If so, most of the supposed victims came from outside South Florida, with a concentration in Naples, Indiana and Chicago.

Five creditors list Coral Springs addresses, and there a few from Miami-Dade County. Most individual claims are for less than $500,000, though 27 are for more than $1 million and a few top the $8 million mark.

No one has suggested Shapiro's prominent acquaintances had any connection to the alleged Ponzi scheme -- including as investors.

None are listed as creditors in various bankruptcy filings that appear to list a significant number of alleged victims.

It's unclear how Shapiro came to know O'Neal or Wade, or the extent of his relationship with them.

A source close to Wade said he and Shapiro got to know each other when Wade rented a Miami Beach house for seven months from a woman a lawyer familiar with the case said was dating the single Shapiro.

"Because of that, [Wade] had been on his yacht a couple of times, " the source said. "I think Dwyane considered him an acquaintance, not a friend."

Tisha Kresler, Wade spokeswoman, said Wade did not receive any gifts from Shapiro or invest any money with him.

"Dwyane was just as shocked as anyone else to find out" about Shapiro, Kresler said.

Shapiro was at least a social acquaintance of Chief Noriega and past members of the Miami Beach police brass at a time when O'Neal volunteered for the department and was friendly with top officers, according to police records and a union representative.

"He was hanging out with [former chief] Don De Lucca, " said Miami Beach Det. Gustavo Sanchez, a vice president for the Fraternal Order of Police union representing city officers. "That was his big connection in the department"

In announcing charges against Shapiro last week, prosecutors said he used "stolen funds" to purchase diamond-studded handcuffs that he gave as a gift to a "prominent professional athlete."

Meyer, the sports handicapper, said Shapiro boasted of giving the cuffs to O'Neal as a birthday present. "He was invited to Shaq's birthday, " Meyer said.

Meyer said Shapiro described socializing with O'Neal, Wade and other Heat players.

"The Heat guys used his boat, " Meyer said. "He called Dwyane Wade in front of me several times because I didn't believe him.'

Wade declined to be interviewed. A spokeswoman for the Cleveland Cavaliers did not respond to an inquiry Friday requesting comment from O'Neal, now a player on that team. Former Chief De Lucca also did not respond to an e-mail sent to the consulting firm that lists him as an executive.

In an e-mailed statement, the Miami Beach Police Department described Shapiro as an "acquaintance" of Noriega's "no different than that of the thousands of residents, business owners, and community members he comes into contact with as part of his daily duties" as chief.

Police spokesman Wayne Jones described one social encounter last year between the two that brought Shapiro to a favorite haunt -- Prime 112, South Beach's top steak house and a regular stop for O'Neal and other top athletes.

That night, Noriega was scheduled to meet Holder there after his department assisted with Holder's security detail during the attorney general's visit. At one point, Shapiro came over to Holder's table and had himself photographed with him, Jones said.

Afterward, Noriega joined Shapiro's table for dinner, Jones said.

The chief and Shapiro were sharing a meal at David's Cafe on Lincoln Road on July 31 when Shapiro's cellphone rang. On the other end: an angry Gary Arzt allegedly threatening to "put a bullet in you, " according to a police report on the incident.

Det. Sanchez, the union officer, was dispatched to the July 31 incident and wrote the report.

Arzt, a 69-year-old Miami Beach retiree, said Saturday he was trying to get Shapiro to stop bothering a University of Miami student who Shapiro had hired and then fired as a personal assistant. "It wasn't a real threat, " Arzt said, adding he didn't threaten to shoot Shapiro. "Normally I would indicate I would hire someone who would break their legs."

Shapiro did not file charges against Arzt. He told Sanchez that the student, who did not play football, owed him $12,000 for wrecking Shapiro's car.

According to the report, Arzt did not pause when Shapiro said the Miami Beach police chief could hear. "We're gonna kick your face in, " Arzt allegedly said, according to the report. "I don't give a [hoot] who's listening