Chris Paciello: Former King of South Beach Nightlife Goes West
It was to be a lavish, star-studded event — one for the history books. The fated night was a Saturday in December 1999 and Liquid Room — Chris Paciello’s newest outpost in West Palm Beach — was set to open. Already the king of Miami Beach nightlife, Paciello seemed invincible. His South Beach hotspots, Liquid and Bar Room, were frequented by Madonna and every other A-lister that traveled south. The lines to get in often stretched around the block and revelers happily waited for a chance to partake in the hedonism that awaited them behind the velvet ropes. Joia, Paciello’s Italian eatery, was where anyone who was someone dined. So naturally, Paciello and business partner Ingrid Casares decided to expand their empire. Liquid Room was going to give West Palm Beach the cool factor that has always eluded a town better known for being quaint than trendy. Donald Trump was scheduled to host the soiree, but for one reason or another he never showed. No matter, neither did Paciello. About a month earlier the kingpin was picked up by the feds and was being held on racketeering, robbery and murder charges.
After serving a stretch in prison for his role in a 1994 robbery, Paciello is out of jail and living in Los Angeles. While there has been much speculation about what’s next in the cards for Paciello he seems to be happy in California. “I was looking for a fresh start. And, of course, the allure of the great Southern California weather and beach life was a great draw. I also have many friends out here, and that helped make the move more comfortable and inviting,” says Paciello. He certainly hasn’t wasted any time getting his life back together and he has his hands in a myriad of projects. “I’m working on restaurant branding concepts and just opened Cristoni Pizzeria in both West Hollywood and Beverly Hills — with more pizzerias in the works. And I’m very excited to be involved with the Melrose Avenue’s newest hotspot, Murano Restaurant Lounge. It’s been compared by many to my old Joia in South Beach,” says Paciello. “Also, the Hollywood production company Appian Way has come aboard and is working on a treatment of my life story, which will finally let me tell my side of events.”
TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY
When Paciello arrived in Miami in 1994 as a 23-year-old kid from Brooklyn, South Beach was little more than a retirement community. In the blink of an eye, Paciello owned three of the town’s most successful nightspots. His establishments attracted loads of celebrities, which in turn attracted hoards of tourists — turning the once sleepy beach town into a booming, money-generating international destination. Local residents dubbed him a “community leader.” Liza Minelli compared Liquid to the legendary Studio 54. In his glory days, Paciello was romantically linked to a number of gorgeous high-profile women — Madonna, Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Lopez, Niki Taylor and Naomi Campbell to name a few. Paciello was crowned the king of South Beach in the ’90s, but lurking behind the Hollywood mystique there were darker secrets. Rumors of mob affiliations, a criminal past and a vicious temper.
The incident that eventually landed Paciello behind bars is also perhaps the most well-known story. February 18, 1993: Judith Shemtov was in her Staten Island home having a cup of tea with her husband when there was a knock at the door. Thomas Reynolds and a group of thugs forced their way into the house with their guns drawn demanding to know the whereabouts of the house safe. Police reports say that Paciello waited in the car while, less than two minutes later, Reynolds put the gun to Judith’s head and pulled the trigger. She died later that night.
Over the years, prosecutors have alleged that Paciello was mixed up with a Brooklyn gang known as the Bath Avenue Crew that was responsible for a string of robberies and brutal murders back in the ’90s. He’s been accused of numerous crimes including getting into countless barroom fights (one involved smashing a beer bottle in someone’s face and another an ax handle). In one of those brawls, a photographer was stabbed in the chest. In court, Paciello was accused by ex-business partner Michael Caruso of beating Caruso up and shoving a gun in his face. According to the Village Voice, two months before he was arrested, Paciello was caught on tape talking about assassinating South Beach club owner and former Bar Room and Liquid marketing director and manager Gerry Kelly. In 1995, his first nightclub, Risk, went up in flames (purportedly for insurance money).
Not everyone remembers Paciello as a rough-and-tumble ganger though. Helen Clarke, who worked with Paciello at all of his clubs — Risk, Liquid and Bar Room — until his arrest in December 1999, remembers his “quiet, almost shy demeanor. I never heard him raise his voice, ever.” She also recalls how “his employees were his friends and everyone loved working for him. During his arrest, the Miami Beach police station was filled with dozens of his employees who showed up offering to bail him out.” Veteran South Beach nightlife promoter Micheal Capponi told New York Magazine that Paciello was always somewhat of a father figure to him. While Capponi was recovering from a heroin addiction Paciello made it his responsibility to look out for Capponi. “If I’d disappear in a bathroom for two minutes, he’d kick down the door to make sure I wasn’t doing drugs.” During Paciello’s bail hearing on December 15, 1999, Ocean Drive publisher Jason Binn, Forge restaurant owner Shareef Malnik, Ingrid Casares and her multi-millionaire father Raul were all in attendance. Raul testified that his daughter was a cocaine-addicted “disaster” before she met Paciello, and he initially put up $15 million (later reduced to $1 million) to secure Paciello’s bail bond.
Today’s South Beach is very different place from the A-list celebrity-laden, money-fueled playground that Paciello left behind ten years ago. While there may be some bad blood on the beach, many only remember the good times and wish that Paciello would return to Miami and rekindle the magic. Helen Clarke recalls, “It was always decadent. The top celebrities in the VIP room, the best DJs in the world flown in and the best champagne flowed every night.” So is a homecoming in the works? “Never say never! Miami is a dear place to me and, of course, I miss it,” says Paciello. “But we will just have to wait and see what the future brings.”
3 Responses to “Chris Paciello: Former King of South Beach Nightlife Goes West”
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:31 am
He’s a snitch who deserves to be murdered.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:47 am
true
January 5th, 2009 at 12:32 am
Chris is a guy who got all his money from doing home invasions robbing banks and stealing cars etc. The ironic part is he rated on all the people who protected his pussy ass!! Cause without them he is no fucking tough guy! Sucker punching regular “joes” or body builders doesn’t make you a tough guy! Yet everyone makes him out to be a celebrity! He ’s nothing now, no back up! Who r u gonna run to now chris? When they make a movie about his life they should call it “scumbag”
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