Codina has not been charged criminally. Still, Riptide was curious about the 62-year-old, politically-connected Cuban immigrant (plus you never read teen mag profiles about real estate titans these days!) So we set out to learn his favorite pop band and ice cream flavor -- and to raise this important question: Are you and Armando totally perfect? Here's what we found:
He is BFF with Jeb: In the eighties, Codina founded a real estate company with to-be Florida Governor Jeb Bush. It later was later dubbed Codina Group.
He totally hangs in Doral: Codina snapped up 113 acres in Doral to develop its downtown in 2004.
Where you'll find his pals: In 2006, the feds investigated Codina and his partner Sergio Pino under a statue called ''honest services fraud." The reason: Pino flew Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz to Cancun, Mexico for a week-long fishing trip on his private jet, just days after the developers applied for a zoning change. The commish told reporters they didn't discuss business -- "only drank and talked about women, and politics in Cuba," according to the Herald. No criminal charges were filed.
Fave quotes? About himself!: In a profile the same year, he's quoted as saying: "The perception is Armando Codina has so much power...It doesn't work that way." (Side note: Read Spence-Jones's delightful use of third-person here.)
Fave hobbie? Collecting land!: In 2006 his company MDM Development Group -- which owns a chunk of downtown Miami -- asked city commissioners to extend the name Brickell Avenue from the financial district to downtown. (State prosecutors allege this prompted the Spence-Jones bribe.)
Fave Businesses? Really big ones!: In 2008, he made more than $800,000 annually just from sitting on corporate boards such as General Motors, Home Depot, Merrill Lynch and American Airlines.
His pad is sweet: As of 2008, Codina's waterfront Coral Gables mansion was worth $7.2 million.
That's all for now, ladies. Expect to learn more in coming weeks...
A very serious breaking news update: Riptide's diligent managing editor has just confirmed his fave bands, after all: The Carpenters and Iron Maiden. Oh, and of course: The Police.
