Podcast Summary: Cocaine Air — EP 12: "Second Chances"

Host: Jonathan Walton
Guests: TJ Dominguez, Fred Schwartz (attorney), Stephen Rubino (PI)
Release Date: August 21, 2025

Overview:

In this gripping episode, "Second Chances," TJ Dominguez, once the owner of the world’s largest Lamborghini dealership by day and a key cocaine smuggler for Pablo Escobar by night, shares his perspectives on surviving high-speed brushes with death, facing the consequences of his choices, and seeking redemption after prison. Jonathan Walton unpacks TJ’s wild stories — from airborne Lamborghinis and a pet mountain lion to law enforcement takedowns — and centers the conversation on forgiveness, regret, and the struggle to rebuild life after infamy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Airborne Lamborghini Incident

• Recounting a Near-Fatal Joyride:
  • TJ relives how, while racing with an associate, his Lamborghini hit 200 mph and accidentally became airborne on Interstate 95.
    • “I felt that the steering wheel got light. Got very, very light... I tell Jose, I say, we got a problem. He goes, what are you talking about? I don’t feel the wheel... The next thing I know is kaboom.” – TJ Dominguez (01:50-02:05)
  • The car’s “ground effect” made it fly like a racecar, before crashing down and destroying the suspension — yet TJ emerged unscathed.
• Escape Without a Scratch:
  • “I glazed one of the bumpers... Not even a scratch on the car, by the way. Not even a scratch. I do two three, three 60s on 95... and then I managed to drive the car off to the shoulder.” – TJ Dominguez (04:17-04:44)
  • Bystanders couldn’t believe what they were seeing, mistaking the airborne car for a plane.
  • TJ reflects: “I wasn’t supposed to die that day... I survived it without a scratch.” (07:13)

2. Life With a Pet Mountain Lion

• Introducing TC, the Mountain Lion:
  • TJ recounts owning a mountain lion, “Top Cat” (TC), bringing him to work and even riding around with him in the Lamborghini.
    • “I had him in the car. Sometimes creator actually caused an accident because people are looking... ‘Did I just see a lion?’” (07:41-07:51)
• The Lion Attack:
  • TJ describes a harrowing moment when TC sunk his teeth into his leg during rough play.
    • “He bit me... I could show you my scars that I have on the leg from where he sunk both of his four teeth into my leg.” (08:28-08:33)
  • Despite the injury, TJ realized his mistake was treating TC too much like a pet, so he hired a professional lion tamer.
  • “He was just being who he is and I was being stupid. So I decided I’m gonna hire a lion tamer...” (11:00)
• Iconic Showdown at the Dealership (14:00-17:45):
  • When confronted by aggressive "collectors," TJ brandishes his secret weapon — TC. The intimidating thugs are chased off, believing the lion was sicced on them.

3. Legal Battles: Finding a Second Chance

• The Attorney’s Perspective:
  • Fred Schwartz shares how being honest became TJ’s unlikely strength, even as a criminal defendant.
    • “He might be a criminal, but he was an honest criminal. If you can accept that as a absolutely.” – Fred Schwartz (18:17-18:34)
  • Previous top-tier lawyers (like F. Lee Bailey) took TJ’s money without results, but Schwartz negotiated a plea deal that spared TJ a life sentence.
    • “If he went to trial and was convicted, he would have gone to jail for the rest of his life.” – Fred Schwartz (20:53)
    • “We had to make a deal whereby Tito not only pled guilty, but pled guilty with the judge wanting to let him out as soon as he could.” (21:01-21:33)
  • Deal required TJ to turn over his assets and advise authorities on smuggling methods.

4. Law Enforcement Takedown

• Surveillance Stories:
  • PI Stephen Rubino details law enforcement’s months of surveillance on “flamboyant” TJ, including tailing him in his iconic red Lamborghini.
    • “It’s not like these guys were very discreet. They tend to flaunt their wealth. So it makes it a little easier for us...” – Rubino (27:05-27:32)
• Impact on Family:
  • TJ describes his mother's heartbreak after his arrest:
    • “‘Tell me what they’re saying about you is not true.’... it’s a cross I got to live with.” – TJ Dominguez (28:26–28:51)

5. TJ’s Life After Prison: Redemption & Regret

• Public Speaking and Speaking to Youth:
  • TJ now talks to students and future law enforcement about the realities of crime.
    • “The movies are the movies... but it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. The price that you pay, the people that you hurt along the way... your loved ones... And that is no price. You just... I can’t equate that... The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life was face my own mother...” (30:36–32:11)
• Building a New Life — The Challenge of Second Chances:
  • Even post-prison, wealthier businesspeople remain wary of partnering with him due to his past.
    • “The guy said to me, ‘Wow, I would love to do this deal with you, but I’m really afraid of you.’… The past is always there... It’s a cross I have to live with.” (32:59–34:29)
  • TJ’s reflection on America, his immigrant roots, and the value of a second chance:
    • “We’re all sons of immigrants, unless you’re a native Indian. So what does that make us? A great country of second chances. So living in a country of second chances, I like my second chance.” (34:34–35:20)

6. Legacy, Lessons, and Humor

• Charisma and Persistence:
  • Host Jonathan Walton shares how TJ’s “work ethic and determination are an inspiration,” noting that “every passing moment is another chance to turn it all around.” (35:20)
• On Marriage and Moving Forward:
  • Closing on a lighter note, TJ jokes about his three (or four?) marriages:
    • “Hell, I’ve been married 40 years too... With about four different wives.” – TJ Dominguez (36:11–36:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Flying Supercar:
  “I hit the wall with just... I glazed one of the bumpers, a rubber bumper. I didn’t even put a scratch on the car, by the way.” – TJ Dominguez (04:12)
• Mountain Lion Madness:
  “Did I just see a lion?” – TJ (07:49)
• Honest Criminal?:
  “He might be a criminal, but he was an honest criminal.” – Fred Schwartz (18:17)
• Pain of Parental Disappointment:
  “Tell me what they’re saying about you is not true... it’s a cross I got to live with.” – TJ (28:26)
• On Second Chances:
  “So living in a country of second chances, I like my second chance. That’s all I could say. Don’t judge me by what I did before. I’m a better person today. Why? Because I bled.” – TJ (34:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lamborghini Goes Airborne: 01:46–06:16
• Mountain Lion Stories: 07:41–11:07
• Dealership Showdown (Lion vs. Thugs): 12:33–17:58
• Fred Schwartz on TJ’s Character: 18:08–19:45
• The Plea and Asset Forfeiture: 20:49–23:21
• Law Enforcement Surveillance: 25:17–28:13
• Confronting His Mother: 28:26–28:51
• Speaking to Youth, Living with Regret: 29:07–32:51
• Barriers After Prison, On Second Chances: 32:59–35:20
• Humor on Marriages: 36:02–36:38

Tone & Language

The episode weaves together TJ’s unfiltered, often humorous storytelling with moments of deep vulnerability and hard-earned wisdom. The conversations move quickly from “holy shit” action to raw introspection, with both Jonathan Walton and TJ keeping things candid, engaging and occasionally irreverent.

For more wild stories and photos from TJ’s life, visit cocainair.com, and don’t miss the video of TJ and TC the mountain lion, linked in the episode.