Need perspective/opinions: Documentary "Cocaine Cowboys" and how it relates to the Miami you remember... (Miami Beach: apartments, crime)

[jcblanco22]

Strange thread title, I know, however, I thought that with the amount of great posters here who remember the Miami of the past, it was the best place for me to come with my question.

I've thoroughly enjoyed and participated in the thread that's still here on the front page entitled "Miami, What Was". I myself was born, raised, and still reside here in Dade County (36 years), but was obviously fairly young during the "Cocaine Cowboys" era of the late 70s/early 80s. The Miami I remember of that time was actually safer and more placid than the one I see today.

Therefore, I'd be interested in garnering insight from those a bit older than me that wax nostalgic about the many great things to do in Miami back in the 70s and 80s as to whether they feel that the 2006 documentary "Cocaine Cowboys" makes that era appear much more dangerous than it really was. It would appear from watching that film that you weren't safe at any point in time during those years if you were out enjoying the nightlife, even if you were not involved in the drug trade at all.

For those that have watched the film, and I know it is quite popular, how does the content contrast with what you remember of your day-to-day life back then?

[tallrick]

Other than the shootout at Dadelend, I do not remember seeing crime either. There were a lot of burglaries in the early 80's, probably due to drug users looking for money. Most shootouts seemed to be concentrated in certain areas and among the drug dealers. It did not seem to be widespread.

[jcblanco22]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Other than the shootout at Dadelend, I do not remember seeing crime either. There were a lot of burglaries in the early 80's, probably due to drug users looking for money. Most shootouts seemed to be concentrated in certain areas and among the drug dealers. It did not seem to be widespread.

Not only that, there were more trees too.

[unknownmia]

it wasn't miami-dade county that was dangerous, it was mainly the beaches, liberty city, and downtown. the rest of the metro area was safer than it is now. my reference is from my mom.

[island mermaid]

Just watched it for the first time a month ago. Fascinating film. Obviously I'm not from here, therefore I watched it in awe. I thought that stuff only happened in 'the movies'! Crazy Moderator cut: changed to "stuff" ! I was in my late teens when cocaine was first showing up in northern New England in the mid 70's, and had heard stories of how it was getting into the US. To actually see how the whole thing played out in 'real life' was amazing.

[rogerbacon]

Originally Posted by jcblanco22

I myself was born, raised, and still reside here in Dade County (36 years)...

I'm the same as you plus three years and my memory is the same. Things were safer and I don't rememebr any big shootouts except that one famous one.

[jbravo]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Other than the shootout at Dadelend, I do not remember seeing crime either. There were a lot of burglaries in the early 80's, probably due to drug users looking for money. Most shootouts seemed to be concentrated in certain areas and among the drug dealers. It did not seem to be widespread.

Originally Posted by jcblanco22

Not only that, there were more trees too.

Originally Posted by unknownmia

it wasn't miami-dade county that was dangerous, it was mainly the beaches, liberty city, and downtown. the rest of the metro area was safer than it is now. my reference is from my mom.

Originally Posted by rogerbacon

I'm the same as you plus three years and my memory is the same. Things were safer and I don't rememebr any big shootouts except that one famous one.

I don't know man....I just donno...I kinda remember...Yeah, I WAS there, hmmm! Must have had a good time! I think.
I do agree with the posters above... no one took a shot at me, even when I was in the Coconut Grove Hotel.

[MiamiRob]

well I was a kid back then but I don't have fond memories of that era even though it didn't affect me. Miami in the early 80s was a mess, the Cocaine Cowboys, the Mariel boatlift & the McDuffie riots not to mention we officialy became the murder capital of the US with over 500+ homicides in Miami Dade county alone in one year. Realize too that at that time Dade had 1.6 million people too compared to the 2.5 million we have today. Anybody who thinks Miami is bad today hadn't live through that era!

[unknownmia]

Originally Posted by MiamiRob

well I was a kid back then but I don't have fond memories of that era even though it didn't affect me. Miami in the early 80s was a mess, the Cocaine Cowboys, the Mariel boatlift & the McDuffie riots not to mention we officialy became the murder capital of the US with over 500+ homicides in Miami Dade county alone in one year. Realize too that at that time Dade had 1.6 million people too compared to the 2.5 million we have today. Anybody who thinks Miami is bad today hadn't live through that era!

you are right that is was worse back then but, like i said in my first post it was only in certain areas where most of the murders and what not happened, compared to nowadays where you can get murdered any where in dade.

[nicsma2002]

I have not yet seen Cocaine Cowboys, but I remember the shootout at Dadeland.

There was another one at the shopping strip on Coral Way and 97th Ave, where Sedano's was and still is. There used to be a night club there, don't remember the name. That's where the drive-by was. I lived in the apartments across the street at the time.

Then there was another shootout at the pizza place (I want to say Cozzoli's, but may be confusing this with the Dadeland shooting) at the Westchester shopping strip, on the north east corner of Coral Way & 87th Ave, across from where the Dunkin Donuts used to be. Now there's a marine shop or a dry cleaners there, I think. I used to walk from my high school to my after-school job in that shopping strip, and remember seeing the windows shot out. It closed not long after that.

There were other shoot outs between feds and drug dealers.

I used to go out to clubs, movies, etc. during this time and never saw an incident, though. The Grove - Biscayne Baby, Rocky Horror Picture Show, laser shows at the planetarium. Miami Beach - Club Z aka 1235. Movie theaters all over the place - The Falls, Miller Square, Westchester shopping center, etc... I don't remember anything happening.