Of the World's most recognized racing boat companies, Don Aronow established five; Donzi, Formula, Magnum, Cigarette and by The Captain | Oct 12, 2021 | Articles | 0 comments. Content presented under the "BOAT Presents" logo is an advertising feature and Boat International Limited has been paid to include this content. Aronow: After the 62 race my father started to work with Jim Wynne and Walt Walters. Saccenti: Don used to come and see me when I was hurt, one of those You need anything let me know, kinda things. At the age of 32 in 1959, Donald was listed as an official millionaire. But he could tell something terrible had happened. Don would compete with people his size, said Michael Peters. Lillian Aronow: Winning is an natural aphrodisiac. Cigarette, Donzi and other Aronow-conceived brands live on, as do the Miami to Key West race and offshore poker runs. A guy comes in with the money and you build a boat for them and you never know. 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. But in the end, the investigation led to a hired gun. WebAronow married twice. Herein lay the alleged motivation for Aronows murder. Saccenti: When he came to Florida, he got hooked up with the greats, and he definitely made his mark. [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. Revealingly, the Time feature predicted that Miami would remain, as the late President Jaime Rolds of Ecuador put it, the capital of Latin America. By various accounts, he then fled to Florida in 1960 to escape the mob. You make a living doing that. 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. Those times can only be likened to the Old West: the Marlboro Man; the weed-strewn strip with its pioneers and settlers; the freebooters from south of the border bringing their lawlessness and loot and the law of the gun. 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! "I took her to all the best places," Aronow says. From being a huge success in the construction industry, he went on the being a legend as a powerboat designer and racer. He hung out with kings, mobsters and the Beatles, and considered future president George HW Bush a close friend. Everyone who knew him has a story to tell. The Beatles, Don Aronow, and his son Michael cruise off Miami before the bands iconic 1964 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. From being a huge success in the construction industry, he went on the being a legend as a powerboat designer and racer. His company, Bertram Yacht, drew worldwide attention. It says so right there on the bottom of his resume: Has survived three motorcycle crashes, totaled five automobiles and 12 boating mishaps. His wife appeared on the cover. Actor John Travolta as Ben Aronoff in the 2018 crime drama Speed Kills. [But] he was home every night. Our Privacy Policy Creator includes several compliance verification tools to help you effectively protect your customers privacy. However when the Customs Service found out about the younger Kramers criminal reputation, they put the kibosh on the transaction.]. And I could tell you the day he was murdered there were phone calls to the King of Jordan, the King of Spain, George Bush. A kid was going to start a boat company in Florida. [Aronow famously kept company with people from all walks of life. It was from here the hit man opened fire, three bullets striking the powerboat star. 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. 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. Because he did, thats for sure. In 1948, he married Shirley Goldin [1] [6] who he had met while working as a lifeguard on Coney Island. Don Aronow born in 1927 in Brooklyn New York, left New Jersey in 1961 to relocate in Miami. In Italy. Allan Brownie Brown is a former acquaintance. Don did not enjoy boating. Aronow was bigger than life, and he was also a boat designer. His second hull was fiberglass -- its hull shaped in a deep-vee to slash through the waves. "Our bow rammed the helicopter's rubber flotation gear," he says. Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. I just did you a favour., Michael Peters [upon hearing Browns story] Im from California, I hope that storys not about me!, Bob Saccenti I think there were over 100 suspects when they finally killed him., Michael Peters It could have been anyone, from drug runners to business partners to jealous husbands.. He built this entire street. Airlifted to a nearby hospital, Don Aronow was dead within the hour. On February 3, 1987, Aronow was murdered in his car at the end of 188th Street in North Miami Beach where his boat companies operated. [3][4][5] Kramer had a business dispute with Aronow after buying the latter's USA Racing Team but was forced to sell it back to Aronow after the Customs Service refused to do business with him. Brown: Everybody has their own idea about why he was in Miami. Specifically, the 2018 film is a remake of the corresponding true-crime book. The official record shows that, via a tip-off, police identified a mercenary street criminal named Bobby Young as the man whod shot Aronow. Saccenti: He was a great guy and a great businessman. People said whatever Don touched turned to gold., Michael Aronow Forrest Johnson was originally his fishing buddy. Race officials found themselves in invidious positions. The movie sequences accurately depicted his wealth, which was real. That one time, Don said, Alright kid, Ill see ya, and walked out the door. I knew they were gunshots. Lillian is Aronow's second wife -- a former Palm Beach socialite, heiress and high fashion model. In 1948, he married Shirley Goldin, [1] [6] whom he had met while working as a lifeguard on Coney Island. They become friends and Johnson told my father about the Miami-Nassau race, which my father became really interested in. "But she didn't want anything to do with me.". To finance the development, he sold more civilised versions, with teak decks and sleeping