The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: #BecauseMiami: A Firehose of F-ckery

Date: November 7, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Guests: Billy Corben (host), Fernand Amandi (political consultant), Rick Morales (author/son of Ricardo "Monkey" Morales), Sean Oliver (co-author)

Overview

This episode of #BecauseMiami dives deep into the seismic changes in Miami's political landscape following recent city elections, celebrating the downfall of long-standing political "crime families" and analyzing the fall of key figures like Joe Carollo and Francis Suarez. The show also features an engrossing interview about the notorious Miami figure Ricardo "Monkey" Morales, exploring his involvement with the CIA, the JFK conspiracy, and the far-reaching impact of his dark legacy. The episode culminates in the usual irreverent, sharp, and story-rich Miami Moment, this time at a McDonald's drive-thru.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Miami's Political Upheaval: End of an Era

• Joe Carollo’s Downfall:

  • Joe Carollo, a fixture of Miami politics for over 40 years, comes in a distant fourth in the Miami mayor's race with 11.47% of the vote.
  • "It is a well-deserved, sad, pathetic fart of an ending for the 400-year-long career in Miami politics of Joe Carollo" – Billy Corben (02:09).

• Breakdown of Election Results:

  • Eileen Higgins and Emilio Gonzalez are set for a runoff, both described as serious, drama-free candidates (local rarity).
  • A notable "blue wave" occurred, with Democratic turnout leading in every voting category for the first time in years.

• Significance of the Shift:

  • The results represent a "repudiation of the Miami mafia" – entrenched political dynasties are being pushed out by the voters.
  • In particular, Francis Suarez and his father Xavier Suarez, along with Diaz La Portilla, also saw their long reigns end in defeat.

• Joe Carollo’s Political Legacy:

  • Carollo’s campaign was marked by a bizarre deluge of rambling, untargeted mailers:
    • "These are just like rants and raves… a fire hose… flood the zone monologue of mailers." (09:50)
  • Carollo is likened to a Nixonian tragic figure: “He was always like the Nixon to the Suarez's Kennedys… the handsome Harvard educated man and his... Nepo baby fail son. And then Joe fancying himself the blue collar cop.” (12:11)
  • Despite his cunning and rule-bending, Carollo is mourned as a wasted force: "If he had channeled that genius and that sophistication and those dark arts to do good... he could have been a real force for good in this community and this country." (13:08)

Key Quotes:

• "I'm gonna miss him too. And you know, for all of the bluster, all of the, you know, the zaniness, I've always maintained... there is no one more experienced in the arcane rules of Miami politics." – Fernand Amandi (11:13)

2. Term Limits Shake Up and the Continuing Drama

• Frank Carollo's Runoff Controversy:

  • Frank Carollo, Joe’s brother, faces an injunction after a referendum establishing lifetime term limits passed overwhelmingly (over 79% support citywide, ~72% in District 3).
  • Legal debate centers on whether Frank, having already served two terms, can participate in the runoff.

• Podcast Analysis on Legal and Civic Implications:

  • The episode highlights the disconnect between voter turnout and major city decisions:
    • Only 21.67% turnout, meaning ~38,000 voters decide for a city of nearly half a million (19:22).

Key Quotes:

• "Miami back in litigation. What is going on here?... This seems like another one of these litigation clusters that could really derail the entire runoff.” – Billy Corben (15:16)
• "The single most popular thing on the ballot this week in Miami... a repudiation of the Miami mafia and the dynasties.” – Billy Corben (17:08)

3. Francis Suarez: End of an Era?

• Analysis of Suarez’s Future:
  • Both term limited out by the new rule, Francis Suarez’s rapid financial ascension is highlighted:
    • "He went from a net worth of negative $100,000... to 12 million." (21:52)
  • Hosts speculate whether he’ll attempt a comeback or retire wealthy, but doubt his political fortunes in the near-term.

