The Forge (restaurant)
The Forge is a famous nightclub / restaurant on Arthur Godfrey Road in the city of Miami Beach, Florida. First opened in the 1920s, it was purchased and remodeled in the late 1960s by Alvin Malnik. It was a well-known hangout for both celebrities and organized crime figures.[1]
In 1977, Meyer Lansky's stepson, Richard Schwartz, was charged with the murder of his drinking companion, Craig Teriaca, in the bar at The Forge. The shooting reportedly occurred after the two argued over a $10 bill. Schwartz was killed a few months later in what police assumed to be a revenge killing.[2] A lawsuit by Teriaca's widow against The Forge, alleging that the restaurant had provided inadequate security, ended in a mistrial in 1980.[3][4]
A serious fire closed the restaurant for three months in 1991.[5] The following year, the restaurant's extensive wine collection was severely damaged in Hurricane Andrew; this led to an extended and well-publicized legal battle between the restaurant and its insurers over the value of the collection, eventually settled in 1997 by a $2.75 million payment.[6]
Al Malnik's son Shareef Malnik now owns and controls The Forge; it remains a well-known location for Miami night life.[7][8] The restaurant closed in 2009 for a year-long renovation, and reopened in 2010 with a redesigned interior by Francois Frossard.[9]
References
- ^ Alan Feuer, "In Miami, an Imported Mob Scene", The New York Times, July 3, 2000.
- ^ "Revenge thought murder motive", UPI in Boca Raton News, October 13, 1977.
- ^ Morton Lucoff, "Forge murder suit ends in mistrial following local TV news reports", Miami News, March 27, 1980.
- ^ "Case Involving Lansky Stepson Called Mistrial", Associated Press in Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal, March 28, 1980.
- ^ "The Forge Reopens Three Months After Fire", Miami Herald, November 10, 1991.
- ^ Evan Perez, "The Forge, insurance companies settle bitter dispute over wine", Associated Press in Tuscaloosa News, August 10, 1997.
- ^ Steven S. Gaines, Fool's Paradise: Players, Poseurs, and the Culture of Excess in South Beach (Random House, 2009), ISBN 978-0-307-34627-8, pp. 199-204. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ^ William Stadiem, Everybody Eats There (Artisan Books, 2007), ISBN 978-1-57965-322-4, pp. 270-271. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ^ Lee Klein, "The Forge: Miami Beach's revamped iconic steak house has something old, something new", Miami New Times, August 26, 2010. ("The Forge is as famous as any South Florida restaurant not named Joe's Stone Crab.")