If There Is Smoke, Is There Fire ?

In 2006, we happened to be at a City Council meeting where Tommy Ortiz, owner of Cheap, Hyde Park Cafe, and Whiskey SOHO , had requested a total wet zoning allowing liquor sales of the entire property he had acquired from Frank Kane through a lease purchase arrangement. This was immediately prior to his effort to evict the Dubliner Irish Pub through various forms of litigation. He was later denied on the eviction and ordered to pay attorneys fees. Over $90,000 in attorneys fees remain due as of this time and liens have been placed on several properties owned by Frank Kane by Richard Campion, owner of the Dubliner in order to collect the court ordered fees. Two years still remain on the Dubliner lease.

What got our attention at the 2006 City Council Zoning request was the outrageous gushing that one council member had for the wet zoning project. The council member was seeking a higher office. We felt we just should check campaign reports and ... there it was. Over $6,000 was reported as coming from various Ortiz companies to the Rose Ferlita for County Commission campaign. ALL CHECKS WRITTEN ON THE SAME DAY ! While the total was over campaing contribution limits, because the checks were written from various entities in legal amounts, it was all legal. Wayne Garcia with Creative Loafing did some additional homework and found even more money contributed to Ferlita. You can read his article from 2006 here.

Move ahead a few years to today. Rose Ferlita is now a candidate for Mayor of Tampa. Who is hosting a campaign fundraiser for Ferlita ? Yep... the SOHO Leisure Group where Ortiz is identified as Founder. The event is planned at The Kennedy on Thursday, Oct. 7.

After the Bubba the Love Sponge Interview calling Ortiz various noncomplimentary names, the August 2o10 ABC Action News article on Ortiz's Cheap owing $190,000 in sales taxes, and charges of racism at Hyde Park Cafe in September 2010; you have to wonder about Ferlita's selection of fundraising buddies.

You can find Rose Ferlita on Facebook here