Miami Beach Reflections

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.

Message From The President of The University of Miami

Dear Alvin Malnik (Grand Founder)

Please join with me in celebrating our generous benefactors— those alumni, friends, parents, corporations, and foundations who believe in the potential of the University of Miami. It is a pleasure to offer my deepest thanks for your collaboration, dedication, and support of our many initiatives. Our donors have contributed immeasurably in making the University of Miami a world-class institution. From the Coral Gables campus to the School of Medicine to the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science on Virginia Key, in partnership with all of you, the University has emerged in just 76 years as a major research institution. We serve many communities—local, regional, national, and international— by confronting critical concerns in the areas of health care, the environment, engineering, business, and law, among others. In this increasingly complicated world, it is our challenge to respond with innovation, interpretation, and solutions to the next generation of issues. Recently, we have broken ground on the Marta and L. Austin Weeks Music Library and Technology Center; established the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute—devoted exclusively to improving the quality of life for children; com- pleted the Frances L. Wolfson School of Communication Building; and opened Casa Bacardi, a first-of-its-kind Cuban cultural center dedicated to fostering an understanding of Cuba’s past, present, and future. At the beginning of the new year, we introduced our new Convocation Center. In just the past three years, more than 100 new endowments have been created, providing a substantial investment in not only our current students, but those of future generations as well. Your generous support has had a significant impact on the advances we have made. Your involvement is essential to our success. We are most grateful for your participation in our progress. On behalf of the University of Miami, our students, faculty, physicians, researchers, and staff—thank you!
Warm regards.

Sincerely,

Donna E. Shalala President

Behind The Mask
The Private Life Of Michael Jackson

As told to Stephanie Wilson (Haute Living) by Alvin Malnik
Photo By Tatijana Shoan

As soon as the untimely and sudden death of superstar Michael Jackson hit the airwaves, the rumors began flying. From the highly suspicious to the utterly ludicrous, falsehoods spread through the media like wildfire. Michael Jackson—a superstar with unmatched talent and charisma, a national treasure under a glaring global spotlight from the time he was 10 years old—was an incredibly private person. And though millions revered the man behind the pop-king mask, few really knew him. Al Malnik, the famous and legendary lawyer, businessman, and restaurateur whom Haute Living referred to as a “Living Legend” during our cover profile in the January/February 2007 Miami edition, was one of the few people whom Michael trusted wholeheartedly. In fact, Malnik is the godfather of Michael’s youngest son, Blanket, a piece of reality that got twisted and misconstrued in the weeks following his death. The rumor mill warped the truth so much that it was claimed that Malnik was actually the biological father of Blanket—a completely fabricated falsehood. Malnik appeared on The Today Show to answer the claims, which he called a “Ripley event,” considering he didn’t meet Blanket until he was one year old. Speaking out for only the second time since Michael’s passing, Al Malnik shares his personal history with Michael Jackson with Haute Living in hopes of setting the record straight about the private life of this public figure.

I first met Michael about nine years ago. I was told that he had heard about me and was interested in meeting, and in particular wanted to request a tour of my house in Palm Beach. Michael was an architecture buff, and he had admired the property from afar. He was in L.A. at the time, and expressed interest in discussing several different  business ideas and plans. He finally asked [director] Brett Ratner, whom I refer to as my 11th son, to call me and ask to meet with him. I initially said no because I was not a fan, so I really didn’t see the point in inviting him to come over and entertain him. When I told my wife Nancy about it, she raised holy hell! She said, “Are you kidding? Michael Jackson! I grew up with him! His posters were on my wall! You have to let him come over, I want to meet him.” So to please her, I invited him to the house, and from that first meeting we all developed a beautiful friendship. Throughout the past decade or so, Michael would come and stay at the house quite a bit, sometimes with the children, and sometimes alone. It was an extraordinary time. Michael was an amazing houseguest because he really didn’t require any attention. He liked to clean his own room and make his own bed, and he taught his kids to do that, too, much to our amazement. Michael soon became close friends with my son Shareef, along with Brett Ratner and Chris Tucker. The four of them spent a great deal of time together at our house, always having a ball, filled with a lot of laughs. I also have triplets that are around the same age as Michael’s two older children, Prince and Paris, who are 12 and 11 now. We would travel often with Michael and the family, going down to Acapulco or other family vacation spots. We also have fond memories of our times out at Neverland Ranch. The most important bungalow there is called the Elizabeth Taylor suite, which is where we stayed. The first night, he had Elizabeth Taylor herself call me, welcoming me to her suite at Neverland Ranch! The kids, of course, loved Neverland; they went around with Michael’s children and saw the zoo and rode the train. It was such a magical time. One year, at a birthday party that Nancy was having for the triplets, Michael came to the theater and surprised not only us, but the birthday guests as well. Everyone thought it was a Michael Jackson impersonator. They couldn’t believe it was really him! Come to think of it, some of the people may still think it was a lookalike. All of our children spent a lot of time together, and Michael’s children especially enjoyed it. When they were with us, they were able to go out with Nancy and I and our family and not be haggled. They didn’t have to wear their veils because no one knew who they were. When they spent time with us they got to experience normal situations that were lacking in their daily lives, like visiting St. Andrew’s school or going to the movies. When they were with my family, they literally were able to take off the masks and no one bothered them. Michael was able to do the same. We worked to create everyday experiences for him, like going shopping. One time we rented out a Publix supermarket so that he could do what ordinary people do on a regular basis.

