tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post8421159220272319610..comments2024-03-28T08:23:11.444-04:00Comments on THE BLOG: ALEX MICHAELS HAS PASSED AWAY Rumpolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380575650255695462noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-64322155044905421912022-10-06T21:12:05.808-04:002022-10-06T21:12:05.808-04:00Who took over Michael’s firm since his death?Who took over Michael’s firm since his death?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-33342879061046437582021-12-16T14:15:47.372-05:002021-12-16T14:15:47.372-05:00I loved Alex, personally & professionally. He ...I loved Alex, personally & professionally. He was a gentle, funny soul behind the bluster, who genuinely cared about his clients and the law. Alex was an outstanding lawyer;smart, fearless, ingenious in front a jury, a joy to watch in the courtroom. While I recognize not everyone felt joy when Alex walked in a courtroom, I admired that Alex was cognizant of his oft times chilly reception, but just didn't care. He was there to do his job & he did it well,consequences be damned! REG will not see the likes of Alex Michaels again and we are all the poorer for it.<br />Judy CullinanJudy Cullinanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02295097538021273511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-44408249123881526322021-12-14T15:46:25.049-05:002021-12-14T15:46:25.049-05:00R.I.P Pikachu.. You will be missed. It was a pleas...R.I.P Pikachu.. You will be missed. It was a pleasure working for you and being your friend for over 20 Years.. So many funny and crazy memories together. You will always be the best attorney in Miami with the most beautiful blue eyes like you liked to be called by us. Thankyou for everything.... LOVE ALWAYS YANE & YUSMILA.Yane & Yusmilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14219030286241786413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-36293175316515977722021-12-12T13:41:19.385-05:002021-12-12T13:41:19.385-05:00Tried a 2 month federal multi-defendant case with ...Tried a 2 month federal multi-defendant case with him. We were convinced he’d be found in contempt. He tried the s%#t out of that case and the very strict Judge loved him because he knew he loved the law and fiught within its limits for his clients. You will be missed. - Rachel Dooley. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-23941804497607170992021-12-11T12:40:55.276-05:002021-12-11T12:40:55.276-05:00Alex touched everyone because he was so good at wh...Alex touched everyone because he was so good at what he did yet was never full of himself. He did not take himself seriously and as busy as he was, he always had time to say hello and chat. He was friendly and full of mischievous humor but also so vulnerable and never afraid to be authentically human. He had a theatrical flair and genuinely liked to put on a show. He wasn't afraid to speak his truth and loved to rattle the high and mighty. He fought like hell against injustice in any form. First and foremost, he was a valiant warrior. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-91276259310396272572021-12-10T21:10:02.348-05:002021-12-10T21:10:02.348-05:00I think it is AMAZING that Alex gets 50 comments o...I think it is AMAZING that Alex gets 50 comments of sadness and praise. That is quite a tribute. <br /><br />Especially when compared to some of our Judges who passed - and they only got less than 10 comments. It says a lot about the love for Alex. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-82586690901877011162021-12-10T15:29:03.573-05:002021-12-10T15:29:03.573-05:00Enough wit deez platitudes and tributes; I just th...Enough wit deez platitudes and tributes; I just threw my thesaurus against the wall for the 10th time and scared my dog. I can talk like a snobby lawyer so I will leave you all with dis, I mean this. I request a statue similar to one paying tribute to Professor Hausler at the U. of Miami school of law courtyard. Pony up some of that federal drug fee. And a ring of honor should be put outside the Gerstein building, me and Sy Gaer for starters. Better yet dis building is bullsheet and should be torn down and name the library after me because I spent so much time in the library during my career. And all you people wining over my passing, you are bumming me out. I'm having a ball in heaven, I'm taking money from the apostles left and right in speed chess.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-54499877595938353252021-12-10T10:01:48.052-05:002021-12-10T10:01:48.052-05:00I was shocked to hear of Alex’s death.
