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A Secret Service Agent Looks Back at 9-11

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I have always found just as much enjoyment in recognizing the achievements and accomplishments of others as those of my own. I also consider myself rich with friends, many who have gone on to achieve the highest levels of success in their chosen fields. Some are physicians, others have been politicians or sportswriters and then there are those whose service was perhaps even more impactful, but remained anonymous to most. One such person is my long-time friend Jim Napolitano, known by his close friends as “Nappi.”
Nappi and I were part of a unique group of friends who summered out in eastern Long Island, NY, and like most kids our age the memories we made together have always been very special to me. As we got older we didn’t see each other as much until I moved to Dallas, Texas, and on my business trips, I would stay at Nappi’s home in Houston where he was living and working as a mechanical engineer for Schlumberger, an oil field services company. After working very successfully with a new tool that was recently developed the company announced it was downsizing, and being one of the newest members on the team, Jim was one of the first to be let go. A next door neighbor who was a D.E.A. agent and knew Jim’s background suggested he apply to the FBI and Secret Service as he felt he had the skill sets that were in high demand. Unfortunately, the Graham Rudman Act had the backing of President Regan, placing limits on the number of government employees that could be hired to balance the budget, thus impacting the hiring at many government agencies. The only time a new candidate could be hired by the Secret Service was if one employee either left or retired however, since the Secret Service only hired groups of 24 at a time Jim had to wait almost 3 years, taking jobs with Brown Oil Tool and signing on and becoming a deputy with the Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office, before an opportunity with the Secret Service academy as a Special Agent materialized, marking the start of a career you typically only see in the movies.

It was years after moving back to New York from Texas our lives reconnected through a “mutual friend.” My wife and I had a special events company at the time that catered to many well-known politicians and high profile clients and one such client asked us to handle the event for her daughter’s wedding at their mansion on Long Island’s north shore, also known in many of author Nelson DeMille’s books as “The Gold Coast.” President George H.W. Bush was supposed to be in attendance and wasn’t able to be present so he sent his son Neil to represent the family. While setting up one of the arrangements on the home’s grand staircase Neil Bush walked over and introduced himself to me while complimenting us on the work we were doing. I then asked him if he was from Houston and shared with him that I thought we had a mutual friend in common, Jim Napolitano, who at this time was part of the team protecting the Bush family. To my surprise, Neil Bush said to me, “You know Nappi?” Before I knew it I was sitting on the staircase with Neil Bush and the Secret Service agents sharing stories of my summer escapades with Nappi.

Years passed and during that time Jim went through the ranks with the Secret Service starting as a Criminal Investigator, where he was moved through different squads for exceeding quotas of arrests and closed cases, and then to the “West African Task Force” where his responsibility was to thwart and arrest Soviet-backed Nigerians who were fraudulently obtaining birth certificates and drivers licenses to obtain numerous credit cards to buy and sell merchandise illegally. However, this is just the tip of Jim’s illustrious career. “Agent Napolitano” was selected to work on a task force that investigated “The Supernote”, a far superior counterfeit note being used by Middle East terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Qaida, and was successful in helping standing up the Supernote Task Force that was comprised of the U.S. Secret Service, CIA, and DEA. He was the 160th agent to ever become part of the elite Counter Assault Team under the Presidential Protection Division, which included “training with the Tier 1 Special Operations Forces”. He was a Rescue Swimmer for Presidents George H.W. Bush 41, George W. Bush 43, and Bill Clinton and their families. He was only 1 of 42 agents to be a member of both the C.A.T. and Rescue Swimmer Teams. He went on to be an instructor in Control Tactics and Rescue Swimming, further becoming manager in Water Safety and Emergency Medicine, among other courses he directed for Special Agents.

