhill from there. Stylish with a pipe and the latest convertible Mercedes, gave off a Hugh Heffner vibe with the pipe and stylish ascot. Shoes and nails always shinned. Latest Versace or Tom Ford Tie. First guy to show up in the REGJB in the power double breasted suit. Loved the three-piece vest look. Had to keep money counters in a locked "count room" working 24-7 some weeks because of all the cash he took in. Had his own table at the best restaurants of the era- held court at the Forge on the beach Friday nights, and Joes during season on Saturday nights. Yet I'd see him on Biscayne eating the Dennys Grand Slam most mornings before heading to court to do yet another bond hearing. Dropped more money at the Zena store in Bal Harbour than a dozen circuit court judges made. Always picked up the tab when out, even if he just saw you eating and wasn't with you. Generous to a fault.
Ooozed class, quoted at length from obscure English reported cases from the 1800s and was a Spinoza devotee of some renown. Turned down a dozen federal judgeship nominations but always managed to keep his name in the mix.
A renaissance man about town when this town was something to talk about. Miss him.
ALEXANDER MICHAELS
430, she just needed a AAA card.
People sadly do not realize that 4:32 David Troyer, was THE chief of narcotics for Janet Reno in the 1980s! an ASA OG who was and is a legend in the drug war cases tried in the REGJB back when it was just known as the Justice Building. It is always gratifying when he checks in and he is spot on about Tom Carney BTW
Peter Baraban, Mike Gold, Judge Robert Kaye, Judge Herbert Klein, Judge Matty Bell Davis, Judge Ralph Ferguson, Roger Angel, Joseph Navaro, Henry Carr, Judge Al Sepe, Judge Goodman, Joe Durant, just to name a few from the past.
Former 90's-2000's ASA here. Chris Calkin was the ASA that hooked up with Hingis. Chris was a real good guy and a good lawyer. Former Michigan Highway Patrol. Nice as can be.
Found himself in an a awkward situation with Hingis, but what the heck. Did nothing wrong and everyone knew it, but was persecuted by the stalker's lawyer Frank Abrams, who went way over the edge for some shitty publicity and his quest to trash an good ASA. Judge Emas presided over the bullshit show Abrams put on and called him and his nutjob client out on it.
Chris left the Dade SAO, went to Wimbledon and then and went to Tampa.
Chris Calkin was a very nice guy..kind of a Clark Kent type but Hingis was just too big a star..sure he's doing well now
Carol Guralnick was married to Ron Guralnick. She was a flamboyant woman who even had her own radio program. Judge Morphonios took Carol under her wing and had Carol lived, she could have been a star at whatever she did. Tremendous natural talent lost way too soon. And yes, I know all the details. I used to visit her when she was in a coma, hoping she would wake up. Her parents finally disconnected her from life support machines.
Stu Mishkin was my lawyer in the 80s. He pulled my bacon from the fire more times than I can count, plus a few trials in Broward that he won. He was like a cross between James Bond and Carey Grant, with a little Jim Carrey. RIP SM
March 21 @ 9:26
That's Joe Nazario,
My first division chief in county court.
1972
He was the king of CONSUMER FRAUD prosecution as it was called then.
The late John Hogan should be added to the list. A superb lawyer, a man of his word and a gentleman, he was a bright star at the SAO and deserves mention.
Joe Nazario was a funny guy. I recall he would draw really great cartoons and pictures as we had drinks at the old Holiday Inn. I think he also played the piano. Not a typical ASA for sure.
There was no one bigger than Bagels Newman in the criminal defense field in the 80s. I know a lot of us were jealous Mishkind got him as client. Certainly it made Weiner Robbins Tunkey Ross nuts. They had a pow-wow asking how he nabbed Bagels right from under them and their team of runners who brought them cases.
That being said, I don't remember him as the fashionista everyone is saying he was.
I do remember the pipe. So yeah, a small Hugh Heffner vibe was I guess possible.
John Hogan makes my ASA HOF any day. And the nicest guy in the world as well. I loved dealing with him. I don't remember anyone ever having a bad word to say about him. Janet trusted him implicitly. and he handed Roy a big loss in Lozano I. But of course, Roy got the last laugh when the case was reversed and transferred to Orlando I believe.
The build up for that case was Ali/Frazier like as I recall. The Herald did profile articles on the lawyers, and the media was intense.
This was a great post with outstanding comments. It's good to remember folks from the past. I would add Gregg Toung, Paul Kaminsky. Dayana Nogareda, Erica Gerstin, and Darryl Thompson from the Public Defender office.
I have fond memories of Sy Gaer. Being an earlier rise, I would have breakfast with Sy several times a week. There were many levels to Sy.
He was a forward observer in the Army during the Korean War....a dangerous job indeed. He was in front of the front lines calling in coordinates for artillery.
Sy was gregarious sometimes but often contemplative when he was not in the courtroom. He was well read in terms of literature and would sometimes discuss the novels he read. "Heart of Darkness by Conrad was a favorite of his.
Honestly, I never saw Sy angry or upset at anybody.....any judge or ASA. He was even tempered.
Sy suffered with cancer and worked almost to the end. During one of our breakfasts he excused himself to go to a courtroom. After a while he did not return so I went looking for him. He was curled up on a pew type bench in one of the courtrooms.
Good memories of some wonderful people.
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