Well-known Democratic fundraiser dead in shooting at Signature Grand (banquet hall)

Miami Herald ^ | Apr. 29, 2003 | Herald staff

[Liz]

Miami businessman Jerome Berlin, once described as the country's most powerful Democratic fundraisers, died in a murder-suicide this morning at the Signature Grand, the huge and popular Davie banquet hall in Davie that he owned with partner Michael Pecora.

Police say Pecora is the other person found dead in a second floor office of the hall.

An employee reported hearing a loud argument, then three gunshots behind the locked door. The shooting occurred following a loud argument while hundreds of public school students ate lunch one floor below.

Police broke in and found two white males -- a part of the catering hall's upper management -- on the floor.

The shooting occurred during an event where eighth-graders from Broward public schools were learning more about African tradition at an African Heritage Forum.

The children, who were eating lunch on the first floor, were not evacuated. It was unclear whether the children knew what was going on above them.

The banquet hall hosts hundreds of events a year, including weddings, corporate events, luncheons, reunions and other events.

It has 100,000 square feet, capable of hosting up to 1,800 guests in private areas.

Police stopped traffic on State Road 84 near 70th Avenue. Berlin, who over the years has raised millions of dollars for political candidates, was acquitted in 1991 of federal charges that he and another lawyer conspired to defraud a crippled securities investment firm in 1985.

At the scene of the shooting, a Rabbi and family members appeared at the scene of the shooting and were quickly ushered inside the building.

[Liz]

Very nice find. Cabreras was tied to the Clintons' unfortunate interregnum alright.

[Cacique]

Pecora means sheep in Italian. How appropriate. I guess he got tired of being taken for granted :-).

[nicmarlo]

DFU, have you heard of this guy? (probably, I'm least aware here re Klintoon contacts).

[Liz]

LOL...... good one....except I hate to see Tolkien abused even to diss Clinton.

[Liz]

Everything surrounding the Dumbocrats is odd.

[JennysCool]

A little more background here:

http://www.nafem.org/publications/inprint/2002_summer/index.cfm?currentPage=departments1

[Liz]

You see what happens when the Dumbocrats get all "tolerant and compassionate?" LOL.

[mabelkitty]

Gay, Guns, and not-Gentile?

[bmwcyle]

Cleaning up the 2000 election?

[all4one]

I believe that in the past month there was a plane crash that killed either a DNC big-wig contributor or fundraiser. Move along...just another coincidence..

[cardinal4]

Where were the Clintons?

[Liz]

LOL.....The Dead Dems Never Miss A Vote.

[mabelkitty]

Did they recently change their will to leave massive amounts to the DNC?

If so, you've all nailed it.

DNC is broke, broke, broke.

[Liz]

He's holed up rewriting his memoirs for the tenth time.

She's pretnding hers will be released soon.

[Grampa Dave]

Remember my prediction about how these former elite rats would start to turn on each other and devour each other?

I think that we are starting to see.

As their money gets really tight and GW grows stronger, they will become like starving jackals in the same cage with each other.

[mabelkitty]

Psst! We need to check the wills.

They should be public record after several weeks.

[Liz]

O-o-o-o, you're so bad........but you might be spot-on. LOL.

[NativeNewYorker]

To be honest, Google scares me sometimes.

[mt tom]

yes its deadly but they will still get to vote

[NativeNewYorker]

Never heard of the Pink Pistols?