Mike Maret
Name: Mike Maret
Birth Name: Michael James Maret
Hometown: Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Died: 2021-09-25 (Age:77)
Height: 180cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Biography
Micheal James Maret was born on December 29, 1943. He decided on a professional boxing career in the early 1970s. Maret began training at the famed 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach, Florida under the watchful eyes of Chris Dundee and Angelo Dundee.
In 1971, Maret made international headlines when he accused singer Tom Jones of kicking and assaulting him at a hotel birthday party for Jones. Maret even sued the singer for $600,000.00, but lost the lawsuit.
Maret, was nicknamed "Wolfman", and has a tattoo of a wolf on his left arm. He reportedly sparred with the likes of world boxing champions Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Ellis,and Luis Manuel Rodriguez at the 5th Street Gym.
Maret who also went by the aliases: Michael Maret, Michael J. Maret, Michael Mareto, James Michael Markowski, and Richard Trotter, scored an impressive first round knockout over prospect Eddie Brady aka Kip Braden in his first year as a professional.
The 6 feet, 160 pound Maret was noted for his aggressive fighting style and his brawls with Tommy Torino, Marcel Clay, and Angel Estevez were fan favorites.
Maret's full-time profession was that of a taxi driver. According to reports in the Miami Herald, Maret was a driver with Central Cab. It was while working as a cabbie that he became involved in an altercation with University of Miami graduate student, Christopher Collier. Maret attempted to overcharge the Miami resident for a fare believing he was a tourist. After Maret chased down Collier, the two men came to blows. With Maret's background in boxing, the 23 year old Collier ended up dead; savagely beaten to death. Police found Collier on the corner of Alton Road and Dade Boulevard on South Beach.
On March 11, 1990, Mike Maret was charged with 1st Degree Murder/Premediated or Attempted, and Robbery No Gun/Deadly Weapon. The case made the local Miami Herald newspaper, and television and radio news shows. Media reports stated that Maret was 10-10-1 as a professional. During his trial his mouth was ordered duct-taped by the judge because of a wild outburst. Prior to his murder charges, Maret had been arrested a dozen times since 1971 on charges including sexual battery, robbery, extortion, and battery of a police officer. A controversy broke out when it was learned, that despite his criminal past, Maret had renewed his taxi chauffeur's license only the month before.
Miami Beach City Mayor Alex Daoud said in the local papers and on television, that a week prior to Maret's arrest, that he and Maret had engaged in a fistfight.
Mike Maret was found guilty on Friday, July 27, 1991, of first-degree murder. The jury needed less than three hours to decide the verdict. Miami Judge Jonathan Colby sentenced Maret to life in prison, after the victim's mother made a tearful plea to spare her son's murderer from the electric chair. Neither she, nor her son, believed in the death penalty. Maret told the judge, "I want you to give me the death penalty." Maret however was sentenced to life, and must serve 25-years before he has a chance at parole. Maret entered Florida State Prison on August 5, 1991, and as of present day is still incarcerated.
In a January 2013 update, Maret was in the 22nd year of a life sentence and was being held at the Union Correctional Institue in Raiford, Florida. His DC number is 384397.
Sources
- Miami Herald, July 31, 1991, Local Section, page 1B: MOM PLEADS WITH JUDGE TO LET SON'S KILLER LIVE, by Arnold Markowitz.
- Miami Herald, July 27, 1991, Local Section, page 2B: JURY CONVICTS TAXI DRIVER OF MURDER, by Arnold Markowitz.
- Miami Herald, March 25, 1990, Section A, page 9: BEACH SEEKS CONTROL OF TAXIS, by Aaron S. rubin.
- Miami Herald, March 13, 1990, Local Section, page 2B: CABBIE HELD IN SLAYING HAD RECORD, by Dan Holly.
- Miami Herald, March 12, 1990, Local, page 3B: CAB DRIVER CHARGED IN UM STUDENT MURDER ON BEACH, by Dan Holly.
- Miami Herald, July 26, 1991, Local, page 1B: CAB DRIVER ON TRAIL FOR MURDER.
- Florida State Prison webpage
- http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_ZguAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tKEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1598,2205131&dq=mike+maret&hl=en