Miami Beach Reflections

Anyone else might have tossed the square cloth, found lodged between two walls during renovations, in the trash.  But Shareef Malnik, proprietor of the The Forge located in Miami Beach, framed the napkin and delivered it to his father.
Shareef knew something as small and seemingly insignificant as discarded linen would mean as much to his father, Al Malnik, as any expensive antique they salvaged from the restaurant.

How The Forge began, is a similar story.  Nothing extraordinary happened the night Al’s friend, Jay Weiss, suggested a friendly wager, but it was an evening that set the course for how Al would spend much of the next 40 years.
“This was Miami Beach in the 60s. We dined out quite a bit.  Always had a great time, but just about every place we went, I’d find something that wasn’t right,” Al said. “I thought having great food in a restaurant was easy.  If everything wasn’t perfect, I’d complain.”
Maybe Jay became tired of listening or just wanted a break from the constant restaurant critiques. Either way, the pair made a bet. “Jay challenged me to create a restaurant that would meet my own expectations,” Al said.  “He didn’t think I could do it.  I was certain he was wrong.”
A 1968 real estate deal set the wheels in motion. Al purchased a run-down building, gutted it and then transformed the space into his vision of the perfect dining venue.
He filled the restaurant with artwork, antiques, artifacts and treasures collected from around the world.   “I am in inveterate collector. Wherever I go I collect things.”
Each object displayed at The Forge tells a story and contributes to the overall style Al envisioned.  “I think, without exception, I was best at design – creating what I felt was the perfect space for a fine dining experience and bringing in entertainment that drew a crowd.”
Al’s unwavering confidence in knowing what worked played an important role in his success.  It didn’t matter what anyone else thought of his ideas, if it was what he wanted, he did it anyway.  Within reason, he’s quick to add.
Take the six-foot by five-foot painting of a nude woman displayed prominently in the restaurant’s main dining room.  The painting turned more than a few heads back in the early days of the restaurant. “As soon as I saw it, I knew immediately that the painting belonged in the main dining hall,” Al said.  “People said I was crazy.  They told me I couldn’t hang a nude painting there.  They would never bring their children around to see something like that.”
Miami Beach was changing rapidly at that time, but for some long-time residents and patrons of The Forge the “risqué” art choice didn’t sit well.  But the painting stayed and a steady flow of people, both young and old, kept coming.
Not everything was easy, though. The bar was popular from the start, but initially, the food was a different story.  With a carefully selected party of ten at his table on opening night, including Jay – the challenger, Al readied himself to graciously accept Jay’s admission that he had lost the wager.
But opening night didn’t go well. It didn’t take Al long to realize perfection wasn’t quite as easy to pull off as he thought.  “We waited more than an hour for our food and the relief I felt when the waiters finally headed towards our table was short-lived.
We ordered shrimp cocktail – that’s hard to get wrong. I took one look at the shrimp – they were tiny, just hanging limply off the side; probably the most awful-looking shrimp I have ever seen – and knew Jay had won the bet. He had the last laugh – but only on an interim basis.”
During the months that followed opening night, Al learned that delivering great food, great service, and a great experience was a formidable challenge.
His friends would say they’d filled up on bread as an excuse not to eat when they dined at The Forge.  Or they’d go straight to the bar or come in after they’d already had dinner.  “Even Jay wouldn’t eat there, and he was not a picky eater – but bad food, that was a different story.”
Al ended up cleaning house – replacing the entire staff and taking a hands-on approach to managing The Forge. “It took an entire year to overcome the bad reputation I had created and really become known as not only a hot spot for entertainment, but a high-quality food restaurant as well.”
By all accounts, things worked out incredibly well.  For more than 40 years, The Forge has been known as much for its high-quality food as it is for the celebrities, politicians and high-powered names and faces it attracts every night of the week.
