miami vice powerboat scene

• May 28, 2021

Inside Miami's Luxury Powerboat Scene

By: Scott Way

Miami and offshore powerboating are synonymous. It's where it started, where it became a cultural phenomenon, and where its seedy underbelly will always be part of its mystique. Miami has one of the most vibrant boating scenes in North America, if not the world, and like many boating hotbeds its identity is very much tied to the geography and economy surrounding it.

Miami is 180 miles from Nassau, Bahamas and enjoys perfect boating weather nearly 365 days a year. Its geographical connection to the West Indies and South America, not to mention its entry point at the southern tip of North America, make it the ideal port of call for those both above and below the law.

In much the same way NASCAR evolved in rural America thanks to moonshiners trying to outrun prohibitionist police, offshore powerboating developed in Miami from the similarly nefarious pursuit of drug running. The influx of cocaine from South America could hardly keep up with the hungry US market, and the outlaw innovations that followed were the catalyst to boating’s need for speed. People like Don Aronow and Thunderboat Row on NE 188th Street in Miami pushed boating performance to new heights. It just so happened that some offshore enthusiasts had illicit intentions. Others, like young doctors and lawyers living the South Beach dream, were hooked on the thrill and had the money to pay for it. The influence of tv crime drama Miami Vice didn't hurt, either.

VICE just released a short documentary on Miami's boating scene, and it's a great look inside the current state of offshore powerboating. They take a ride on the Lamborghini inspired Raging Bull, check out a sandbar party, and discuss the past and the present. Right now business is booming, and legends like Larry Goldman at XTreme Powerboats and innovators like Mike Aragon at Full Throttle Marine are not only continuing the tradition for offshore racing's legitimate circuit, they're also testing the waters of what's possible with a powerboat.

Check it out:

#news #culture #thunderboatrow

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World’s coolest boats: Miami Vice Wellcraft Scarab is the definitive 80s muscleboat

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Each month Nick Burnham picks out an iconic boat that can lay claim to the title of world’s coolest boat. This month, he takes a closer look at the Wellcraft Scarab that starred in Miami Vice…

In a move that rivalled Decca famously turning down the Beatles (its executives apparently citing that guitar bands were on their way out), Wellcraft said no to Universal Studios’ request to supply a boat for a new cop show called Miami Vice.

So for series one of a show that quickly became the biggest hit of the 1980s, a Chris-Craft Stinger 39 was the power boat of choice for fictional undercover law enforcers, Crockett and Tubbs.

Quickly realising the monumental mistake they’d made, Wellcraft execs made Universal Studios an offer they couldn’t refuse and from Season Two onwards, a Scarab graced the dock at Bayside Marina in Miami alongside the boat Sonny Crockett lived aboard, an Endeavour 42 sailboat called St Vitus Dance .

In fact there were far more than just one boat, Wellcraft supplied two vessels per season, painted with eye-catching pastel hull stripes.

Keen boat geeks (ahem) enjoyed spotting continuity errors, such as deck colours and the radar arch changing from teal to silver over the passing years, but most people probably didn’t notice.

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Article continues below…

World’s coolest boats: Wallypower 118 looks like Darth Vader’s superyacht

Nor-tech 80 yacht tour: this outrageous muscle boat is truly one-of-a-kind.

The look was matched by the sound – four storm drain-sized exhausts poking through the transom, mated to a pair of 440hp V8 Mercruiser petrol engines for the authentic ‘rolling thunder’ American muscleboat noise.

Wellcraft boat sales went up 20% right across the board, and the company even released a Scarab 38KV Miami Vice Edition that looked almost identical to the show’s boat – only those eagle-eyed boat geeks spotting that the lower hull side stripe reached the transom rather than hitting the waterline level with the windscreen.

One was loaned to keen powerboat enthusiast (he later took up powerboat racing with some success) and star of the show, Don Johnson, who played Sonny Crockett. When the show was filming at the docks, he would often commute to the set aboard it.

Several of the boats have been lovingly restored by Miami Vice enthusiasts – men of a certain age who grew up in the 1980s and who are ensuring that the legends these boats became live on.

Miami Vice Wellcraft Scarab specifications

Built: 1985 LOA: 38ft 0in Beam: 8ft 0in Power: Twin 440hp V8 Mercruiser petrol Top speed: 52 knots (approx) Price: $130,000 (when new)

To submit your suggestion for the world’s coolest boat, head over to the MBY forum .

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Miami Vice (TV Series)

The great mccarthy (1984).

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There was a episode of Miami Vice that had a big chase scene involving Crockett and Tubbs in a Hydrostream chasing someone through some intercoastals and canals. I was trying to remember what the name of that episode was or if any of you remember anything about it. Thanks

Chummy I remember that. The boat they were chasing was a bayliner with a force and they couldnt catch it. The bayliner wrecked and killed the occupants when it went off the water and onto pavement. The bayliner was bad a$$ but that was TV. Rick

Yep !!!! Thats the only time they're fast !! In the movies

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..they driving and Action Marine boat and not HST???

Sincerely, AnthonySS www.stvowners.com Click HERE to talk about STV Boats

Anthony if I remember correct it was a hydrostream. The bayliner was really getting it on. But thats tv. Rick

Re: Were'nt...

Originally posted by AnthonySS ..they driving and Action Marine boat and not HST??? Anthony you are corect it was 19 foot action marine built in hollywood florida by the then owner and founder of action marine Barney Shconerock my dad has pictures of the boat in one of his albums of don johnson and tubs in the boat they would not let us put decals on the boat for advertising unless we gave them the boat for free the boat was blue and silver metalflake with a 200 yammy on the back

Bobby Pazos- Member Of The BULL-FROG EYES DRAG RACE TEAM Fellow-G-Man, Sunshine Syndicate 2006 23' Action Marine 300 HP V8 2001 19' Action Marine White Power 1998 23' Concept CC (sold) 1999 17' Action Marine (sold) 1996 STV River Rocket (sold)

THANKS BOBBY... I thought my memory was failing me there. I think I only ever saw the episode once...and I thought it was an Action i saw and not HST!! I also recall the blank Yammi cowl too Thanks for sharing that bit of info too Bobby...post those pics someday for us as I would love to see'em

Yeah, Yeah...

post the pictures of that boat. Its been along time since I saw that episode sorry for the mix up. Ask your dad if he remembers what episode that was. Thanks

Chummy i think i can do one better my dad has it on video and i'll be at his house this weekend so i'm going to be posting a bunch of pics from the early 70,s and so on with my dads first action!! ans the collection we've aquired over the years from 16' all the way to 25'boats and even a center console 18' action marine witch my little brother owns!! be on the look out for those interested.......

