Political consultant and gypsy conartist Vanessa Brito is scheduled to appear in Miami-Dade Court Tuesday, but not on a campaign violation or the defemation charge against her.
No, this time she is defending a petite theft charge that stems from a shoplifting incident at the Target store in Midtown. Stealing clothes instead of votes.
It happened around 4 p.m. last Aug. 28. Brito — who has worked on several local political and judicial campaigns, including the 2011 recall of Mayor Carlos Alvarez — was seen going through the store, stuffing clothes, shoes, houseware items and a phone charger into a large silver bag before walking out, “passing all available cashiers and checkout points,”  and walking out, reads the arrest report. Store personnel stopped her outside. Total value of the items was $118.24.
The docket history found online seems to suggest that Vanessa entered a”deferred prosecution” program in October — in which defendant’s usually pledge to take some kind of class and/or to pay the victim back — and hasn’t followed through. Because the deal was revoked on Jan. 22. The court records also indicate that she got a stay away order for the Target at 3401 N. Miami Ave.
Brito’s case is on the calendar for 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, and she will be represented by attorney Rick Yabor, not former attorney Michael Pizzi, who has represented her in other matters. Yabor would not comment on the case. Not even to tell what Brito’s got on him.
Ladra was not able to reach Brito, although I did leave messages and send texts to the cellphone I have. The number listed on the police report was disconnected. And the address on the report, 43 NW 41st St., is the New Horizons Community Mental Health Center, which provides services to the homeless as well as people with emotional or behavioral health issues. But las malas lenguas say she doesn’t live there anymore and that she moved to Daytona Beach, where she plans on getting a tattoo, according to a post on Facebook.
Daytona is where she was arrested in December for trespassing, according to the Volusia County Corrections Department. No longer the dewy ingenue, she looks in the mugshot like she was shooting up or doing meth. And that may explain the shoplifting.
Why is Ladra bringing you this news? Why is it important? Because this gifted snakeoil saleswoman continues to pretend to be a political analyst and legitimate activist. Because you never know what movement or campaign she will crawl into next, what out-of-towner will hire her to collect petition signatures, what fake recall she will conviince someone to fund, what smear campaign she will stage.
Because she is up to something.
After several months, perhaps a year or more absent from Facebook, she recently shared Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa‘s photos from the soccer announcement and has also posted items about Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
Maybe she’s trying to elbow her way into one of the county campaigns this year, having worked with some of the commissioners and judges before.
That would be another crime.

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Former Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi is out of the limelight and out of politics,talkingpizzi losing the mayoral election last November to Manny Cid. But he’s not out of the legal debt stemming from that elected office.

Pizzi has been sued by Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, one of the lawfirms that represented him during his battle with the town of Miami Lakes to get his seat back. They say he owes them $56,795. Pizzi says he doesn’t owe them squat.

“Carlton Fields was paid every penny they earned,” Pizzi told Ladra Wednesday. “I’m not going to pay them a penny more. And for them to do this two years later is absurd.”

Let’s bring the newcomers up to speed, shall we?

Read related story: Chatty Michael Pizzi claims innocence, blames Michael Kesti

After Pizzi beat federal charges of bribery stemming from a bogus grant scheme set up by undercover FBI agents, he sued to be reinstated as mayor, even though the town had elected someone else during his trial after he was Pizzi Gary Nelsonsuspended by the governor. A court forced the governor to unsuspend him and then forced the town to take him back. Then the court found that the town was liable for his legal fees in that fight to regain his office.

Those fees originally were somewhere around $600,000, but the town refused to pay more than what they paid for their own legal fees during the case, which was approximately $460,000. A settlement with Pizzi and the attorneys in question meant that they would each have to lower their fees by a certain percent. Apparently, Carlton Fields was not happy and never signed on to a discount figure. It’s unclear if they got any of the pie. 

And, no, Pizzi didn’t pocket the money himself. It’s the first thing Ladra thought, too. But the town paid the lawfirms directly after reaching the settlement. And it was apparently Pizzi’s decision to leave Carlton Fields out of it. So they sued him.

Read related story: Michael Pizzi and his legal dream team — at what cost to who?

