Norman Braman

Braman BMW Sued for Fraud, Forgery, and Wrongful Firings

Braman BMW Forges Signatures and Swindles Customers, Says Former Service Manager

Norman Braman likes to think of himself as a man of the people. The billionaire famously sued the county and the Marlins in 2008 on behalf of taxpayers pissed off over the disastrous stadium deal. When Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez raised property taxes two years later, it didn't put a dent in Bra ... More >>

Norman Braman: "I Honestly Believe Jeffrey Loria Is Getting a Bad Rap"

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has found an unlikely defender in Norman Braman. Yes, the billionaire auto magnate and former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles may have been the public face of opposition to public financing of Marlins Park, but he is at the end of the day a business man, and he can't hel ... More >>

Norman Braman Calls Sun Life Plan "Worse Than Marlins" Deal, Pledges To Fight Proposal

Norman Braman told Miami politicians once they were making a mistake giving public money to a wealthy team owner, and now he's speaking up again. Unlike his ultimately losing fight against the new Marlins Park, this time he's pledging to kill any deal to renovate the Dolphins stadium with tax dollar ... More >>

Norman Braman Promises to Defeat Dolphins Stadium Referendum With His Own Money

One of Norman Braman's main beefs with the Marlins shady stadium deal was that the public never got to directly vote on the matter. Though, the fact that Dolphins are supporting a public vote on their quest to get tax money to fund a portion of their planned upgrades to Sun Life Stadium isn't enough ... More >>

Miami Dolphins Stadium Renovation: A Political Insider's Guide

Give Stephen Ross props. He stepped up to Norman Braman one billionaire to another and slapped him across the face with a clean white glove. With a full page ad undermining Braman's credibility in Tuesday's edition of the Miami Herald, Ross let Braman know he's got the cash to parry any attacks the ... More >>

Reader Mail: Charlie Crist Should Destroy Rick Scott

Braman BMW Rips Off Customers, Ex-Employee Alleges

Braman Motors Sued By Ex-Employee Who Claims Company Bilked Customers and BMW

Norman Braman is arguably the most powerful man in Miami-Dade. He sits atop $1.6 billion, owns the city's largest auto dealership, recalls county mayors as if they were unruly children, and funnels small fortunes to political candidates. In short, the octogenarian practically rules this town.But one ... More >>

Norman Braman's Contributions Dried Up For the Nov. 6 County Commission Run-Offs

After raising nearly a million bucks to unseat four Miami-Dade County Commissioners in the August 14 primary, it seems billionaire auto magnate Norman Braman threw in the towel. According to the last three financial reports for his political action committee Change Miami Dade Now, Braman only chippe ... More >>

Bruno Barreiro Holds Fundraiser In Norman Braman's Neighborhood

A county commissioner targeted for termination by Norman Braman is taking the fight to the billionaire activist's home turf. Tonight, Indian Creek residents Carlos Peralta Quintero and his wife will hold a fundraiser for Bruno Barreiro at their three-acre, 13-bedroom, ten-bathroom waterfro ... More >>

Norman Braman Registers Boat in the Caymans to Avoid U.S. Fees

Norman Braman Dodges Taxes For His Yacht, Kisses

For the past couple of years, Norman Braman has carefully crafted his image as a do-gooder billionaire and civic activist by leading the recall of former Miami-Dade mayor Carlos Alvarez and, more recently, financing opponents against four sitting county commissioners because they saddled taxpayers w ... More >>

Five RNC Contingency Plans If Tropical Storm Isaac Ruins The GOP Party

Is tropical storm Isaac God's way of smiting Tod Akin for saying stupid sh*t? Is it a coincidence that the squall is set to touch down at the very moment that Rick Scott takes to the podium in Tampa? Does Jesus just hate the GOP?Get a hold of yourself, man! Rule No. 1 in an emergency like this: don' ... More >>

Bruno Barreiro Will Head Into Commission Run-Off Against Luis Garcia

Well, Norman Braman's quest to unseat incumbent Miami-Dade County Commissioners was far from a smashing success, but one of his candidates will live to see another electoral day. Incumbent Bruno Barreiro barely missed the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff by just nine votes. So now he'll face o ... More >>

