Sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of two obscenely wealthy neighbors whose outsized bank accounts can’t buy a peaceful co-existence in one of America’s highest-priced ZIP Codes.
On one side, there’s Pimco’s retired bond billionaire Bill Gross and his $1-million outdoor sculpture. On the other, tech entrepreneur Mark Towfiq, who claims Gross’s 22-foot long installation and protective netting are blocking his multimillion-dollar Laguna Beach, Calif., view.
According to the Los Angeles Times, this squabble is just another in a long line of bitter standoffs leading to multiple legal actions and police calls to the pair of Orange County mansions.
In one funny twist, though it’s rather doubtful that Towfiq and his wife are laughing, Gross’s efforts to torment his neighbors allegedly included blaring the theme song to “Gilligan’s Island” on loop.
In case you can’t remember that little ditty, here it is:
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The artwork that inspired Gross to allegedly assault the ears of his neighbors features swimming marlins inspired by Japanese fishing floats, stretches nearly 10 feet high and lights up at night. The artist behind the blown-glass work, Dale Chihuly, also created the famous ceiling art at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, the Times reported. Gross put up the netting to protect the piece after it was damaged, he claimed, by a thrown rock. In a lawsuit, he said it cost $50,000 to repair. Towfiq, in return, said it was damaged by something falling on it.
In lawsuit of his own against Gross, Towfiq and his wife claimed that they have had to take refuge twice in either a hotel room or with relatives to escape the music from next door. And in an application for a temporary restraining order, Towfiq cited a text message allegedly sent to him by Gross: “Peace on all fronts or well [sic] just have nightly concerts big boy.”
The list of grievances between the two sides goes on and on, but it’s the whole “Gilligan’s Island” episode that struck a chord on social media:
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