"I've got to go play," he says, ushering his guest to the door. He was a subject of ongoing federal investigations into organized crime in the city and was suspected of being an organized crime boss. They led him down the street, bloodied and looking like someone happy to be arrested. Sam found his way to the federal pen in 1988 for skimming profits from topless bars in Arizona. Frank Colacurcio Jr - Stratford, Connecticut, United States Colacurcio Jr. was fed up with the zoning laws and the city council not listening to his business's pleas. He was behind bars for a total of about six years on separate convictions. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. ", If its so bad that she reports it, Jane said, it's "because Ive been hurt or Im scared.". In June 2008, the FBI, IRS and local police raided the then-90-year-old Colacurcio's home and other . The Stripper King | Seattle Weekly "I don't think I did anything that would deliberately hurt anyone.". best 10mm semi auto rifle. He was released from prison in 2013, and entered the strip club industry again in 2014. He got three years. A year later, a grand jury indicted Colacurcio; his son, Frank Colacurcio Jr.; and four associates involved in operating four Western Washington strip clubs. During a 197O trial, in which Colacurcio was found guilty of assaulting a former bartender who was a police agent, a detective testified that the nightclub operator also was being investigated for vice, narcotics, dangerous drugs, assaults and prostitution. The following fin . Every night, a dancer has to pay the club house rent. Hello, and welcome to Strippergate 101, a history lesson. Frank was among those accused of heading up a shakedown operation in which hed extort money from other bar operators, then kick back part of it to the cops. The key to a good business, he says, is consistency. SEATTLE - The son of longtime Seattle strip club mogul Frank Colacurcio Sr. agreed to spend a year in prison and turn over $1.3 million Friday in a plea deal with federal prosecutors - likely . She uses that freedom to advocate loudly for what dancers need. Prosecutor and now-retired U.S. Sen. Brock Adams threatened him with prison for contempt. Levy contributed $600 to Jim Compton on April 18, 2002; the moratorium was passed on April 22, 2002. He had to have the honor. In fact, he credits the trouble with making the good times seem better. In 2003, a criminal investigation began in Seattle known as " Strippergate " focusing on strip clubs owned by Frank Colacurcio, Sr. and his son, Frank Colacurcio Jr. Back rent is an industry-wide issue. In his 1974 federal court tax-evasion trial, Colacurcio conceded he had interests in a number of establishments but said he often kept his interests secret to avoid being denied liquor licenses by the state Liquor Control Board. Colacurcio house for sale again, this time with a price break For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorneys Office, at (206) 553-4110. For less than a million dollars, you can own the home of deceased organized crime boss, Frank Colacurcio. In a split second, Frank was out the door, long steel rod in hand. "I did not know what they were. The King County prosecutor at the time determined that Wills was naive and there was no wrong-doing on her part. But even with that knowledge, he got snared again. Seattle's Crime Boss: Mafia Malarkey -- Or Was It? But in 2003, when the council voted on the zoning issue again, it passed 5-4, thanks in part to three Seattle city council members: Judy Nicastro, Jim Compton, and Heidi Wills, who collectively had received $36,000 in their campaign coffers from the Colacurcios and people connected to them. He dropped out of school before completing the eighth grade and started a produce-hauling business. She also didn't "explain why at least $8,455 from Colacurcio-connected campaign donors did not raise concerns in her mind until after weeks of media scrutiny," the Weekly wrote. Rick's, Rosellini, Racketeering, and "Carnal Knowledge". In 1981, Junior testified as a hostile government witness "I look at Frank Colacurcio as my dad, my friend and a very special person." Which he did. More than half a century later, having achieved geriatric gangster status, amassing several million dollars from his nude- and topless-dancing operations, and with his wife of 36 years bailing out on him, Frank grabbed this other girl, 18, fondling and then offering her $500 to go to bed with him. Not surprising, Frank and his busy cash registers caught the eye of authorities. The way they do it is by finding another reason to fire a dancer, she explained. 