Key Quotes:

• “Crime may not pay, but city of Miami politics does.” – Billy Corben (22:06)
• "[Francis Suarez is] a mascot who thinks he's the head coach." – Billy Corben (23:12)

4. Ricardo "Monkey" Morales: A Miami Tale Like No Other

[30:53 - 47:13]

• Ricardo Morales Jr. and Sean Oliver discuss the new book chronicling the life of "Monkey" Morales:

  • Morales was a Cuban intelligence agent turned CIA asset, involved in everything from Cold War ops to organized crime.
  • The CIA’s secretive operations in Miami are discussed, highlighting the city’s role as a "foreign soil" hub during the 1960s.
  • Monkey’s connections to JFK assassination conspiracy theories: his son Rick recounts hearing, as a child, that his father was in Dallas that day as part of a "cleaning crew" but did not kill JFK (36:02).

• Mythmaking, Fact-checking, and Family Trauma:

  • Sean Oliver describes the challenge of parsing legend from fact:
    • "After we all realize how much our fathers sucked after hearing these stories, we then have to dig into the separation of fact and fiction, which was half of our job." (40:24)
  • The real origin of “Monkey” nickname: it stems from Morales carrying a rescued Congolese girl on his back while serving as a CIA contractor in the Belgian Congo, not from escapades in Miami (43:42).
  • Rick Morales shares about personal tragedy—the murder of his brother during the FSU mass shooting—and the ironic, tragic recursion of gun violence in his family (45:02).

Notable Quotes:

• "He was a patriot in the morning and a criminal by happy hour." – Billy Corben (28:45)
• "My dad used to take us to the Everglades to shoot when we were little... he taught us to look for bombs and all that." – Rick Morales (36:02)
• "You could spend a lifetime now on the amount of [JFK] theories. Just open Amazon, Search Prime and then look at the books. I'll pass." – Sean Oliver (40:55)

5. Miami Moment: McDonald's Meltdown

[47:13 - 48:40]

• Billy recounts a wild incident at Miami Gardens, where a McDonald’s drive-thru worker pulled a gun on a carful of women and a child after a long wait for food. The segment exemplifies the show’s recurring theme: Miami’s outlandish blend of chaos and dark humor.
  • “He must wanna have a McFuneral. You put my kids in harm's way and that's a problem for me. I'm not that type of girl.” – interviewee (48:40)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:35 | Post-ad start, Carollo campaign & election analysis | | 02:09 | Joe Carollo's defeat and election stats | | 04:29 | Miami’s shifting political demographics | | 09:50 | "Firehose" of Carollo campaign mailers | | 11:13 | Reflection on Carollo’s legacy & arcane expertise | | 12:11 | Carollo as Nixonian political figure | | 17:08 | Term limits referendum passes with overwhelming support | | 21:52 | Francis Suarez’s finances and future | | 23:59 | Closing of the Miami dynastic era | | 30:53 | Monkey Morales intro & biography | | 36:02 | Morales’ JFK conspiracy revelations | | 40:24 | Distinguishing myth from reality in Morales’ legacy | | 43:42 | Origins of the "Monkey" nickname | | 45:02 | Rick Morales on family loss and trauma | | 47:13 | Miami Moment: McDonald’s altercation |

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• “It is a well-deserved, sad, pathetic fart of an ending…” – Billy Corben on Joe Carollo’s political career (02:09)
• “You have to, in a twisted dark way, respect it. I do." – Billy Corben on Carollo’s mastery of political gamesmanship (12:11)
• “Crime may not pay, but City of Miami politics does.” – Billy Corben on Francis Suarez’s net worth explosion (22:06)
• “He was a patriot in the morning and a criminal by happy hour.” – Billy Corben summarizing Monkey Morales (28:45)
• “He must wanna have a McFuneral. You put my kids in harm’s way and that’s a problem for me. I’m not that type of girl.” – Miami Moment McDonald’s customer (48:40)

Episode Tone & Style

• Engaging, irreverent, and unflinching.
• Infused with local color and dark humor.
• Deeply informed yet accessible—mixing hard truths, historical narrative, and classic Miami absurdity.

Takeaways

Whether chronicling the end of an infamous political dynasty or unpacking Miami’s shadowy history through the Morales story, this episode lands as both a cathartic eulogy for Miami’s “old guard” and a characteristically wild slice of the city’s mythic, tumultuous reality.

If you missed it, you're missing political closure, true crime intrigue, and the ever-present Miami weirdness—served straight, no chaser.