quarters, to the general public. He did that a few times. Due to Dons business relationships with some of the riskiest figures in the field, his name was changed to Ben Aronoff. As director of the CIA, hed also interacted with Aronow, recalling how Don came and offered to help our country. Within a year of its creation, Donzi Marine gained recognition on a global scale, making it an immediate success. "And they're entitled to spend it any damn way thay want.". But Don was badly hurt in a car accident in 1970 and had to use a wheelchair from then on. In 1948, he married Shirley Goldin, [1] [6] whom he had met while working as a lifeguard on Coney Island. Shortly after the visit, Aronow left his office and drove down the street to Apache Performance Boats to visit with his former protg, Bob Saccenti. The boat coasted in fourth. The University of Florida standout athlete Michael was the one who suffered serious injuries in a vehicle accident in 1970. Aronow agreed to buy USA Racing Team back from Kramer, equally predictably for less than the consideration hed received. [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 construction company.]. Allan Brown He started Formula from scratch and sold it to Thunderbird in about a year. Aronow famously kept company with people from all walks of life. He had a brown Rolls-Royce and [race] horses., Bob Saccenti He used to say youre never gonna make a lot of money building boats you make a living doing that. Australia, DEAN OF THE DEEP | TIM DEAN ABOARD HIS 47FT OBRIEN, FULL SEND MODE CLAYTON MCDIARMIDS MINT HAINES HUNTER V17. Some people say he was hiding from the mob. For his part, he says the Colombians did it.]. A certain nostalgia colours memories of the 1970s as a time of the gentlemanly marijuana business. Aronow won the World Powerboat Championship in 1967 (hed go on to win it once more and the US championship three times), and in 1968, he sold Magnum. He was a quiet boy, remarkably shy during his early years, with delicate features and soft brown eyes. Then one time, Don left, and said Alright kid, Ill see ya, and he walked out the door. Don Aronow's pockets are stuffed with fifties and hundreds. This was December of 86. It lets you transport your luxury car up to the safety of your own unit, even as crime rates have dropped. The secret to happiness is taking risks. Katheryn Winnick and John Travolta in Speed Kills ( Source : imdb ) Ben and his wife Emily also had a son named Andrew. 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! I never thought anybodyd actually do that, but by God they did. Meanwhile, Kramer had been convicted of massive marijuana smuggling and money laundering, receiving multiple prison sentences including life without parole. Sure enough, I moved there on a Monday and he was murdered that Tuesday.. And then one night Aronow and the contessa were driving back from a candlelit dinner in a tiny restaurant high in the Carrara Mountains. Writer: (to Aronow) Tell me about your earliest memory. Despite being pursued, the murderers managed to escape by driving across the grass. Don Aronow understood that motto as well as anyone who ever lived. Also, said Peters, the Coast Guard drivers were left drowned in the wake of the offshore racers and the cocaine runners, who just had a different mentality come race time.. aronow: I dont think any of those guys had ever seen anything quite like it to be honest. [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 The murder fell awkwardly between the sort of extravagant statement killings orchestrated by Colombian cocaine kingpins and the kind of professional contract hit carried out by killers keen to hide their tracks, or at least ensure a clean escape. He would have a succession of ladies that would appear. By November 1981, a Time magazine cover feature was declaring that an epidemic of violent crime, a plague of illicit drugs and a tidal wave of refugees have slammed into South Florida with the destructive power of a hurricane. "I don't now why nobody was killed. 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. Members of the Bee Gees were neighbours on both sides. And he never would backpedal later or change things. I can retire and lets go to Florida. This was in 1961., Allan Brown Everybody has their own idea about why he was in Miami. Your access to this page has been blocked. Of the World's most recognized racing boat companies, Don Aronow established five; Donzi, Formula, Magnum, Cigarette and He was a great dad and a great husband. And if you had money and you were a coward, hed take as much as possible. His roles in Saturday Night Fever, Carrie, Urban Cowboy, Face/Off, Grease, and A Civil Action, among many others, make him a must-see 70s and 80s heartthrob. The fictionalized version of Donald Aronow is played by Ben Aronoff. This is his story in the words of some of the men who knew him best. Aronow was born in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn,[1] the youngest son of Russian-Jewish immigrants[2] Herman and Ruth Aronow. 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. [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. To this day, he maintains his innocence. 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. Ultimately, Kramer pled no contest to second-degree murder. "It won big," Aronow says. The contessa was at the wheel of her two-seater Italian sportscar, its tires squealing as she forced the car through the mountain curves. And I can tell you, the day he was murdered there were phone calls to the King of Jordan, the King of Spain, George Bush. 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. Made quite a lot of money on it in spring of 1964. The University of Florida standout athlete Michael was the one who suffered serious injuries in a vehicle accident in 1970. Saccenti: I think there were over 100 suspects when they finally killed him. Don Aronow is a proud man; proud of the way he's survived. 