1995: Sent to federal prison for two years after violating probation by fondling a woman applying for a job at one of his clubs. I feel [that] Frankie-if he had to run it and his father wasnt around-I dont think hes capable of doing it. All except Frank Sr. reached plea deals with the government resulting in his four remaining clubs being . Frank Colacurcio Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2 However, as Barnett and Feit wrote, Strippergate could not be talked about without talking about the moratorium, which many outlets were ignoring: In the wake of Strippergateand in the context of a questionable moratoriumit's clear the public and press have a hypocritical view of strip clubs. Some in law enforcement believe Colacurcio's time in prison opened the door to competition, and today the Detroit-based Deja Vu chain has the edge on the number of local strip clubs. I doubt they want to out themselves as having been in a strip club and having been accused of bad behavior.. 2003 epilogue: Frank Colacurcio Sr. was eventually released from prison, is retired, lives in Seattle, and fishes in Alaska regularly. Frank Colacurcio, the eldest of nine children, was born to Italian immigrant farmers on June 18, 1917. The gas station and the car wash next door, owned by Albert D. Rosellini, the former Washington state governorand the lawyer who had represented Colacurcio Sr. on a rape charge back in the 40shad a strip of parking to spare. Amid all the consternation and conflicting accounts, Wills then lost her 2003 re-election campaign. When questioned about the meeting, Frank Colacurcio replied with I went to Yakima to pick hot peppers, but I didnt pick no bananas.[4] The mention of bananas was a reference to the Bonnano family, which was involved in an internal war referred to by the media as the "Banana Wars". I would ask better questions next time. The few female reporters who encountered him then had a less kindly view: Frank was lecherous, even dangerous-drawbacks that male writers tended to overlook during happy hour. The woman said Frank first asked her to go home and cuddle and be lovey, then kissed her and offered her money. "The donations were a way to get their attention. [5], In the 1950s, Colacurcio entered the jukebox, cigarette, and vending machine businesses. After a 1991 guilty plea to tax fraud and the end of his 36-year-year marriage to Jackie Colacurcio about the same time, he and his son, Frank Colacurcio Jr . In consideration of Franks perceived dotage, a judge gave him just 30 months and a $10,000 fine; Frankie got three years, with all but six months suspended, and was fined $10,000. Was a guy. So that would be mitigated and it seemed like a no-brainer to me.". Other Colacurcio brothers had run-ins with the law. SEATTLE - The son of Seattle strip club mogul Frank Colacurcio Sr. has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of racketeering conspiracy. Owner of 1-800-DRIVEWAY in the 203 area code. . While the council members who got embroiled in Strippergate were absolved of any criminal liability, the Colacurcio donations, while the biggest, were not the first they'd received from strip club owners. Three rows behind her sat Frank Colacurcio, Jr., a friend of Dadi's and onetime heir . It is up to you, depending on your conduct, to ensure there is no sequel. Judge Jones observed that COLACURCIO, JR. was on the radar screen of the government, and the judge noted that prosecutors would not hesitate to ask that COLACURCIO, JR. be sent back to prison if he violated the terms of his supervised release. He was self-employed for many years. He did four years, got out in 1985, and went right back at it, hiding his interests through frontmen and continuing to pocket untaxed profits. She tries to make it to every meeting. Former Councilmember Mike OBrien referred her to Working Washington which jumpstarted this whole thing. ", The North Seattle Star, Media Hypocrisy, and Life Experience. Rick's owners face civil charges As president of his dads company and combined interests, Talents West and Huns Entertainment of Seattle, Frank Jr. finds himself facing the same nagging problems as Frank Sr.: cops, moralists, probation officers, and zoning laws. There was no guarantee that they would vote for or against it.". . plate heat exchanger sizing software. One of his attorneys, John Wolfe, told a federal judge last year that Franks Mafia links were local myth: I mean, there is a lot of folklore about this gentleman. But hey, Franks a macho guy. Wills had received money from Forbes as well as Levy, the Colacurcios' lawyer, since 2001 according to a Stranger report by Barnett and former news editor Josh Feit: Like clockwork, in April or May, folks in Seattle's strip club industrylike Rick's owner Frank Colacurcio Jr., Colacurcio Jr.'s attorney Gilbert Levy, and longtime porn industry player Roger Forbes (identified in city Ethics & Elections records as president of Dej Vu's bookkeeper, Consolidated