They just dont make em like Don Aronow anymore. Collecting his children from summer camp, and not returning to the family home, the 34 year-old arrived in Florida with a $2 million retirement fund. Lillian is Aronow's second wife -- a former Palm Beach socialite, heiress and high fashion model. Their son is menswear designer Adam Kimmel; His second wife was former Wilhelmina model, Lillian Crawford, 24 years his junior. Don Aronow called his new boat the Formula. A certain nostalgia colours memories of the 1970s as a time of the gentlemanly marijuana business. His earliest memory was riding home in the richly leathered back seat of his father's limosine, listening to the strangely anxious voices of his parents talking in the front of the car. He was the wealthiest in the field, but he died tragically, and it took 20 years for the prosecution to convict him. [1] In 1953, he established his own construction company, the Aronow Corporation which quickly became one of the largest construction companies in the state. Don did not enjoy boating. Don and I had had a meeting to discuss my salary. Brown: Shirley was his first wife. Lipschutz: I never had any inkling that Don was involved in something illegal. While limiting your liability, all while adhering to the most notable state and federal privacy laws and 3rd party initiatives, including. I was a little hesitant to move to Miami, because my view of it was straight out of Miami Vice. The beginning of the film tells the tale of Don, who relocates to Miami in order to win every prize. I went over there and he had holes all over him. Everyone who knew legendary Cigarette founder Don Aronow has a story to tell about him. Her father was extremely wealthy and Don once told me he was going to take Shirley to California if the old man didnt cut him into the business., Michael Aronow After he was working with the family for a few years, he went off on his own and started building homes, then shopping centres and industrial parks all over northern New Jersey. Bush back-pedalled out of there as fast as he could. His face flushed with excitement, Don Aronow launches into another one of his stories. [1][2] In 1959, at age of 32, the now-millionaire Aronow moved to Miami with his family, where he began racing boats as a hobby.[2]. At his funeral, Doc Magoon gave the eulogy, and at one point he said Don was a mans man, and he paused, and then he said, and he was a ladies man. And everybody looked around the room at all of the known mistresses that were sitting there. "And all of a sudden I was in the powerboat business.". This was December of 86. Adam and Leelee Sobieski also gave Don a great-granddaughter, Louisanna Ray Kimmel. Back in those days [criminal activity involving speedboats] was very prevalent because there was a lot of smuggling going on. In the 2018 memory film Speed Kills, Ben Aronoff played a multimillionaire. And sure enough, I moved there on a Monday and he was murdered that Tuesday. Don Aronow was a dead set legend. An estimated 70 per cent of all marijuana and cocaine imported into the US passes through South Florida, the feature reported. Adam Kimmel, the menswear designer and spouse of The Glass House actress Leelee Sobieski, is the son of the ex-couple. Five days after his murder, The Washington Post reported that a Customs official described Aronow as co-operative when Aronow had been approached for information about one of his clients. He might also try to buy the companies back, for cents on the dollar. Six foot three, real good looking, lots of swagger. Michael, his oldest son, was one of the best athletes at the University of Florida. He wears khaki slacks to work-tieless and sockless-as he cuts six-figure boat deals with a young Italian count one minute, and talks rpm's with a greasy race mechanic the next. Little Don couldn't understand how all his father's taxicabs could get lost at once. Bobby Young, a career criminal, acknowledged the occurrence in 1995 and gave a complete confession in 2009, just before he passed away. After divorcing his first wife, Shirley, with whom he had three children, Aronow married Lillian Crawford, a Wilhelmina fashion model and socialite. Hed knock you right down. His social group was pretty much divided along the same ratio. Was it even a planned killing, or some crazed crime of passion? [3] Ben Kramer, winner of the 1986 American Power Boat Association Offshore Championship, pleaded no contest to manslaughter in 1996. He was right out of a Hollywood script. Mega-priced and obscenely over-powered, Aronow's sleek craft have set 25 world speed records, won more than 300 major races and earned a dozen world ocean racing champions. (Ironically, in the immediate aftermath of the crash, Saccentis life was saved by his race partner, none other than