But the state pathologist did provide damning testimony. Lieutenant Campbell also wrote: "I was really nervous that the jury would find him not guilty because we just didn't have a lot of proof. But, for the Miami police, Forti was still the prime murder suspect. Erin Moriarty: You said he always had to be moving? Tony, along wit… Chaive Mesmer:  Right after I married him. Joe Tacopina: They don't accuse Chico of being the gunman, the triggerman, the shooter. Enrico Forti: Yeah, yeah, I talk to her. Chaive Mesmer managed a shop on Williams Island and knew Knott well. Nothing else. In June 2000, Enrico "Chico" Forti, an Italian television producer and former windsurfing champion was convicted and sentenced to life without parole in the 1998 killing of Dale Pike, an Australian who had traveled to Miami to meet with Forti about business deal. Erin Moriarty [on the phone with Knott]: You say he's a crook but -- but to be honest Mr. Knott, you have quite the criminal history as well. Veronica Lee: He looked right at me … and I mean I couldn't even look at him in the eyes. Alongside his wife Lynn and two sons, Pike built most of the hotel himself (frequently without planning permission). Erin Moriarty: When did you start to realize this is a con man? When he told his story publicly for the first time, he said that in 2011 he met Thomas Knott at a party in Monte Carlo on a yacht called The Goldfinger. … I don't think it was a fair trial. They said, "no thanks. Luisa Mancastroppa: Oh yes, they love me … the mother loves me. Veronica Lee: And he lives in that area … and he's got kids and he's a windsurfer? Knott said Pandolfi had no credibility. Joe Tacopina: There's so many doors closed … Getting a sit-down with the prosecutors is impossible. As for Brad Pike, he believes Forti has spent enough time in prison. In September 1987, it further cemented its reputation as the lodestone for the island’s excesses when Pikes hosted Freddie Mercury’s 41st birthday party, a lavish affair for 500 guests that included boxer Nigel Benn, Boy George, Jon Bon Jovi, Spandau Ballet and Tony Curtis, among the many luminaries. Forti says he knew none of this when he reached out to the police on Thursday. Erin Moriarty: Can you pin point the time of death to a minute the way this is? Thankfully, they recognized that truth when they saw it.". Enrico Forti: I was confused, and I was -- I was -- I was still under shock. And a few months later, the hotel deal came together. Manuela Moreno: I was in U.S. and I looking for a big story … I start to study Chico Forti story, and I said, "this is my story.". His hotel, Pikes, in Ibiza, has also left an indelible mark on the culture of the island and rubber-stamped its claims for excess and hedonism, both of which Tony lived for. After divorcing Forti, she married an old friend and raised a blended family. He became a naturalised Australian citizen and the first three of his five marriages were to Australian women (he was first married as a teenager). With his luxurious moustache and reputation with women, Pike often seemed more like a phantasmagorical Peter Sellers creation than a flesh-and-blood person. Last modified on Mon 25 Feb 2019 11.34 EST. He used to say, "I did things that I didn't pay for.". Veronica Lee: I felt like he was done wrong. On February 16 1998, his son Anthony was murdered after arriving into Miami to discuss a deal to sell Pike’s Hotel. Enrico Forti: I hope he can do something about that. I don't want to use the word hope. The morning after publication we received a legal notice stating that individuals named in the piece considered it libellous and demanding that section of the interview not b… There isn't enough time for Forti to pick up Dale, murder him and then meet his father-in-law in 90 minutes. Instead, Forti says Dale told him he was going to a party "with friends of Thomas Knott.". 7:16? We're not interested." I believe in that … I'm very positive … my mind still -- pretty much free. But thanks to medication, in November 1997, Tony was clear-minded enough to travel to Williams Island, an exclusive enclave outside Miami. In more recent years, a series of skilfully-programmed evenings by former We Love doyens Mark and Sarah Broadbent saw the introduction of Mercury Rising, a season of parties featuring DJ Harvey and friends, further cementing Pikes position at the very apex of high-class Ibicencan clubbing. Pikes Hotel came into being after Tony Pike bought an abandoned finca, or farmhouse just outside San Antonio, shortly after arriving on Ibiza.. ", The brothers believed the hotel was worth a lot more money than the sales price of approximately $1.6 million. Forti was born and raised in Trento, Italy, the son of Maria and Aldo. Brad Pike: It remains now no longer an imagination, but a reality. I love very much the outdoors … Dale wasn't really interested in that. In the 1980s, the hotel had become a destination resort after George Michael and Wham! Enrico Forti: The guy inside the car that was waiting for him was an elegant person with a white shirt -- gold chain, gold watch. No. If Tony Pike had not existed, it’s doubtful whether even the best screenwriter could have written his extraordinary life into being. Joe Tacopina: And she said to him, "Don't be late to pick up my father.". I guess it’s a gift I possess.”