Hey, appreciate it. Those pics sound cool.

That would be great to see that again !!!! Do they still have the reruns on tv ?????

Thanks Action sorry Anthony my memory is not as good as well lets just say brain dead. Up until a year or so ago miami vice was on Nick TV. Cant wait to see the pictures. Rick

glad to see that everyone agrees it was an action,but do you remember it had an inboard engine sound dubbed over it!also does anyone remember the episode where crockett had shot tubbs and he left in a 25 talon with twin black motors on it!

Miami Vice comes on at 11am & 12pm every weekday. So all those out of work or school can watch it I don't remember one with a twin engine cat.

Oh yeah it comes on TNN. Just noticed I'm a member now,......never was much for a junior!!

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Miami Vice Donzi's

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The 43' ZR donzi's they used in the Miami Vice movie didn't appear as much, except in the night shot when they were driving around. I was dissipointed. Also, I have gotta say that the best part of the movie was when they headed to cuba in the catermaran.  

Attachments

There were actually 2 of the Mojo Cats in the movie, the first one is during the race with the canopy(the real boat), the other is a pleasure version lettered to look like the raceboat, and was used in the cuba scene.  

Knotallthere80 said: I would have to agree, but if you want to see up close and personal the black donzi, its new home is Lake Geoge Click to expand...

Speedo said: How did the Lake George guy get the Miami Vice MOVIE boat???? Did he help in the movie and then get it??? Any other pics of it?? Click to expand...

sorry  

Here's another  

ummmmmm thsi one? It looks sick in person! he ran out poker run on Sacandaga a few weeks back. I think he won too....  

awesome boat hopefully he will be at the lake george donzi classic clubs fall picnic would love to see it in person  

Matty, the owner is a real nice guy. We had lunch beside him in Fort Myers last March. He keeps the boat in Cape Coral in the winter. It has a grey interior now, not the black seats it had in the movie. I have a pic of it in FLA, but it's on my laptop, I'll load it tonight.  

pic 2  

well not only got to see the boat at our fall picnic got to meet the owners they are great people they made my daughter jamie's (who is a real speed freak) 16th birthday with a ride I was lucky enuff to tag along the boat is awesome after getting tossed around in the 16 all day the 38 is like an air craft carrier that does 90 at 85 mph the boat was rock steady  

here's another one  

NY8739JR said: That's one sick boat......although the deck must get extremely hot being black! Click to expand...

I know this is an old thread, but here's an update on the Blue Miami Vice Donzi 43ZR - It's for sale in Austin Texas..... http://www.popyachts.com/Page/Site-...ecs/Used/2006-Donzi-43-ZR-Powerboat/Page.html  

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The Miami Vice Stunt Show from The Fall Guy Is Real, and It Was Spectacular

This story contains major spoilers for The Fall Guy .

Recently, Ryan Gosling showed up on the stage at Universal Studios Hollywood usually reserved for the Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular stunt show. Now, you may have two questions: 1) Why is Oscar-nominated movie star Ryan Gosling doing a theme park attraction? And 2) is there really still a Waterworld stunt show at Universal Studios?

To answer those queries: Gosling was there to promote The Fall Guy , a movie about a stuntman that was directed by a former stuntman and stunt coordinator, David Leitch ( who doubled for the likes of Brad Pitt before making this film about a movie star's double .) From now until May 19, there's a Fall Guy Stuntacular Pre-Show running before Waterworld , and Gosling participated in it playing— you guessed it— Ryan Gosling. And, yes, Waterworld has been running since 1995. (I've written about it at length .)

Among other things , The Fall Guy is a love letter to stunt performers of all stripes, but stunt shows are crucial to the plot. These shows, Leitch says, are "a training ground for the bigger industry. A lot of young performers cut their teeth and learn skills and meet people and make connections. Everybody who has been prolific in the business from my generation has worked at a stunt show, or tried to work at a stunt show."

Leitch should know: He auditioned for Waterworld during its first season, though he never actually performed in it. He did star in the Batman stunt show at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and broke his wrist in four places doing a backflip—it was "one of the biggest injuries" in his long career.

On screen, Gosling's Colt Seavers is a proud veteran of a Miami Vice stunt show. This became part of the character's history when Gosling and his stylist Mark Avery came across a sick Miami Vice bomber jacket. And we all know how good Ryan Gosling looks in a bomber jacket . "The jacket kind of begat that backstory," says Kelly McCormick, Leitch's wife and professional partner, who produced The Fall Guy .

The actual Miami Vice stunt show—formally known as the Miami Vice Action Spectacular —opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in June of 1987, between Miami Vice 's third and fourth seasons, and ran until 1995, when it was replaced by Waterworld . So, technically, assuming he's the same age as Gosling, Colt Seavers would probably have been too young to actually perform in it, even though Seavers announces on screen that he did "three shows a day, six days a week, for three years."

Leitch never saw the real life Miami Vice stunt show in person, but he has pals who were in it. "They were the Florida guys, they were the water guys, because they did the Miami Vice live show," he says.

The tools the fictional character supposedly learned on the job ultimately come in handy when Colt is kidnapped by goons working for movie star Tom Ryder ( Aaron Taylor-Johnson ). Tom has accidentally murdered another stunt performer and is planning on framing Colt for the killing. But Colt manages to fake his own death in Sydney Harbor by piloting a speedboat through an explosion with his hands tied behind his back—a trick he supposedly learned in the Miami Vice show.