While Shareef is known for bringing the wildly popular Wednesday night parties to The Forge, Al hosted many head-turning guests at his table for years as well.  In fact, the Forge was known as a “home away from home” for some of the world’s most famous people.
Jose Ferrer, an actor, was fascinated by the décor and wanted to meet Al.  “We became good friends,” said Al. “He was living down here and we used to have dinner together.  It was a sad time for him, though, because he had just gotten divorced from his wife, singer, Rosemary Clooney.
I have many fond memories of the celebrities who frequented The Forge: Harry Karl, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, an English actor – Laurence Harvey.  I could keep going on.  Many of them are dead now – back then I was known as the young guy who owned the restaurant.”
At about the same time Al was hosting after-hours parties late into the evening and early morning hours, he became a regular afternoon guest at Jilly Rizzo’s houseboat located across from the Fontainebleau Hotel.  Think of Frank Sinatra’s houseboat when he played Tony Rome, which was set in Miami Beach; or the popular private eye series, “Surfside 6.”  Replace the detective and far-fetched plots from the series with real-life celebrities, politicians and a cast of good-looking, well known characters looking for a place to unwind and you’ve got a good idea of who stopped by on a typical afternoon.
Every night back in those days, just as they do today, lines of people wrapped around the building waiting to get into the bar.  Top bands, singers and comedians drew record numbers of tourists to Miami Beach.  The Forge became the after-hours venue of choice.
“We were the only place with a license to stay open until 5 a.m. so all the entertainers would finish their shows, then come over afterwards,” Al said. “It was really something, to walk in at 2:30 in the morning, look up at the stage and realize that was Liza Minnelli singing. It was like that just about every night.
I was good at choosing the right groups and really getting it all together so that it was the hot spot to go to.  We had three bands performing every night. Miami Beach had a very strong Latin influence back then and we booked some big names and others that would go on to become famous.  Willy Chirino, “The Judge’s Nephews,” they were both fantastic.”
Connie Francis first heard the Judge’s Nephews at The Forge. She loved their sound so much she had her manager arrange bookings in Las Vegas for the group.  Band member Carlos Olivera went on from there to collaborate with Emilio Estefan right about the time he and Gloria Estefan formed the Miami Sound Machine.
Like any successful restaurant The Forge was, and still is, in constant motion – changing and improving to meet the needs of their clientele.  As the years passed, other restaurants  changed ownership and style, but The Forge was different.
The sole ownership change occurred when Al passed control of The Forge to Shareef in 1991.  Shareef implemented changes that earned accolades and praise for his innovative approach, but the style and goal of both father and son remained constant.
Now, just months after celebrating its 40th birthday, The Forge is getting a makeover – not in a cosmetic surgery manner, but major, substantive changes.  When the doors reopen, patrons will see new furniture, new china, new uniforms and a new layout.  Every detail of the renovation was completed with the intention of having the changes last for the next three or four decades.
Shareef has been quiet about most of the changes – saying only that when The Forge reopens it will be well worth the wait.
The fate of the gallery-quality collectibles that filled each room?  There are a few things people will recognize. Others have been shipped to Al’s warehouse which he admits is already busting at the seams. “I’m building a second storage building but I have no idea what I’ll do with any of it.”
It would be impossible not to feel some sadness seeing things go, but Al feels it’s correct that they went. “I selected and loved everything that was in there,” he said.  “The chairs were 42 years old.  I had them redone several times but they were the same chairs that I started with. If I didn’t like something, I would have changed it.”
That’s probably the reason Shareef framed the napkin found between the walls and delivered it to his father.
Today, both father and son are confident The Forge’s new style, and what it represents, will continue creating many long-lasting memories and new stories.
If the walls could talk, they’d have a lot to tell.