Bookkeeping, until November 2002)make donations. If he gets out of prison alive this time, Id be surprised. The club was slated for demolition after following guilty pleas by the other members of the board -- identified in the lawsuit as Frank Colacurcio Jr., Frank Colacurcio Sr.'s nephew Leroy Richard Christiansen, longtime associate David Carl Ebert and Steven Michael Fueston, manager of a Tacoma club also closed through the plea. "I have no way of knowing," he says. Colacurcio Jr. pled guilty in 2011. Frank, meanwhile, was working on another regular appearance behind bars. The trucking business was so good he took on a partner and set up an office at Western Avenue and Madison Street in Seattle. For decades, his name conjured up a seamy underworld of handshake deals, bare-breasted women and bundles of cash. Take the night in San Francisco, a story never before told publicly, when he hung that fella out the window. Having too much back rent is an easy excuse to fire a dancer. Frank never appeared in D.C. but settled the assault charge by posting a peace bond-an old-time legal procedure that allowed him to put up $5,000 and promise not to hurt anyone for six months, or lose his money. He dresses in golf shirts and a simple gold chain and drives a used Lincoln worth $1,500. And even the road to that progress is difficult for dancers who see these improvements, while necessary, as merely scratching the surface in an industry that many are desperate to change in bigger, more sweeping ways. It is unaltered from its original form. The Colacurcio Bros. Amusement Co. (Frank, Bill, and other brother Sam), was rumored to be strong-arming customers and sabotaging rivals. Allegiance: Seattle crime family: Francis Colacurcio Sr. (June 18, 1917 - July 2, 2010) . She was frustrated. With money earned from these businesses, Colacurcio started investing in bars, restaurants, and clubs. For example, Levy contributed $600 to Heidi Wills on April 27, 2001; the moratorium was renewed on April 30, 2001. Suddenly, the glass in the door shattered and flew into the club. In depositions, Colacurcio has said he often had $100,000 in cash on hand. They havent even decided which panic buttons to use (Cole and Jane both want a button that triggers flashing lights) or where to place the buttons. "I never pay attention," he says every time he's asked. I dont want them to feel like they cant speak.. (At a 1985 legislative hearing on crime in New Mexico, a federal investigator testified that Franks gang then numbered about 50 throughout the West and was behind an assortment of topless-related enterprises.). In 2005, both Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. were indicted, but in February 2006 the judge . He was always good for a quote about government prosecutors wasting their time on him instead of real criminals and would surround himself with naked women during in-club chats. "And they say theres no greater teacher than experience.". USDOJ: US Attorney's Office - WAW Last month, she was the only dancer who showed up in person. The bill was enacted last summer. "In adult entertainment, the beat goes on.". Not a good move for an old con on parole. Colacurcio strongly denied it. Frank then put the rod down against his side, bootlegging it as two beat cops walked up. I do understand that retaliation threat, Cole told me, I understand completely. "The majority of the attention we got wasn't deserved.". One day were sitting in the lobby of the Lake Quinault Lodge, by a big fireplace, talking business, says a former employee. Exactly how much the family and its associates reaped in profits over the years remains a mystery. Under the terms of the plea agreement, FRANK COLACURCIO, JR., and the . Theyll try to make sure they rack up a lot of back rent and are in debt to the club, Jane said. That dancer over there, he said, pointing to a topless woman writhing under amber-colored lights on a mirrored stage, thats a guy. The corporations and three of the individual defendantsLeroy Richard Christiansen, 68, of Seattle, Washington, David Carl Ebert, 62, of Monroe, Washington and Steven Michael Fueston, 62, of Tacoma, Washingtonare barred from operating any adult entertainment business in Washington State for the next five years. He says his one indulgence is his boat, a 38-foot Bertram called 4PLAY, worth about $80,000. Frank Kinney, who tracked the Colacurcios and their associates for years but was never able to deal the blow that would knock them out. Media attention became rampant. Frank Colacurcio Sr., the strip-club magnate whose organized-crime exploits covered more than half a century and coincided with Seattle's history of police corruption and reform, died Friday. (A longtime Colacurcio associate recalls there were three pre-operative transsexuals