Leitch explains he and McCormick like to keep the process of shooting "organic," so they can come up with set pieces as they are inspired to do so. The reference to the stunt show solved a narrative problem that Leitch had. "We didn't know how he was going to escape the boat or the dock, but we knew he had to," McCormick says. "Then it was like, Oh, if he did that and we made it a boat and it's Miami Vice— it all started coming together."

Then came the process of actually executing the stunt, which involved building a "blind drive" boat, with room under the bow for a hidden person to pilot it, because even a stunt person can't drive a boat backwards.

In context, there's something charmingly retro about the move. "It does feel a little old-school and then you can kind of be proud of him when he does it and not feel like it's dangerous or anything," McCormick says.

Leitch and McCormick applied their same can-do spirit to creating their pre-show for Universal. Originally, they had an idea to take over the entire Waterworld attraction with Fall Guy material. That didn't work out, but the park green-lighted their idea of a five-and-a-half-minute opening act, which now features jet skis, motorcycles and an actor playing a tyrannical director who gets his comeuppance at the hands of the stunt guys.

The sensation of a live stunt show is different from that of stunts in a movie. There's no suspension of disbelief, imagining that Ryan Gosling actually did a boat jump. It's just watching pure daredevil talent. And that's why it's so heartening to see the stunt show referenced in The Fall Guy . It further underlines just how much the movie is Leitch and McCormick's ode to stunts in all their permutations—whether live or on celluloid. "That's been the joy of directing this movie in a lot of ways, because all that minutiae and details comes from such authenticity because it's been lived for 25 years," Leitch says. Colt's obsession with his days in the world of Miami Vice also just made Leitch laugh. And that's good enough.

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Michael mann makes surprise appearance at sold-out screening of ‘miami vice’ in los angeles.

The auteur joined Katie Walsh and Blake Howard — co-hosts the 'Miami Nice' podcast — for a post-screening Q&A to discuss his work on the 2006 feature starring Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell.

By Chris Gardner

Chris Gardner

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Michael Mann fans got quite a nice surprise at a sold-out American Cinematheque showing of Miami Vice on Saturday when the filmmaker himself turned up to Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre.

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Michael mann launches archives project with inside look at 'ferrari', jessica chastain to receive american cinematheque award.

Universal Pictures’ Miami Vice follows detectives Ricardo Tubbs (Foxx) and Sonny Crockett (Farrell) as they are asked to investigate the brutal murders of two federal agents. They come to find themselves pulled into the alluring and lethal world of drug traffickers.

In the Q&A, Mann revisited his work on the film and talked in-depth about the inspirations in adapting the iconic TV series and revealed behind-the-scenes production anecdotes, including how they shot the film in the summer, bumping up against one of “the most violent” hurricane seasons of that time period. Per multiple reports, the gathering of cinephiles went wild when Mann turned up, giving the veteran auteur “a hero’s welcome.” According to online clips from the event, he also gave an update on Heat 2 , saying that he’s working on the script seven days a week .

Filled with overflowing gratitude and love for this weekend💖 thank you @OneBlakeMinute for being you, thank you @am_cinematheque for the gorgeous screening, thank you @michaelmann for your time (and your movies), thank you LA cinephiles for selling it out and bringing the energy pic.twitter.com/JvcWwxiXL6 — Katie Walsh (@katiewalshstx) August 26, 2024

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"Brother's Keeper"

" Brother's Keeper ", also known as simply " Miami Vice " or " Pilot ", is the pilot episode of Miami Vice and the first episode of the first season . The episode (and series) premiered on September 16, 1984 , and it was rerun on January 25, 1985 , July 28, 1985, and as part of a special broadcast (for the release of the Miami Vice film ) on July 22, 2006 .

It was originally broadcast as an extended, two-hour episode, but is often split into two one-hour episodes for syndication.

• 2.1 Part I (Syndicated)
• 2.2 Part II (Syndicated)
• 4 Guest Stars
• 5 Co-Starring
• 6 Uncredited
• 7 Differences from the Series Proper
• 10.1 Part I
• 10.2 Part II
• 11 Production Notes
• 12 Filming Locations
• 13 Ratings (Original Run)
• 15 Jan Hammer Music

Summary [ ]

An NYPD Armed Robbery "street cop" and a Miami Vice Detective team up to catch a murderous drug dealer named Calderone .

Part I (Syndicated) [ ]

In New York, a young black man stakes out a New York apartment, waiting for an affluent drug dealer. After scaring off some would-be muggers with his sawed-off shotgun, he follows the dealer to a bar, where he pays a waiter to spill the dealer's drinks and force him into the men's room. The man moves to confront the dealer, only to be thwarted by two of the dealer's goons, who fight with him -- one of the men accidentally shoots his partner before he is himself shot by the black man. However, the confrontation delays the man long enough for the dealer to escape out the back door.

In Miami, Vice Detective James "Sonny" Crockett is waiting with his partner, Eddie Rivera , for a meet with Corky , a minor dealer with connections to a mysterious drug lord known only as "The Colombian". Eddie is concerned about his pregnant wife Maria , with whom he recently had a fight over her low-wage job in a diner -- he thinks the menial work is beneath her, while she insists on keeping it to support her family. Eddie wants to call her to make up, but before he can, Corky arrives, and the two undercover cops head off in his car. Corky informs them he has severed his ties with the Colombian and started out on his own, to the concern of Crockett and Rivera. The three men stop under a highway to review the product, and Corky sends Crockett to retrieve some scales from his car. As he collects the scales, Crockett drops his sunglasses; bending to pick them up, he notices a bomb attached to the underside of Corky's car, but just as he calls out it explodes, killing Corky and Eddie.

As the police cordon off the scene, Crockett briefs his superior, Lieutenant Lou Rodriguez , telling him that he is convinced the mysterious Colombian dealer is behind the deaths. When he voices his suspicion of a departmental leak, Rodriguez loses his temper and threatens to pull Crockett off the streets unless he does things by the book from now on. Crockett visits the diner where Maria works to tell her about Eddie, and she breaks down in agonized tears.