I worked wi...I was shocked to hear of Alex’s death.<br />I worked with Alex initially when he was<br />An Assistant State Attorney under Janet Reno<br />When I worked as a Detective/Investigator.<br />Alex was always very friendly and professional<br />And often talked about his growing up in Romania.<br />I later met with him on several occasions, when he<br />was a Defense Attorney representing clients that<br />I had investigated and arrested. Several years later,<br />I ran into Alex at JFK Airport in New York, while<br />waiting for a flight to Detroit to visit my parents.<br />I was surprised that Alex remembered me by name,<br />and picked-up where he had left off several years prior.<br />Rest in piece my friend, you Mad Romanian!<br />Roger S. Kernicky<br />Retired Narcotics Agent/Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office<br />and Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement<br />Administration/Miami Field Division/West Palm Beach<br />District Office.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-557103820588444362021-12-10T00:45:32.701-05:002021-12-10T00:45:32.701-05:00Phil, I worked for Alex and he always spoke so hig...Phil, I worked for Alex and he always spoke so highly of you. He really adored you and thought you were an exceptional lawyer and good friend. I hope you find peace and comfort in knowing how much he admired, respected and cared for you. Akinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-24289402794044897372021-12-09T19:02:45.096-05:002021-12-09T19:02:45.096-05:00Roger S. Kernicky
I had the unique opportunity to ...Roger S. Kernicky<br />I had the unique opportunity to work with Alex as both an Assistant State Attorney<br />when he worked for Janet Reno and being deposed by him when he was a Defense Attorney<br />during my time in Miami-Dade County as a Detective/Criminal Investigator. Alex always treated me <br />fairly and with respect. Alex always had numerous stories about growing up in Romania under oppression.<br />Years later I ran into Alex at JFK Airport in New York, when I was between flights. Alex remembered me and<br />picked up where he had left off years earlier, and never skipped a beat!<br />Alex was always a true professional. I was shocked of hear of his passing, and know he will be missed!<br />Rest In Peace my friend…..<br />Roger S. Kernicky<br />Retired Agent with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office/Retired Task Force Officer<br />with the Drug Enforcement Administration/ Miami Field Division/<br />West Palm Beach District Office.Roger S. Kernickyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02816280500332426673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-65022183380630071312021-12-09T11:43:44.769-05:002021-12-09T11:43:44.769-05:00I join in with the many tributes to Alex. He was ...I join in with the many tributes to Alex. He was unique in every way. Tempered by a tragic series of events in his life, he rose above the fray and became one of the greatest advocates ever to walk the halls of the Gerstein Building. Too bad that building has no sense of history because he is worthy of a star status. So many giants have walked those corridors in my 48 years in that building. I am proud to have had Alex as a friend. And, he was truly one of the giants.Theodore Mastoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17739369898788566429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-52036103201442843352021-12-09T10:02:03.630-05:002021-12-09T10:02:03.630-05:00Fake Alex must continue on. Obviously Alex is wat...Fake Alex must continue on. Obviously Alex is watching from above and talking shit about all our fine judges on a daily basis. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-59793353028180168302021-12-09T09:01:10.586-05:002021-12-09T09:01:10.586-05:00I didn't like the bad Alex, the one that was r...I didn't like the bad Alex, the one that was rude and angry in Court, but I liked the man behind the mask. I knew him as a young prosecutor at Juve, passionate and intense. He grew up in a crushing political system, escaped to the west and came to America. He educated himself and became a loving husband and father, only to be tortured by her untimely death, and survived that to raise his teenage son. Some things aren't fair and the arc of his life was not entirely either. But it was a life I will remember and grieve for.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-65858407802685624462021-12-09T05:39:59.814-05:002021-12-09T05:39:59.814-05:00One morning, Alex was in court awaiting his turn l...One morning, Alex was in court awaiting his turn like the rest of us, while a pro se couple were pleading to the judge not to allow the state to call their little child as a witness against a gang of armed home-invasion robbers. The boy had been playing with his friends in the block where the robbery took place and had seen the robbers and had picked up a gun that the robbers had dropped as they fled. The ASA insisted that the kid was an essential witness and had to testify but the parents were obviously terrified of being attacked or killed by the defendants' gang. Alex was listening and said "That's bullsheeet", walked to the podium and offered to represent the child pro bono to quash the state subpoena. The ASA accused Alex of "soliciting" because the parents had not asked him for his services, but after a few minutes, agreed to strike the kid from the witness list.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-80018000318110330392021-12-08T21:50:56.744-05:002021-12-08T21:50:56.744-05:00Alex knew how to make everyone feel special. He wa...Alex knew how to make everyone feel special. He was so easy and generous with his compliments. Even if in other contexts made by others they might have felt extremely inappropriate, it always was fine with Alex. That's because he had a heart of gold and was so compassionate and loving deep down. I always loved running into him. A young ASA I assumed did not even know him said she was distraught and had yelled out loud when she heard the news. I commiserated with her and she said, "I mean, who's gunna tell me I'm hot all the time now??" Of course, she was joking, but it was so perfect. It's just SO Alex. I have to now reckon with the fact that I was not the only girl he flirted with or called princess ;) My friend told me after his passing that he always called her his Syrian Princess. Oh Alex, you charmer. It just makes me smile how you spread your love around. Thanks for being bold, loving, expressive, working with such passion, and even though you made things "personal" it was never REALLY personal. Everyone who knew you well enough knew that. I will miss you and I am so sorry I wasn't able to say goodbye. I echo the sentiments of sadness and dimness in the courthouse without you. What a loss for the justice system and Miami overall. You will remain in our hearts and minds and you should rest easy as you did what everyone hopes to accomplish in life - you made an impact. You lived many lifetimes in one. You should be so proud, just as I know you made proud your family and best of friends. My love to you and them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-2114853609502530442021-12-08T14:19:59.511-05:002021-12-08T14:19:59.511-05:00Walk into the building for an early coffee and sit...Walk into the building for an early coffee and sitting with Alex for just 10 minutes started your day with a smile. Loved that guy for over 35 years. MJB without him will never be the same. Jonathan Blecherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18212366744590307806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-82336096925108906702021-12-08T14:01:43.334-05:002021-12-08T14:01:43.334-05:00Very sad about Alex’s passing. His sense of humor...Very sad about Alex’s passing. His sense of humor, kindness, warmth and generosity are what I will miss the most. Great guy. May he RIP.