A Southwest Florida restaurateur and his cousin are dead after the motorcycle they were riding overturned on a stretch of Tennessee road known for its curves.
Mariano Luis Maldonado, 55, of Fort Myers, owner of El Gaucho Inca in Estero, and his cousin, Eduardo Falcone, 59, also of Fort Myers, were riding a Harley-Davidson Trike southbound on Highway 129, a notoriously dangerous section of roadway called "The Tail of the Dragon."
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said that while negotiating a sharp right curve, Falcone, who was driving, couldn't keep the trike in its lane, veered off the roadway, and hit an embankment before coming to rest partially in the northbound lane of travel.
Maldonado and Falcone died from their injuries. Troopers said both men were wearing helmets at the time of the crash
The Patrol is investigating the Tuesday, May 19 crash.
The roadway where the crash took place is considered as a legendary 11-mile stretch of US 129 featuring 318 curves. It runs between Deals Gap at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line and Tabcat Creek Bridge in Tennessee.
The section is also known as an accident haven with troopers saying there have been 18 crashes on the road just since April of this year — 10 with injuries — with many others likely not reported.
Despite that reputation, the road has become a popular and well-traveled route for motorcyclists, both two and three-wheeled versions, sports cars, regular tourists and others in a variety of vehicles.
About Maldonado and Falcone
According to Maldonado's obituary, he arrived in Florida from Argentina in 1996. His passion for cooking led him and his wife Rocio Navarrete to open El Gaucho Inca in Fort Myers in 2011, and the Estero site in 2020. The restaurant was known for a creative fusion of traditional Argentinian, Peruvian, and Italian cuisines.
Falcone was born in Chicago but later lived for a time in Argentina. He worked as a Realtor in Southwest Florida.
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