SOUTH BEACH MIAMI VIOLENCE

8 Club Mansion workers held in beatings
Posted on Mon, Apr. 07, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
BY ADAM H. BEASLEY
abeasley at MiamiHerald.com

PEDRO PORTAL / EL NUEVO HERALD
The crowd enjoys the night and scene at Mansion night club on South Beach.Nearly a dozen bouncers inside South Beach's Club Mansion viciously beat three University of Delaware students over a disputed bill early Friday, according to Miami Beach police.

Fort Lauderdale lawyer Kevin ''Bo'' Dennis plans to file a lawsuit this week on the three men's behalf, claiming that they were bloodied in a back room of Club Mansion, 1235 Washington Ave. The young men had cuts and black eyes.

Miami Beach police arrived just as the three men were able to escape through a side door, and took as many as 11 employees into custody.

Sean Sweeney, Trevor Costello and John Merryman, who were in South Florida on spring break, were ''knocked to the ground and struck upon the head and body with closed fists, kicked via feet and held down,'' according to a police report.

According to the report, bouncer Jex Fontaine threw the first blow, sparking a large physical fight that lasted some time.

Fontaine, who was charged with battery in 2002 but never prosecuted, faces felony battery charges for the Mansion melee.

Also charged for playing roles in the fight: Anthony Batts, Miami Beach; Matthew Pichardo, Hollywood; Eric DaSilva, Aventura; Diego Bustos, Miami; Corey Andre Robinson, Miami Beach; Juan Pagan-Soto, Miami; and Manuel Gaston, North Bay Village.

The report named the following men as suspects in the beating, although it is not known if they were charged: Antonio Marshall, Miami Beach; Jason Nieves, West Palm Beach; and Orlando Hernandez, Miami Beach.

According to the report, the entire episode was captured on surveillance video.

Monday afternoon, The Opium Group released the following statement: ``We are continuing to work closely with the police regarding these unsubstantiated claims, and cannot comment further as the police have not concluded their investigation.''

Here's Dennis' account of the night's events:

The evening began innocently enough hours earlier when the three men decided to spend Thursday night at Mansion, where Merryman once worked.

They asked to sit in the VIP section and bought a bottle of alcohol as required.

After about two hours, Dennis said, a waitress told the three men they had to give up their table for other patrons.

Then they were told their tab was $700. Surprised by the amount, Sweeney, Costello and Merryman asked to see a bill. The waitress refused.

A bouncer then came over to the table and asked if there was a problem.

Again, they asked for a written copy of their bill. Again, they were denied.

At this point, a third person came over to the table and asked the students to come into an office in the back, which was filled with roughly 10 bouncers. When the young men again refused to pay without seeing a tab, employees of the club turned physical.

''They started pounding on the boys,'' Dennis said.

Sweeney, who is over six feet tall and 200 pounds, was taken to the floor with a choke-hold. After taking a few kicks, he passed out. The bouncers also went to work on Merryman and Costello.

The students then agreed to pay the $700 with a credit card and were told that Costello and Sweeney could go. But the bouncers said they weren't through with Merryman, according to Dennis.

''We're going to teach you a lesson,'' one told Merryman, said Dennis, who did not know what was meant by that.

Sweeney and Costello refused to leave without their friend, and all three took another round of blows. Finally, Merryman was able to barge past two bouncers and out a side door, where he was met by Miami Beach police, who were headed in the other direction.

A Mansion employee apparently tipped the cops off about the fight. There were squad cars outside of the club when Merryman barged out the door. The other two students were also able to escape the building. Police took the entire group of bouncers away.

The victims were treated for their injuries at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Dennis plans to sue Mansion Club and its parent company, The Opium Group.

By nine inch nails on Apr 7, 2008, 13:55 in Off Topic.

nine inch nails says on Apr 7, 2008, 14:08:

Man this is like right out of the CSI Vice show....

Many people of all nationalities visit SOBE and Mansion.

I accidently got into the VIP bar in Club Space last year and 3 of em almost pounced on me but I was able to sweet talk them before getting bludgeoned.

Seriously for all PBH posters there are many other more tranquil clubs to go to when in town Miami. I try and stay away from SOBE nightclubs esp. Thurs.-Sat.

If you need any recommendations on places to go and chill without worrying about a scuffle as much please let me know. Try Apple Martini in the Grove, Kitchen Club in the Design District or Pawnshop and White room near the new Carnival PAC just north of downtown.

The White room bar wench did try and short change me for a beer but no fight with bouncers and I ended up getting my correct change back. They do try and screw the tourists or perceived tourists at ground zero MIA and SOBE.

"Bank owned" (www.foreclosurebyowner.com)

miamimike says on Apr 7, 2008, 14:17:

This is crazy! Living here in Miami, I never go to the South Beach Night club restuarant area for several reasons but the main reasons are; 1) NO parking 2)Overpriced Drinks and Meals 3) Over Zealous Beach Towing service which cruise the streets close to Ocean drive for Illegally parked cars to tow. They are like Vultures.4) waitresses are light fingered with your change-give them a $20 for a Beer, they walk off and have a bad habit of NOT coming back with your change. Guess they think keeping the $15 change for a $5 beer is their Tip! LOL I would rather go to Little Habana or Coconut grove at least in Little Havana you see "Real People" and not a bunh of plastic fakes personalities . No, I have never been robbed or sequestered in Little Habana,,,LOL

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." GW Bush

miamimike says on Apr 7, 2008, 14:18:

9" nails--those south beach waitresses are a hungry group of wenches,,,

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." GW Bush

miamimike says on Apr 7, 2008, 14:31:

9 inch nails--check out the Photos of one of those students who was beaten up! Looks like they did a number on them! Those pics of the Bouncers are CREEPY,,,

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/486209.html

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." GW Bush

Tinto (Moderator) says on Apr 7, 2008, 14:40:

I'm not surprised that the owner of the night club - a company calling itself THE OPIUM GROUP - employs a bunch of thugs.

gringoloid says on Apr 7, 2008, 19:51:

i don't mean this to be a silly question, but is $700 way out of line for a tab at this place? they did ask for the VIP section. tabs of $10,000 at Scores in NY are common for just one person.

of course nothing justifies a beating like this. I hated this type of behaviour when I lived in the 'Old Las Vegas." Topless bars in Vegas used to do this kind of thing all the time.

gringoloid says on Apr 7, 2008, 19:57:

this is the article i was thinking of:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/banking/2005-10-21-topless-su...

miamimike says on Apr 7, 2008, 23:15:

A Colombian Taberna I know of in South Miami charges around $100 (aguardiente) for a Bottle on the table so for $700 it should really be top shelf. They had every right to be shown a receipt without being challenged, I believe its a Florida state law ,,,

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." GW Bush