The Florida mansion featured in Scarface is listed for $237 million; its 2.38-acre waterfront estate was once part of Richard Nixon’s Winter White House retreat
A waterfront property in Key Biscayne, Florida, has two rather different claims to fame.
A waterfront property in Key Biscayne, Florida, has two rather different claims to fame. It appeared in the 1983 crime film Scarface as the home of drug dealer Frank Lopez, a character played by Robert Loggia, and the wider estate was once associated with President Richard Nixon’s winter retreat. Fox News reported the residence is being offered for $237 million, placing it among the most expensive properties on the market. Set on 2.38 acres at 485 W. Matheson Drive, the mansion combines a cinematic past with extensive Biscayne Bay frontage, a private marina and a helipad linked to its presidential history. Inside, the house retains a glass elevator familiar to viewers of the film.Inside the Scarface mansion listed for $237 million in Key Biscayne, FloridaThe property became part of Hollywood history through Scarface, the crime drama directed by Brian De Palma and released in 1983. Al Pacino played Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who rises through Miami’s criminal underworld, while Michelle Pfeiffer appeared as Elvira Hancock. The mansion, however, portrayed the residence of Frank Lopez, a drug dealer whose position in Montana’s world changes as the story unfolds.Located at 485 W. Matheson Drive, the house was built in the early 1980s. Its connection to the film remains visible in the interior, particularly the glass elevator that featured in scenes from the production. The residence has since become associated with one of the best-known locations from the film, giving the property an identity that extends beyond its architecture and waterfront setting.The $237 million asking price reflects the scale of the estate and its location, alongside its unusual history. The property occupies 2.38 acres in Key Biscayne, an island community south of central Miami, with views across Biscayne Bay towards the city skyline.A waterfront home with room for extensive entertainingReportedly, the mansion measures approximately 13,000 square feet and contains five bedrooms, with a gym that can be converted into a sixth. There are more than seven bathrooms, while large windows bring views of the bay into the main living areas. The open-plan interior includes the glass elevator that links the house's levels and remains one of its most recognisable features.Outside, the estate has 862 feet of direct Biscayne Bay frontage. Its private marina provides space for large yachts, adding a substantial boating facility to the property. The combination of open water, skyline views and dedicated mooring space gives the grounds a different character from a conventional urban mansion.The pool area provides another space for outdoor entertaining, while the property's size allows the house and its waterfront facilities to sit within a sizeable private plot. At this price level, the listing is selling access to the bay as much as the residence itself.How the Key Biscayne estate became linked to Richard Nixon’s Winter White HouseThe mansion's history reaches beyond its role in Scarface. The site was once part of a larger compound used by Richard Nixon as his so-called Winter White House, a name given to locations where the president spent time away from Washington during his administration.Nixon made frequent visits to Florida during his presidency, and the wider Key Biscayne retreat was used for both relaxation and official business. The estate's former presidential helipad is among the features associated with that history. Its presence offers a reminder of the property's earlier role, when the surrounding grounds formed part of a setting used by a sitting US president.The listing identifies the property as having belonged to the larger retreat, rather than suggesting that every part of the present-day residence served as Nixon's personal living quarters. Its history is tied to the broader site and the use of the grounds during his time in office.How the Scarface filming location became part of Hollywood historyFor Scarface fans, the house offers a physical connection to a film that has remained prominent in popular culture for more than four decades. Pacino's portrayal of Tony Montana helped make the production a lasting reference point for crime cinema, with its visual style, dialogue and characters continuing to be recognised well beyond its original release.The mansion's appearance in the film gives prospective buyers an additional point of interest, although its scale and waterfront position are substantial features in their own right. Unlike a property whose screen history survives only through photographs or a commemorative plaque, this residence still contains a recognisable element from its time on camera: the glass elevator.The film was not universally acclaimed when it first appeared, but its reputation grew over time. The Key Biscayne house has become part of that legacy, linking a real estate listing to a particular period in Hollywood filmmaking and to the story of a fictional Miami crime boss.The $237 million listingThe property is being marketed by Jill Eber and Judy Zeder of The Jills Zeder Group at Coldwell Banker Realty. Its asking price is $237 million, attached to a home that combines a substantial waterfront position with a Hollywood association and a connection to American presidential history.The estate's appeal rests on several distinct features. There is the 13,000-square-foot residence, the extensive bay frontage and private marina, as well as the glass elevator that appeared in Scarface. Its association with Nixon's former winter retreat adds another layer to the property's background.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
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