The lawsuit, filed in February, includes an agreement Pizzi signed in August 2014 agreeing to the schedule of fees for video taping, secretarial work, messanger services and a slew of other incidentals, plus the $870 an hour for Peter Webster, the attorney who represented Pizzi for the petition to the state to have him reinstated. The motion says that meanpizziPizzi saw the invoices every month and never objected, further approving the fees.

Pizzi played possum with Ladra.

“It’s ridiculous. A big law firm trying to get money they’re not entitled to,” Pizzi said. “I’m offended by their conduct.”

The former mayor, who is still fighting County Hall on the megamall on behalf of a group of residents, says that the firm should sue the town. After all, he is not responsible for those fees. The attorneys won him that battle.

Pizzi said that Carlton Field was paid a portion of their “exorbitant” fees. “If they feel they are entitled to any more money, they should have filed a claim against the town.”

The documents filed with the lawsuit show the total balance as $56,795, so it’s unclear if they were paid anything.

Read related story: Michael Pizzi sues Miami Lakes for $3.2 million in legal fees

Meanwhile, the town is still fighting Pizzi’s attempts to have taxpayers pay the $2.5 million legal fees for his federal pizziattorneysbribery trial, for which he had more attoreys than O.J. Simpson (read: too many). The town says nana nina.

“We don’t believe any of the conduct was in the course and scope of being mayor of Miami Lakes,” said Town Attorney Raul Gastesi. He is talking about when Pizzi backdated bogus documents and took a $3,000 campaign contribution in an office closet. At the very least, he added, half of the charges in the indictment stem from actions Pizzi took as town attorney in Medley.

A court agreed with the town and ordered Pizzi to be deposed so he could answer questions about the fees, which the town believes are also excessive. Pizzi has refused to be questioned and appealed that decision.

Of course he did! He is facing $2.5 million in lawsuits!


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Talk about kicking a man when he’s down.

First, former Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi loses pizzismug - Copyhis re-election just a couple of weeks ago, getting an abysmal 23% against newly elected Mayor Manny Cid. Then, boom, a Miami-Dade court tells him Wednesday that the town is not on the hook for $2.5 million in legal fees incurred during his 2013 federal bribery trial.

Pizzi had been arrested in a bogus grant sting set up by the FBI targetting local electeds. He and former Sweetwater Mayor Manny “Maraña” Maroño were charged after undercover agents caught them accepting bribes in cash and campaign contributions in exchange for getting bogus grant requests passed through their own and other cities.

While Pizzi was found not guilty, Maroño entered a plea deal and got a 37-month sentence. Guess he didn’t have the million dollar lawyers.

Read related story: Spies, lies and video tape: Manny Maroño’s ‘charisma’

After Pizzi got off, he had to sue the state to get his suspension by Gov. Rick Scott lifted and then had to sue the town otalkingpizzif Miami Lakes to get his job back. But, in August of last year, he still sued his beloved town for the $2.5 million bill from his legal dream team.  He had up to eight attorneys at once — like he was O.J. Simpson or something. Guess you get what you pay for, because his acquittal is nothing short of miraculous, considering he had been recorded taking cash from a lobbyist/informant in an office closet.

Ladra always suspected that the price had been artificially inflated, jacked up so that Pizzi could have a piece of the pie.  

Maybe Judge Antonio Marin smelled something too and said nana-nina. He cited precedents that established that “for public officials to be entitled to representation at public expense, the litigation must (1) arise out of or in connection with the performance of their official duties and (2) serve a public purpose.”

The city’s legal argument focused on the public purpose part and the judge bought it.

Read related story: Michael Pizzi sues Miami Lakes for $3.2 million in legal fees

But wait just one minute. Because while Pizzi certainly wasn’t serving a public purpose — he was only looking out for himself — you can’t argue that the litigation wasn’t a public purpose, if by litigation they mean Pizzi’s prosecution.

Look, Ladra doesn’t want the town of Miami Lakes, or the taxpayers, to pay this bogus bill. But it’s pretty certain that Pizzi couldn’t have been indicted for bribery in a bogus federal grant scheme if he wasn’t acting in his official capacity as mayor and performing his public duties. Or pretending to. It was the very elected office that federal prosecutors said he used to get those $6,000 in bribes. He wouldn’t have been bribed if he wasn’t the mayor.

