When you’ve worked at a famous strip club like Mons Venus in Tampa for three decades, you’ve surely seen it all. Or at least, Mons’ veteran doorman Manny Resto thought he’d seen it all before Sunday, March 19. At approximately 1:15 am, Michael Rudman, 44, drove his silver truck to Mons Venus in Tampa, exited his vehicle wearing a red and black devil mask, and walked quickly to the club’s front door. With the words “kill” and “darkk one” on his arms — one carrying a flashlight, the other brandishing a gun — Rudman was about to step through the door when Resto grabbed his arm and began wrestling with the would-be shooter.
On the video below, you can see the entire encounter, including the moment when Resto saw the man and the firearm and immediately engaged him.
During the incident, a single round from Rudman’s gun struck Mons’ front door, though thankfully no one was injured. It doesn’t seem a stretch to say that Resto is a hero, and likely prevented a mass shooting (note: Resto is a previous nominee for ED’s Employee of the Year Award). When Tampa Police officers arrived on the scene, they found additional ammunition, knives, and firearm accessories in Rudman’s truck. They also found two fully loaded magazines in his pocket. Rudman was noticed at Mons the previous evening (potentially “casing” the club).
“There is no question that the security guards who disarmed this suspect saved dozens of lives through their heroic acts, and I am thankful that our officers were able to take this individual into custody before he had the chance to carry out whatever he had planned,” said Interim Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. “We will continue to actively and thoroughly investigate this case to get a better understanding of what led up to this thwarted incident.”
Rudman is in jail and being held without bond.
