In Speed Kills, the story of Ben Aronoff is based on the life of Donald Aranow, who built speedboats and raced them. He has been elected to every powerboating Hall of Fame in existence and as stated above, he and Gar Wood were the only two Americans to have ever received the UIM Gold Medal of Honor. I knew they were gunshots. But he knew from Bertrams experience that the way to promote and build his company was by winning races. What are the core values of superyacht builder Sirena Yachts? The automotive billionaire was 24 years older than Crawford, a former Wilhelmina model. During our conversation she revealed that she was a bit hesitant about being interviewed since she is not someone who is comfortable in the public eye but in the end we chatted about everything from her art, her stint in the antiques business to her childhood in Florida with her father, Don Aronow the boat racer and builder of the renowned Aronow's boats won over 350 offshore races and he was a two-time world champion and three-time U.S. champion. Innovations such as fibreglass construction techniques and the drag-reducing deep V hull were taking chunks from the record times, and also from crews in rough seas. (ABOVE) TICKET TO RIDE: Don Aronow and his son, Michael, cruising off Miami with the Beatles before their iconic 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan show. Further reading. People said whatever Don touched turned to gold., Michael Aronow Forrest Johnson was originally his fishing buddy. 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. Guys wanted to be him. He ran a successful business making speedboats. Nearly 60, he talked of taking up racing again. One of Don Aronow's race horses has just finished first. Aronow, it seems, would sell anybody a boat, especially for cash, but if you said you were using it to smuggle drugs, Don wouldnt have anything to do with you, asserted Mike Kandrovicz from USA Racing Team. It was in 007 that he beat Bertram in the Miami-Nassau race in 1965. Everyone who knew him has a story to tell. The weather was cold and he was getting ulcers and he said, I cant do this anymore. On Tuesday, Smith, the retired detective, called Aronows widow, Lillian, to break the news. In these circumstances, it would have been extraordinary if the drug cash hadnt found its way into Thunderboat Row and its fabled go-fast boats. Peters: If you were a coward, with him, you were gone. Next thing I know an employee comes in and hes banging on my door. He was a real successful cocksman. "I don't now why nobody was killed. Allan Brown Shirley was his first wife. His company, Bertram Yacht, drew worldwide attention. "I took her to all the best places," Aronow says. Celebrated yacht designer Michael Peters, who went to work for Aronow the day before he died, said, He was an asshole, but he was my asshole a benefactor for whom Ill always be grateful., On 3 February 1987, Peters was aged 34 and among the last people to speak with Aronow at the office of USA Racing Team, the latest of Aronows boat firms. Don built boats for good guys and he built them for bad guys. The Shah of Iran, George Bush Sr., and Lyndon Johnson all had speedboats that he made for them. Despite being pursued, the murderers managed to escape by driving across the grass. His face flushed with excitement, Don Aronow launches into another one of his stories. Sure enough, I moved there on a Monday and he was murdered that Tuesday.. 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. The twos happy marriage disintegrates due to Bens demanding schedules and their son Andrews car accident, which left his legs permanently disfigured. Jackson said it was the best in the world. He has three childrenMichael, David, and Claudiawith Shirley Goldin, his first wife. When Cigarette founder and powerboat racing champion Don Aronow was shot dead on 3 February 1987 in Miami, the boating world was convulsed, but not everybody was surprised. How Did He Die? In reality, Don had already amassed a million dollars before relocating to Miami with his family. He was a hero and a genius, a ballbuster and a bully. He didnt pick on the little guy. Bobby Young was the person who did the killing, and he said that Ben Kramer hired him. 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. The boats tend to be smaller, more sedate, more family-oriented. In 1948, he married Shirley Goldin, [1] [6] whom he had met while working as a lifeguard on Coney Island. Michael, his oldest son, was one of the best athletes at the University of Florida. American designer/builder/racer:famous Magnum Marine/Cigarette/Donzi/Formula speedboats, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "How a Kid From Brooklyn Put Go-Fast Boats On The Map" By Capt Ken Kreisler, "Don Aronow's Murder Leaves Miami Wondering: Were 'Cigarettes' Hazardous to His Health? If your browser is out of date, try updating it. The drug money was corrupting banking, real estate and law enforcement. [On the afternoon of February 3, 1987, a man claiming to be Jerry Jacoby walked into Aronows Thunderboat Row office exhibiting strange behavior; inquiring about a 60-foot boat and alluding to a mysterious man that he worked forand who he would kill for if need be. What Happened To Don Aronow? Bush a close friend.]