Incumbent County Commissioners Demolish Norman Braman's Slate UPDATED

Norman Braman was no match for the forces backing Miami-Dade County commissioners Bruno Barreiro, Audrey Edmonson, Barbara Jordan, and Dennis Moss. The billionaire car dealership mogul's slate of Luis Garcia, Alison Austin, Shirley Gibson and Alice Pena produced an epic fail. All four candidates, wh ... More >>

Reader Mail: Norman Braman Is a Bully in the Guise of a Civic-Minded Leader

Norman Braman Is a Phony, and So Are His Candidates

Norman Braman Is A Phony

Uncle Luke, the man whose booty-shaking madness made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech, gets as nasty as he wants to be for Miami New Times. This week, Luke goes after the County Commission's biggest enemy.Car magnate, activist, and billionaire Norman Braman has everyone fooled. He's n ... More >>

Norman Braman Backlash Begins With County Unions Protest Today UPDATE

The counterattack against Norman Braman's plan to unseat four Miami-Dade County Commissioners begins this afternoon. A group called South Florida Jobs with Justice, a coalition of labor, community, and faith-based organizations, is going to hold a protest at the auto magnate's luxury car dealership ... More >>

Will Obama Throw Out the First Pitch Tonight? Five Better Ways to Inaugurate Marlins Stadium

Two years ago, Barack Obama threw out the first pitch at the Washington National's stadium to inaugurate the 2010 MLB season. The Marlins haven't announced who will toss out the ceremonial first ball tonight. Could the president come running out of the brand-new bullpen?Today's White House schedule ... More >>

Turns Out Voters Don't Think County Commissioners Deserve an $86,000 Raise

​After a fantastic performance over the past few years -- from backing a grotesquely bad Marlins stadium deal to voting for a billion-dollar tunnel to nowhere to faithfully rewarding their corporate backers -- Miami-Dade County commissioners sure seemed due for a hefty pay raise. Right?Nah, Dade v ... More >>

Norman Braman Threatens More Miami-Dade Commissioners with Recalls

​The paint has long dried on the victory signs declaring billionaire Norman Braman's success in his drive to recall Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, and yet it's hard to discern any meaningful policy change that has occurred in Miami-Dade since then. So, it's not surprising that Braman is now thre ... More >>

21 of the Richest People in America Live in South Florida

​The latest edition of the Forbes 400 is out, and 21 of the most filthy rich scions in America call humble little South Florida their primary home. Micky Arison, Miami Heat owner and Carnival Cruises CEO has the biggest moneybags in Miami with a net worth of $4.2 billion. That makes him the 75th r ... More >>

Indian Creek Island's Millionaires Battle Over Maintenance of a Tiny Road

The horror!​As America hurtles toward a second scoop of recession and you struggle to make ends meet, you should know this: Some of this nation's wealthiest citizens are squabbling over a minute stretch of asphalt. On a recent weekday, Riptide traversed where few plebeians without landscaping ... More >>

Norman Braman Endorses Mayor Loco Xavier Suarez?

Norman Braman confuses us sometimes.​So multi-billionaire car dealer Norman Braman is all about reforming county government and curtailing the influence of lobbyists. Then why the heck is Braman's mug on a flyer endorsing Xavier Suarez for county commissioner? Voters in district 7 received the cam ... More >>

Vote Yes On Question #56 And Fight Public Corruption

Norman Braman's advice to voters notwithstanding, there is a measure on the ballot that deserves a resoundingly emphatic YES! And that is the question asking voters to make the Miami-Dade Inspector General's office a permenant part of the county's home rule charter -- in effect our local constitutio ... More >>

Six lies about the Marlins stadium

Norman Braman Threatens More Recalls

​Our mild-mannered billionaire mayor-recaller now thinks he's king. Auto magnate Norman Braman, riding on his successful campaign to recall Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, is lightly hinting at more recalls of sitting county commissioners unless they follow his reform agenda. However, county comm ... More >>

Norman Braman Gets Mayoral Candidates To Promise Charter Reform

photo by Tim ElfrinkBraman issues his marching orders.​When Norman Braman launched his campaign to oust Mayor Carlos Alvarez, he made it clear that charter reform -- including term limits -- was his real goal. Braman inched a step closer to making that happen today as three of the front-runners to ... More >>

Norman Braman Is Not Done Yet: Proposes Term Limits and Reducing Number of County Commissioners

​Recall financier Norman Braman emerged victorious in last night's recall election, firmly hoisting Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez's political scalp above his head, but the auto-magnate billionaire isn't done yet. Calling the recall "not an end in and of itself," Braman has set off on his next st ... More >>

Tea Party Claims Victory in Alvarez Recall ...Uh, Wait, What?

