Heated exchange between Joe Carollo, Miguel Gabela abruptly ends Miami Commission Meeting
MIAMI - A heated exchange almost turned physical Thursday night at Miami City Hall as the City of Miami Commission meeting was being held.
"A lot of nasty, hateful people. That all they know how to do is hate...The '8th Street Boys' and Mr. Gabela," said Joe Carollo, before Commissioner Miguel Gabela interrupted him.
"No, no, no. There you're wrong and I'm gonna cut in because you are a liar," Commissioner Gabela said. "You are a liar. You are a liar. You are a liar," Gabela kept repeating as Carollo shouted, "You're not going to intimidate me!"
"You're a small little man," Carollo said, prompting Gabela to rise from his seat and move toward Carollo on the dais. He had to be physically restrained.
The two men came face-to-face on during a discussion over the city attorney's future.
"You can't have decorum with a guy that thinks he's a gangster," Carollo said as Gabela walked away.
"The only gangster is you," Gabela responded.
Moments later, the heated meeting ended abruptly and the live feed from inside the chamber was cut off.
The exchange erupted during a discussion regarding the future of the City attorney.
As Carollo lamented her imminent departure, he added "I'm not going anywhere. I can't be fired or bullied out."
That's despite a multi-million dollar judgment against him in a civil case and a federal court order to seize his assets.
"They can put me in the street. If they want, I can be in my tent. They are not going to shut me down," Carollo said.
In June, Carollo was ordered to pay $63.5 million in damages to the owners of the Ball and Chain nightclub on SW 8th Street.
They said Carollo tried to destroy their business as political retaliation for supporting another candidate.
"What I say to Ball and Chain is that they are full of BS. The only bullies in this town are the only guys involved with them."
Carollo says he doesn't have enough assets to satisfy the judgment and he believes his home can't be seized.
"Which arm do they want to take blood from? Do they want my left arm or do they want my right arm or do they prefer maybe I stand before a wall like this and bring a firing squad."
Carollo's assets would be auctioned for cash, but he's still hoping the original order will be overturned on appeal.
As for City Attorney Victoria Mendez-- whose employment was being discussed when the argument ensued-- she's been given five months' notice, and the search is underway to find her replacement.
"Madame City attorney, I am sorry for this that his happened to you now," Carollo said. "You don't deserve this at all. But God has a mysterious way of working sometimes."