Michael was able to relax when he was with us and let his guard down. We live on the beach, and he and I would go down to the water together after the sun went down where he was just an ordinary guy, kicking his feet in the surf. When it comes to my history with Blanket, Michael asked me to be Blanket’s godfather when the boy was a year old. My relationship with Blanket is limited, because he was just a baby at the time, and I did not really participate in his upbringing. But I think that in the event something happened, Michael really wanted me to be a sort of safety net. He wanted to know that I would be willing to raise Blanket as though he were one of my own children, and that’s what the legal document says. I haven’t spoken with the family since Michael’s passing. I am not used to being in the media spotlight so when the stories came out, I was shocked. I know if I go to the funeral, the press will besiege me again. So instead, our family will just pray for Michael, and wish him bon voyage from this Earth. Our family loved Mi-chael very much, and we will always be respectful, and always extend our hand of friendship to any of his children, should they ever need our help. Michael had such an amazing energy and such talent. He was always composing new songs and singing them a cappella. One day, he was walking around the house in his pajamas, singing some new pieces that he was working on. He was walking up one set of stairs, and then down another. I asked him, “What are you doing?” He said, “I’m doing two songs at once! I am walking up this set doing one song, and when I walk down the other, I do the other song.” He could write a song in five minutes, it was unbelievable. I know he did end up recording some of these new songs. He planned on making his comeback by doing an outrageous concert tour, starting in Europe and ending in the United States. At the same time, he wanted to simultaneously publish some of the new albums that he had been working on while he was staying at our house—all new, never-been-heard stuff. He was so excited to do this tour, so prepared for it. One of our friends who had seen his rehearsal one or two nights before his death, called me and said, “You ought to come out and see Michael before he does his concert. He is unbelievable. It’s like you have never seen him before.” I did have the opportunity to see him perform before, at our house. While visiting, he asked if we could get him a portable dance floor, so of course we did. When I saw him move around on that floor, I was wowed. I had never seen anything like it. I knew he was unbelievable, and it’s nice to know that five years later, he was equally impressive. It was great fun in those days, but we also shared some hard times. I helped Michael out financially in a lot of different areas when he needed it. At that time, we managed to resolve all of his financial problems. After that period, which was after I had paid for his bail when he was arrested, I felt it was not in our best family interest to spend all of the time that was required to get Michael on the right track again, because at that point he had capable people around him. And, of course, geography was a big problem because Michael’s business interests are essentially in California or out of New York or Europe. I really just didn’t have the time to continue to devote myself to trying to resolve the many considerations that were in his life. The last time I saw Michael was right before his trial, although we spoke many times after that. He was a bit meaner at that time; he was so furious and so disappointed at the charges being hurled at him. He swore to me that he was absolutely innocent of each and every charge that was made against him. And that’s the way it turned out. I think the legacy of Michael Jackson will endure for many years to come. Ultimately, the negativity surrounding him in the press will dissipate. He will be more acknowledged and respected for the musical genius that he demonstrated, and that legacy will survive our decade and the ones to come. Our children will rediscover Michael Jackson again many years from now, and be amazed that he created the music that he did, the style of dancing that he did, and more importantly, the wonderful charisma that he generated.