Michael J. Peter

Michael J. Peter
Height:	168 cm (5 ft 6 in)

Michael J. Peter

He attended the Cornell University School of Hotel Management.

His first job in Florida after moving to the state in 1973 was as manager of the Dubsdread Country Club. Afterwards, he bought the Red Lion for $13,000 and renamed it Thee Dollhouse. In 1984, he bought a half-interest in a failing pizza parlor, owned by Jeanne C. Williams, north of Pompano Beach, which he converted to Thee Dollhouse III. In 1985, he opened Solid Gold in Fort Lauderdale. In March 1988, Peter, Williams, and a partner bought an Oakland Park club, which they renamed Pure Platinum. In December 1988, Williams obtained a 47 percent stake in Solid Gold after she bought out two of Peter`s partners. On August 22, 1989, Williams put up a 20 percent share with Peter to purchase Main Attraction in Fort Lauderdale.

In January 1991, he purchased JW`s Lounge in Sunrise and opened it the following month with half of the establishment being LaBare and the other half being a sports bar.

He also owns Solid Gold in North Miami Beach.

He also founded MJ Peter Club Management, a consulting firm for strip clubs, and Platinum magazine.

On May 24, 1991, he was arrested and charged with kidnapping and extortion for an alleged January 8 incident in which he, along with three other men, forcibly drove Features Entertainment booking agent Carmen Cinserulli from Fort Lauderdale to Oakland Park, where they threatened to crush his fingers if he continued trying to recruit strippers from their clubs before driving him back to Fort Lauderdale. He was released within a few hours on $32,500 bond. On February 23, 1994, a jury found him not guilty.

On May 10, 1991, state and federal agents seized records from his Oakland Park office and searched his five South Florida clubs for possible racketeering transactions.

In December 1995, he was indicted on 10 counts of racketeering and charged with allowing members of the Gambino family to keep a hidden interest in three of his clubs. He ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud for failing to list builder James Williams, who had loaned him money, on his liquor license application. He began serving his prison sentence at Miami Federal Prison Camp in January 1997. In April 1997, authorities accused him and several other inmates of leaving for an evening tryst with prostitutes. Although he denied doing so, he was placed in solitary confinement and transferred to a prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey. In December 1997, he was transferred to the Orange County Community Treatment Center and released in May 1998. He lived in Lauderdale Isles before going to prison.

He appeared on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in the late 1980s.