. He thought he was going to semi-retire to Florida and skindive and fish but he got bored., Michael Peters Aronow looked the part. 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. [1] In 1945, he joined the merchant marine and worked overseas until the end of World War II. "I'd never be married to a beautiful woman like Lillian if I hauled garbage for a living," Aronow adds. 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. Their son is menswear designer Adam Kimmel; His second wife was former Wilhelmina model, Lillian Crawford, 24 years his junior. Barely into his forties, Aronow was now a famous, feted and very wealthy man. After campaigning his boat "The Cigarette" around the world with mechanic Norris "Knocky" House as his cockpit companion, he won his second World Championship in three years, and third consecutive United States Championship while becoming only the 2nd American in history to win the UIM Gold Medal of Honor (Gar Wood was America's first UIM champion). He was a hero and a genius, a ballbuster and a bully. Also read:Wally Tatomir: Death And Obituary What Is The Cause Of The Equipment Manager&Death? Then he bought a parcel of land immediately west of them, and thats where he built the Magnum building. A guy would come looking at a boat with a girl, and the guy would ask How much? And Don would go, $70,000. 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!, Michael Peters A guy would walk into his shop, all excited to meet [Aronow] and buy a boat. WebClaudia is a New York artist and ex-wife of real estate developer Martin Kimmel. I didnt hear shots, with the air-conditioner and sewing machines going on, but somebody came and got me. We collected some of the best. Make that a very healthy six figures. He was an alpha male, like the male lion you see on safari. And he became hooked on racing and thats how it all began. Actor John Travolta as Ben Aronoff in the 2018 crime drama Speed Kills. 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. 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And he liked to get the best of people. He was very young. Brown: Everybody has their own idea about why he was in Miami. Marchesa Katrin Theodoli and her husband became the owners of Magnum. But in the end, the investigation led to a hired gun. But nothing compares with the go-fast scenes of the 1960s, 1970s and climatic 1980s. 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. Brown: He was also the best boat salesman in the history of the world. Peters: It could have been anyone from drug runners, to business partners, to jealous husbands. Miami claimed the nations highest murder rate at 70 per 100,000 residents, and this years pace has been even higher. 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. Speculation about who the killer might be ran from jilted lovers or jealous husbands to [Jewish mobster] Meyer Lansky and the CIA. I told my secretary to call 911. You make real money when you sell the company.. Credit: Courtesy of Arthur Jay Harris. He pulled alongside a Lincoln car with tinted windows. But Aronow may have possessed a darker side that even he could not outrun and in the end, he wound up as nothing more than a target for an assassins bullet. Little could prepare him for the scene two hundred metres up the street. That was just his personality.. Youre never gonna make a lot of money building boats, he was quoted as saying. Allan Brown He started Formula from scratch and sold it to Thunderbird in about a year. He was larger than life. He was larger than life. Lillian is Aronow's second wife -- a former Palm Beach socialite, heiress and high fashion model. The deals off. Im guessing Don kept some of the under-the-table money. (ABOVE) RUM RUNNER: The first boat to wear the Formula name was a 233 called Cigarette after a famous rum running boat. Claudia is a New York-based artist. 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. And every new [Cigarette] that I do, I drive right by his house with it, just so he can see. My Legacy: Inside Codecasa's 56m superyacht that champions traditionalism, Mimi La Sardine: The 33.5m explorer designed with a little help from Pinterest, My Song: Sailing in symphony on board the first ClubSwan 80, Interior designer Katharine Pooley turns her hand to boats, 130+ superyachts flock to St Barths for New Year's celebrations, Celebrities spotted on superyachts during the holidays. 