As if this isn’t an impressive enough background during his 23 years as a Secret Service Special Agent, Jim has protected three Presidents and their families and was personally instructed by President Reagan to make sure he and his team provided the utmost protection for Presidential Candidate Reverend Jessie Jackson. Since retiring from the Secret Service, Jim was Security Representative for Marathon Oil, traveling throughout the Middle East safeguarding the employees and their assets. In June of 2013 he took his vast array of skill sets and went on to become Chief of Police for the City of Montgomery, Texas for six years.

Recalling the events of 9-11, Jim shared with me that at that time he was the Resident Agent in charge of the Waco Resident Office. Jim was responsible for security around the President’s Crawford Ranch which was known as the “Western White House.” He was responsible for “hundreds of agents, arranging staff, military assets and other governmental entities,” according to an article written in the Montgomery County (Texas) newspaper “Golden Hammer.”

“I was at Baylor University’s Rec Center,” Jim recalled, “when I saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center and immediately changed into my battle dress uniform…I called the ranch and there was no answer on any of the lines which was highly unusual and increased our level of high alert….I was able to get in touch with the Major in charge of the DPS regional office in Waco and requested as many troopers he could spare. Two agents and several Texas State Troopers raced to the ranch….Upon arrival two agents who were allowing various construction trucks entry into the ranch for ongoing work being performed told us how the construction crews had accidentally cut the power to the ranch and it was currently being reconnected.” In the meantime, Jim had been in contact with the team and President Bush, who had been in Sarasota reading to second-grade school children and upon being briefed of the attack, had been immediately rushed onto Airforce One. Jim recalls hearing the President expressing his frustration that he wanted to get back to Washington D.C., not circling for hours in Air Force One out of harm’s way. While President Bush and Airforce One were on high alert, Jim was equally frustrated and wanted to head to the areas of attack, but headquarters and the FAA said they were expecting “inbound (flights) coming to the ranch.” With the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on fire, and Flight 93 supposedly headed for Camp David before turning into a different location, Washington and Waco both weren’t options for the President to land. I remember calling Jim that day and asking if they were safe, and him saying, “Gary, I can’t stay on the phone we’re expecting incoming.”

With Jim’s extensive background and training, he shared with me how “useless” he felt when hearing about the bravery of his relative Lt. Michael Frances Lynch, who was a member of New York City’s Fire Department “Ladder 4.” Arriving at the second tower just as it was getting hit by the second plane, Michael saw his fireman friend Tim Brown, who was assigned to the Mayor’s office. Tim who was not in firefighting gear informed Michael that people were trapped in the elevators to which Michael replied, “I GOT THIS!” Using the “jaws of life” apparatus, Lt. Lynch was able to extricate three women stuck in an elevator. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter Michael and the Crew of Ladder 4 lost their lives when the tower collapsed on them. Firefighter Tim Brown in the meantime was able to make it to the Command Post when the south tower fell and fortunately, he and the Command Structure were able to escape. Upon hearing this story, I couldn’t help but think how some people run from adversity while others like Jim and his family run to preserve the lives of others.
After 9-11, Jim was reassigned to give increased protection to the daughter of the president. He said, “You have to go to extraordinary lengths to guard those we are protecting such as the first family, this way the President’s thinking is never compromised.”
Since leaving the Secret Service Jim has founded “Universal Safety & Security Solutions LLC,” a company dedicated to protecting major oil companies, churches, and high-profile individuals. Jim shared with me his company uses the training and experience he has garnered through the years, along with personal with similar backgrounds, to ensure their clients’ safety around the world. He said his biggest challenge at times is getting some of those high-profile clients to realize while they may not necessarily be the target, their families are. “I have to teach them if I kidnap you, I don’t have access to the money, but if I kidnap your children, now I do.” Jim continued by saying, “you have to think like a terrorist or someone looking to harm in order to anticipate and provide the highest level of security for our clients.”

