COURTHOUSE ICON AARON AABA HAS PASSED AWAY

Prominent bondsman, successful entrepreneur, tastefully ostentatious and everybody’s good buddy,  Aaron Aaba passed away after a long illness, he was 74.

Initially,  Aaron was his stage name since he was born “Manny Chaykin”,  but took the beginning-of-the-alphabet moniker when involved in marketing (usually getting first in line while advertising in the phone book). However, the pseudonym replaced his birth name and he was, absolutely, “Mr. Aaron Aaba”.  

For four decades, the Miami Beach native was a major player in the world of bail bonds especially in the 70’s through the 90’s …and he made boat loads of  money. He was there when Miami was a sleepy little town, during the lucrative Cocaine Cowboy days, a major player during the boom times for criminal law in the crazy 80’s, as well as continuing to run the contemporary Bailbonds.com and BailMiami. His role of being a  “bondsman”  was quite distinguishable from what you might see today since he was just as much there for the lawyers as he was for the client. Writing bonds without collateral, allowing clients to go into a payment plans, substituting his bond and replacing lecherous sureties' bonds trying to rip off a client (that used to be not uncommon) , assembling  Nebbia packages, arranging transportation for the clients and trying his hardest to make the lawyers look as good as possible were all part of his regular “white glove” treatment. I once had two clients with $ 750,000.00 bonds that he was willing to write for deep discounts (when you own your company you can do whatever you want) which means there was a tremendous bond reduction…without a judge having to grant a bond reduction!  His objectives were always to accommodate the client and the defense lawyer.

Aaron was so much more than just a bail bondsman…he was among the most affable and generous persons that I had ever met. If he was friends with you ( or even a mere acquaintance) and he crossed paths with you at an eatery, he’d pick up your tab without any expectations for anything in return…he’d pick up a tab and not even tell the recipients that he just paid for their meal.   When I would go out to lunch with him, if he saw a fellow familiar face at that restaurant, he would always ask the food server to bring him the bill.  In the world of business, whatever he touched turned to gold; real estate, bail offices, beeper stores, window replacement businesses…he invested his money wisely. Perhaps one of his biggest ventures was being a major partner in the establishment and running of the internationally renowned Ultra Music Festival. He was quite charitable and an active participant in the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club. 

I originally met Aaron (of course at the courthouse cafeteria), not because of the  bail bond business, but because I was an exercise fanatic and he, being a bit of a portly fellow,  wanted to discuss nutrition and health. And , thus, a wonderful relationship developed. 

Some aspects of the South Florida criminal justice system have dramatically changed, including a bail bondsman acting as a contemporary of the lawyers. Aaron regularly held court in the courthouse cafeterias and socialized all morning long (which was a great networking strategy).  He not only buddied up to the defense bar, he was friendly and trusted by many of the prosecutors, law enforcement and judiciary.

Aaron was an instrumental hallmark in the justice building for well over 40 years and absolutely deserving, if it existed, of a star on a justice building  “walk of fame” . He was a fun loving guy, always with a smile on his face, a big  supporter for anybody’s cause and a trusted and dedicated friend. If there is a heaven, he’ll be there…  dressed in a suit (always with the jacket on), decked out in an over-opulent Rolex, gaudy pinky ring, cruising in a convertible Bentley (with vanity license plate) and inquiring if stone crabs will be served.

May he rest in peace.