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. Don Aronow with his wife Lillian and son Gavin. And then one night Aronow and the contessa were driving back from a candlelit dinner in a tiny restaurant high in the Carrara Mountains. Peters: A guy would walk into his shop, all excited to meet [Aronow] and buy a boat. Or man, his brother Robin added. He hung out with kings, mobsters, and The Beatles, and considered future president George H.W. During his quarter-century reign as the undisputed king of Thunderboat Row, Aronow was a lot of different things to a lot of different people. 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. Included in the settlement was $1.25 million in cash, a million-dollar Miami waterfront home and a Rolls-Royce. [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. Because he did, thats for sure.. But they [blew] a clutch and had nothing left. Aronow: After he was working with the family for a few years he went off on his own and started building homes, then shopping centers, industrial parks, all over northern New Jersey. It would be easy to become blocked in here. Drug smuggling could be the regions major [largest] industry.. And he never would backpedal later or change things. I was a little hesitant to move to Miami because my view of it was straight out of [1980s TV series] Miami Vice. Read more:David A. Arnold: Death And Obituary How Did Famous Comedian, Actor-Writer &Producer Die? Sign up to BOAT International email newsletters to get the latest superyacht news, business analysis, exclusive event invitations, and more. And sure enough, I moved there on a Monday and he was murdered that Tuesday. The University of Florida standout athlete Michael was the one who suffered serious injuries in a vehicle accident in 1970. Aronow had just left a meeting with Bob Saccenti, part owner of Apache Power Boats together with partner Ben Kramer. Witnesses assert that as Aronow rolled down his window, the other driver allegedly started shooting. His second hull was fiberglass -- its hull shaped in a deep-vee to slash through the waves. By the end of 1962, Don had founded the Formula Marine boat company as a specialized moto boat business, which he ultimately sold to Alliance Machine Corp. of Merrick Lewis. [1] He had two elder sisters, Sylvia and Lillian. He gave the impression that he felt he could take whatever he wanted.. Anyhow, there was this contessa Don Aronow met while he was racing in the Mediterranean off northern Italy. That one time, Don said, Alright kid, Ill see ya, and walked out the door. Due to Dons business relationships with some of the riskiest figures in the field, his name was changed to Ben Aronoff. 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 didnt hear shots, with the air conditioner and sewing machines going on, but somebody came and got me. Members of the Bee Gees were neighbours on both sides. aronow: I dont think any of those guys had ever seen anything quite like it to be honest. He thought he was going to semi-retire to Florida and skin dive and fish, but he got bored. 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. But a dark Lincoln Continental rolled up alongside and then shots rang out. You can talk to anybody [about that]. Michael plays the role of Andrew in the movie Speed Kills. Six foot three, real good looking, lots of swagger. Aronow had sold USA Racing Team a company that built high-speed catamarans for the US Customs Service to Kramer and his father in 1985. Was it even a planned killing, or some crazed crime of passion? [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]. [2] Hed bought a Formula and a Cigarette from him, describing Aronow as a joy to be around. Saccenti: The real Don was sitting at a business table negotiating deals. The Captain tracked down a motley crew prepared to spill the beans. Bush, right, was a close friend who initially threw his weight behind the murder investigation. Saccenti: He used to say youre never gonna make a lot of money building boats. 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: By 66 my dad had sold Donzi to Teleflex. Also read:Queen Elizabeth II: Death And Obituary What Happened To Her? He eventually became aggravated with the business. Aronow was now with his second wife, Lillian Crawford a model, Palm Beach heiress and ex-girlfriend of King Hussein of Jordan. In the film, Ben Aronoff is wed to Katherine Aronoff, his wife. 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. Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. Today, Thunderboat Row is a transformed, gentrified enclave. You gotta do your homework. He flourished as an entrepreneur during his upswing in motorsports and the automotive industry, setting himself apart from others. [Aronow famously kept company with people from all walks of life. 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. 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