FLO: Hustle & Flo: The US Marines Bring Us to Roma, Italy

FLO & Jonesy!

234th US Marine Corps Birthday Ball

Rome, Italy

So earlier this year in April I was contacted by a Marine from the US Embassy in Rome who inquired about having Jonesy & I come to Rome to DJ an event. The details were scarce and brief. I was told that we would not know much details with the event except that the event would have be hosted by the US Marine Corps in Rome involving top ranking military and political personnel, including US and foreign ambassadors and diplomats. The long distance phone call ended when the Marine told me that further information regarding the event would be kept confidential, and that I would be contacted by the Marines close to the event date with our further itinerary.

Months go by and I sent a few emails pertaining to this inquiry, only to have a couple emails return to me again with very brief repeated details. As the week before the event was set to take place I realized that I had absolutely no new information. No flight details, no hotel details, not even the actual date of the event was confirmed. I became anxious and kept telling Jonesy, “Hey, I think we may be going to Rome later this week, but I really have no confirmation, just be ready to go to Rome.” Jonesy responds (as he always responds), “alright, cool, just let me know.”

Thursday September 29^th I woke up and saw that I had been emailed a travel insurance confirmation by a random company and instantly called the company up, pissed that somehow my credit card may have been incorrectly charged. The operator said,

“Hey are you sure that you aren’t in the military because the charge is from a military credit card.”

I said, “where is the flight to?’

He responds, “Rome, leaving this Tuesday.”

As these tickets were mysteriously purchased, days tick away and still no emails or phone calls from the Military, just two plane tickets in our names. With no information, literally two hours before we leave to JFK Airport I get a phone call from a Marine, it’s Corporal Costa, who proceeds to confirm and explain our itinerary and ‘objectives’ for our trip.

Corporal Costa:

Hi FLO. At 0800 tomorrow morning at Leonardo Da Vinci Airport our driver will pick you up. He will be in a white armored Chevy Suburban, where you will then be brought to your hotel, and then to the US Embassy to meet your contact personal. You will be given a detailed schedule of events.

As we arrive in Rome, the Suburban is waiting there along with Corporal Costa who hands me an official document sealed by the US Marines. It turns out the event we were DJ’ing was the 234^th Marine Corps Birthday Ball, a prestigious annual event that is heavily focused on US foreign diplomatic relations. The guests of honor would be the US Ambassador David Thorne, along with the Roman Ambassador, a diplomat from the Vatica, the Venezuelan Ambassador, 25 year US Infantry general Lieutenant Colonel Todd Desgrosseilliers, and a mess of other military and political guests.

The day of the event we arrived at this extremely exquisite Italian banquet hall. So lavish, it literally reminded me of a wing of the Sistine Chapel. Upon entry all of our equipment was scanned for bombs by the K-9 Unit of the Italian Polizia. Jonesy and I went through an intense run through of the Marines detachment ceremony with the highly decorated 26yr. LieutenantColonel Justin Wisdom where we were to DJ the sound cue’s and military songs as the LtCol. would shout out ceremonial commands. It was very intense practice session, as during the actual ceremony we would be performing this ceremony in front of the entire audience including an honoring to the US and Roman Ambassadors along with 10 other honorary Military. As a lot of power was in the building, nothing could go wrong. The US Military excepts nothing but flawless execution, event with their DJ’s for real!

Jonesy and I were sweating at the palms as the detachment ceremony took place, but we nailed it FLAWLESSLY!

During cocktail hour, guests entered wearing their finest ballroom attire. Women were in elaborate lace and crystal encrusted gowns and dresses and the men were either in their respective decorated uniform or fit for the black tie event. It was totally international baller status, elite military and political personal from many countries all dressed up so formally was culturally awakening it its own reich. In the mix of attendees was John Kerry’s wife, the oldest Secret Service officer in the United States, and a bunch of sexy italiano honnies whom I tried to spit my Italiano game, and proceeded fail.

As the 5 course meal went underway, and the bottles of Vino kept emptying out, the attendees became looser and looser. As the guests soaked in the early warm vibes 10pm we had some solid dance floor action (and that’s all it takes to get it poppin). By 10:30pm it was snowball effect, and we had the floor JUMMMMPPPINNNN.

The Kid Jonesy! and I did what we do… rip it on the decks, NYC status. It became out show, we made it our show.We had Marines break dancing, diplomats boogie-ing, wife’s vogue-ing and foreign relations officers grinding with younger honey-dips. The scene became a colorful mess of social sophisticates acting ridiculous; the upper crust of the culture rocking the F* out.

1am hit and the floor was absolutely bombed, the Marine officer grabbed the mic and yelled to the audience “do you want to keep partying!?”… and instantly ball was extended for an extra hour until 2am as the audience cheered for an encore. Jonesy handed me a mug of Jagermiester and we all ripped shots.

…Mission Complete.

Big Shouts to the US Marine’s! Big Thank You to the honorary Corporal Costa

Other notable things we in Rome, Italy:

*Got stuck in a hail storm in the Colosseum:

*Walked around the entire city @ 2am in search of internet to watch the Yankees win the World Series (which we never did find and settled for Italian hotel softcore stripper porno):