Due to the day's events, Crockett is late for his son Billy 's birthday party at his estranged wife Caroline 's house. Caroline is furious that he is late, but is stunned into silence when Crockett informs his friend and former partner Scottie Wheeler , now a DEA agent, of Rivera's death. After the Wheelers leave, Crockett and Caroline discuss his career and how it is incompatible with their marriage. She offers him the couch for the night, but he declines, going to check on Billy before he leaves. After some time, Caroline goes to check on him, finding him asleep on Billy's bed with his son in his arms; she turns the lights off.

Tubbs arrives in Miami.

Crockett tracks down his connection Leon Jefferson and demands at gunpoint to see the Colombian to settle the score after the deaths of Corky and Eddie. Leon refuses, but agrees to reset the original deal. Meanwhile, the black man from New York has now arrived in Miami, and is in a club trying to set up a deal with Wheeler, claiming to be a New York dealer named Teddy Prentiss. He is hoping to connect with a major player named Calderone (the dealer he tailed in New York), but Wheeler is reluctant. Prentiss leaves him a phone number, and receives a call for a meet that night.

Crockett and Leon head to their deal on Crockett's speedboat , where they find they are meeting with Wheeler and Prentiss. Before the deal can be completed, Crockett's backup arrives early -- Leon is caught, while Prentiss steals Crockett's boat and takes off. Chastising Switek and Zito for rolling in early and ruining the deal, Crockett pursues Prentiss by car, eventually catching up to him at a low bridge and leaping into the back of his speedboat. Crockett identifies himself as Miami Vice; to his shock, "Prentiss" identifies himself as NYPD officer Rafael Tubbs . The pair meet with Rodriguez, who informs Crockett that Tubbs is in Miami on NYPD priority clearance looking for a Colombian drug dealer named Calderone, who has killed two NYPD policemen. Deducing that Calderone and "The Colombian" are one and the same, Rodriguez suggests they work together.

The following morning, Tubbs goes to Crockett's boat, the St. Vitus Dance , bringing a copy of his surveillance photo of Calderone, and is introduced to Crockett's "watch-gator" Elvis , former mascot for the Florida Gators college football team. Crockett leaves to join Wheeler downtown in court for Leon's bond hearing; Judge Clarence P. Rupp releases Leon on his own recognizance for his "cooperation" with the District Attorney -- a ruse designed to make Leon beg for protective custody, knowing that Calderone will kill him for cooperating with anyone in law enforcement. Sure enough, Leon soon calls OCB and Rodriguez tells Crockett to meet him at the beach. Tubbs has tailed Leon on his own; however, a cross-dressing hitman kills Leon before the two cops can speak to him. Infuriated at their only lead getting killed, Crockett reluctantly agrees to a "temporary" working arrangement with Tubbs.

Part II (Syndicated) [ ]

Crockett and Tubbs go to Leon's apartment, bluffing their way inside with an out-of-date, unrelated warrant. They find the place ransacked; however, Tubbs does find an address book full of phone numbers, which they take to OCB to do back-traces. Tubbs points out that Leon was incredibly careful heading to the meet where he was killed, and that the only person on his tail was him, meaning the leak in the department must have told the hitman where Leon was. To Crockett's chagrin, Tubbs mentions that he discovered Rodriguez has recently made a large deposit in his bank account. Crockett quietly asks Gina to do a check on Tubbs to see what comes up. Since Calderone's people still believe "Prentiss" escaped with all of the money from the blown deal, Tubbs is contacted by Calderone's lieutenant Trini DeSoto , who arranges to meet with him and Crockett in a nightclub later that night.

At the nightclub, Crockett and Tubbs enjoy a night of partying with Gina and Trudy , during which time DeSoto shows up and introduces Tubbs to Calderone. Tubbs reluctantly shakes his hand, then leaves with Trudy. When Crockett tells Gina of Tubbs' identity, she informs him that Rafael Tubbs was killed in a shootout with Calderone's men three weeks earlier in New York. Later, Gina returns to the St. Vitus Dance with Crockett, who is upset about Tubbs' deception. Gina settles him down, and the couple end up enjoying a night of passion.

Tubbs clutches his brother after his murder by Calderone's men.

The next morning, Crockett wakes up to find Gina gone; Tubbs arrives on the boat, whereupon Crockett confronts him with the information about Rafael and threatens to "light up his whole intestinal tract" with a flare gun if he doesn't tell him who he really is. Tubbs finally reveals that he is in fact Ricardo Tubbs -- Rafael was his brother, and following his death Rico used forged NYPD documents to follow Calderone to Miami in the hopes of avenging his brother's murder. Their confrontation is interrupted by a phone call from DeSoto, who sets up the meet for later that night.

At OCB, Crockett obliquely confronts Rodriguez about his unexplained wealth, but the Lieutenant angrily refuses to explain. Afterwards, Crockett has OCB complete the back-trace on the numbers in Leon's address book ASAP, for his eyes only. Gina gives him the cold shoulder and he finds (after chasing her into the ladies' room) that he mentioned Caroline's name in bed. Later, Crockett leaves a rose for her as an apology. Meanwhile, Tubbs receives a call from DeSoto asking to meet immediately, and he goes to the rendezvous in an alley. Crockett gets the back-trace results and finds Wheeler's number listed in Leon's book, revealing that he is the leak.

DeSoto in drag

Realising DeSoto must now know Tubbs is a cop, Crockett races to the alley where they are meeting, arriving just as DeSoto (disguised in drag) pulls his gun to kill Tubbs; in the ensuing confrontation, Tubbs shoots DeSoto dead. Crockett heads to Wheeler's house to confront him with the evidence, leading Wheeler to admit he received $70,000 from Calderone six months ago, with "compliments", and took the money to help catch up on his mortgage and pay for his handicapped son's mounting medical expenses. Soon afterwards, DeSoto began pressing him for information, which he provided, undermining Crockett's investigation. Crockett is infuriated that Wheeler betrayed his trust and caused Eddie's death, and Tubbs has to pull him off of his friend and former partner.