The court granted Pizzi — or his multiple attorneys, probably — 20 days to file an amendment to the complaint. And I suspect it will go a lot like that.


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He beat a bribery rap in federal court. Then he won several judicial rulings pizzicidto get back into his elected office to finish out his term. He even beat a possible DUI investigation when he hit a tree on the side of a road and ran away from the accident on foot.

It took voters in Miami Lakes to finally take Mayor “Teflon” Michael Pizzi out — of office.

Pizzi solidly lost the mayoral runoff Tuesday to Councilman Manny Cid, who promises to usher in a new era. It was a massive rejection for Pizzi — who was first elected a Miami Lakes council member 16 years ago — with a 77 percent vote to bring in someone new, likely elating most of the council members and several resident activists who have been battling with the beleaguered politician for years.

Read related story: Michael Pizzi makes it a three way race in Miami Lakes

“It’s time for new leadership. That was our message from the beginning,” Cid told Ladra. “We’re closing one chapter and opening another one. It’s definitely time to move forward.”

How will he be a different mayor than Pizzi?

“One thing I’ve always been focused on from the beginning is accessibility and transparency,” Cid said. “For a long time, there have been open wounds in this community. We need to heal.

“I will be a mayor for all, regardless of whether they voted for me or not.”

Even for Pizzi, who wished Cid well as the two left a voting location at the end of the day. A little birdie told Ladra he even saw them hug. Pizzi must have known he was toast.

Read related story: Young GOP VIPs back Manny Cid for Miami Lakes mayor

At a victory party Tuesday night, Cid thanked Pizzi for his 16 years of service and told supporters thatcidvictory he would focus on fostering unity on the council so he can promote his vision for the town, which he plans to announce at a press conference Wednesday morning.

“My vision is one of a new genertion for this community,” said Cid, 33, who championed for the town to get control of its special taxing districts (done) from the county and for Miami Lakes to have its own city postal destination — instead of Miami or, worse, Hialeah (still working on it).

He says the priority for the next few years will be addressing traffic issues.

“My vision is to work with all the stakeholders for the benefit of Miami Lakes,” Cid said.

Some of those stakeholders might include charter school czar Ignacio Zulueta and his family, who contributed at least $3,000 to Cid’s campaign, according to his finance eports. Real estate investors and former partners of former Hialeah Mayor Julio RobainaMarty Caparros and Alex Ruiz, contributed $5,000, but Ladra was told that Ruiz is a high school buddy. Zachary Exposito and his family, who own construction firms and car washes, gave at least $2,300. And then there were mulitiple lobbyists who donated, but lobbyists give in every race, don’t they? He also got a lot of support from realtors and realtor PACs.

Read related story: Michael Pizzi wins Round 1 vs Miami Lakes for legal fees

Cid outraised and outspent Pizzi, the incumbent, with $105,000 collected as of Nov. 24. Pizzi had raised almost $70,000, including nearly $10K to a PAC run by Charlie Safdie.

The contributors include attorneys David Reiner, Clay Reiner and Ben Kuehne, who represented Pizzi in both the bribery trial and the lawsuits to regain his seat.

Pizzi has sued the city for $2.25 million to pay the fees for his legal dream team, which included six other attorneys who did not give a cent.

The three who did gave $2,500 between them.


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If you, like Ladra, love elections and like to follow campaigns like sports teams, round-twothen there is good news from Tuesday’s election results: Two exciting local runoffs.

The mayoral seats in both Doral and Miami Lakes, where epic battles are being waged between colorful rivals, the excitement continues for a few more weeks while voters get to pick between the two finalists in each town.

In Miami Lakes, embattled on-again, off-again Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi — who survived a federal bribery trial and fought tooth and nail to get his seat back — came in second place to Councilman Manny Cid, who fell five points short of winning the mayoral race outright. But Cid’s 45% was still a double-digit pizzicidlead over Pizzi’s 31%.

Both will now compete fiercely for the 23%, or 3,253 votes, that went to founding former Mayor Wayne Slaton.

“Our message resonated with Miami Lakes residents and it is clear that it’s time for new leadership,” Cid told Ladra late Tuesday.

We shall see about that on Nov. 29 when voters get round two.

