Nassie Shahoulian, a.k.a. Notorious Nastie, a.k.a. The Biscayne Roach, has a long history in South Florida’s alternative scene. He’s hosted mud wrestling, emceed Miami New Times events, and made bizarre YouTube videos, including one parodying famous singer Iggy Azalea.
He has every issue of MAD magazine from the 1950s to the ‘90s and 10,000 to 15,000 comic books. He owns almost every Playboy magazine ever published, including covers of Madonna, Dolly Parton, and even Donald Trump. Possibly the rarest is the highly sought-after (and once controversial) first edition Playboy from 1953 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover.
He also has first-press Michael Jackson vinyl, along with 25 figurines of the King of Pop and his autograph. Then there’s autographs of Jim Henson, creator of “The Muppets” as well as Miami icon and global sensation Gloria Estefan’s unique Barbie doll.
Shahoulian’s voyage to become the collector has been long and, well, winding. First, he was a club promoter, then he ran a much praised hot dog stand. Now, he’s co-owner of a local thrift store, Sir Thrifty, located at 8300 NE Second Ave., inside The Citadel, which is a food hall and neighborhood mecca.
“He’s probably got the best selection of vintage stuff there is around here” stated Nick Hassan, owner of the Citadel. “He’s family and very much a part of the culture…he’s a tastemaker and idea guy.”
Shahoulian started collecting when he was just five-years-old, gathering cans, bottles and other recyclables to earn enough money to buy his favorite toys such as Star Wars figurines and Garbage Pail Kids.
“I have a lot of toys from when I was a kid because I never opened my toys,” Shahoulian said. “I didn’t play with toys. I acquired them.”
Shahoulian says that to him, collecting is a “compulsion,” something he’s always done. “I obsess on things, so it’s good to focus them on, like, good obsessions, you know?”
He began his career as a waiter at the Hard Rock Cafe while in high school where he gained connections and gigs for his band, “The Gimmicks.” Then, he started to book other bands and promote clubs. He blended his love of pop culture with a cantankerous, charismatic and edgy persona he began calling “Notorious Nastie.” And he began wearing a roach costume, also calling himself, “Miami roach.”
Shahoulian rose in notoriety throughout his career when graffiti artists would draw him in his roach costume. His following among artists and musicians in Miami’s alternative scene grew.
“I just thought it was a funny costume,” he said, “a manifestation of Miami’s grimy club scene.”
Musician Otto von Schirach has known Shahoulian for years. He recalls their first meeting during the late ‘90s right before an Al’s Not Well show at the Hard Rock Cafe. Shahoulian had booked the gig.
“Funny story, Nassie and I met when he was kicking me out of a venue because he thought I was trying to get in without paying,” Schirach said with a small chuckle. “I was there to help out a friend.”
After meeting again eight years later, they began to work together, eventually becoming friends. They toured together in Europe and the U.S. in the early 2000s, visiting countries including Germany and playing underground raves, where Shahoulian had to stand outside in the freezing cold to sell merch.
“There were thousands of kids at these raves and the security one time was like, ‘You can’t sell your merch here,’” Schirach recalls, “Nastie was like, ‘We’re going to lose thousands of dollars.’
“So, he took all of the merch and set it up outside…there was a huge line, it was like his own bazaar.”
After returning in 2008, Shahoulian ran a hotdog stand called “Nassie’s Famous Franks” outside of Poplife, an indie dance club party that took place in Piccadilly, a venue in the Design District. The event was a staple for the alternative scene in Miami in the 2000s.
There, he served hot dogs to hungry hipster club-goers and even won a Best of Miami award from Miami New Times in 2010.
“These wieners are drunk food for cool kids,” the New Times wrote. “There’s the Maui Wowi, the Havanarama and the San Frantastic, a hippie-dippie orgy of tofu, spicy mayo, cheese and cucumber tomato salsa.”
Aramis Lorie, co-founder of the Poplife event, has worked with Shahoulian quite a bit over the past 20 years.
“When I met him, he was, like, in a punk band, right?” Lorie said. “And he would scream, and it would be a very lively show, and he would do all sorts of crazy shenanigans. He was a showman.”
The two may have started as professional friends, but according to Lorie, their friendship goes beyond just business.
“It’s weird, we work together, but I never really thought of it so much as work,” Lorie said. “It was just us trying to do cool things together. He would support some of my endeavors, and I would support some of his.”
According to Lorie, Shahoulian once was putting together a very elaborate Tony Montana puppet show, the main character from the movie “Scarface,” when he required some help.
“So he needed someone to finance his very expensive puppets,” Lorie recalled. “But it was such a funny idea that I literally just spent the most amount of money I would ever spend, probably even nowadays, on puppets. Tony Montana had this vacuum system inside where he could actually snort fake cocaine for the show.”
Lorie’s friends thought he was crazy for spending so much on such an idea, “But I had to do it. No regrets. I still think to this day it’s one of the funniest things ever,” Lorie chuckled. “[Nassie] is a talent. He’s very creative.”
Years passed and in 2021, Shahoulian pondered his many collections and decided to open Sir Thrifty during the Covid-19 pandemic. He thought it would provide a stable source of income.
“In the clubs, I’d be there until four, five o’clock in the morning,” Shahoulian chuckled. “But, you know, I’m almost 50 years old, so I like to be in bed now. I like to watch ‘The Penguin,’ and then I’ll go to sleep.”
Shahoulian says he has simply adapted and innovated his brand.
“I think I’m the only guy in Miami history to reinvent himself three times,” Shahoulian said.
He says the thrift store is the culmination of his many jobs.
“It’s not really a store, it’s more like an interactive art installation,” he said. “I’m able to enjoy my collection now with fans from all over the world.”
Earlier this year, Sir Thrifty won the Miami New Times 2024’s best thrift store award.
He tries to keep everything reasonably priced. Comic books and small memorabilia start at $5, but rare collectibles have a much higher price.
Shahoulian isn’t stopping there. He plans to open a second store in Little Haiti soon where he will host events such as open mic night and outdoor markets.
“I think people will always want to perform and engage with each other,” Shahoulian said. “It’ll be a space that’s community-activated.”
To keep up with The Roach and Sir Thrifty, follow the shop @sirthriftymiami on Instagram.
