It's where the glitterati visited in Miami's heyday

Many long-time Grovites knew or knew of the infamous Baron Joseph "Sepy" De Bicske Dobronyi (left) who lived in a rustic home in the Ye Little Wood neighborhood.  Sepy was a world traveler, who collected everything exotic it seemed; he made movies, was a pilot, a wine collector, sportsman, playboy, and bon vivant. "The Ekberg Bronze," one of Sepy's large bronzes sculptures of actress Anita Ekberg, was featured in the August 1956 issue of Playboy magazine, which was very fitting, since Sepy was Miami's version of Hugh Hefner.
 
Sepy passed away in May 2010 and after a long liquidation process, of his most prized possessions, his famous house, designed by Otto F.Seeler AIA, professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame, is now for sale. The house is known for it's many parties and events -- and visitors. The who's who that passed through Miami in the 1960s and 1970s came by as Sepy held court. Frank Sinatra visited when he was in town filming "Tony Rome," and part of the house was used in the movie. 1974's "Lenny," was filmed at the house and the most infamous of all movies to be filmed there was "Deep Throat," the 1972 Linda Lovelace "classic."

 
The Gabor sisters, Errol Flynn, Ernest Hemingway, Nat King Cole, John Wayne, Debbie Reynolds, Ava Gardner, Raquel Welch,  it seemed that everyone who was well-known, visited Sepy's house. If the walls could talk! I visited in the early 1980s, when I would stop by with a friend, Franco, who did business with Sepy. I was in awe of the house and I would always picture the ghosts of the past who passed through those doors.

The house was created as a backdrop for the wide array of art that Sepy owned. Because his astrological sign was Taurus, the roof of the house is in the shape of a bull’s head with two copper horns extending well past the roof. A hanging rail for paintings extends along the walls in the two-story main living area. There is a small sitting room several steps down from it. Beyond the cone-shaped copper hood on the fireplace was Sepy’s  workshop.

 
“There is truly a lot of history that goes with this magnificent property,” said Donna Zalter, realtor associate for listing agent EWM International. “This is an opportunity for a buyer to build their dream  home or renovate the existing home in the heart of Coconut Grove.”

“This home was legendary in the 1970s for the part it played in Miami’s high life,” Zalter said. “This is a chance for someone to own that history and take possession of an exceptional piece of real estate in  one of the city’s finest areas.”

The price is $1.7 million, you can reach Donna at donnazalter@hotmail.com .