Since Miami’s legendary restaurant The Forge closed its doors for renovations last fall, the whole city has been abuzz wondering when the mid-beach property will welcome diners back into its fold. Considered by many notable residents to have one of the best steaks in town, we thought that with the South Beach Wine & Food Festival right around the corner, what better time to catch up with owner Shareef Malnik to see if we could squeeze any opening details out of him.
In the latest issue of Haute Living Miami, we present readers with Q & As from some of the most recognized names that are leading the Magic City’s culinary scene. In the article, “Culinary Power Players,” Shareef tells us a little about the types of crowds his venue appeals to. “The Forge is intentionally designed to appeal to a diverse crowd. It’s all about quality and a great time. It’s about community and people feeling like they are at home, not in their dining room, but in their living room with friends.”
Malnik has been famously quiet about the renovations going on behind closed doors, though he did mention that he is finishing up the project, and is also in the process of designing The Forge in Dubai. And when we asked him to describe his dream restaurant, he replied, “I am attempting to built it as we speak.”

Find out more of what this haute restaurateur had to say about his own endeavors, as well as some of his favorite places to dine in Miami in the February/March issue of Haute Living Miami.

Miami Beach’s culinary bastion and social staple The Forge has reached new heights with the celebration of its 40 years in business.  In commemoration of this milestone, the landmark and its owner Shareef Malnik were honored on Monday, April 27, 2009 with a proclamation and a key to the City of Miami Beach. The festivities took place at the offices of Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and the day was declared “The Forge’s 40th Anniversary Day.”

“It is a pleasure to celebrate The Forge’s years of success.  The restaurant has made positive contributions to Miami Beach and has enhanced the city as a world wide destination,” says Mayor Bower.

In honor of The Forge’s 40-year birthday, Malnik is proud to announce that he is giving the storied venue a total multi-million dollar revamp and renovation that started during the summer of 2009 that includes a radical new interior design concept and new menu, including one for the popular Forge Bar, located within the restaurant. The Forge closed for these extensive renovations as of April 27, 2009, and will reopen very soon.

“I see this stage of The Forge as a ‘rebirth,’ not unlike a renewal of wedding vows when you get married.  When we re-open in the winter of 2010, our loyal clientele will be blown away by the exciting enhancements and changes that will have been completed,” says Malnik.  “Like the fine wines in our famous cellar, The Forge only improves with age. Here’s to the next 40 years.”

The Forge has been a Miami Beach legend since the 1920s and owned by Alvin Malnik since 1968.  In 1991, Shareef Malnik became the proprietor of the restaurant, and proceeded to inject a shot of hipness into The Forge’s existing eloquence and glamour. The result: A full house every night of the week, successful nightclub components Jimmy’z and Glass, and the East Room, a private dining hall that was host to intimate concerts and film premieres.

The award-winning restaurant has attracted South Beach’s crème de la crème as well leading A-list celebrities over the last four decades, including Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Kelly Preston and John Travolta, Elizabeth Taylor, Mikhail Gorbachev, Rod Stewart, Salma Hayek, Sir Paul McCartney, Whitney Houston, Woody Allen, Al Pacino, Jessica Alba, Iggy Pop, Matt Damon, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Jordan, Kate Moss, Matthew McConaughey, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Naomi Campbell, Mickey Rourke, Sly Stallone, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Desi Arnaz, Andy Warhol, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, just to name a few.

The Forge’s current expansion plans include The Forge Dubai.

Alvin I. Malnik was born 05/23/33 in St. Louis, MO where he attended Clark Elementary School and Soldan High School graduating in 1950. He then attended Washington University receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1954. From 1954 to 1956, he served in the U.S. Army as a Guided Missile Officer achieving the rank of Reserve Captain. From 1956 to 1959, he attended the University of Miami of Law and graduated with high honors and achieved an LLB and J.D. degree.

