gondolas to ferry the new seekers to their palazzos in the sun. the dream was as expandable as the space. where there was water, there was now magically, terra sorta firma. and in the 80s where there was decline, a vacuum, suddenly there was a new and vibrant economy, one that raised all boats, filled miami with new buildings, shiny cars, swanky nightclubs, floods of cash, and a new reputation for murder, and criminality to go with it. cocaine, say what you will, cocaine altered the skyline of miami forever. it made, for better or worse, miami sexy again.
anthony: going back to the very beginning, was miami always a criminal enterprise? but i mean that in a good way. outlaw culturism, a very deep part of american culture. man: in florida, we don t produce or manufacture anything but oranges and handguns. there is no indigenous industry. we sell sunshine. the only jobs we have are in hospitality or in restaurants. man 2: real estate. man: real estate. it is all to sell the dream to the next people. anthony: in 1981 the fbi called miami the most violent city in america. the drug industry brought in an estimated $7 to $12 billion a year, and that s of 1981 money. that is a lot of trickle down. one of the most successful documentaries in the history of film is cocaine cowboys that tells that story. the film made by these guys, alfred spellman and billy corbin.
thing. anthony: if i were to think about coming to florida to live, what would seem attractive to me, and i mean this absolutely, find someplace on the beach and descend into my liver-spotted crocodile skinned, late era george hamilton phase, walk up and down, metal detector, with shorts up to here, but that would be me. people who go to live that dream, they don t go to the beach. women: ask me when the last time i went to the beach was. anthony: when was the last time you went to the beach? women: about a year and a half ago. anthony: what the is up with that? women: we re working. anthony: if you weren t working, would you be at the beach more often? women: my dream s to have a house on the beach. i don t know why. i never go, but i love it. and i always say i will never live in south florida if i didn t live near water. i live near water and i leave my
who built miami envisioned many different kinds of paradise. a new jerusalem in the seemingly infinitely expanding real estate, just fill in where there s water and you ve got property. or as in coral gables, a new venice. complete with grand canals. gondolas to ferry the news seekers to their palazzos in the sun. the dream was as expandable as the space. where there was water, there was now magically, terra sorta firma. and in the 80 s where there was decline, a vacuum, suddenly there was a new and vibrant economy, one that raised all
anthony: what the [ muted ] is up with that? women: we re working. anthony: if you weren t working, would you be at the beach more often? women: my dream s to have a house on the beach. i don t know why. i never go, but i love it. and i always say i will never live in south florida if i didn t live near water. i live near water and i leave my breeze, but i don t go to the beach. i barely even go into my swimming pool, but i know it s there. anthony: okay. purina one. natural ingredients, plus vitamins and minerals in powerful combinations. for radiant coats, sparkling eyes, and vibrant energy. purina one. 28 days. one visibly healthy pet.