Fox News declares a Tea Party Revolt​"Tea Party Revolt: Miami Mayor Recalled," proclaims Fox News' Fox Nation website, while other Tea Party segments of the world wide web take glee in the ousting of Carlos Alvarez. True some of the politics involved share similarities: raising property taxes was ... More >>

Norman Braman Makes It Rain in Effort to Oust Carlos Alvarez

Tim ElfrinkNorman Braman flexes his baller status.​As the first week of early voting in the recall election of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas winds down, we decided to take a peek at the latest campaign finance reports filed with the elections department. As expect ... More >>

Norman Braman Casts His Ballot to Recall Mayor Carlos Alvarez as Early Voting Picks Up

photo by Tim ElfrinkBraman leaves the North Shore Branch Library after voting.​As Norman Braman walked out of the North Shore Branch Library -- fresh off casting his vote to recall Mayor Carlos Alvarez -- volunteers in yellow T-shirts greeted him like a hero. "This is the man!" exclaimed an older ... More >>

Carlos Alvarez Recall Certified By Harvey Ruvin, Likely Headed To Voters Next Year

​Miami voters are one big step closer to a vote on whether to strip County Mayor Carlos Alvarez of his office, as Clerk Harvin Ruvin officially certified billionaire car dealer Norman Braman's recall effort this afternoon.Braman managed to collect more than 95,000 valid signatures in favor of the ... More >>

Mayor Alvarez Successfully Stalls Recall Attempt

Miami-Dade Carlos Alvarez has successfully, if only temporarily, bought himself some time to breath. Billionaire Norman Braman's recall effort collected about 112,000 signature and seemed to be heading to a ballot, but Alvarez's lawyers are fighting the effort on a procedural technicality. The two s ... More >>

Recall Carlos Alvarez

Carlos Alvarez Responds to Our Plea to Support Norman Braman's Recall

​In this week's New Times, we lay out four reasons you should support billionaire Norman Braman's efforts to recall County Mayor Carlos Alvarez. We're obviously not alone in believing the measure has merit -- Braman announced last night that more than 90,000 folks in Dade County have already signe ... More >>

Effort to Recall Five County Commissioners Launched

Comm. Natacha Seijas is one of five being targeted​Billionaire Norman Braman's quest to have Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez recalled was officially approved by the Clerk of Courts yesterday. Today, and effort to recall five county commissioners was launched by a political action commi ... More >>

Carlos Alvarez Prepares to Battle Braman's Recall Effort

In today's news roundup: Mayor Carlos Alvarez is not going to take Norman Braman's recall efforts lightly, UM students react to Tyler Clemente's suicide, a man is shot on the Palmetto, a worker is shocked on South Beach, and the Marlins have gone to the dogs.

Norman Braman's Recall Real Fishy

Mr. Braman: Recall everybody not just Carlos Alvarez​We've never hidden our disappointment and disgust with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez's administration. Voters handed him immense powers in 2007, but Carlos "El Fuerte" never materialized. And he sandbagged Miami-Dade taxpayers with the Marlins ... More >>

Norman Braman Launches Petition to Recall Mayor Alvarez

​When most citizens have a problem with the county government they maybe write their commissioner, show up at a meeting or leave an angry comment with The Miami Herald. Not Norman Braman. The billionaire is once again throwing his over-sized wealth and influence around and is launching a recall ef ... More >>

Is Indian Creek Island too expensive for Don Shula?

Letters from the Issue of January 1, 2009

"Just assume these local politicians are lying when they say anything."

Bet on Norman Braman

Miami's most cantankerous billionaire could win by TKO.

Trial For New Marlins Stadium Starts Next Week

Pay to Play

In this political season, Miami's high-profile campaign contributors favor Republicans and Democrats

Miguel and the Money Man

Norman Braman joins the Diaz de la Portilla mayoral campaign -- despite that unpleasant gay-rights thing

Mission Impossible

An emphatic mayor. Tons of polling. Heaps of money. But something went wrong with the Penelas campaign that couldn't.

Welcome to Indian Creek Village.

Now Leave. The police chief is under investigation. The village manager is in denial. The residents don't care to comment. And you can't afford to live there.