In this episode of The Goldberg & Rosen Podcast, Judd and Brett sit down with a true Miami legend: wildlife expert and Zoo Miami’s own, Ron Magill. Fresh off receiving the official "Ron Magill Day" proclamation from Miami-Dade County to honor his 46 years of service, Ron discusses his transition from a county employee to his new role with the Zoo Miami Foundation.

The conversation covers Ron’s incredible journey from a small New York City apartment to traveling the globe for wildlife conservation. He shares gripping stories, including the terrifying Nile crocodile attack that unexpectedly led him to meet his physical therapist, who became his wife of 38 years.

Judd, Brett, and Ron also dive into serious local issues, exposing the real invasive threats to South Florida’s ecosystem—like crop-destroying weevils and Melaleuca trees—that go far beyond the highly publicized pythons. Ron offers a refreshing, pragmatic take on conservation, discussing the delicate balance required to manage rising coastal shark populations and why ethical hunters are some of the most vital conservationists we have.

Episode Chapters / Timestamps

• 00:00 - "Ron Magill Day" and Retiring from Miami-Dade County
• 01:28 - Growing Up: From a Small NYC Apartment to the African Bush
• 04:03 - The Emotional Connection Between Humans and Animals
• 07:24 - The Nile Crocodile Attack That Led to a 38-Year Marriage
• 10:43 - The Dream of Photographing a Snow Leopard
• 14:04 - Meeting Childhood Hero Jim Fowler and the Rule of Respect
• 16:00 - The Problem with Sensationalized "Clickbait" Nature TV
• 18:36 - Why Miami's True Treasure is Its Natural Ecosystem
• 20:10 - Founding the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment
• 23:52 - Who Wins in a Fight: Polar Bear or Grizzly Bear?
• 25:52 - Why Tourists Need to Stop Taking Selfies with Alligators
• 26:54 - The Real Invasive Threats to South Florida's Ecosystem
• 28:26 - Managing Rising Shark Populations and Conservation Compromises
• 29:53 - The Controversial Truth: Why Ethical Hunters are Conservationists

Welcome to the Season 2 premiere of the Goldberg and Rosen podcast. In this episode, we are joined by documentary filmmaker Billy Corben. As we approach the 20-year anniversary of his hit documentary Cocaine Cowboys, Billy breaks down why Miami continues to be a "villain origin story" built on a foundation of public corruption.

We dive deep into the city's current state of affairs, including the massive infrastructure and traffic issues plaguing areas like the 836 extension and Brickell. Billy shares his frustrations with overdevelopment, the lack of proper city planning, and local government deals involving public spaces for sports stadiums.

The conversation also travels back to the chaotic 1980s. Billy recounts unbelievable stories from the era, including a Jackson Trauma doctor treating Marielitos, a hair stylist receiving cocaine as a tip, and crime reporter Edna Buchanan's coverage of the Arthur McDuffie police cover-up.

With over 40 years of experience in the courtroom, preeminent criminal defense lawyer Kenneth Weisman joins the Goldberg & Rosen Podcast to share his unbelievable journey.

He opens up about growing up in a "colorful" family in the '70s connected to organized crime, stepping into the criminal courthouse for the very first time, and the unspoken "code" that governs the legal system. Discover why, in a close-knit community of prosecutors and defense attorneys, being impeccable with your word is the most valuable lesson you'll never learn in law school.

Episode Chapters / Timestamps:

1. 0:00 - Pre-Show Banter & Setup
2. 05:26 - Introducing Kenneth Weisman
3. 06:42 - Growing Up in a "Crime Family"
4. 07:49 - Stepping Into the Criminal Courthouse for the First Time
5. 08:58 - The Camaraderie of Criminal Law vs. Civil Law
6. 09:24 - Why Being Impeccable With Your Word is Priceless

There is only one person more famous than the Pineapple Express process server, and he is sitting down with us today: Ivan Lopez. Ivan is the go-to process server for the Goldberg and Rosen team, and he has a 100% success rate when it comes to tracking people down.

In this episode, we dive into the wild, real-life world of serving lawsuits in Miami. Ivan shares how his 1980s Miami street smarts help him navigate high-stakes situations and uncooperative targets. Whether he is using a box of fake flowers to catch someone off-guard or dropping paperwork over the bow of a boat from a jet ski, Ivan always gets his guy.