He engaged in the practice of law for approximately ten years thereafter and subsequently has principally been in the real estate development and the finance business. He has never been involved in any bankruptcy or suffered any adverse judgments. He is an honorarium of the Founders Society of the University of Miami, a founder of the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center; a Founder of Mount Sinai Medical Center and is the only person that has ever achieved “Life-time” Benefactor of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of South Florida.In addition to the aforementioned real estate and finance business, Mr. Malnik created the world renowned ‘The Forge Restaurant’ 40 years ago which is the second oldest restaurant in South Florida (Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant being the oldest). The Forge has been nominated as one of the flagship restaurants in America as well as having achieved the International Grand Master Wine Award and was voted #1 restaurant in America by Wine Spectator Magazine. Some of the projects that Mr. Malnik has developed are the Sky Lake County Club, California Club residences, Brandsmart Building, Cricket Club condominium buildings, and apartment complexes in California and Florida. Mr. Malnik was also honored by the Miami Chamber of Commerce as Outstanding Citizen of the Year for 2007.

Miami’s landmark dining establishment, The Forge, is set to re-open Winter 2010, just in time for the Season after closing in July of 2009 for a makeover. The 40 year old legendary restaurant is presently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation and will emerge with new furniture, a fresh look and new menu. Owner Shareef Malnik took ownership of The Forge in 1991 after the restaurant survived a nearly disastrous fire, followed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 that did severe and extensive damage to the restaurant and it’s famous wine cellar. Malnik said he’s been wanting to renovate for years and believes this newly updated Forge will stand the test of time again. “We’ve really come up with a new, updated version of The Forge,” said Malnik, “The only way you can stay ahead of the game is through change. I think this is going to give us another 40 years.”

Famous for it’s steak as much as it’s elegant charm, The Forge has long been a destination for celebrities and people with a taste for a truly elegant and unique dining experience. Located off the beaten paths of South Beach, The Forge is a true Miami landmark. The Forge is located in Miami Beach at 432 W 41st St. Miami Beach, FL 33140-3504. Phone them at (305) 538-8533 or on the web at www.theforge.com

We here at Haute Living heard about the Make-A-Wish Ball on Saturday, November 7, 2009, where the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida and InterContinental Miami celebrated the 15th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, raising $1 million, with a Beatles-inspired cocktail reception and dinner, musical performance by Beatlemania Now, extravagant live auction emceed by Pamela Anderson, and 2nd Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Nightclub.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist also appeared as a special honoree. “We are delighted to announce that our 15th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball was an extraordinary success,” said Norman Wedderburn, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida President/CEO. “As a result of the unwavering support of our donors, we were able to raise an astonishing amount of money for our children amidst these tough times. I am extremely grateful for all of the generous supporters who donated and contributed their time and efforts towards making this year’s Ball an unforgettable experience and more importantly, providing the resources that will make wishes come true for 200 children across South Florida.”

This year’s InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball was made possible by the committee’s star players: President/CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, Norm Wedderburn; Ball Chairman and proprietor of The Forge, Shareef Malnik; and recently appointed InterContinental Miami General Manager, Robert B. Hill.

Also honored at this year’s Ball were Lifetime Benefactors Al and Nancy Malnik; Grand Benefactors Stanley and Gala Cohen; Founding Benefactors Howard and Barbara Glicken; and Wish Star Benefactor James L. Ferraro, as well as Wish Benefactors Harvey and Roberta Chaplin, Stuart A. Miller of Lennar Corporation and Robert Press of Trafalgar Capital Advisors.

The evening began with an extravagant Beatles-inspired cocktail reception in the hotel’s Mezzanine, which was transformed into a wonderland reminiscent of the legendary group’s songs “Strawberry Fields,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” and “All You Need Is Love,” among others. The fantasy decor included a yellow submarine made of 1,000 balloons, a hand-carved carousel of air-brushed animals, six-foot-tall strawberries dotted with giant rhinestone “seeds,” and eight-foot-high letters that spelled out “LOVE” on an Abbey Road Studios facade.