Ben Kramer.) During the day were asked to patrol their race course during events for emergency rescues, a Coast Guard official told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Check Death Reason HOw Old She Was? The murder may forever remain a mystery. He was the type of guy that if he liked you he loved you. So little Don had driven north to spend the day in Rochester with his parents. Brown: Don was so reckless with shit like that. This is his story in the words of some of the men who knew him best. "I got into ocean powerboat racing after I retired to Florida," he says. Youre a businessman too. Peters: I had gone through a divorce and it was terrible times. But at night, were chasing many of the same guys for smuggling., Events took a turn towards the surreal when Carlos Lehder, the Medelln Cartel kingpin, started buying up Normans Cay, an island in the Bahamas some 330 kilometres off the coast of Florida, for his cocaine transport empire. At that time, NE 188th Street was a weed-strewn, low-rise strip. They had two sons, Gavin and Wylie. At his funeral, [eye surgeon and powerboat racer] Doc Magoon gave the eulogy, and at one point he said, Don was a mans man. He paused, and then said, And he was a ladies man. Everybody looked around the room at all of the known mistresses that were sitting there., Michael Aronow My father broke up more marriages than anybody. Kramer was already serving a life term in jail without the possibility of parole due to his convictions in 1988 and 1989 for narcotics trafficking and possession of a firearm, as well as his 1990 conviction for an unsuccessful helicopter escape attempt from a federal prison outside of Miami. He had first wanted to get into motor racing as a hobby, citing his rich status from running the Aronow Corporation, a construction company. They had three children: [1] Michael who was a star athlete at the University of Florida until he was severely injured in a car accident in 1970 and used a wheelchair after that. If the real motive for Aronows murder was him turning informant, surely others (on the wrong side of the law) were potential suspects, too? Aronow sold the company (and Brownie) shortly after its inception (and a couple of big offshore wins). (ABOVE) RICH AND FAMOUS: Aronow famously kept company with people from all walks of life. We collected some of the best. During his quarter-century-long reign as the undisputed king of Thunderboat Row, Aronow was a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Leaving his office that afternoon, Aronow was making for his North Bay Road residence, a 1929 Spanish-style waterfront mansion undergoing renovations, 30 minutes drive away. The EMS [paramedics] showed up and pulled him out. It was late and night during the depths of America's great Depression. Don Aronow born in 1927 in Brooklyn New York, left New Jersey in 1961 to relocate in Miami. The contessa was at the wheel of her two-seater Italian sportscar, its tires squealing as she forced the car through the mountain curves. A guy would come looking at a boat with a girl, and the guy would ask How much? And Don would go, Seventy grand. The guy would say, Thats too much. And Don would say every time, I think you should go get a Bayliner then, this is way too much boat for you. And the guys would be ripping their pockets open trying to give him money! He pulled alongside a Lincoln car with tinted windows. I think hed really be proud of the boats. I was like, do I really want to move down there? At the time, Saccenti was recovering from a horrific crash on Lake Erie. Bob Saccenti Don used to come and see me when I was hurt one of those You need anything, let me know, things. Members of the Bee Gees were neighbours on both sides. The Beatles, Don Aronow, and his son Michael cruise off Miami before the bands iconic 1964 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. More tips and leads pointed to Kramer as the man whod ordered and paid for the hit. We were having lunch one day and Don asked if it was a good watch. What Happened To Don Aronow? He was inquiring about a 60ft boat and alluding to a mysterious man he worked for and who he would kill for, if need be. He hung out with kings, mobsters and the Beatles, and considered future president George HW Bush a close friend. The persona of John Travolta After relocating to Miami, Ben develops swiftly as a racer, motor designer, and businessman. No woman should be alone in this city, Barry Gibb warned Time. At Bushs instigation, the US Customs Service took the fateful step in 1985 of placing a $1.7 million order for high-speed pursuit boats with Aronows USA Racing Team. He eventually became aggravated with the business. I think hed really be proud of the boats., What Are The Best Boats For OffShore Fishing? He was the type of guy that if he liked you, he loved you. Michael, Donalds eldest son, thought his dad was a hero. But Don was badly hurt in a car accident in 1970 and had to use a wheelchair from then on. His second hull was fiberglass -- its hull shaped in a deep-vee to slash through the waves. Don was to offshore speed boats what Ben Franklin was to electricity, an admiring Customs official told the newspaper. [2] In 1947, he returned to the USA and completed his studies graduating from Brooklyn College in 1948 with a physical education degree[1] earning letters in football, wrestling, and track. Bush a close friend.]