Security at Mar-a-Lago

Palm Beach, Florida - Mar-a-Lago Clubhouse Lobby

April 4, 2018

- So, Rocco, how long have you been the head of security here at Mar-a-Lago?

- I’ve been here since 2005.

- And what is your experience in facility security?

- Well, me and the boss go way back. 

- You know Mr. Trump for a long time?

- Oh yeah.  I was the doorman at Trump Tower back when you still needed someone to open the door, if you know what I mean.

- Doorman?  You mean you don’t have any security training?

- Hey, I survived the Bronx, didn’t I?  Anyway, Mr. Trump always liked the way I made sure Mrs. Trump No. 1 never ran into Mrs. Trump No. 2.  Talk about your security training!  So, here I am.

- Interesting.  Well you know, there have been questions raised about how suspicious figures are gaining access to the President.

- Hey, to get near the boss, you have to get by me.  Like when you just got in here, did we not give you a workover or what?

- Very thorough.  I thought I was at the airport.

- Damn straight.

- But, I noticed that the gentleman in a red shirt who walked in before me set off the metal detector but no one frisked him or asked any questions.

- Oh, he was a Gold Club member.

- A Gold Club member?

- Yeah.  Did you notice his gold wrist band?  They pay some special fee.  We check their belongings but if they set off a metal detector we don’t give them a hard time.

- Really?  And how much is this fee?

- You’d have to ask the boss.

- Okay, but then right after me a white-haired gentleman in a white jacket set off the alarm and again, nothing.

- Oh, that was Mr. Ricardi, an old friend of the boss’s.  Did you get a load of that number he was with?  [Hand over mouth]  Not Mrs. Ricardi.  I’m sure the boss wouldn’t want us bringing any extra attention to him. 

- Okay.  But just now an Asian gentleman also set off the alarm but you didn’t stop him.

- Yeah, well you would have set off the alarm too if you had a Rolex that size.  Like the boss always says, ‘you can’t fake class.’  I’m sure he’s okay.

- Hey!  Those two guys just walked around the line.  Aren’t you going to stop them?

- Nah.  They’re speaking Russian.