Guests enjoyed bountiful hors d’oeuvre stations created by InterContinental Miami’s gifted Executive Chef Alexander Feher, spirits provided by Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., and the renowned silent auction that raised $87,000. More than 140 premier items were donated by top hospitality, entertainment, fashion and luxury brands, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Ocean Reef Club, Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Lines and Christian Dior, to name a few.

At the end of the reception, guests were summoned to dinner by the event’s 47 themed performers, including a 10-foot lobster man on stilts, a bearded lady, a strong man, Sgt. Pepper characters, glittering mermaids and colorful sea anemones.

The dinner gala continued with beats by Miami HEAT resident DJ Irie and an action-packed live auction hosted by Anderson. Attorney Jim Ferraro donated nearly $500,000 for three items-a Ferrari California donated by Ken Gorin of THE COLLECTION; a home rental and golf experience at famed St. Andrews Links, Scotland, provided by Paul and Emma Woodhouse; and a trip to Punta Mita, Mexico courtesy of Strategic Hotels and Resorts, owners of InterContinental Miami. A total of $210,000 was raised by Miami’s top VIPs and philanthropists at the live auction.

The grand finale of the event featured live music entertainment, with Beatlemania Now bringing the crowd to its feet from the first chords of “I Saw Her Standing There.” Following the Ball and for the second time in InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball’s history, the after-party at InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Nightclub celebrated the Ball’s endeavors and reintroduced the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida to the next generation of contributors and Miami’s tastemakers in the fashion, arts, music and nightlife industries.

Al Malnik Made Miami
By: Haute Living on July 6th, 2007

Al Malnik brought Miami to the main stage with style and sophistication, now he invites you home.
By Kamal Hotchandani & Megan O’Neil
Photography by Reynaldo Ales

Al Malnik knows Miami. And, it’s safe to say, Miami is a world-class city, in large part, because of him. A devoted businessman, family man and philanthropist, Malnik has left his mark on one of the greatest cities in the world

Al Malnik brought Miami to the main stage with style and sophistication, now he invites you home.

By Kamal Hotchandani & Megan O’Neil
Photography by Reynaldo Ales

Al Malnik Is Miami Beach

Al Malnik knows Miami. And, it’s safe to say, Miami is a world-class city, in large part, because of him. A devoted businessman, family man and philanthropist, Malnik has left his mark on much of the Miami Beach landscape since he moved here in 1956. From his world-renowned restaurant, The Forge, his creation known in its heyday as the stomping grounds of the Rat Pack and other legendary characters, to his extremely generous support of local charitable organizations such as the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Jackson Memorial Hospital and Mt. Sinai Hospital, it is obvious that Malnik likes to make things happen. And, when he does, no one can top him.

His success as a restaurateur, a major consumer loan lender and an entertainment lawyer to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin and Jackie Gleason are well documented and testament to his unrivaled clout and reputation. But, few know that this prominent South Florida figure is a self-made, private, humble and deeply spiritual patriarch of an ever-growing family-his wife, Nancy, recently gave birth to twins rounding out his brood at 10-with an eye for design, a passion for art and a love for good home-cooked meals.

Driving up to the entrance of the Beaux Arts Mansion, Malnik’s 35,000-square-foot Palm Beach residence, it appears that F. Scott Fitzgerald could have had it in mind as he penned The Great Gatsby. It is a breathtaking feat, a modern-day nod to the historical Beaux Art style, helmed by the athletic Malnik himself.

“I have always wanted to create a Beaux Art house,” Malnik confides energetically. “l love to build. I love to complete my eclectic taste.”

Malnik is a passionate collector. A hobby-turned-obsession when he was a young law student, collecting provided a vehicle for him to amass value and wealth while writing his own history through celebrated objects. It started with stained glass but today, everything from art-a cast-away Picasso hangs behind a guest bathroom door and unique Roy Caruthers pieces are displayed throughout the house-to wine-thousands of Jeroboams and Methusalis of Margaux, Petrus and Rothchilds sit in his multilevel wine cellar-to antiques-the third pool table ever built by Brunswick stands next to two enormous mirrors from the Carnegie Mansion in New York-has a special niche at the Beaux Art Mansion.