. Only Magnum and a marina (not Fort Apache) are still here. "She was gorgous," Aronow says. Aronow set out after Bertram, working with designers on NE 188th Street to create deep V fibreglass Formula boats, notably the seven-metre 233. His social group was pretty much divided along the same ratio. Ive met some extremely charismatic men, including Sean Connery and Roger Moore, she said. He pulled alongside a Lincoln car with tinted windows. He went to 188th Street in Miami and decided he wanted to put a plant there. Next thing I know an employee comes in and hes banging on my door. Saccenti: The real Don was sitting at a business table negotiating deals. The EMS showed up. And he liked to get the best of people., Bob Saccenti When he came to Florida, he got hooked up with the greats and he definitely made his mark. WebClaudia is a New York artist and ex-wife of real estate developer Martin Kimmel. The more problematic aspect was that Aronow additionally arranged to sell USA Racing Team, complete with the Blue Thunder contract, to Ben Kramer, who by now had drug smuggling convictions. Radios blared out the hits of the day. The Shah of Iran, George Bush Sr., and Lyndon Johnson all had speedboats that he made for them. His company, Bertram Yacht, drew worldwide attention. I dont think it ever ran again., Michael Peters He didnt like guys that came in and tried to go toe-to-toe with him. This was not the first mystery to surround Donald Joel Aronow. And the guy would say, I want a 28. And Aronow would say Oh no, were all sold out. And the guy would keep pushing, Oh, I wanted one all my life. Peters: [upon hearing Browns story] Im from California, I hope that storys not about me! [3] Kramer was already in prison on a life sentence with no possibility of parole following 1988 and 1989 convictions for drug smuggling and gun charges, as well as receiving a 1990 conviction for a failed escape attempt by helicopter from a federal prison near Miami.[4]. aronow: I dont think any of those guys had ever seen anything quite like it to be honest. He stepped off and said, The boats a piece of shit, kid. The race was several days away. I can retire and lets go to Florida. This was in 1961. The boats tend to be smaller, more sedate, more family-oriented. Don was the only person who gave me more than a platitude he gave me a job. He had a brown Rolls Royce and [raced] horses and stuff. "Our bow rammed the helicopter's rubber flotation gear," he says. The contessa suddenly mashed her brakes and brought the car to a halt at the side of the road, its tires only inches away from a sheer drop into a dark valley. Her son Adam Kimmel is a menswear designer. I went over there and he had holes all over him. Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. After years of delight, his prosperity is abruptly ended when he is discovered dead in his automobile. Peters: One of the first issues I had to deal with when he hired me [in the early 80s] was [notorious Haitian dictator] Baby Doc [who was a client]. He thought he was going to semi-retire to Florida and skindive and fish but he got bored., Michael Peters Aronow looked the part. Nobody really knows [what happened], the only thing for sure is that Dons gone. He had plenty of cheese. Donald Joel Aronow (March 3, 1927 February 3, 1987) was an American designer, builder and racer of the famous Magnum Marine, Cary, Cigarette, Donzi, and Formula speedboats. Members of the Bee Gees were neighbours on both sides. He dont speak too much English, but hes trying to explain something serious. Credit: Courtesy of Arthur Jay Harris. The weather was cold and he was getting ulcers. And every new [Cigarette] that I do, I drive right by his house with it just so he can see. How Did He Die? Seemingly he had everything to live for. Phil Lipschutz is a Miami Cigarette dealer and a former contractor to the Don. Hed knock you right down., Allan Brown Don was so reckless with shit like that. He retired and moved to Florida 10 years later -- a millionaire in his early 30's, his fortune spawned by the thousands of tract homes Aronow had built and sold throughout northern New Jersey. (ABOVE) RUM RUNNER: The first boat to wear