Crockett and Tubbs drive to intercept a boat carrying a shipment of drugs for Calderone, the existence of which they learn from Wheeler. On the way, Crockett pulls over and calls Caroline, just to ask if what they had was real; Caroline assures him that it was. At the docks, the Vice cops get the drop on Calderone's men and shoot down the thugs, although Tubbs is hit in the arm. After nearly escaping during the shootout, Calderone finds himself staring down the barrels of Tubbs' sawed-off shotgun. Tubbs -- though sorely tempted, with Calderone egging him on -- refrains from shooting Calderone, and he is taken into custody. Crockett and Tubbs later go to transfer Calderone to a more remote jail, but learn that a judge in his employ has already sprung him on $2 million bail. They rush off in pursuit, but arrive just in time to see Calderone flee the country by seaplane. Dejected, Tubbs nevertheless decides to pursue a career in "Southern law enforcement" and remain in Miami as Crockett's partner.

• Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett
• Philip Michael Thomas as NYPD Officer Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs
• Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese
• Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek
• John Diehl as Metro-Dade Detective Larry Zito
• Gregory Sierra as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Lou Rodriguez

Guest Stars [ ]

• Bill Smitrovich as DEA Lieutenant Scottie Wheeler
• Belinda Montgomery as Caroline Crockett
• Martin Ferrero as Trini DeSoto
• Mykel T. Williamson as Leon Jefferson
• Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin
• Miguel Piñero as Esteban Calderone

Co-Starring [ ]

• Jimmy Smits as Eddie Rivera
• Michael Santoro as Corky Fowler
• Jossie DeGuzman as Maria Rivera
• Harold Bergman as Judge Clarence P. Rupp
• Darcy Shean as Donna Wheeler
• Brian C. Smith as D.A. Gordon Avery
• Julian Byrd as Captain Rodney
• Bud Hoey as Manager
• Ryan St. Leon as Billy Crockett

Uncredited [ ]

• Ernest Robinson as Rafael Tubbs

Differences from the Series Proper [ ]

As a result of "Brother's Keeper" being a pilot filmed prior to the remainder of the series, there are several notable differences between it and the series proper, including:

• Olivia Brown is not listed during the opening credits , but is instead listed as a guest star afterwards. This was changed for the series proper, where her name appears between John Diehl and Gregory Sierra / Edward James Olmos ' credits during the opening sequence. The syndicated, two-part version of the pilot also adds Brown's name to the opening credits.
• Crockett's sidearm is a Browning BDA (the BDA was in fact a SIG Sauer P220 that was branded as the BDA by Browning, who were responsible for importing it into the United States). Once the show was picked up, Crockett's weapon was changed to a Dornaus & Dixon Bren Ten, which it would remain for the first two seasons. Various reasons for the change are cited, including the silver finish of the Bren Ten showing up better during night filming, or Michael Mann 's preference for the Bren Ten's "flashier" styling, better suited to a man posing as a drug dealer.
• Crockett's backup gun is also different in the pilot -- he carries a Detonics Pocket 9, whereas in the series he instead carries a Detonics Combat Master.
• Tubbs uses the pseudonym Teddy Prentiss while chasing Calderone in Miami, instead of his usual alias of Rico Cooper.
• Crockett's speedboat is a 1984 Stinger 390 with no radar arch, whereas his speedboat for the remainder of the first series is a Stinger 390x with an arch and a noticeably different paint scheme.
• Similarly, the St. Vitus Dance is a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat in the pilot, but changed to an Endeavour 40 once the show was picked up as a series.
• The scenes at OCB headquarters were filmed in a real office building, at 3033 N. NW River Drive in Miami. For the remainder of the series, OCB scenes were filmed in an office set built on a soundstage at Greenwich Studios in North Miami. The complete change in interior layout is never addressed or even acknowledged in the show.

Brother's Keeper Part II Title Card in 1988

New Brother's Keeper title card created in 2021

New Brother's Keeper Part II title card created in 2021

When aired in syndication, "Brother's Keeper" is aired as two parts instead of a single two-hour episode (this is often the case for feature-length episodes of television shows). Strangely, this is how the episode is presented on the UK DVD releases of the series, despite being listed as a single episode on the packaging and the fact that other feature-length episodes from the series (" The Prodigal Son " and " Freefall ") are presented in their original double-length form. DVD releases in other regions have the pilot as a single episode.

