South Beach Top Chefs 
In an allegedly illegal quest to oust a restaurant operator from one of its South Beach hotels, the Nakash family enterprise hired a private investigator to pose as a guest who concocted bogus noise complaints about the tenant.
The tactic failed spectacularly and provided substantial proof for Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Valerie Manno Schurr to hammer the Nakashes, owners of the Hotel Breakwater at 940 Ocean Drive, with $17.4 million in punitive damages and $2.1 million in attorney fees, according to court records.
Owners of Miami Beach’s Hotel Breakwater engaged in and attempted to conceal “an ongoing fraudulent scheme” to evict restaurant tenant, judge ruled
Jordache Jeans’ founders and siblings Joe, Avi, and Ralph Nakash also own the former Versace Mansion, Hotel Victor, and the hotel components of The Setai Miami Beach. Recently, the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board denied a petition by the Nakashes and the Setai’s condo association that aimed to stop the redevelopment of The Shore Club, a competing Art Deco hotel.
Manno Schurr ruled last week that the Hotel Breakwater’s ownership entity, managed by Joe Nakash, engaged in an “ongoing fraudulent scheme” to unlawfully evict Catherine and Anthony Arrighi, the owners of Ocean’s Ten, a restaurant in Hotel Breakwater.
Nakash representatives fabricated evidence that was submitted in the case, intentionally and improperly provided false responses to discovery requests, lied under oath, filed a false expert report with the court and lied to city of Miami Beach officials and special magistrates, Manno Schurr’s order states.
By Francisco Alvarado for www.therealdeal.com
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