7 August 3-9, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | the wall. The enterprise currently has loca- tions stretching from Miami to Stuart, though Boronico says he no longer holds a stake. Boronico says he spent the next few de- cades expanding his tanning empire across Florida, opening various businesses, retiring twice, and at one point producing albums for Puerto Rican musician José Feliciano, singer of “Hi Heel Sneakers” and the ubiquitous Christmas song “Feliz Navidad.” Sing Us a Song Boronico says he learned classical guitar starting at age 5 from his father and has been fiddling on his six-string ever since. On his YouTube site, Boronico has posted renditions of Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” Stevie Wonder’s “For Once in My Life,” and Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” Boronico can carry a tune and plays with a sort of abandon and drive that some guitar players would envy. A listener might feel that he’s strumming quite impul- sively, without much attention to technical nuance — a style that sometimes plays in his favor but, in other instances, leads to unusual, jarring noises. José Feliciano’s wife, Susan, tells New Times that the singer did cross paths with Bo- ronico. “Thank you for your interesting query,” Susan Feliciano says. “Though it comes as quite a surprise, we can only confirm that he shared a very brief association with José some years ago.” “Beyond that, we wish him well but will offer no further comment,” Susan says. Rough Patches Boronico has powered through some difficult times over the last eight years. In 2015, he went through a divorce from his longtime wife Jen, whose résumé is almost as dizzying as his: mixed-martial arts com- mentator, fitness buff, and rock guitarist for the band Pandia. The pair are still friends, and as cofounder of Boca Tanning Club, she’s still involved with the business, having recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with Dan. “His concept of 24 hours and all high-end equipment, set in a beautiful rainforest decor, with house music pumping, took off like we could have never anticipated,” Jen Boronico wrote in 2022. “Before long, we had lots of ce- lebrities tanning, and everyone was raving about us. Clients were asking to open their own Boca Tannings, and the franchise was born.” For a man with his hands in so many ven- tures, Boronico has had relatively few busi- ness disputes spill over into South Florida courts. Since May, however, he’s been facing one of the thorniest legal battles of his life. In May, Wells Fargo filed to foreclose on his Broward home, claiming a $240,000 credit line secured by the property was in de- fault. The bank says Boronico took out the credit line, but the property was transferred to two other men. Boronico filed a cross-claim this month, saying that he had been running into financial difficulties and transferred half of the proper- ty’s equity to his friend, understanding that the man would help him with mortgage and property expenses. The tanning guru claims his buddy re- fused to make the payments, instead turning the place into a drug den, where he started “selling and trafficking” narcotics. Moreover, the now-estranged friend hired a landscaper “to plant approximately $15,000 worth of trees at the subject property” and never paid the bill, Boronico claims. Boronico agreed to temporarily transfer the remaining 50 percent ownership of his property to the landscaper in light of the un- paid bill and the landscaper’s pledge to help stop the criminal activity. The aspiring presi- dential candidate later asked the landscaper to return the ownership stake in the house, per their agreement, but the worker “refused to sign” the deed, “giving no reasonable ex- planation,” according to the cross-claim. White House Bid Boronico tells New Times he has yet to file pa- perwork with the Federal Election Commis- sion (FEC) for his 2024 presidential run. He’s aiming to join an already choice field of Florida-based candidates, including for- mer president Donald Trump, Gov. Ron De- Santis, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. In the running for the Democratic nomination is Boronico’s fellow vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. If his candidacy fails, Boronico says he wouldn’t support Trump, but Kennedy, who recently came under fire for his comments claiming that COVID-19 may have been engi- neered to target white and Black people while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese. “I think if I was in a booth, and if it wasn’t me, and I had to choose one of those guys, I would pull the lever for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. because he’s a decent man,” Boronico says. As it stands, Boronico is making a run for it, and the slogan on his campaign site pro- claims, “They are coming for our Freedom!” “This is war, not of a battlefield, but of a spiritual world. The stakes could not be higher!” he exclaims.
[email protected] AS PRESIDENT, BORONICO SAYS HE’LL SEND “TWO-BIT STREET DEALERS” STRAIGHT TO THE “MERCILESS CHAMBERS OF DEATH.” The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau celebrates the importance and impact Miami’s Black-owned businesses have in our community all year long. This August, join us in celebrating a variety of Black businesses that enrich our culture, enhance tourist experiences, fuel economic growth, and foster diversity and inclusion. From restaurants, attractions, hotels, and more, we are proud to support these businesses that make our destination so vibrant and unique in a variety of way. Learn more at MiamiBlackBusiness.com Celebrate Brilliance this Black Business Month © Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau — The Official Destination Sales & Marketing Organization for Greater Miami and Miami Beach Ebene Naturals
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