. Prosecutors stuck to their timeline. "48 Hours" asked pathologist Dr. Gregory Davis, from the University of Kentucky, to review the Miami pathologist's report. The latest stats, facts, news and notes on Tony Pike of the Carolina Panthers It's been 21 years since Brad Pike's brother Dale was murdered on a Miami beach. Everything had to be the best. The making of the hotel’s reputation came with a stroke of luck when it was used as the location for Wham!’s Club Tropicana video, in which a 'barman' credit is afforded to one Tony Pike. The first two times they searched that vehicle they came back with an insufficient amount of sand for the forensic technician to determine where that sand would have come from. … I guess Dale and I were just suspicious that because he wasn't mentally together, that any deal that he was doing anyway needed to be checked and looked at. Brad says Dale then flew to Miami to deal with Forti in person. … And, and it was really hard [crying]. "48 Hours" wanted to ask Thomas Knott about Pandolfi's story, so we left Italy and headed north on the Autobahn. That's disgusting. Forti went to pick Dale up at the Miami Airport on Sunday afternoon Feb. 15, 1998, but Dale's flight was late. Fabrizio Pandolfi [translated from Italian]: He also used to mime the use of a revolver, of a gun like this. Few Americans have ever heard his name, but as "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports, in Italy, his case has been compared to that of Amanda Knox -- a foreign national living abroad convicted of a murder with very little evidence. Enrico Forti: Because when I arrived there, that moment I realized … I was a suspect. He was found murdered on a beach in Miami the next day. News of Tony Pike’s death, following a battle with cancer, was shared on the iconic venue’s off… Enrico Forti: As soon as he arrived, he asked me for some cigarette. The English-born Australian, who died of cancer over the weekend aged 85, escaped a childhood of poverty and abuse by joining the navy when he was 12. Erin Moriarty: Does coming here in some way just raise more questions in your head rather than answering them? And that's because the Miami police had spirited him away. Dale Pike was coming to meet with Enrico Forti about a deal Forti had made to buy Pikes Hotel from Dale's father. I don't smoke, I didn't have cigarettes. Fabrizio Pandolfi: That the investigation would be reopened so that one could show that Chico Forti most likely, maybe for sure had nothing to do at all … with the murder. Brad Pike: It's not out of the possibility if he'd been promised a good party. Brad Pike: They did tests and immediately diagnosed him with AIDS and said he has full on AIDS and AIDS dementia. Enrico Forti: But she's very smart … Italians communicate with their hands, so she will be able to communicate with you. Just me vlogging Trying to find an escape from reality. Enrico Forti: Yes, it's hard to read. Enrico Forti initially denied picking Dale Pike up at the airport. But it was a mistake that need to be punished with a life sentence? Joe Tacopina: She said, "You have to take this case" … She asked me to meet with the family. Joe Tacopina: At a dinner party in his little apartment 'cause he had a lot of people in there at this particular time to give him enough witness for an alibi. Knott has always insisted he had nothing to do with Dale's murder and, after he served three years in Florida prisons for stealing $90,000 from Tony Pike, he was deported to Germany. After three days adrift on a life raft, they got lucky and were rescued by a passing cruise ship and married in Miami Beach shortly after. We need somebody to listen. Forti's son, barely 2 years old when his father was convicted, asked his mother for a special present for his 16th birthday: to visit his father in prison. He even gave "48 Hours" his phone number. Forti's wife Heather was pregnant and the couple had two young daughters. I mean, all I'll do is -- no camera and just meet with you for coffee. It's my life. Unwittingly, Forti was walking into the lion's den and police were ready to pounce. Forti's wife Heather was 25 years old and pregnant when he was first arrested, and his only son was born while Forti was out on bail. Moriarty gave him a call. Enrico Forti: I still travel a lot in my mind … That's my way to survive in here. Enrico Forti: I'm looking forward, you know. Pike