In this episode, we cover:

1. The Pineapple Express Reality Check: How Ivan's actual job compares to the movies, including a hilarious story involving a fake flower delivery and a two-hour motion to quash.
2. The Secret to Staying Positive: How Ivan maintains his upbeat energy despite constantly delivering bad news to angry people.
3. Wild Celebrity Encounters: Hear the behind-the-scenes stories of serving a famous rapper for child support and catching Spanish actor William Levy right in his chair on a soap opera set.
4. The Legendary Jet Ski Service: How Ivan rented a jet ski and paid his nephew $200 to help him serve an evicted tenant living on a boat in the bay.
5. The Power of Persistence: The incredible story of tracking an evasive 18-wheeler truck driver for over a year, speaking with him for months, and ultimately praying with him to get the papers served.
6. Bypassing the Bouncers: How process servers legally navigate Miami's ultra-exclusive, high-security condo buildings for massive $50 million lawsuits.

In this gripping episode, Raul Boesel Jr. discusses his journey from a young, "naive" diver to a professional underwater photographer and spearfishing guide. He recounts a terrifying encounter with a 12-foot tiger shark that attempted to bite his head during a photo session. The conversation shifts to a life-altering survival story where Raul was lost at sea for over 10 hours after falling off his boat in the middle of the ocean. He candidly describes the long-term mental health challenges that followed, including a decade-long battle with panic disorder and PTSD, and the therapy that eventually allowed him to "unwind" and find peace.

The episode concludes with Raul’s current ventures: "Arrive and Dive," a luxury spearfishing charter in Guatemala, and the launch of "Dive Dogs," a new diving school focused on realistic safety curriculum for beginners.

In this episode, author and therapeutic coach Dimple Bhatti discusses her book, Things to Tell Your Daughter, originally written as a personal guide for her child that evolved into a universal manual for self-reliance. Dimple opens up about her personal struggles with anxiety and how tools like journaling can act as an emotional "purge". We dive into her "24-hour rule" for processing setbacks and her philosophy that "the top of every mountain is the bottom of the next one".

Key Takeaways:

1. Redefining Confidence: True confidence is built by owning mistakes and extracting lessons from losses, not just celebrating wins.
2. The 24-Hour Rule: Allow yourself 24 hours to grieve a disappointment; then, you must create a new plan.
3. Journaling for Mental Clarity: Using writing to channel restless feelings and improve self-awareness.
4. Avoiding "Helicopter Parenting": Why shielding children from failure deprives them of essential survival tools.
5. Self-Love as a Foundation: Why inner peace must come from within rather than seeking it in others.

Resources Mentioned:

1. Book: Things to Tell Your Daughter by Dimple Bhatti
2. Clinic: Sage House Wellness, Coral Gables, FL

1. 00:00 – Introduction to Dimple Bhatti
2. 01:35 – Why a guide for daughters applies to everyone
3. 03:24 – Using journaling to manage anxiety
4. 05:20 – The philosophy of self-reliance
5. 06:05 – Building confidence through mistakes
6. 10:45 – The "Next Mountain" mentality
7. 11:59 – Implementing the 24-hour rule
8. 14:05 – The importance of situational awareness
9. 17:34 – Therapeutic coaching at Sage House Wellness
10. 22:49 – The bedrock of self-love

Welcome back to the podcast. Today, we are honored to sit down with a true hometown hero, Chris Jorge.

Born and raised in Miami to a resilient Cuban family, Chris never initially dreamed of a career in medicine. He shares the story of how he eventually found his calling as a Nurse Anesthetist—and why, even with a successful career and a young family at home, he felt a profound duty to join the U.S. Army Reserves.

Deploying to Afghanistan as a Captain on a Forward Surgical Team, Chris was thrust into some of the most high-stakes, nerve-wracking environments imaginable. He opens up about what it’s really like to receive severe combat casualties in the middle of nowhere, the immense pressure of making split-second decisions that determine who lives or dies, and the deep pride he carries for serving his country.

In this episode, we cover:

1. Chris’s Miami roots and his family’s journey from Cuba
2. Why he pivoted from dreaming of the FBI to becoming a Nurse Anesthetist
3. The calling that led him to the U.S. Army Reserves
4. What a Forward Surgical Team (FST) actually does in a combat zone
5. The intense reality and pressure of treating severe combat trauma
6. How his time in Afghanistan shifted his perspective on life and service

Chris Jorge, Combat Veteran, Nurse Anesthetist, Afghanistan, Forward Surgical Team, Trauma Surgery, Army Reserves, Military Service, Miami Heroes, Cuban American, Goldberg and Rosen, Stiltsville Media, Combat Medic

It is impossible to tell the story of Miami’s legal history without mentioning Judge Jose Rodriguez. Known for "holding court" with a cigar in hand across the street from the courthouse , Judge Rodriguez has been a fixture of the community for over three decades.

