Chris Paciello

Chris Paciello (born Christian Ludwigsen, During the 1990s, and again in 2012, he became a prominent nightclub owner in the South Beach section of Miami Beach, Florida.

Biography Background Paciello was born Christian Ludwigsen in 1971 in Borough Park, Brooklyn, the first of three sons born to Marguerite (née Paciello) and George Ludwigsen, and spent his childhood there. His father was a heroin addict and a small-time criminal who was arrested for burglary, auto theft, and drug charges in the 1980s. By age 15, Paciello found himself stealing car radios and then cars. Three years later, he left home and changed his last name from Ludwigsen to Paciello, his mother's maiden name.

New York crimes Paciello had connections to the New York Cosa Nostra crime families. On Staten Island, Paciello joined the New Springville Boys (LUSS), a gang with affiliations to the Bonanno crime family. In February 1994, Paciello and his gang robbed a Westminster Bank in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, stealing $300,000.

In 1996, William Cutolo, a powerful leader of the Colombo crime family in New York, told Paciello that he needed to start paying tribute to him. However, the New York Gambino crime family was one of Paciello's early financial backers. In a Brooklyn meeting with acting Colombo boss Alphonse Persico and Gambino representatives, Paciello was allowed to choose affiliation with the Colombos. This request was denied on December 16, 1999, and Paciello was freed on a $3 million bond but forced to remain in jail until a hearing in New York the following week. Paciello later fingered two made members of the Bonanno family, which ultimately led to the takedown of almost the entire upper echelon of the organization, including family boss Joseph "Big Joe" Massino. Paciello's cooperation with the federal government was "unprecedented," according to a March 2004 letter by his then-lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, to the court that would sentence Paciello in connection with the murder and robbery charges related to Judith Shemtov. Brafman estimated that "more than 70 people" had been "prosecuted directly and indirectly as a result of [Paciello's] cooperation," which was reportedly confirmed in a letter from the U.S. District Attorney's Office in Brooklyn.

After release He moved to Los Angeles, where he owned two Cristoni pizzerias, both now closed. He was arrested over a street fight with Joey Rio and Dean Heiser in 2008, but no charges were filed. He made the following press statement:I regret the mistakes I made in the past. I am working hard to make a positive impact and to build a new life for myself in Miami. I am grateful to the many people here who have welcomed me back with open arms, and look forward to a positive future. In February 2021, Paciello purchased a Miami Beach mansion from the late celebrity hair stylist Oribe.

Popular culture In film The 2000 remake of the 1974 film Gone in 60 Seconds was inspired by The Untouchables car theft ring. The 2007 film Kings of South Beach is based on Paciello's story, with Jason Gedrick playing him.

In books In Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture, Paciello's role in the Shemtov murder and his prosecution by Walden.

In television In episode 1.9 of the Investigation Discovery television series, I Married a Mobster: Love Hurts (airdate 7 September 2011), Love Majewski (now a cast member of Mob Wives) described her relationships with Paciello and Ray Merolle, Jr. His story is featured in Season 4, Episode 9 of the Investigation Discovery television series, Vanity Fair Confidential: "The Disco Inferno" (air date April 2, 2018).