While much of Jim’s background and experiences are confidential he is quick to point out the life of a Secret Service agent isn’t glamorous. While most people have this perception of a James Bond, mysterious type individual wearing a dark suit and sunglasses, Jim recounts many long hours working on cases through the night or standing on the front lawn of a presidential candidate on Christmas morning and having to inform him his paper won’t be delivered that day. He added, in providing the highest level of protection there is a great deal of undercover work in places you would least expect.
With the recent withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, I asked if Jim had any final thoughts as there has been much speculation that with our absence, terror groups will rapidly reform and instead of us keeping the fight off our shores, we once again maybe fighting from our own. Jim replied, “You have to look at the history of Afghanistan. The Green Berets Special Forces Group teamed up with local tribes that were pro U.S. that helped defeat the Russians and didn’t like the Taliban. These forces have to team up with the locals and teach them to fight.” Jim continued, “We never should have tried to be part of Afghanistan, we should have gotten out after killing Osama Bin Ladin…..You have to question, “What was our mission?” “You also have to understand 40-50% of the Taliban are comprised of fighters from such places as Chechnya, Yemen, and Syria that come through Pakistan and go into the mountains around Tora Bora….so you are not just fighting the Taliban Afghanis. If you want to have an impact, you have to cut off all aid to Pakistan.”
While I have loved every minute reconnecting with Jim on a personal level, I found myself realizing that even in a more relaxed setting he has the alertness of a hawk, seeing things most people would never notice. I not only gained a greater appreciation for the sacrifices people like Jim continue to make, but a keener understanding of the lengths they are going to safeguard our nation, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
~Gary

Is there a reason my home’s assessed value differs compared to the market value?

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A public tax assessor gives the assessed value for a property. This assessment typically occurs yearly for taxation purposes. The fair market value is an agreed-upon price between a willing buyer and seller. There is usually a difference between the assessed value and market value. For homeowners, the assessed value is a double-edged sword. Because, if their annual assessed value increased then their yearly taxes will also be raised.
On the flip side, when selling a house it can help boost its market value. To get a market value, Individuals can purchase an appraisal on their own or hire a real estate agent to perform a comparative market analysis. You may want to do this if you’re thinking about selling and want to know how much to list the property for, or have your eye on a home for sale and are curious if it’s a fair price.
As a homeowner, there are many reasons to know your market value. For example, if you bought a home several years ago and the value increased, you have more home equity. You can leverage this to qualify for refinancing or secure a home equity loan.
When it comes to assessed value, you might wonder what happens if you live in an area where the housing market is hot and homes are selling for far more than they’re worth. After all, that’s not exactly fair to homeowners who don’t want to sell and are stuck with the rising tax bill. The good news is that many states and municipalities have laws in place to prevent property taxes from jumping along with inflated property values.
As always, I am here to help you figure out the best value for your home in this market or if you have any questions feel free to reach out. Gary Cardillo 941.676.1008
Source: Forbes

A Summer Full of Surprises

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Over the past few years, the term “Staycation” has been used more frequently by people who most often didn’t have the time to get away for the traditional vacation. The thought was, “If we can’t get away, what things can we do within our community or at least within relatively close proximity that will give us the feeling we were on vacation?” After all, we do take what we have locally many times for granted. With our son and daughter in law having recently moved to Colorado to pursue furthering their medical careers, we thought we’d visit them for a few weeks after they were settled, then enjoy some time back home on eastern Long Island, NY where we could enjoy the last few weeks of summer visiting those charming farm stands, vineyards and historic waterfront towns. However, with more and more people coming to Florida this summer looking to relocate permanently, our mini-vacations seem to be in a holding pattern, and those opportunities to make lasting memories seem to be slipping away, or are they?

