Michael Peragine, good pal of Jordan Belfort, the real-life con portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Academy Award nominated film The Wolf of Wall Street, is currently running for Palm Beach Gardens city council.
And now, fueled by the film's success and exposure of Belfort to the movie watching public, Peragine's friendship with The Wolf has become an issue on the campaign trail.
Council Member Eric Jablin, who Peragine is challenging, says that citizens of Palm Beach Gardens should be concerned about his challenger's relationship with Belfort, reports Gossip Extra.
See also: An Open Letter to the Makers of The Wolf of Wall Street, and the Wolf Himself
Belfort spent 22-months in the federal slammer after he was convicted for fraud related to stock market manipulation, and for running a boiler room. Belfort was convicted bamboozling investors of $110 million.
While in jail, Belfort wrote his memoirs, which became the basis of the Martin Scorsese film.
Critics of the film say the movie glorifies excess, and Belfort's illegal, drug-and-sex fueled lifestyle.
Jablin, a seven-term incumbent, tells Gossip Extra that Pregine shouldn't be trusted with handling Palm Beach Gardens' $63 million budget. Basically because of the man's association with Belfort.
"I did see the movie, and if only 10 percent of it is true, it's scary," Jablin told Gossip Extra. "Transparency appears to be my opponent's mantra, so I wish he came clean about everything he's done. The public deserves to know who the real Michael Peragine is."
For his part, Peragine, 38, says his friendship with Belfort, 51, started long after the events portrayed in the film, and he himself does not appear anywhere in the movie -- though Belfort does thank Peragine by name in the memoir's credits.
Peragine says he hasn't seen the film, but helped Belfort sell his memoirs from prison to a Hollywood agent.
Peragine says that his motivation for helping Belfort sell his story was to help him right the wrongs he committed.
"I figured that if I helped him get back on his feet, he'd reimburse his investors quicker," Peragine says. "I've dedicated my life to helping people, and that's what I was doing with Jordan and that's what I want to do for Palm Beach Gardens."
But Jablin seems determined to use Peragine's friendship with The Wolf as a tactic against his Republican opponent.
"I did see the movie, and if only 10 percent of it is true, it's scary," Jablin told Gossip Extra. "Transparency appears to be my opponent's mantra, so I wish he came clean about everything he's done. The public deserves to know who the real Michael Peragine is."
The Wolf of Wall Street, which was released last month, is nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for DiCaprio, and Best Supporting Actor.
It's also notorious for apparently being the movie with the word "fuck" said the most in cinematic history.
Palm Beach Gardens residents will be heading to the polls on March 11 to ultimately decide.
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