‘Boob God’ and his ‘Real Housewife’ spouse fined for their loud Star Island parties
After working as a DJ for several years — and losing some of his hearing along the way — Miami Beach resident Matthew Barnes has a high tolerance for loud music.
And Barnes, 31, isn’t a stranger to throwing parties, as he currently runs an entertainment and transportation firm.
But for the last two weekends, his not-sodistant neighbors on Star Island have brought the party to his living room, their music projecting across Biscayne Bay until the early morning hours.
The parties, hosted by plastic surgeon Leonard Hochstein and reality TV actress wife Lisa, have drawn attention from police and code-enforcement officers who have been unable to convince the homeowners to keep their music down. Neither immediately responded to a request for comment Monday.
On Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, Miami Beach Code Compliance cited Hochstein for the “unreasonably loud, excessive, unnecessary or unusual noise” following two Saturday night parties that bled into the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Hochstein, who frequently throws parties at the 42 Star Island home, is known by some as the “Boob God,” a moniker he displays on his professional website. His wife, Lisa, is an alum of the reality TV show “The Real Housewives of Miami.”
Code officers issued two violations at the property on Jan. 10, which included a $250 fine. Police then “shut the party down and stayed until the party goers departed,” according to an email Barnes received from Mayor Dan Gelber.
He informed Barnes that the property would receive “escalating penalties” if the partying continued. The following week, it did.
On Jan. 17, code officers issued Hochstein two additional citations, which come with a total of $3,000 in fines, according to the city code. Officers said they would continue to “monitor” the property for future violations.
That morning, code officers tried for nearly three hours to convince Hochstein to turn down the music. At about 3:20 a.m., the party ended and guests went home.
Page Six reported that a party promoter organized the 150-guest private concert, which featured rap performances and drew VIP guests. Celebrities in attendance included rappers Tyga, Gucci Mane, Lil Pump and Lil Baby, according to TMZ.
Code officers, who were joined by police Sunday, “witnessed an abundant amount of people waiting in the driveway to enter the property,” according to the incident report.
The city received “numerous complaints” about the loud music.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced clubs and bars to close their doors at midnight to abide by MiamiDade County’s curfew.
CITY SAYS ‘ONLY REMEDY’ IS TO FINE HOMEOWNER
Because the events are private, there is little the city can do to stop them.
“This is a private residence [and] these appear to be private gatherings so at this time [our] only remedy is to continue to respond to future complaints [and] cite them under our Code,” wrote Code Compliance Director Hernan Cardeno in an email Sunday to city leaders.
“This is a private residence. In the past, Dr. Hochstein has had commercial-type branding events/parties (pre-COVID). We’ve scoured the Internet looking for any advertising and haven’t found any which means this is a private residence party,” he later wrote.
Barnes, CEO of entertainment and transportation firm Go VIP Worldwide, said the city told him the private security at the parties prevented code officers from getting onto the property.
“In my opinion, this sounds like a standoff, combative and confrontational in nature...I don’t see how the organizer would appreciate this as a good thing,” Barnes wrote in an email. “It’s important no matter how rich or famous one may be the rules must apply to all and sometimes others that are rich or famous will raise concerns to ensure those that are entitled to a good night’s sleep are able to achieve it.”
Barnes, who lives in a condominium tower on West Avenue less than a mile from Star Island, said in both cases, the “loud thumping bass” began after midnight and lasted until around 3 a.m. On both occasions, the party organizer only briefly turned down the music before cranking it back up, Barnes said.
In Gelber’s email, he wrote that “everyone in our city deserves the right to sleep soundly and safely.”
“Can only imagine how frustrating it was to have your rest interrupted, and am sorry to hear you had to endure the disruption,” he wrote. “Everyone in our City deserves the right to sleep soundly and safely, and elevating quality of life for our residents has been my top priority as Mayor.”
Photos and videos shared to social media appear to show that the parties drew crowds of mostly maskless visitors, who crammed together to listen to rap and DJ performances, Barnes said. The music was so loud, he said, that he could make out the often-vulgar words of some songs.
“There were rappers screaming, ‘Make some f---ing noise!’” Barnes said in an interview. “At least I don’t have any kids.”
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