Like many, we were becoming creatures of habit in our community. We were always going to the same places to eat or getting in the car for an impromptu drive yet always finding ourselves winding up in the same place. I thought, “Why are we always hearing about the fun adventures everyone else is going on, yet we find ourselves tied to the computer or phone and only giving ourselves permission to steal just a few brief moments for ourselves?” Last month I mentioned how my wife Gail signed us up for a golf membership to force me to take a break and it has been a gift that keeps on giving. Unfortunately, while I’ve always heard practice makes perfect, I seem to be defying that logic. Those who bought homes along the golf course thinking they were going to enjoy those beautiful vistas are now running for their lives as I seemed to have purchased a box of golf balls that have a magnetic pull toward single-family homes. I’m even seeing less wildlife along the golf course as the word must have gotten out that I am out on the course! As frustrating as my game has been, I am constantly reminded of the words long-time friend, and nationally recognized golf professional Bob DeStefano, shared with us when we were in Junior Golf. He said, “The difference between adults and children, when asked how they played, an adult will complain about all the poor shots they made while a child may have had the same number of poor shots, but they will tell you about the good one they had.” So it is in pursuit of my one good shot that keeps me coming back for more. I don’t think that makes me a glutton for punishment, does it? The club has also been great to meet old friends and new ones. One of our friends we met asked us to join them for dinner at the Elk’s Lodge. If you don’t know the Elks, like many similar organizations, they self-fund many scholarships through the fun events they hold at the club. While we joined several years ago, we never seem to find time to go. Our friends mentioned they were invited to a prime rib special and asked us to join them. We were greeted with not only some of the friendliest people we ever met, but the food was outstanding. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was the entertainment by a duo known as “Hot Mix,” and that is exactly what they did. I don’t know what I enjoyed more, watching people dance as couples the way they did years ago, spinning each other around the dance floor to the tunes of the ’50s and ’60s, or my wife showing off her dance moves from the disco era! Maybe it was low expectations after seeing the number of Elk heads on the wall when we first walked in, but as I said to my wife, “We could have been back home in Little Italy where I’m sure the Elk Heads would have been replaced by the heads of members from the opposing crime family.” Of course, she just rolled her eyes in reply.

While we reminisced with our friends on the complete surprise we just experienced, 24 hours later we found ourselves listening to the music of a Led Zeppelin tribute band whose lead singer was a personal friend of one of our friends. I don’t know about you but, tunes from Dion and the Belmonts the night before are about the polar opposite of Led Zeppelin, yet wouldn’t you know somehow one of the couples from the Elks must have gotten the wrong invitation and wound up on this dance floor ballroom dancing to Stairway to Heaven. While they were mesmerizing to watch, on the other side of the dance floor was a group of guys and gals who danced as if they were still under the influence from the party favors being handed out at Woodstock. I leaned over and said to Gail, “I feel like Lawrence Welk is being danced to on one side and from the body language of those on the other Star Wars must have some kind of lasting influence.” Again the roll of her eyes said it all. While the band, known as In The Light of Led Zeppelin was amazing, what I was watching on the dance floor was equally entertaining, and who would have ever thought right across the street was Port Charlotte’s guitar virtuoso Mike Imbasciani and his Bluez Rockerz. 
As if this wasn’t enough of a musical extravaganza, another great entertainment venue you have to visit is the Visani Italian Steakhouse and Comedy Theater. We’ve seen some of the best comedians, hypnotists, and tribute bands who have performed on some of the largest stages in the country as well as on T.V. Recently, we saw an Eagles tribute band with a group of friends that go by the name The Alter Eagles. If you closed your eyes you would swear this talented group of musicians was the original band as they have recreated the music note for note. To think you would have to drive to a major city to get this kind of entertainment is amazing in itself, but to experience it just minutes from home makes me appreciate our area even more.
So you don’t feel that our summer experiences have been all music-related, another great surprise was a trip to the Babcock Ranch Eco Tour. With so many people moving to Florida, finding a native Floridian is as challenging to me as finding a good New York bagel, but if you want an intimate experience with Florida’s rich history and wildlife in 90 minutes, this is a tour you don’t want to miss. Surprisingly we still have cowboys and Florida Cracker cattle, with some of the animals coming right up to our safari bus. To see the diversity of wildlife in its natural habitat is an experience second to none. In fact, the original telegraph lines connecting our area to the rest of the state still weave in and out of the woods, and I bet you didn’t know Punta Gorda was originally known for being one of the largest producers of Pineapples!
I often tell those looking to move to our area with high aspirations of boating, golfing, going to the beach, and experiencing all the outdoor activities Florida has to offer daily, “You never will, because you always can. We fall into complacency where the weather we experience daily somehow creates a mindset of what we don’t do today we can always do tomorrow, and before you know it you didn’t do the things you thought you were going to do.” Despite our goal in coming to Florida to live a more fulfilling lifestyle, we find we are busier than what we anticipated, and all the things we moved here for we somehow put on the back burner and took for granted. After living in the state for over 22 years I still find it amazing to think within a 2-3 hour drive we can attend professional sporting events in Tampa or Miami, the arts in a host of cities closer to home, and world-class beaches and golf within an hour’s drive. We can take overnight trips to a variety of different towns and cities where you can enjoy the fast pace and glitzy lifestyle of our state’s larger cities, or the downhome cooking and history found in many small towns that dot our state’s less traveled country roads. These are those surprises we overlook that are so close to homemaking our staycations so enjoyable. Now that I think about it, it may be time to revisit the charming ambiance of North Captiva’s Tween Waters Inn where we sailed to for a weekend stay so many years ago and where so many memories were made.

