A revealing profile of the Miami Beach no one knows--a tale of fabulous excess, thwarted power, and rekindled lives. Created from a mix of swampland and dredged-up barrier reef, Miami Beach has always been one part drifter-mecca and one part fantasyland, simultaneously a catch basin for con men, fast-talk artists, and shameless self-promoters, and a Shangri-La for sun worshippers and hardcore hedonists. In Miami Beach it's often said that "if you're not indicted you're not invited." But the city's mad, fascinating complexity resists easy stereotyping. This is more than just a present-day profile of a dark Eden: Gaines journeys back into the city's social and cultural history, unearthing stories of the resort's past that are every bit as absorbing--and jaw-dropping--as those of its present.--From publisher description.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [261]-263) and index.

Socialites Miami Beach Lincoln Road Sans Souci The Fontainebleau Eden Roc Twilight of the gods The most powerful man in Miami Beach Fool's paradise

Leonard and Barbara The mayor of South Beach Into the night South Beach story The forge Models The king of the city Liquid Season's end.