In this episode, we celebrate his "transition" (don't call it retirement!) as he moves from the bench to the world of mediation with JAMS. Judge Rodriguez opens up about his humble beginnings as a Cuban immigrant who worked as a welder making garbage containers in Hialeah before applying to law school on a whim during a dinner conversation.

We also dive deep into the cases that defined his career, including the agonizing decision behind a life sentence in a tragic domestic murder trial and the marathon 8-month trial that resulted in a historic $521 million auditing malpractice verdict.

In this episode, we cover:

1. The "Transition": Why Judge Rodriguez refuses to "fade away" and his move to JAMS.
2. The Hialeah Years: His early life working as a welder and learning to work with aluminum.
3. Judicial Philosophy: Why he believes you must "know your judge" and why credibility is the one thing a lawyer can never lose.
4. The Big Cases: Inside the $521 million verdict and the emotional toll of high-stakes criminal sentencing.
5. Life Advice: Why opposing counsel should become your best friends.

1. "It's not retiring. It's transitioning."
2. "One thing you never lose when you become a lawyer is your credibility with the court. Do not ever do that... Clients come and go, you stay."
3. "I've been on a 32-year vacation... It wasn't work to me."

The Honorable Jose Rodriguez (Retired) Former Circuit Court Judge (11th Judicial Circuit of Florida) Mediator/Arbitrator at JAMS

Judge Jose Rodriguez, Miami Law, Goldberg & Rosen, JAMS, Mediation, Legal Career, Hialeah, Civil Litigation, Criminal Defense, Florida Bar, Legal Legends, $521 Million Verdict.

In this adrenaline-fueled episode of the Goldberg & Rosen podcast, we sit down with legendary Fijian spearfishing guide, Jaga. Known for guiding the world's best divers to the world's biggest fish, Jaga shares the incredible story behind "the fish that broke the internet"—a massive Wahoo that stunned the spearfishing community.

We dive deep into the dangers and thrills of hunting in the remote South Pacific, from the "pinnacle" challenge of landing a Dogtooth Tuna to surviving the chaotic feeding frenzies known as "Sharknados." Jaga also opens up about the devastating impact of commercial overfishing on local waters and shares lighter moments guiding celebrities like Zac Brown, Christian Bale, and Snoop Dogg.

In this episode, we cover:

1. The Viral Catch: The full story behind the 120+ lb Wahoo that went viral online.
2. Surviving the "Sharknado": What it’s really like to be in the water with 50–500 feeding sharks—and how to stay safe.
3. The Dogtooth Tuna: Why this "badass" fish is considered the ultimate trophy in the spearfishing world.
4. Conservation: The stark reality of commercial longlining vs. sustainable spearfishing in Fiji.
5. Celebrity Encounters: Stories from the boat with Zac Brown, Christian Bale, and Snoop Dogg.
6. The Thrill of the Hunt: The mental and physical discipline required to hold your breath and hunt monsters at 90 feet.

Guest:

1. Jaga: Professional Spearfishing Guide & Waterman, based in Fiji.

Spearfishing, Fiji, Wahoo, Dogtooth Tuna, Sharknado, Ocean Conservation, Free Diving, Adventure, South Pacific, Goldberg and Rosen, Jaga, Fishing Stories, Zac Brown, Christian Bale

Summary: In this episode, we sit down with Fred Cunningham, a man widely considered a legend in the field of insurance bad faith law. With 37 years of experience, Fred shares how he holds insurance companies accountable and protects families from being "choked" out of their rightful settlements.

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Key Discussion Points:

1. The Origins of a Career: Meeting Judd in a "deathtrap limo" in 2006 and Fred’s uncanny memory for case law citations.
2. The Vegas Gamble: Why Fred tells adjusters that if they want to gamble at mediation, they have to pay off when they lose—just like a casino.
3. The Landmark Harvey Case: The 12-year journey of Geico v. Harvey, from a $100k policy to a $12 million Supreme Court victory.
4. The Human Side of Law: Why treating adjusters and defense lawyers like human beings is Fred’s secret weapon for success.
5. Navigating Tort Reform: Fred’s take on the 2023 Florida law changes and why the "best lawyers" will always find a way to protect their clients.

Notable Quote: "I don't represent trees, bro." — Fred Cunningham on a memorable deposition involving a claimant who allegedly hit a tree.