Housing Market Update: Real Estate Chess Match

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For years now we’ve been advised by real estate attorneys to use the FAR BAR AS IS purchase contract with right to inspect. The reason for this is that while it does protect the buyer, it takes some of the ambiguity out in determining if an item in the home is functioning as intended. To give you an example of why this has been the contract of choice, several years ago we had a client looking to purchase a condominium that had been renovated due to damages stemming from Chinese drywall. During the home inspection we found the granite counter top in the kitchen had been cracked in half around the sink during installation. The seller epoxied the seams, but the buyers were not pleased, as while the seam was cleverly joined with the epoxy, the joint was still very rough to the touch. The seller said he wasn’t going to replace the counter top and the buyer didn’t want to take it “as is,” so the buyer used their right during the inspection period to cancel the contract and get a full refund of their deposit. When speaking with the law firm who suggested we use this purchase agreement, the attorney stated, “this is why we tell you to use this purchase agreement as while the buyer wasn’t pleased with the look of the repaired granite, it was still functioning as intended as it was supporting weight and wasn’t leaking, thus it was performing as designed. If your buyer hadn’t used this “AS IS” contract that we have suggested, they wouldn’t have had the ability to cancel their contract and receive a full refund of their deposit.”
However, during this market this “AS IS” contract is being used in a manner that wasn’t originally intended. Since homes have been selling at such a frantic pace, many buyers who are out of town are using this contract to purchase properties sight unseen, or only seen virtually. Then once they arrive they use their inspection period to determine if they want to continue moving forward with the purchase of the property or cancel the contract now that they are viewing the property in person. Some buyers have even submitted contracts on several properties, had them accepted, and then used their inspection period to cancel off those properties that didn’t appeal to them and keep the one that does.
To counter this approach many sellers are starting to request the contract with repair terms that can be capped be used as it takes away the buyers ability to cancel the contract in “the buyer’s sole discretion.” Since offers have accelerated at the pace they have due to low inventory levels, bidding wars are more commonplace, resulting in purchase offers where the purchase price cannot be supported by an appraisal. To avoid a contract being cancelled by the buyer due to the offer they made not being supported by an appraisal, sellers are now requesting appraisal contingencies to be removed from the contract in many cases.