the Formula name was a 233 called Cigarette after a famous rum running boat. With lots of money and charisma, not to mention NFL starting quarterback good looks, Aronow soon became a ladies man of legendary status in Miami circles. Aranow was married twice, and his two marriages gave him a total of five children. It was all downhill from there. The story was also the basis for the 2009 documentary film Thunder Man: The Don Aronow Story and the 2018 movie Speed Kills with John Travolta. Brown: He started Formula from scratch and sold it to Thunderbird in about a year. Thus, the depiction of his life and death in film was handled in the 2009 documentary Thunder Man: The Don Aronow Story and the 2018 film Speed Kills, which was directed by John Travolta. Because he did, thats for sure.. [With lots of money and charisma, not to mention starting-quarterback good looks, Aronow soon became a ladies man of legendary status in Miami circles.]. Nearly 60, he talked of taking up racing again. Although witnesses failed to identify him in police line-ups, Young pled no contest to the shooting. About his second son, David, nothing is known. It had to do with his father's taxicab company. Whereas Don Aronow was more brash, assertive more resolutely a mans man. A violent criminal named Bobby Young was fingered as the hitman, and his employeraccording to the courtswas Ben Kramer. Aronow was born in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn,[1] the youngest son of Russian-Jewish immigrants[2] Herman and Ruth Aronow. In 1964 he started Donzi Marine; the Donzi brand became an international success and Aronow quickly sold the company to Teleflex Inc. in mid-1965. A world-champion boat racer who enjoyed wild success in business, he was also an unapologetic playboy and fabled bon vivant. In Italy. She was once married to renowned developer Martin Kimmel. Brown: Everybody has their own idea about why he was in Miami. Don Aronow is also quite proud of his lovely wife Lillian. More plausibly, he was drawn to the Sunshine State by its warmth, excitement and a different form of escapism, as many tend to be. The result was the 8.5-metre 007, named after the gathering cinematic phenomenon. "It won big," Aronow says. But if he didnt like you, watch out., Allan Brown Our friend Stu Jackson worked for Thunderbird and he received a gold Rolex when he retired. Specifically, the 2018 film is a remake of the corresponding true-crime book. WebI think it was at this point that Don discovered that he was Jewish. On Tuesday, Smith, the retired detective, called Aronows widow, Lillian, to break the news. Dick Bertram was the man to beat both in terms of boat design and the racing itself. I used to work boat shows with him and Holy Christ!, Michael Aronow I dont think any of those guys had ever seen anything quite like it, to be honest., Allan Brown At Cigarette, he had an intercom in his office and he used to boff his secretary there. After buying Aronows USA Racing Team, Kramer had a business dispute with Aronow, but was forced to sell it back to Aronow after the Customs Service refused to do business with him. He would have a succession of ladies that would appear. And Don would say, Yeah we dont have any 28s, but Im building a 35 for myself and I could sell that to you. That was classic Aronow. Aronow said, Let me see. Then he took the watch by the clasp, banged it on the table and threw it in a glass of beer. And if you had money and you were a coward, hed take as much as possible. Most of the guys ran stock boats. His other relationship, with Katheryn Winnicks portrayal of Emily Gowen, succeeds. I didnt hear shots, with the air-conditioner and sewing machines going on, but somebody came and got me. Don did not enjoy boating. He designed, built and raced the famous Magnum Marine, Cary, Cigarette, Donzi and Formula speedboats. [Aronow famously kept company with people from all walks of life. Included in the settlement was $1.25 million in cash, a million-dollar Miami waterfront home and a Rolls-Royce. Revealingly, the Time feature predicted that Miami would remain, as the late President Jaime Rolds of Ecuador put it, the capital of Latin America. He would have a succession of ladies that would appear. He flourished as an entrepreneur during his upswing in motorsports and the automotive industry, setting himself apart from others. Peters: It could have been anyone from drug runners, to business partners, to jealous husbands. Alongside the sexual revolution came the growth in the drugs trade. Their son is menswear designer Adam Kimmel; His second wife was former Wilhelmina model, Lillian Crawford, 24 years his junior. You can talk to anybody [about that] [But] he was home every night. But Aronow may have possessed a darker side that even he could not outrun. If