eventually sold Pikes Hotel to former Manumission duo Andy McKay and Dawn Hindle of Ibiza Rocks, allegedly to pay for another divorce. Erin Moriarty: I was wondering, like how close were you to Dale? Joe Tacopina: So, because of police incompetence we will never know who was on the other end of that phone call … It's mind-blowing to me that he was convicted. THE infamous founder of the legendary A-list hotel and party spot Pikes Ibiza has died aged 85. Freddie got his wish. He bought a derelict finca with no running water, sanitation or electricity for 6m pesetas (approx. Erin Moriarty: How do you just keep going every day? Turns out for months Knott had been illegally running up exorbitant charges on Tony Pike's credit cards -- and Dale Pike knew it. THE owner of the Pikes Hotel, Tony Pike's hedonistic parties would often find their way to the bedroom, where he claimed to have slept with more … He's restricted to his hometown because of his own financial crimes. I'm just a little girl, you know. Enrico Forti: I told her that it was time for her to … to get her own life. Joe Tacopina: They start playing this game of telephone tag via the airport intercom system for about an hour-and-a-half. Tony Pike and his wife, Connie Pike, hold up a photo of their late daughter, Carla Pike-Schainholz, with her husband, Jay Schainholz, at their office. Forti says that when he and Dale finally did connect, Dale had a request. The police went to find Knott, but, by then, Thomas Knott had vanished. What's your hope? Sean Crowley, a former captain with the NYPD, is now a private investigator. Dr. Gregory Davis: I'm shocked that this got entered into evidence. Enrico Forti: And I told her I didn't pick him up. They wanted to know more about Dale's trip and that hotel deal. ... Forti's wife … We've asked. "48 Hours" met some of Forti's closest friends, including Luisa Mancastroppa, Forti's first wife, who remembered the days she and Chico would ski and snowboard. In Italy, Forti had won a popular quiz show and, later, produced extreme sports videos. Erin Moriarty: Sound like something your brother would do? Erin Moriarty [on the phone with Knott]: Have you ever been on yacht called The Goldfinger? And Knott had something Forti did not: an alibi. I wish I knew about these things when I could still fight on a legal way. Tony Pike says he gives people a decent place to live — albeit 'not Buckingham Palace' — and doesn't understand why this one house causes so much trouble. His everything had to be the best. Erin Moriarty:  Did you want to know more about Thomas Knott? "What was happening" was that Brad and Dale's father, Tony Pike, had signed papers to sell his world-famous Pikes Hotel to Enrico Forti. Pike had rented a finca for three months during which time he met his next partner Lyn. Erin Moriarty [on the phone with Knott]: All right, thank you sir. Enrico Forti: That's very accurate. In Miami, Pike had a private meeting with the prosecutor who tried the murder case against Enrico Forti, stopped by the Rusty Pelican, and visited Williams Island where his father Tony spent time with Forti and Thomas Knott. Enrico Forti is trying to have his sentence commuted. Joe Tacopina: Dale Pike went in there … goes into the phone booth and makes a call. And one of them is dead, and the other one pulled the trigger … It's those unsolved mysteries that we have to learn to live with. "48 Hours" went to find him. Chaive Mesmer: The man who is just the happiest person I ever met. Forti was sentenced to life without parole. Enrico Forti, once a sports champion who traveled all over the world, today is restricted to a prison cell. A man has given a hotel a five-star Google+ review after finding out his wife allegedly used the venue for an affair with her boss. Francesco Guidetti: The only truth that I know for sure is that Chico … would definitely not kill a person. Brad Pike: I forgive him … it's just a terrible, terrible, terrible situation, whether he killed Dale or not. She wasn't surprised that Knott vanished when Dale Pike's body was found. It's not that I was thinking, "Oh, what's going to happen to him?" It's my life. Everything, everything with the snow. Dale's body was found nearly 24 hours later on Monday evening on that windsurfing beach on Virginia Key, about 2 miles from the Rusty Pelican. Australia meant hard years of labouring until a chance meeting with a man in a pub led to Tony inventing a revolutionary form of plastic display, making a fortune, electing to become an international playboy (to the dismay of his first wife), suffering an existential crisis, getting on a Spanish ferry and, by mistake, disembarking in Ibiza in 1978. Tony Pike was born in Hertfordshire on February 22, 1934. Brad Pike: And I don't think anyone will really know … what the absolute truth is. Joe Tacopina: The police were determined early on that