Miami Vice 1985 VHS

• This episode has had the greatest number of distinct titles of any episode in the series. Originally it was simply called "Miami Vice" when first aired; when it went into syndication it received it's now official title of "Brother's Keeper"; it was released on home video as Miami Vice: The Movie in 1985; Hulu and NBC.com list the episode as "Brother's Keeper - Pilot"; the UK DVD set, meanwhile, splits the episode into two parts and labels them "Pilot (Part I)/(Part II)"; and finally, when it carried the series, Netflix, Peacock, and Tubi also listed the episode in two parts as "Brother's Keeper (Part I)/(Part II)". When Freevee streamed the series, the episode was referred to simply as "Pilot" and was presented as a single extended-length episode. The current streamer for Vice the "FAST (Free with Ads STreaming)" service Universal Action Channel aired the episode as a two-parter, using the 1988 era title cards.
• This episode aired on Sunday night before the show moved to its normal 10:00 Friday night time slot for " Heart of Darkness ". It aired again on Sunday, July 28, 1985, as the NBC Sunday Movie of the Week, and had higher Nielsen ratings than its' initial repeat in January, 1985.
• The title cards for the two-part version of this episode are in a different font style and size compared to the rest of the series proper, as a result of them being added just prior to the episode going into syndication. When Peacock and Tubi began streaming Vice the episode title for both parts was in a different font and larger than the original syndicated ones.
• The instrumental track that "Gumby" is dancing to on the street at the beginning of the episode is not an outside piece of popular music, but rather a Jan Hammer composition written for the scene (it as actually a unique extension of his " Miami Vice Theme "). This kind of "fake" song would become more prevalent in season 5 , when the show's new composer Tim Truman would compose several such pieces for use in various episodes.
• The so-called "In the Air Tonight" scene , in which Crockett and Tubbs drive through the Miami night to meet Calderone in Crockett's Daytona , the action set to the Phil Collins song of the same name , is often listed as one of television's greatest moments.
• Footage from the above scene of Crockett and Tubbs speeding through the night in Crockett's Daytona would be reused in " Rites of Passage " and " The Maze ".
• The scene where the team plans the bust together is a staple of the early episodes, but was quickly phased out as the season 1 progressed.
• When presenting the transfer order to the guard at the suburban jail, Crockett refers to Calderone as "Orlando Calderone". However, the drug lord's name was changed to Esteban Calderone in subsequent episodes. The first name Orlando was later resurrected for Esteban's son (played by John Leguizamo in " Sons and Lovers " and " The Afternoon Plane "). There are also discrepancies in how the drug lord's surname is spelt throughout the series, with some instances spelling it Calderone (technically the Italian spelling of the name, and therefore unlikely to be adopted by a Central/South American drug lord) and others spelling in Calderon (the Anglicized version of the Spanish spelling, Calderón).
• Crockett uses his Daytona's car phone for the first time; the device was a novelty in 1984.
• While the pilot leaves the status of Crockett and Gina's relationship somewhat ambiguous, " Cool Runnin' " would later reveal that they resumed their romance.
• The Carlyle Hotel Condo (which Crockett and Rivera are standing in front of at the episode's beginning) still exists, and has also featured in the movies Scarface , Bad Boys and The Birdcage .
• Bill Smitrovich would later play DEA Commander Burr in "The Prodigal Son". He is also one of several Miami Vice guest stars to appear in Michael Mann 's 1986 film Manhunter , alongside Garcelle Beauvais (from " The Maze "), Bill Cwikowski (from " No Exit "), Chris Elliott (from " Down for the Count (Part II) "), Dennis Farina (from " One Eyed Jack ", " Lombard " and " World of Trouble "), Kim Griest (from " Nobody Lives Forever "), Michele Shay (from " Theresa " and " Badge of Dishonor ") and Jim Zubiena (from " Calderone's Return (Part I) "). Miami Vice regular Michael Talbott also had a small role in the film, although his single scene was deleted from the theatrical cut of the movie.
• Martin Ferrero would return in several episodes throughout the series as Izzy Moreno , Crockett and Tubbs' street informant and the only character outside of the principal cast to appear in every season.
• This was Jimmy Smits ' acting debut. He would later come to prominence on L.A. Law and N.Y.P.D. Blue .
• The video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City , among its many references to Miami Vice , features two gangs dressed as extras from the scene in which Tubbs arrives in Miami (see image above) -- the Cubans wear the white-and-red t-shirt of the man on the left, whilst the Haitians wear the purple vest and blue jeans of the man on the right.
• New York would reappear again in " The Prodigal Son " (when Crockett and Tubbs go there to solve the Revilla case) and " Better Living Through Chemistry " (when Tubbs travels there to help clear Clarence Batisse 's name).
• This is the first of five times Tubbs is shot in the line of duty during the series. He later takes a glancing bullet to the head in " Viking Bikers from Hell ", is shot in the chest (but saved by a bulletproof vest) by Sonny Burnett in " Mirror Image ", has his shoulder grazed by a bullet in " To Have and to Hold ", and finally gets hit in the arm (similar to this episode) in the series finale "Freefall". In comparison, Crockett was shot only twice during the series -- in " Stone's War " and, most notably, " A Bullet for Crockett ".
• When DeSoto sings, "Only in Miami is Cuba so far away..." he is quoting the song " Only in Miami " by Bette Midler , which is being played by the house band at the time.
• The song Crockett is quoting when he tells Gina, "She left me at Sears and I cried all the way to Walgreen's," is "Billy Broke My Heart at Walgreens" by Ruby Wright . However, his quotation is actually incorrect; the locations in the song are given the other way around -- "Billy broke my heart at Walgreen's and I cried all the way to Sears." This may have been done as a way of avoiding copyright infringement.
• At around six minutes, the pilot features one of the longest pre-credits sequences of the entire series (although it is beaten by " Calderone's Return (Part II) ", in which the pre-credits sequence is over six-and-a-half minutes long).
• This is the only episode in which a genuine black Ferrari Daytona Spyder is used as Crockett's car, and only in one scene (where Crockett is sitting in the car, waiting for Leon). According to legend, the real Daytona belonged to a local doctor who had rented the car out to the production crew, but who refused to let the arrangement continue after the car suffered over $1000 worth of damage in an accident on the set.
• The building at 1116 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, in which the scenes of Crockett and Tubbs searching Leon's apartment were filmed, was bought in 1992 by fashion designer Gianni Versace as his Miami residence. It was also where he was killed by serial murderer Andrew Philip Cunanan in 1997. The building underwent extensive renovation and expansion throughout the 1990s. Don Johnson later related an anecdote in an interview that he was once invited to the residence by Gianni Versace and couldn't help feeling that he had been in the building before. It then came to him that it was the location where filming for the scenes at Leon's apartment had taken place. Don Johnson recalled that when they were shooting the scenes, the whole structure was so run down that there were holes in floors and ceilings. The building is now a boutique hotel, restaurant, and event location.
• The version of the "Miami Vice Theme" used in the opening credits is incorrectly mixed and is missing the distinctive synthesized guitar hook. The problem occurs in every episode up to " Calderone's Return (Part I) ".
• The same problem with the "Miami Vice Theme" occurs during the chase scene between Crockett (in the Camaro) and Tubbs (in Crockett's Stinger ).
• In his hotel room, Tubbs gets a call to make the deal, on the bed are guns and an open briefcase full of cash. The shot changes to a close-up of Tubbs on the phone, then shows the bed again and the briefcase is suddenly closed, then Tubbs opens it to check the cash.
• When the camera follows Leon walking along the street to his car before Sonny catches up with him you see the whole film crew moving the dolly along the street in the shop windows.
• When Tubbs takes off in Crockett's speedboat, a second person, presumably a member of the film crew, can be seen on board.
• When Tubbs is running from Crockett in Crockett's Stinger, he spots a barge ahead and turns to avoid it -- the closeup of Tubbs shows him turn the boat's wheel to his left, but the subsequent long shot shows the boat turning to the right.
• The judge in Leon's court case is credited as Sumner D. Rupp, yet the name tag seen on his bench in the scene clearly reads Clarence P. Rupp .
• Mykel T. Williamson is still listed among the guest stars during the opening credits for Part II of the syndicated version, despite the fact he was killed in Part I and never appears in the second part of the episode.
• When Tubbs turns to look at Calderone in the nightclub after receiving his complimentary bottle of champagne, the house band begins playing the opening chords of " All Night Long (All Night) ". However, despite the fact no one is singing, the band's female vocalist can be seen singing into her microphone over Tubb's shoulder.
• When Tubbs is pointing his shotgun at Calderone at the docks, closeups clearly show his finger on the forward of the weapon's dual triggers. He then fires one barrel off-screen, before we return to the closeup of his finger on the trigger as he fires the second. However, his finger is seen to pull the forward trigger. If he had previously fired one of the weapon's barrels, he would have needed to pull the rear trigger to fire the other.
• The engine tone heard coming from Crockett's Daytona is often nothing like the 4.4L Ferrari V12 found in genuine Daytonas. The cars used in the show were actually replicas built on the chassis of a Chevrolet Corvette C3, the engine noise of which was typically dubbed over in post-production, but this has not been done particularly effectively in the pilot. The discrepancy is most noticeable when Crockett and Tubbs are racing to catch Calderone after he has been sprung from jail.