“My philosophy,” Malnik explains of his approach to antiques, “is to buy art…that is irreplaceable because the craft no longer exists as it did when it was made. They need to be individual and unique.”

Individual and unique are themes that run throughout Malnik’s home, largely due to his masterful coupling of seemingly disparate elements from the classic to the contemporary. Touring through his collection, the suave and handsome Malnik seems to channel Old Blue Eyes himself as he glides from room to room unveiling his favored pieces. His dining room is an unexpected treasure trove. Featuring a stunning 1860-dining room set emblazoned with the Cartier seal (a little known fact: the esteemed jeweler was an accomplished furniture maker, he also designed Malnik’s alabaster clock fireplace) from the Cartier family estate in Switzerland paired with Russian Beaux Art candelabras and a solid-gold candle holder, a gift from Saudi Arabian Prince Abdul Aziz, the room is the picture perfect marriage of styles.

“The house is replete with all different types of things,” Malnik admits with a charming grin, “yet it all seems to work together. Others might say that it is lunacy but it is a turn on for me.”

Mixing things up has been a recurring agenda for the St. Louis, Missouri native not only in décor but also in business and in philanthropy. “I started out as a renegade,” Malnik admits, “I always did what I wanted, represented people when I practiced law that many people told me, ‘you’re just going to ruin your career’ and perhaps they were right. But, I always felt I needed to do what I wanted to do.”

And today, the tireless Malnik is collaborating with noted businessman Jordan Zimmerman and record executive Steve Rifkin to develop Kids Block, an educational entertainment project for children buttressed by hip-hop music, created by the talented and famous record producers, Poke & Tone. The venture will include a weekly television show and several other satellite components.

“It’s an updated Sesame Street,” Malnik enthuses. “Very hip. Very urban. Very today.”

Hip, urban and today. These words could also be used to describe Malnik’s other business endeavors. Joining his “eleventh son”, film director Brett Ratner of Rush Hour and X-Men: The Last Stand fame, Malnik’s professed next phase will be an exploration of opportunities in the entertainment industry.

But, despite his many business dealings, Malnik remains deeply committed to supporting causes and charities that make a difference in people’s lives. Sometimes, those people are very close to home. Malnik and his beautiful wife Nancy had been involved with the Make-A-Wish foundation long before they had children of their own.

“They literally bring the child back to life by granting a wish,” the grateful Malnik remarks. “They really do. We saw it.”

Three years ago, one of their triplets, Jarod, was diagnosed with leukemia and was admitted into St. Mary’s Hospital for six months while he underwent chemotherapy. Luckily, Jarod has been in remission for almost three years now and is a happy healthy 8-year-old boy but during his hospitalization, Malnik observed Make-A-Wish in action. They brought hope and happiness to all of the kids in the pediatric-cancer wing including Jarod. “It was fantastic,” he enthuses.

Splitting his philanthropic energies among children’s causes, religious-based charities and other worthwhile organizations, Malnik is proud of his charitable work. Currently, he is setting up a foundation that will specialize in seeking out deserving causes to be the recipients of his generosity so that donations like his current gift to the Jackson Memorial Hospital, in honor of the late chairman and his dear friend Jay Weiss, are a regular occurrence.

Although Malnik fondly recalls the days of Miami Beach past, he is enamored of Miami Beach today. “I have seen the beach go through all of these different phases and I mean it is certainly in its glory now,” Malnik says. “It is just absolutely phenomenal. Beyond what I could ever envision would happen to Miami Beach.”