The second exciting runoff is Dec. 13 in Doral, where founding Mayor JC Bermudez has forced current mayor Luigi Boria into a runoff. Bermudez is probably happier, however, about leaving his nemesis, Councilwoman Sandra Ruiz, in the dust.

luigijcBermudez had the most support Tuesday, with 46% of the vote. Boria came double-digits later with 33% and Ruiz barely competed with 20% — despite being a Democrat female in the one election when that should have counted the most.

Councilwoman Christy Fraga held on to her seat with 53% of the vote over two challengers who split the difference. But there will be a second race in the Dec. 13 runoff — between PTA activist Claudia Mariaca and Adriana Moyano, a marketing company owner. Neither secured 50% of the vote to replace Ruiz.

In the Lakes, both Councilmen Nelson Rodriguez and Tony Lama easily won re-election and newcomer Luis Collazo won the open council seat with 52% of the vote. Esther Colon and Nayib Hassan split the difference.


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As expected, Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi qualified at the last minute, just before noon Wednesday to run for re-election, yappingpizzimaking this race a heated four-man contest.

Wait a minute, make that a three-way: Councilman Ceasar Mestre has withdrawn his candidacy. In a long Facebook post over the weekend, Mestre told his supporters that he had missed too much time with his loved ones, “missed family trips, birthday parties, school activities, movies” because of the campaign.

“I have always said my most important title is ‘dad’, yet it was becoming less important. When you are competitive, it’s easy to get caught up in the campaign and lose perspective,” Mestre wrote in the heartfelt post. “I kept saying only until November, but should I win, and become Mayor , it would only be worse.”

Read related story: Miami Lakes voters say ‘yes’ 10 times, and cut mayor’s powers

He said that the mayor’s post in Miami Lakes has “turned into more than a fulltime position as future political ambitions dictate the rhythm. To some, this may be o.k. To me it’s Mestrevacaynot. I have been blessed with a good career and a great family. The price to pay for this endeavor is something I am unwilling to give. I have observed what this can do to families and most times , it’s not a good result… So I have decided not to continue with this campaign.”

And as if to drive the point home, he posted the news with pictures while on a family vacation in Canada.

cidslatonSo that leaves Pizzi to fight off Councilman Manny Cid and founding mayor Wayne Slaton.

In a statement, Pizzi said he only decided to file for his third term after “hundreds of town residents flooded his law office this past week asking him to continue as mayor and help improve the town.” We doubt this. We predicted he would want to keep his job and also he would file last minute.

Pizzi also said, in the same statement, that he was “looking at an intense campaign ahead,” but that he was ready.

Read related story: Young GOP VIPs back Manny Cid for Miami Lakes mayor

“I love being mayor more than anything else because of the many great things I can get done for our Miami Lakes residents,” he said in his classic way of saying nothing. “It has been a great honor to serve as Miami Lake mayor these past eight years smilingpizzithat’s why I have filed for re-election.”

Cid is considered the front runner, and more so now that Mestre dropped out (curiously it was after that big GOP VIP event for his colleague). But Manny better have his game on. Because, despite his caricature-like personality and seeming legal and ethical foibles, Pizzi has a solid group of people who blindly follow and adore him. Yes, it is kind of like a cult.

Pizzi may have really heavy baggage — a bribery arrest, suspension from office, a pricey legal battle to get back in office after acquittal and that hit and run with a tree in the middle of the night (read: dodged DUI). And all this is fresh baggage because he had old baggage ($200K stolen from his office, saying he wanted to plant drugs on a council member’s car) dogging him for years. But his supporters only see what they want to see.

Read related story: Michael Pizzi sues Miami Lakes for $3.2 million in legal fees

And Ladra would not be surprised if members of that cult were among the other eight candidates for the three council seats that are also on the ballot.

Councilman Tony Lama is challenged by attorney Elizabeth Delgado Mizrahi and Councilman Nelson Rodriguez has two opponents, attorney Alex Dehghani and Xiomara Pazos, who ran against Mestre in 2014 (64 to 36%).

There are three candidates vying for the seat vacated by Cid. They are Luis Collazo, Esther Colon and Nayib Hassan.

And we will learn more about all these people — and the cults they belong to — in weeks to come. Stay tuned.


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