<br />Brian McCormackAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-71868876509907474112021-12-08T13:25:27.213-05:002021-12-08T13:25:27.213-05:00When our sistet met Alex we knew she had met her m...When our sistet met Alex we knew she had met her match and she knew how to keep him grounded. Sadly he leaves behind his pride and joy his son Jacob. Thank you all for sharing the stories and memories. We truly appreciate the kind words. Mary Varaitis on behalf of the Varaitis Familynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-7044257739393463592021-12-08T12:57:07.060-05:002021-12-08T12:57:07.060-05:00I did not have the pleasure of knowing Alex person...I did not have the pleasure of knowing Alex personally, but I admired his bulldog courage and utter fearlessness. I loved watching him in court, manhandling the prosecution and filling the room with his presence. He struck me as someone whose gruff demeanor hid a sensitive soul. Reading these heartfelt tributes, I wish I had known him better or had the opportunity to work a case with him. The REGJB is a smaller, darker place without Alex Michaels.<br /><br />RIP<br /><br />Adriana Collado-Hudak<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-13702065498837788442021-12-08T12:37:09.347-05:002021-12-08T12:37:09.347-05:00I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Alex Mi...I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Alex Michaels. I remember him well from our days in the State Attorney's Office. He was a remarkable person, with a remarkable personal story, escaping a repressive Communist regime by swimming across a river. He exhibited a level of determination and perseverance rarely seen, even in trial lawyers, while also having a kind and gentle side to him. Rest in Peace, Alex. <br /> David Troyernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-15807403599356095352021-12-08T11:56:29.179-05:002021-12-08T11:56:29.179-05:00Due to the nature of the comment and how we both e...Due to the nature of the comment and how we both ended up there, I will keep this anonymous. The first time I met Alex was in an anger management class run by the bar. There was this girl complaining about a Judge who referred her to the bar. After she finishes her rant, Alex says "'Dis is boolsheet!" The girl says "I know! Right?" He says "No! Your story 'da boolsheet! Your calendar is your responsibility." The rest of the class was comic gold!<br /><br />We were never close, but he was very kind to me and always said hello when we crossed paths.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-74812150030079585552021-12-08T09:20:57.135-05:002021-12-08T09:20:57.135-05:00Hate to say it but I think the time on suspension ...Hate to say it but I think the time on suspension and away from the hustle of the REG had a real negative impact on Alex’s health. When he finally came back, it was pretty clear that his health had really deteriorated while away.<br /><br />Rest In Peace friend Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-66692511006905482912021-12-08T09:05:56.920-05:002021-12-08T09:05:56.920-05:00So much better when you write as Phil. Thanks for ...So much better when you write as Phil. Thanks for the post. I hope your friend did not suffer in death. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-51412377505340435332021-12-08T08:49:29.130-05:002021-12-08T08:49:29.130-05:00Rest in Peace Alex! Beneath his very rough exteri...Rest in Peace Alex! Beneath his very rough exterior I knew him as a kind and gentle soul. He will me missed!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02322986519465160722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19039943.post-52055332793833503312021-12-08T06:45:51.966-05:002021-12-08T06:45:51.966-05:00I have been too overcome with grief to even bring ...I have been too overcome with grief to even bring myself to read these comments until this morning. I cannot add much. Fearless? No lawyer was more fearless. Dedicated ? Perhaps maybe even too dedicated. A good friend and loyal? No. A great friend. And more loyal than I can say. Funny? More than we can imagine. A true zest for life. Devoted to his parents and his son, who as many have pointed out, he had to raise alone because of the devastating tragedy of the death of his wife. <br />I’ll never meet another Alex in a dozen lifetimes. I watched in awe as a young ASA as he prowled Judge Norman Gersten’s courtroom during the day and then caroused all night. <br />Did you know Alex was a Francophile? He spoke French. He would sit with my wife Jackie - another Francophile- and discuss obscure French writers in French. And as I say there not understanding anything he would slyly say thy were making plans to elope to Paris. <br /><br />One day I walked into the Dade County jail and heard “pheel…. Pheel” and saw him in the holding cell on the first Floor. Thinking he was seeing a client, I waved distractedly until he said “No. I’m in here.” with a sheepish grin. It is a long story that ended well. I think of him every time I walk into that jail. <br />I play some poker. But Alex was playing at a different level. No surprise to learn that as a young man he hustled chess and backgammon in the parks of NYC. We had a memorable dinner in Vegas one night. Check had to be a thousand bucks with wine. I couldn’t even leave a tip even after showing him my pockets were stuffed with poker winnings. He was generous to a fault. <br /><br />I’m not sure I want to work in a courthouse where there is no possibility of ever hearing “pheel” again and seeing my friend and having a cup of coffee as my blood pressure rises as he tells me a new tale of his antics and figuring out how I can help him out of another mess. And yet. He won more murder trials than anyone else I ever met. <br /><br />He is and always will be my friend. I will miss him greatly. <br />Phil Reizenstein Phil Rnoreply@blogger.com