That said, the seasoned resident recognizes that Miami Beach is still in its infancy and is therefore vulnerable to the cycles of real estate. “The real-estate market here is quite amazing,” he explains. “When times seem that there is no limit to the upside, you marvel at how quickly values have escalated and how quickly the escalated values of real estate are selling…and then, it just seems like a combination of factors occur and one day it all wipes out and fortunately that is only temporary.”

Luckily for Malnik, he sold most of his real estate last year when the market began to get shaky and although the crumbling market troubles him, he admits, “I felt good that I sold when I did.” But, Malnik has not lost faith and believes that like all things, real estate in Miami will rebound. The question is, “when?”

Until then, Malnik, who is in fantastic shape thanks to his daily workouts, is happy adding an extension to his home for his children that will include a tennis court, a basketball court and a football field in the backyard. It will also house an Asian gallery in the lower level complete with prehistoric mammoth tusks and awe-inspiring pieces made of jade and agate.

“It’s great to be at a place in life,” admits the contented Malnik as his toddlers’ laughter echoes in the background, “where you do what you please and you become accustomed to your own shoes.”

Alvin Malnik has worked hard to get to this place. A self-made man who has proved repeatedly that if you put your mind to something, the sky and beyond is the limit. But, unlike many, Malnik takes his success in stride. Enjoys it without gloating and his humility is perhaps one of his greatest achievements.

“I consider myself not particularly noteworthy,” Malnik smiles. “To be honest with you, and I know this may sound a little bit funny, but I’ve kind of grown into my life so, I am used to it. I don’t really consider myself or what I have or what I do to be very unusual.”

Unusual indeed. And, remarkable. And, inspiring. And, historic. His is a life in a movie, one that everyone is dying to watch, that he both directs and stars in just as he sees fit. His purpose is singular and pointed. “My primary legacy,” Malnik confides, “is I want all of my children to have a footing in life. To be proud of themselves. Be proud of their family. To grow spiritually, intellectually and economically.” Leaning back and smiling, he continues, “I am very proud of all of my family.” Well, it is fairly certain, that they are very proud of him too. And, the legacy continues.

While critics keep asking themselves… “Why do people like Brett Ratner’s movies?”… Miami Beach’s favorite son continues to rake in the cash each time he assumes the director’s chair with a string of successful movies such as Rush Hour 1 & 2, The Family Man and Red Dragon.
Consider the numbers: Rush Hour 1 took in $244 million worldwide. Rush Hour 2 grossed a cool $390 million worldwide. But the best affirmation of popularity comes with the very existence of Ratner’s new Rush Hour 3 itself, because Hollywood bean-counters simply do not fund a third sequel without the expectation of significant box-office returns.
So, it’s with that track-record of success that Brett Ratner spent the opening night of Rush Hour 3 partying with friends and admirers at The Forge in Maimi Beach last Wednesday night.
The Forge is itself a throwback to pre-war Hollywood, coming in somewhere between a Vegas nightclub and Norma Desmond’s Sunset Boulevard mansion—in other words the perfect setting for local-boy-makes-good Ratner to celebrate the opening of his new movie.
On hand were James Caan, director Michael Bay, Lennox Lewis, Nancy and Al Malnik, Shareef Malnik, Michael Capponi and several hundred other partiers at the tightly controlled affair.
It’s rumored that Brett Ratner’s next movie will be a bio-flic chronicling the career of Playboy’s Hugh Hefner, a subject that notorious party-boy Brett should be very familiar with.

Jarod Malnik and his amazing, loving, fearless family follow in the legends of the greats, winning an epic battle against Leukemia. Here Jarod throws the opening pitch at a Boston Redsox Game. This is Jerod’s story