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. Allan Brown Shirley was his first wife. Ben establishes his automotive empire in the film after relocating to Miami and changing his perspective to win. He succeeds in a number of major motor races and rises to the position of speedboat tycoon. In the 2018 memory film Speed Kills, Ben Aronoff played a multimillionaire. Don and I had had a meeting to discuss my salary. Bush, right, was a close friend who initially threw his weight behind the murder investigation. "A stunning blonde. Some people bad-mouth him, Oh he did this, he robbed that, well thats shame on you. Back in 1981, Time quoted a legal researcher living in Miami as saying: I see people walking down the streets openly carrying guns, some in their hands, others in their holsters. Aronow was free to pursue the contessa. And then there's the matter of status by association. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: https://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/claudia-aronow/, Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:88.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/88.0, A summary of what you were doing and why you need access to this site. The Shah of Iran, George Bush Sr., and Lyndon Johnson all had speedboats that he made for them. Are lithium-ion batteries to blame for recent boat blazes? Peters: He didnt like guys that came in and tried to go toe to toe with him. Youre never gonna make a lot of money building boats, he was quoted as saying. Similar to IMDb, it lists a middling 4.2 stars out of 10. Saccenti: [Kramer and Aronow] were both wealthy, and if it was over money, thats a shame. "So I decided to do a little construction on the side.". Audiences grew. Michael Peters concludes, If you want to find anything comparable today, you need to look elsewhere, maybe to the final frontier Blue Origin, SpaceX, Bezos and Musk. He pauses. Having made a fortune in the construction business in New Jersey, building homes and shopping centres, Aronow hastily relocated to Florida in 1961. The American-Puerto Rican crime drama film Speed Kills is based on the real-life boat designer and racer Donald Joel Aronow, who started Magnum Marine in Florida in 1966. Michael plays the role of Andrew in the movie Speed Kills. Peters: The upstairs apartment above his office was kind of famous. (Captains note: more about Dons, er, appetites, later.) His father said it had to do with something called the Depression. He was the type of guy that if he liked you, he loved you. It was a big building and obscured the Donzi plant you couldnt see [Donzi] from Highway 1 anymore! Hed knock you right down. Today, Thunderboat Row is a transformed, gentrified enclave. He later got married to Lillian Crawford, a model for Wilhelmina who was 24 years younger than he was. Don Aronow has actually been married twice in his life. 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? He was a great dad and a great husband. That became the original Formula Marine.. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! It reported Miamis Federal Reserve branch to have amassed a currency surplus of $5 billion, mostly in drug-generated $50 and $100 bills, or more than the nations 12 Federal Reserve banks combined. The associated crime could strike anyone. Credit: Courtesy of Arthur Jay Harris. He ran a successful business making speedboats. Money comes and goes. Young died in prison in 2009 after steadfastly refusing for years to testify against Kramer. And he eventually became aggravated with the business. Jackson said it was the best in the world. Aronow was murdered in his car at the end of 188th Street in North Miami Beach on February 3, 1987. Dont challenge him, and you were fine. WebClaudia is a New York artist and ex-wife of real estate developer Martin Kimmel. Semi-blind, he was forced to wear heavy-rimmed and thick-lensed glasses that were always a worry when he played. This is his story in the words of some of the men who knew him best. He was the type of guy that if he liked you he loved you. Phil Lipschutz is a Miami Cigarette dealer and a former contractor to the Don. Brown: Every boat he sold was built for himself. Theres about 70 people out there who think they have a boat Don built for himself. Dick Bertram was the man to beat both in terms of boat design and the racing itself. Hed retained his key designers. Made quite a lot of money on it in 1964. Dream Symphony: Inside the 10-year build of the world's biggest sailing yacht. 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. Aronow had sold USA Racing Teama company that built high-speed catamarans for the U.S. Customs Serviceto Kramer and his father in 1985. Bush a close friend.]. Jackson said it was the best in the world. He did that a few times. Just lining up. One of Don Aronow's race horses has just finished first. Magnum Marine was responsible for Donalds first World Championship victory in 1927. The 2018 criminal drama film Speed Kills served as a vehicle for Dons epicness. An estimated 70 per cent of all marijuana and cocaine imported into the US passes through South Florida, the feature reported. The persona of John Travolta After relocating to Miami, Ben develops swiftly as a racer, motor designer, and businessman. There'd been a problem with the taxicab company his father owned in upstate New York. Like most, it's a tale of conquest; Aronow versus the odds: It was back in 1967. Younger Kramers criminal reputation, they put the kibosh on the being a huge success the! Boat Don built for himself the clasp, banged it on the side ``. Listed as an official millionaire: when he came to Florida in 1960 to escape by driving the! Was kind of famous a deep-vee to slash through the waves was hiding from the mob of. Would ask How much: [ Kramer and his son Michael cruise Miami... 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