Posted on 05/03/2003 8:47:33 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
A flurry of hate mail disguised as terse business memos tells the tale of two men's fury that ended Tuesday in a bloody murder-suicide at a Davie banquet hall.
Tuesday's ultimately fatal confrontation began on Monday with two memos written by Jerome ''Jerry'' Berlin, co-owner of the Signature Grand in Davie.
The first, addressed to Arlene Pecora, wife of his longtime business partner Michael Pecora as well as the Signature Grand's sales manager, informs her that ``effective immediately, your services are no longer needed. Please move any and all of your personal belongings from your office.''
The second, tacked to the time clock at the Signature Grand, informed all management and administrative personnel: ``Effective immediately, Arlene Pecora no longer works for Signature Grand Ltd. . . . Please contact me immediately if she attempts to tell you what to do or how to do it.''
Michael Pecora was infuriated. The next day, Tuesday, Pecora typed out two memos of his own. They were addressed to the controllers of the Signature Grand and its sister facility in Kendall, Signature Gardens.
Pecora's first memo stated:
``Please disregard Mr. Berlin's memo of April 28, 2003, regarding the termination of Mrs. Arlene Pecora.''
Pecora wrote in the second memo:
``I hearby appoint Arlene Pecora to act in my absence as president and CEO of both Grand Partners Inc. and Deux Michel Inc. I hereby authorize her to sign checks and execute any and all documents necessary to facilitate the smooth running of Signature Grand Ltd. and Signature Gardens Ltd.''
Pecora folded the memos from Berlin along with his own memos into his jacket pocket, walked into Berlin's second-floor office and locked the door.
He carried a tote bag containing three handguns. The two men engaged in a heated argument. And then, three shots were fired. It was 11:15 a.m.
Minutes later, police forced open the door and found the two men dead. Pecora, 51, had shot Berlin, 60, twice in the chest and then turned the gun on himself.
Along with the four telltale memos was a tender letter that Pecora had written to his wife.
In the letter, Pecora told his wife of 23 years that he loved her very much -- ``more than the first day I met you.''
''This is not your fault,'' he wrote several times.
Pecora told his wife he could not face a long, drawn-out court battle with Berlin, his longtime partner and a nationally known fundraiser for the Democratic Party.
``Berlin told me he hated you and he was going to humiliate you. I could not stand by and let that happen.''
The catering guru and author added: ``I didn't call anyone in advance because they would have tried to talk me out of what I was going to do. Please tell them I love them. You know who they are.''
The distraught man then segued into other matters, urging her to take charge of the business.
''There are so many things I wish I could tell you, but I know you're intelligent and will be able to handle things,'' he wrote.
It was unclear Friday whether Pecora's efforts to put his wife in charge of the business created by him and Berlin will carry any legal weight.
Arlene Pecora was in seclusion Friday as she made arrangements to bury her husband on Monday.
Berlin was laid to rest Friday after a funeral attended by many prominent business and political figures, including Tom Daschle, the Senate minority leader, who served as a pallbearer.
After dealing with business matters in his typed, signed farewell letter, Pecora returned to affairs of the heart.
''If you should meet someone you love and plan to marry, I hope you make sure you get a prenuptial,'' he told his wife. ``I do love you very much.''
Herald staff writer Patrick Danner contributed to this report.
Berlin was laid to rest Friday after a funeral attended by many prominent business and political figures, including Tom Daschle, the Senate minority leader, who served as a pallbearer.
Posted fyi.
The Dems are always quick to accuse us of being greedy. But it seems like when somebody sells his soul for money, he's usually on their side of the aisle. Peculiar, eh?
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
The political dealmaker, lawyer and accountant counted U.S. senators among his friends, including Bill Nelson of Florida and Ted Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts. ''He was an institution,'' said Ira Leesfield, a Miami attorney and fellow fundraiser. ``Whoever it was, if a Democrat was coming to South Florida, Jerry was there.''
Berlin aided Democratic senators Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Bill Nelson of Florida, according to FEC campaign records.
I'd be shocked, Shocked, to learn good ol' Joe and Al and Hitlery and Kerry weren't at the funeral.
Better check his business books and income tax returns, pronto.
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