Shareef and Father Alvin Malnik

Alvin Malnik and son Shareef haven’t been the subjects of a Hollywood film or tell-all book. But they should be. Al, an attorney, garnered notoriety for his long association with colorful characters. In some circles, that sort of publicity would be a career-killer, but it only served to make Al’s the Forge restaurant (which he purchased in 1968 and lavishly refurbished) a wickedly seductive destination for generations of celebrities — from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson. (Michael Jackson and 70-year-old Al were very close friends.) His wealth wasn’t solely the result of the Forge’s success. Al has also reaped riches as a successful real estate investor and international business man.  In 1991 Alvin Malnik sold the Forge operations to son Shareef who satisfied his wild-side urge to race off-shore power boats and Le Mans Series Porches. The younger Malnik profitably reinvented the restaurant as a hip destination for the jet set who, in the early Nineties, began favoring Miami Beach as an international playground. In the process, though, he managed to maintain the Forge’s decadent and vaguely illicit ambiance. Shareef is in the process of remodeling Miami’s famous restaurant, The Forge and plans to reopen early December of 2009. His good looks and trademark Lothario mustache have made him one of the most recognizable faces on South Beach, and have landed him a few acting roles as well (Just Cause, The Blackout, Coffee and Tobacco). Shareef, once married to Saudi princess Sheika Hoda Al-Fassi, recently split from wife number four. How’s that for a father-son team? Only in Miami.

Alvin Malnik Hold Blanket Jackson

As the discourse about the unexpected death of Michael Jackson shifts from his pop cultural legacy to the more complicated affairs of finances and his children’s paternity, South Florida entrepreneur Al Malnik, a one-time close Jackson friend, has denied he is the biological father of his godson and Jackson’s third child, Prince Michael II, nicknamed Blanket.

In an interview Wednesday on NBC’s Today show from his home in Palm Beach County, Malnik offered a series of family photos and home movies of Jackson and his three children. Paparazzi-free, none of the children are wearing masks or costumes or shying away from the cameras.

Instead, the images are of well-adjusted children: smiling, hugging, blowing bubbles, watching movies, attending Blanket’s birthday party and playing with Malnik’s triplets, who are close in age to Jackson’s children.

”Of course I’m not the biological father,” he told co-anchor Meredith Vieira, adding that he did not actually meet Blanket until he was 2 years old.

But the day after Jackson’s death, Malnik told WFOR-CBS 4 in Miami that he and Jackson had signed a document granting him custody of Blanket — the infant that Jackson infamously dangled from a Berlin hotel-room balcony in 2002.

”I guess in 2003 or 2004, he asked me if anything ever happened to him, if I would become godfather and parent to Prince Michael,” he told reporter Lisa Petrillo. “So I signed a document at that time agreeing to bring up Blanket in the event anything happened to him.”

At that time, Malnik — who opened Miami Beach’s venerable restaurant The Forge in 1968 — says Jackson asked him to be the executor of his wil.

Their friendship reportedly unraveled in 2005 when Jackson was tried on child molestation charges. Malnik has offered little details of their parting but is rumored to have loaned Jackson millions.

Malnik, 76, was first introduced to Jackson in 2001 or 2002. They quickly became friends and Jackson even chartered a plane to travel to South Florida to surprise him at his 1970s-themed 70th birthday party, at which he donned a giant afro wig. Jackson would stay for months at a time at Malnik’s mansion.

During one stay, the Malniks even arranged a late-night shopping trip to a supermarket — a routine task made impossible by Jackson’s celebrity.

”He was an extraordinarily nice guy and just a wonderful father,” Malnik told Petrillo. “He and the kids stayed here for several months with us, and we all just thought the world of him. He just could not have been a nicer, sweeter soul.”

Jackson’s 7-year-old will was filed Wednesday in a Los Angeles court, giving his entire estate to a family trust while making his mother the guardian of his children and cutting out his former wife Debbie Rowe. Court documents estimated the current value of his estate at more than $500 million.

A judge ruled Wednesday that Katherine Jackson, 79, will retain limited control of 2,000 items from Neverland until another hearing is held Monday.

Also Wednesday, a Jackson family spokesman said a public memorial for Michael Jackson is in the works, but it won’t be held at the late pop star’s Neverland Ranch.