The Joy of Summer, Fulfilling Our Goals and Dreams

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If you are like me, it seems the older we get the faster life appears to be passing. Oftentimes I find things I recall as happening a year or two ago occurred three or four years prior and I sit amazed at how quickly those years passed. Recently I’ve lost a few close friends and have others who are struggling with health issues and it seems the reoccurring comment I hear is, “don’t take life for granted and stop putting off your goals and dreams another day.” Even those not going through any kind of challenge have shared with me their desire to live a more fulfilling life. I then think of a comment Pastor and Televangelist Joel Osteen once said that has resonated with me, “There are many great books and inventions lying in cemeteries that never came to fruition!” “Is this my time to finally give myself permission to set time aside to fulfill my desires?” More importantly, “What legacy do I leave my son when he never sees me fulfill my goals and dreams?” The quote attributed to Walt Disney, but is presumed to be said by Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald, “If you can dream it, you can do it,” has recently taken on a whole new meaning for me. “Why do I find myself always in front of my computer when not with clients showing property?” When we first moved down from New York 22 years ago we went boating, played tennis and golf, visited the beach, and started writing a book that I have yet to finish. “What happened? Why am I not permitting myself to set time aside to enjoy those simple pleasures before it is too late and I can’t enjoy those moments to their fullest? Why am I reflecting on past memories and not making new ones?”
I have always been a “summer kid,” at heart. Summer was a time when everything came alive and those memories have been frozen in time and seem like they just occurred yesterday. Simple things like bike rides, trips to the beach, days spent boating and exploring new areas by car were those simple pleasures that hold such as special place in my heart. Now I’m hearing friends of mine who are on the road fulfilling dreams of traveling the country this summer in an RV, something they never did before. Another special couple we know is cruising their way up the Intracoastal from Florida to New York and ultimately completing the “Great Loop” as they return via the Mississippi. They have been documenting and sharing pictures of their travels on daily postings where you feel like a stowaway on their great adventure. For some these adventures have been planned for months, for others, it has been more spontaneous. In contrast, my recent adventures by car have taken me to such exotic places as Costco and Trader Joe’s where I am mesmerized by fresh-cut flowers and displays of barbeque grills and patio furniture. “What happened to our boating trips to places like Tween Waters in North Captiva where we felt like we were on vacation, or our excursions to the beach and small towns along the way with their quaint shops and restaurants?” As for golf and tennis, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer have nothing to worry about as I’m not even sure which end of the racquet or club I’m supposed to grip.
I’ve often laughed at those who are looking to move to Florida who tell me how often they are going to go to the beach, enjoy boating, and playing as much golf and tennis they can fit between all their outdoor activities. When asked why I’m laughing I typically respond with, “Sure you are and before you know it six months will pass and you won’t believe how little you did those things, yet your life will seem so busy.” I continue by saying, “We fall into this “manana” mindset where what we don’t do today we feel we can always do tomorrow and before you realize it weeks and months have passed and you haven’t done many of the things that brought you here in the first place.”
Have I become my father who always looked forward to the weekend and then spent it admiring his handiwork trimming bushes and washing the car while others passed by on their boats or in their cars on their way to the golf course or to unknown destinations? If Covid didn’t have a way of taking stock in what’s important in life, certainly those daily reminders from friends saying, “I’m not putting off another day what I have been wanting to do all my life,” is something worth acting on.
Apparently my wife Gail didn’t think I was implementing this goal fast enough and took matters into her own hands and signed us up for a golf membership. Giving myself permission it was O.K. to put the computer aside for two hours I felt like a kid with a new toy as we had a fun-filled round where my wife showed me the finer points of using someone’s pool cage to have her golf shot land in the middle of the fairway! While I never learned that trick in junior golf, it made me realize all the special moments I was missing, and wonderful memories I wasn’t making.
Golf may be just the beginning of recapturing some of those lost opportunities I took for granted, and hopefully, soon I’ll finish that book I started to write so many years ago that gave me so much enjoyment. While I don’t know if it will be a best seller one thing is for certain, I’m going to make the most of this summer and start to enjoy pursuing those goals and dreams I’ve been putting off far too long. 
-Gary Cardillo