Chris Paciello, an ex-Mafia associate who owns Anatomy Fitness, sold a non-waterfront home on Miami Beach’s North Bay Road for a record $9 million, The Real Deal has learned.
The sale marks not only a record for non-waterfront homes on the bayfront street, but is also one of the priciest dry lot home sales in Miami Beach’s history, according to property records and the MLS.
Paciello, whose real name is Christian Ludwigsen, sold the 5,128-square-foot corner house at 5645 North Bay Road to Mark and Susan Blieden. The property was previously owned by the late celebrity hairstylist Oribe Canales and his husband, Zak Amin.
Paciello, a former Cosa Nostra associate and convicted felon, is a known figure in Miami Beach’s nightlife industry dating back to the 1990s. More recently, Paciello was a co-owner of the nightclub Rockwell in Miami Beach, which closed last year. His Anatomy Fitness has locations in Miami Beach, Midtown Miami and Coconut Grove.
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Paciello went into contract in November to sell the five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom house to the Bliedens, records show. Mark Blieden is CEO of Louisville, Kentucky-based Kaden Companies, a commercial real estate investment and development firm.
It’s the second purchase on North Bay Road for the Bliedens, who paid $3.7 million in March 2021 for the non-waterfront house at 5715 North Bay Road. Paciello also sold that property.
“We’ve always kind of had our eye on Florida,” Mark Blieden said. “But [the pandemic] probably heightened it.” He said he is not sure if he and his wife will keep their other home up the street, and they are considering relocating to Miami Beach from Louisville.
Compass agent Kevin Crego, who declined to comment, represented Paciello in the sale of the home at 5645 North Bay Road, according to the brokerage. Paciello paid $3.8 million for the house in December 2020, which means it just sold for 135 percent more in 15 months.
“We walked by this house all the time and loved it, and were fortunate enough to be able to buy it,” Blieden said.
Residential pricing, especially of single-family homes, has risen dramatically throughout South Florida during most of the pandemic, as out-of-state buyers continue to move to the Sunshine State. Companies have also expanded to or relocated in South Florida.
Just three other non-waterfront homes in Miami Beach have sold for more than the house at 5645 North Bay Road, records show.
In December, CB Group chairman Reuven Bigio sold the house at 6711 Windsor Lane, on La Gorce Island, to Apollo Global Management senior partner Gareth Turner and his wife, Elisabeth Turner, for $9 million.
Months earlier, in May, Shareef Malnik sold his single-family home at 222 Ocean Drive to Mark and Jessica Mindich for $9.6 million. Mark Mindich is chief operating officer of Meritage Group, a San Francisco-based investment adviser, while Jessica Mindich is a former lawyer and the founder and CEO of the jewelry company Caliber Collection.
That same month, Scott Srebnick and Jessica Goldman Srebnick sold the house at 6686 Roxbury Lane on La Gorce Island to Joel and Lauren Abelson for $9.7 million. Joel Abelson is a former professional basketball coach who led operations for the Westchester Knicks.