you are using a VPN, try disabling it. "It was a pretty informal thing. He marries Emily Gowen, and they have a son together. [1] In 1945, he joined the merchant marine and worked overseas until the end of World War II. A tough, athletic, Jewish kid from Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York, by the age of 21, Aronow was married and about to start a career in his father-in-laws New Jersey construction company. Hes pointing out the door and theres Don in his car, the engine screaming and hes slumped over the steering wheel. The automobiles tycoons untimely demise, which made international headlines, did not go over well with the crowd. Meanwhile, Kramer had been convicted of massive marijuana smuggling and money laundering, receiving multiple prison sentences including life without parole. [2] David [7] You never knew who might show up here, from royalty and high-born celebrity clients to drug-dealing low-lifes, by way of government officials, heads of the various boat firms and a diverse population of workers who earned their livings here. Again, he sold his company and started a new one, Magnum, evidently named after the double-sized bottles of champagne. For his part, he says the Colombians did it.]. Credit: Courtesy of Arthur Jay Harris. At the time, Saccenti was recovering from a horrific crash on Lake Erie. In the movie, Bens personal life is hard, just like it is in real life. [He drove it back and] the boat was sinking at the dock and he stepped off and said The boats a piece of shit kid. "But she didn't want anything to do with me.". Speed Kills Story Based On Motorboat Racer Don Aronows Real Life, Ben Aronoff Wikipedia: John Travolta Portrayed Don Aronows Character, Who Is Ben Aronoffs Wife? Some men had told his father that he'd lost it. So does Jordan's King Hussein -- and Haiti's President Baby Doc, fugitive financer Robert Vesco, British tabloid tycoon Sir Max Aitken, King Juan Carlos of Spain and Evil Kneviel. Saccenti: I think there were over 100 suspects when they finally killed him. Lillian Aronow: Winning is an natural aphrodisiac. WebThree weeks before he was murdered, Aronow had a pensive, reflective talk with his wife, Lillian, a former girlfriend of Jordan's King Hussein. Kramer was hot tempered, the argument went; had he been sufficiently enraged by the USA Racing Team misfire to kill Aronow, he would have done so in 1985, whereas Kramer reportedly remained respectful towards Aronow until the end. He sold Magnum to American Photocopy for a ton. Even local residents the Bee Gees were not immune. Accounts of the dealings vary, but perhaps $2 million had been paid under the table in cash by Kramer when he bought the firm, using drug money. The secret to happiness is taking risks. The full breakdown of his net worth at the time of his passing is still unavailable to the general public. Despite being pursued, the murderers managed to escape by driving across the grass. "It's being able to deliver when it counts.". Six foot three, real good looking, lots of swagger. [A tough, athletic, Jewish kid from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, by age 21 Aronow found himself married and about to start a career in his father-in-laws New Jersey Cigarette, Donzi and other Aronow-conceived brands live on, as do the Miami to Key West race and offshore poker runs. I never thought anybody would actually do that, but by God, they did., Michael Peters [George] Bushs reaction was that he wanted [Miami] Dade Homicide on it like it was the most important case on their books. The rest of NE 188th Street is covered with blocks of expensive condos promising comfortable waterside living. Some people bad-mouth him, Oh he did this, he robbed that, well thats shame on you. Katheryn Winnick and John Travolta in Speed Kills ( Source : imdb ) Ben and his wife Emily also had a son named Andrew. Youre a businessman, too. Brown: Our friend Stu Jackson worked for Thunderbird and he received a gold Rolex when he retired. With his father, he also founded Fort Apache Marina on the Row, comprising a boat storage facility, waterfront restaurant and patio bar. The Captain has covered Dons extravagant and extravagant lifestyle in great detail. Don Aronow with his wife Lillian and son Gavin. Brown: At Cigarette he had an intercom in his office and he used to boff his secretary there and if you needed him you just hit him on the intercom! Rumours concerning Fort Apache continue to circulate, including one about the dock area, positing that camouflaged metal doors opened into large storage compartments, accessible at low tide at night, say. Also read:Queen Elizabeth II: Death And Obituary What Happened To Her? Vice President George Bush drives one of Aronow's Cigarettes.
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