As usual, las malas lenguas were right: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is no longer warming a chair at BDI Construction. Pero why? Pick your poison.
Is this more fallout from the FBI’s sniffing around developer Rishi Kapoor’s influence over Miami Mayor Francis Suarez — a.k.a. Lago’s political BFF? Is this a pre-emptive cleanse before Commissioner Melissa Castro’s anti-kickback ordinance hits the 
fan? Or did Hizzoner just blow one of his trademark ’roid-rage gaskets at the office and poof — hasta la vista?
When Ladra dialed BDI last week, the receptionist sounded like I had asked for Santa Claus. “Who?” After repeating the mayor’s name — slowly — she finally said, “He’s not an employee of BDI anymore.”
Why? Where’d he go? Was he fired? Pushed? Paid to disappear? She didn’t know. “I just know he no longer works here.” Translation: Don’t ask me, lady. I’m not touching that mess.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has more city business than we thought
The exit details are the new parlor game in the City Beautiful. Did Lago jump? Was he shoved? Or was the man who insists on calling himself a “business owner” shown the door by the actual business owners?
Because — newsflash — state corporate records list Carlos and Teobaldo Rosell as the owners of BDI. Lago did start a company with them, BDI Holdings, in 2022 but it was administratively dissolved in 2023. Was he pretending to own 33% of the other company? And folks who know the Rosells describe them as decent, honorable people — the type who probably don’t want a Lyin’ Lago strutting around town claiming their company like he bought it on Amazon Prime.
Como siempre, the mayor ghosted Ladra’s calls and texts. Maybe he’s busy dusting off his resume and making phone calls. Or…
Another rumor is that Lago — who hasn’t publicly announced his separation from BDI — is cooking up his own company. Perhaps something with Suarez, who is termed out and packing up his desk.
According to his sparse and neglected LinkedIn profile (he still hasn’t changed his employment status), Lago was a “project executive” at BDI for almost 14 years — longer than he’s held elected office — having started in January 2012, a year before he was 
first elected commissioner in 2013. And yet, he lists no other work experience, which we know is adorable fiction. Lago has collected LLCs the way other men collect cologne samples.
There’s Hammer Lake Construction and Design, created in 2022 with perennial candidate Norman Anthony “Tony” Newell. There’s his self-proclaimed part-ownership of a downtown coffee shop — so maybe our mayor’s next career is as a barista. “Double-shot latte with a sprinkle of corruption, coming right up.”
Lago is also a licensed real estate agent tied to former Hialeah Councilman Oscar de la Rosa’s boutique firm — the same one that made a $640,000 commission off that Kapoor building on Ponce de Leon Boulevard.
Read related: Developer who paid Miami mayor also rents from Gables Mayor Vince Lago
And let’s not forget Capitol Equity LLC, which Lago formed with de la Rosa in 2021. It died quietly the next year. RIP.
And thanks to the Miami Herald, we also know Lago is part owner of a Ponce de Leon storefront that rented to Kapoor’s Location Ventures for more than $12,400 a month as a sales office — even though the space sat empty. That’s over $152,000 for air-conditioning the dust bunnies.
Business savvy? Claro que sí.
One thing seems almost certain: Vince Lago will land on his feet. Firmly. Deeply. Maybe with both shoes in the mud.
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He is going to be busy running for District 7 . He needs politics to survive.
Brava Ladra – I love this humorous coverage of the latest developments!!
The reason will eventually come up, whether true or false. Now, will all his employees, be out of a job? The number that fluctuated from twenty or thirty to sixty or ninety depending on what point he was trying to make. Since he continuously referred to BDI as “his company”, will Mr Transparency himself take the time to tell his constituents that it was in fact, not HIS? Only time will tell. Let’s see what creative explanation gets concocted by his followers!
I heard Lago is part owner of Mika Restaurant as well. Anyone verify this?
Is BDI the first of many companies to distance themselves from Mayor L’ego and his stench of corruption.
Depending on the day little Mr. Mayor says he has 20 or 40 employees. With all the glad handing and paying back political favors, I doubt he even has time for a job. Now the question is, how much more is he worth while he’s been in office? And where does he work currently? Two questions that the public should know of their mayor, don’t ya think?