Deleted Scenes [ ]

In the two-part version of this episode the following scenes are deleted, likely for time purposes to ensure the two parts fit into two standard-length installments:

• The scene where Crockett explains to Tubbs why Elvis is "ticking".

Part II [ ]

• Part of Crockett talking to Gina about their night of passion, after Gina confesses that Crockett whispered "Caroline" into her ear.
• Part of Crockett's briefing where he explains when the bust goes down ("Big hand on the 12, little hand on the 6").

Production Notes [ ]

• Filming: March 5, 1984 - April 5, 1984
• Production Budget: $5,000,000
• Production Code: 85304
• Production Order: 1

Filming Locations [ ]

• 244 W. 16th Street, New York City (Calderone walks out of apartment and Tubbs watches)
• Jay Street/Staple Street, New York City (Tubbs follows Calderone)
• Club Z, 1235 Washington Ave, Miami Beach (club Calderone is in)
• The Forge, 432 41st Street in Miami Beach (Restaurant seen in opening montage)
• The Carlyle, 1250 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach (Crockett and Eddie wait for Corky)
• 1300 NW 1st Avenue under I-395, Miami ("59th Street bridge" where car bomb explodes)
• Iberia Restaurant, 763 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach (Cafe where Eddie's wife works)
• 550 NE 51st Street, Miami (Caroline's house, Scott Wheeler's house)
• 1454 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach (Leon buys chicken and Crockett watches)
• Omni Hotel, 1601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami (Tubbs in strip club, Crockett/Tubbs meet Calderone at the "Key Biscayne Club")
• 300 NE 34th Street, Miami (Tubbs' motel room)
• John St/Adams St next to Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn, NY (Tubbs flashback)
• Bojean Boatyard, 3031 NW South River Drive, Miami (Crockett/Leon/Scott Wheeler/Tubbs drug deal, Crockett/Tubbs get on Calderone's boat)
• Miami River, Miami and Intracoastal Waterway, 4000 block Collins Ave, Miami Beach (Crockett in car chasing Tubbs in boat)
• Railroad Bridge between NW 36th Street and NW South River Drive (Crockett jumps onto Tubbs' boat)
• Miamarina at Bayside, 401 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami (Marina where Crockett and St. Vitus Dance are located)
• Dade County Courthouse (north side), 73 West Flagler Street, Miami Downtown (Leon leaves court)
• 3033 NW North River Drive (OCB, Calderone's jail)
• 4660 El Mar Drive, Lauderdale By The Sea (hotel site where Leon is killed, this is the Plunge Beach Hotel now, it was a Howard Johnson hotel back then)
• Amsterdam Apartments, 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach (Leon's apartment, later became the Versace Mansion)
• Clay Hotel, Espanola Way, Miami Beach (Crockett/Tubbs have lunch with DeSoto)
• 1438 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach (DeSoto tries to kill Tubbs)
• 42nd Ave between NW 7th St & SW 5th St, 2000 block Biscayne Blvd ("In the Air Tonight" drive)
• west side of Watson Island (Crockett calls Caroline from payphone - Bernay's Cafe sign is fake)
• Chalk's Ocean Airways, Watson Island, MacArthur Causeway (Calderone escapes in seaplane)
• I-195/Julia Tuttle Causeway - western end driving eastbound toward Miami Beach (Crockett/Tubbs drive away, Crockett asks Tubbs about pursuing a career in "Southern law enforcement")

Ratings (Original Run) [ ]

• September 16, 1984 (Sunday) - 22.8 (37 Share)
• January 26, 1985 (Friday) - 14.9 (23 Share)
• July 28, 1985 (Sunday) - 17.7 (31 Share)
• " Miss You " by The Rolling Stones (playing on punk's boombox during Tubbs' stakeout)
• " Body Talk " by The Deele (in New York bar where Tubbs watches Calderone)
• " Mi Rumbon " by Los Virtuosos (playing in Maria's diner)
• " Somebody's Watching Me " by Rockwell (Tubbs in strip club)
• " Girls Just Wanna Have Fun " by Cyndi Lauper (Leon at beach)
• " Salsa Caliente " by Los Virtuosos (Crockett and Tubbs meet Trini DeSoto)
• " Only in Miami " by Bette Midler (performed by house band in nightclub)
• " All Night Long (All Night) " by Lionel Richie (performed by house band in nightclub)
• " In the Air Tonight " by Phil Collins ( Crockett and Tubbs driving to meet with Calderone )

Jan Hammer Music [ ]

• "Flashback" (Tubbs in hotel room thinking about Rafael's murder)
• " Miami Vice Theme " (Crockett chasing Tubbs across Miami)
• "Gina" (Crockett and Gina on St. Vitus Dance )
• "Chase" (Crockett and Tubbs chase Calderone to seaplane)

"One move and you're ( Leon Jefferson ) history, brother!"