it was Chico, that it was Chico. Even after the hotel was sold, Tony was a permanent fixture on the premises, continuing to live in room no. I picked up Dale Pike, he's dead … these guys think I killed both of them" and he panicked. Sean Crowley: Completely naked, yes … his shirt was a little off to the side but bloodied and then … some key pieces … of evidence … were under his body or right next to his body. It has not previously been published online. … Dale wanted to … just lay it out on the line and say, look, "I understand you want to do the deal. And on June 15, 2000, the case went to the jury. Forti picked Heather's father up at the Fort Lauderdale airport and says he didn't give Dale another thought. One con man pointing the finger at another. Fabrizio Pandolfi [translated from Italian]: The true reason why I'm here is … what I was able to hear and … understand -- there is a person … in prison who is innocent. That number belonged to Forti, better known as "Chico," an Italian television producer living in Miami. Dale was the son of Tony Pike, who owned a famous hotel in Ibiza. Never for a second -- came to my mind that something bad or terrible could happen. Here you go police. I have spent 20 years looking at all the evidence to see if there was any basis. After 20 years, we must say and prove that Chico Forti is not guilty, and he never was. We found 77 records in 37 states for Anthony Pike in the US. Veronica Lee: There was a point where I locked myself in the bathroom and started crying … they wouldn't listen, nobody would listen to me … they said I don't know what I was talking about. No one else was ever arrested in connection with Dale's murder which means the shooter is likely at large. The events before 15 February 1998. Bill Brewster is a regular contributor to Mixmag. Alongside his wife Lynn and two sons, Pike built most of the hotel himself (frequently without planning permission). Pictured from left, Dale, Tony and Brad Pike. There's only two people that know. The top state of residence is California, followed by Texas. Luisa Mancastroppa: Yeah … snowboard, ski … jumping with the skis. Copyright © 2021 CBS Interactive Inc.All rights reserved. Cops caught up with Knott days later in downtown Miami. Gilyard was joined by quarterback Tony Pike, offensive lineman Chris Jurek on the Big East All-Conference First Team. Gianni Forti [translated from Italian]: It's not that I think of him. He was hosting a dinner that night. His shoes had to be Gucci. An Italian national Enrico Forte was eventually convicted of his murder in June 2000 (Forti has always denied his involvement in the shooting). Enrico Forti: The moment I left him, it was out of my mind. "I have spent 20 years looking at all the evidence to see if there was any basis. Eventually, Pandolfi provided this information to an Italian investigator and she gave it to Joe Tacopina. Forti insists he came clean about everything, telling cops all he knew about the Pike family. The original interview was published as it was first written, with Tony Pike declining the option to censor any part of content, nor hide any individual’s identity. Erin Moriarty: But if you were going to try to help the police why didn't you tell them you had … picked Dale Pike up? Brad Pike: I told them the whole story about what was happening. And at Forti's murder trial in 2000, prosecutors pored over blowups of microscopic images of sand particles with their expert saying the grains definitely came from Virginia Key. On Feb. 16, 1998, a beachgoer found Dale's body. Anthony Pike in the US . Francesco Guidetti: The trial was tragic. Enrico Forti hopes that someone will come forward with new evidence, like the identity of the man who, Forti says, picked up Dale Pike at the Rusty Pelican. The story begins with a real estate deal being made between Tony Pike and Chico Forti. Wideout Armon Binns, tight … I did. Joe Tacopina: I get a little scared. Enrico Forti: From the beginning they, they wanted to crucify me and, uh, they were just waiting to see how they could do it and that fax that you have in your hand it just is another evidence. … They have no idea. Sean Crowley: Virginia Key is a common place for windsurfers. So, he was interested more in the clubbing, that sort of thing. They entered the game ranked No. Joe Tacopina: And Thomas Knott was stealing money left and right from … Anthony Pike. … He was one of the kindest, nicest, most appealing people on the island. Tony Pike is believed to have married five times and had four children, including Dale. But he says only his body is behind bars. Eventually, Heather moved back to her native Hawaii with their three children. But his downstairs neighbor, Thomas Knott? View the profiles of people named Tony Pike. And when I didn't find him, I start paging him. 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