This Tuesday for eight and a half hours Joe Carollo was questioned by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla, the commissioner denied a dozen witnesses who testified in federal court under oath.
The lawyer for the businessmen suing the Miami commissioner asked Carollo why so many people would lie under oath against him, to which he replied that they all had “something” against him.
According to evidence presented in federal court in Miami, Commissioner Joe Carollo ordered his aides to search for all kinds of information on the properties of Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla.
That’s why they searched through all the licenses, permits, receipts, how much they spent on food and booze, the receipts for the cars they parked, not only at Ball and Chain but at Taquería and Los Altos del Mexicano.
Also that they see in the businesses they rent on their properties such as Unión Beer, El Taquito, problems with plumbing and electrical permits. Also, regarding the Azúcar ice cream parlour, he notably asked permission for the ice cream cone that it has on its facade and if they had obtained a permit to close the sidewalk when they installed it.
Plaintiffs’ attorney asked him if it was true that he referred to Bill Fuller as “The Godfather” in a derogatory way, to which Carollo admitted he was.
And then he asked him why he played the movie’s theme song “The Godfather” after police chief Art Acevedo was fired and the new chief was welcomed in. Carollo said he was directed at Acevedo for how he offended them by calling them a “Cuban mafia”.
Carollo was asked why he never supported Cultural Fridays which began in the year 2000 and are held every last Friday of each month on Calle 8. To which he replied that under the Fuller administration , the event had deteriorated.
The attorney replied that it wasn’t really because he intended to replace the tradition with his own Little Havana Friday event, to which he replied that Cultural Fridays could have continued on another day of the month.
In addition, the lawyer showed an image of the opening of “El Santo”, a taco shop, restaurant and nightclub located on Calle 8 and pointed out that he also supports the opening of the new Starbucks in Little Havana, but never showed acceptance for the business of entrepreneurs with more investment in the sector.
During cross-examination in that case by one of his defense attorneys, Carollo said Fuller told him during his campaign that he was under scrutiny by the city for issues involving the renovation of the 7th Street Tower. Hotel.
The defense, which has yet to begin making its case, is trying to show that Fuller’s business dealings were under investigation before Carollo became commissioner. The plaintiffs allege that it was Carollo who became obsessed with destroying their investments.