• "And as for progress reports, I'd just as soon buy radio time!"-- Crockett to Rodriguez after Eddie died in car explosion
• "The last time I requested back up I nearly got shot to death by Bluto and Lee Harvey Oswald over there!" -- Crockett referring to Switek and Zito
• "You're all players, Sonny. You get high on the action." -- Caroline to Crockett
• "Two weeks! Two weeks of legwork I put in on this bust, and three fourths of the dealers turn out to be cops! " -- Crockett to Rodriguez after finding out Tubbs is a cop as well
• "You know, My badge says Miami , but lately it's been looking a lot like Disney World!" -- Crockett to Rodriguez
• "Tell me, Dubbs , are you down here for some value to the taxpayers, or are you just working on your tan?" -- Crockett to Tubbs
• "A glowing testament of our Constitutional right to bear arms!" -- Judge Clarence P. Rupp after the power failure during Leon's hearing when all court personnel drew guns on Leon
• "You ever forget who you are?" -- Calabrese
• "Forget who I am? Darling, sometimes I remember who I am." -- Crockett, in response to Calabrese
• "It's called vengeance my friend, plain and simple. Now I may seem somewhat unorthodox to the untrained eye, but when it comes to being a cop, I am strictly business pal. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna put my life on the line with some outlaw cop on a personal vendetta! Cause when it gets personal, it gets messy, and when it gets messy, the wrong people get killed, Comprende ?" -- Crockett to Tubbs about his purpose (revenge) for being there

"Hey, Tubbs. ever consider a career in Southern law enforcement?"

• "Hey, Tubbs...ever consider a career in Southern law enforcement?" "Maybe, maybe! " -- Crockett and Tubbs at the end of the episode

• 1 James "Sonny" Crockett
• 2 List of Characters

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Frost School vocalist stuns in live TV debut

By Jordan Levin 09-03-2024

Frost School of Music junior Nicole Acosta really is a singer. But for her network television debut on Fox's popular game show " I Can See Your Voice " for   Elvis Night   in May, the Miami native had to pretend she was a generic "college student" who might or might not have talent.

When   Acosta   did reveal herself, belting out a powerful version of the Elvis Presley hit "Can't Help Falling in Love," that wowed the panelists and audience, it was deeply satisfying.

"It was a super great experience," said Acosta, a vocal performance major in the Frost School's   Modern Artist Development and Entrepreneurship   (M.A.D.E.) program. "It's a great moment when you show what you can do."

Her moment seemed to make an impression on actor/comedian and "See Your Voice" celebrity host   Ken Jeong . "Before I left, he asked "Is this your first time on TV?"" Acosta said. When she told him it was, Jeong replied, "Well, this won't be the last time."

Although this was Acosta's first time on live television, she's no stranger to performing or celebrity. The Cuban-American singer and songwriter has been singing pop music and performing music theater since she was young. Acosta, who grew up in Kendall and attended arts magnet school Miami Arts Studio ( MAS ) @ Zelda Glazer for middle and high school, was a beneficiary of pop/rock legend Phil Collins's Little Dreams   Foundation , performing with Collins and other stars at an annual gala. She made it to the Hollywood Week of American Idol in high school, although her audition and performance were never aired.

She met Miami pop icons Gloria and Emilio Estefan when they came to see the first high school production of the hit Broadway show and Estefan bio-musical "On Your Feet," with Acosta in the Gloria role, at MAS. That led to Emilio Estefan bringing Acosta in to perform at the 2022 Summit of the Americas for President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, and heads of state from across Latin America; and to sing the Cuban National Anthem for the Miami Marlins' Cuban Heritage Night.

Producers for "See Your Voice" contacted Acosta to audition in the fall of 2022, during her freshman year; then flew her and her mother to the Atlanta area for the audition, two rehearsal sessions, and filming. She had to keep her participation a secret for over a year, revealing it at a watch party for friends. (The show, which initially airs live on Fox, can be streamed on Hulu.)

Acosta, who at 18 was the youngest singer on the show, loved every minute of her TV experience, from the intensive vocal and dance coaching to sitting in the make-up chair. "People don't realize how much work goes into each episode," said Acosta, who is minoring in music industry and communications. "I felt really special. It was one of the best opportunities I've had and one of the most fun. It's not a contest where you're fighting to prove your talent, but more a celebration of your talent."

She learned from the experience as well. The coaching focused on "what would look or sound good on TV," Acosta said. "They wanted me to start with a big note to get the audience and the contestant's attention for that big shock factor. They'd tell us to make it more dynamic, make this part go down a little, or add vibrato here."

The contestants in "See Your Voice" watch six "secret voices," who are unknowns costumed in generic roles like "firefighter" or "personal trainer" as they lip-synch in front of a live audience. Wearing a flowy dress and denim jacket, Acosta lip-synched to a recording of her own rendition of "Blue Suede Shoes." The contestants, with the help of celebrity guests and host Jeong, can win up to $100,000 by correctly guessing who is a real singer and who is not. Acosta was eliminated, but returned to sing for real in the "Reveal" segment the following week – earning cheers from the audience and stunned looks from famous guests   Cheyenne Jackson   and   Adrian Bailon-Houghton .

"I remember comments like 'I think she's a dancer or a cheerleader' and 'she seems like a really nice girl, but I don't think she can sing,'" Acosta said.

Her Frost School training helped prove them wrong. "I know in this industry when they tell you to do it, you gotta do it,"Acosta said. "So when you get there, it looks easy because of all the work behind the scenes."

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