or transvestites who danced as women at Franks clubs. Among . The 1991 conviction, his fourth, brought his running total at that point to nine years in stir the past two decades, and 11 years since 1943. asks a longtime Seattle detective. Frank Colacurcio, Sr. died in June 2010, still under indictment for the RICO conspiracy. We bantered one night over the pulsing music at the Nitelite on Second Avenue, epicenter of the Talents West topless-dance empire (in trouble with the liquor board, Frank had the place put in the name of one of his sisters). Where he resides today. Nicholas Furfaro a.k.a "Nick" - Nightclub manager, known member since 1963 and high ranking member. I feel like Frankie, if he had to run it and his father wasn't around, I don't think he's capable of doing it.". Under the terms of Colacurcio Jr.'s plea agreement, he will be sentenced to a year and a day in prison. ", Im a little concerned [about retaliation], Orwall told me. That manifested in a bill that accomplished four main things: putting panic buttons in VIP rooms, implementing a customer blacklist for bad actors, creating a mandatory training for dancers to complete, and establishing an adult entertainer advisory committee. There has only been one rule-making meeting so far. Anders said Colacurcio Jr.'s then-wife, Teena Colacurcio Hines, collected two $600 checks for Wills' campaign from her sister and her sister's boss, and were reimbursed by Hines. Though requirements of his probation ordered him to stay away from the topless business, Frank nonetheless had an office in the agency, witnesses say, complete with some of his infamous press clips on the wall. In 1991, Frank Sr. and Frankie were back in court. The Shoreline building was sold at auction in 2011 and has remained vacant. "How do you define criminal?" Not all clubs use back rent, according to Frank Colacurcio Jr. (Yes, that Frank Colacurcio Jr. ), whothough banned from running strip clubs in Washingtonis a consultant for Kittens Cabaret. Lives Lost, Lives Ruined, Lives Changed - Butcher Baker "We've always been very close; he's always given me advice on everything," he says. "[7] The investigation focused on Frank Sr, Frank Jr., and former Washington Governor Albert Rosellini for bribing members of the Seattle City Council. Oftentimes, thats through back rent. ", First of all, Jane told me, I think if someone is blacklisted from a club they would be embarrassed to sue the clubmost of our customers are married men. He spied on the girls, on the office help, watching people have sex. In the 1950s, Frank Colacurcio began operating cigarette and jukebox vending machines in the Seattle area. The city needs an experienced council member, Wills said. The Colacurcio family owned strip clubs all over Washington and nine other states; Frank Sr. had been convicted on charges of racketeering, prostitution, filing false tax returns, and carnal knowledge (for having sex with an underage girl); Frank Jr. had been convicted of racketeering conspiracy; and in general the family was pissed whenever the media called them the mob or mob-adjacent. I freaked out, she said. Frank Francis Jr. is called Frankie. After release from prison in 1985 for tax evasion, he continued to receive consulting fees from Huns Inc., one of the corporations that runs adult-entertainment clubs. In the early 1990s, Colacurcio pleaded guilty to tax fraud at strip clubs he ran in Alaska and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Later, while out on parole, Colacurcio was convicted of fondling a woman applying for a job at one of his clubs. It was the site of Franks first major criminal mistake-getting caught-leading to a federal prison term and spurring a Bellevue law forbidding nude dancing in or near residential areas. Frank Colacurcio - Wikipedia A federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges FRANK COLACURCIO, SR, his son FRANK COLACURCIO, JR, and four of their close associates with a Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization . The indictment follows the restraining order filed . He complained the feds had it in for him, and they did. Franks home today is the federal correctional institution in Bastrop Texas, 30 miles out of Austin, built in 1979, holding 900 inmates whose average age is 37. Frank appealed his conviction, and in the meantime, in 1974, was found guilty in a second tax evasion case. Crime family based in Seattle, Washington, Frank Colacurcio Sr., Seattle's legendary organized-crime figure, dies at 93, Everett strip club a front for brothel, feds say, Strip club sting foreshadows possible federal charges, Colacurcio Sr., five others indicted on a charge of conspiracy and racketeering, "Frank Colacurcio Jr. gets prison term, $1.3M fine", "Frank Colacurcio Jr. Dads legacy to son, thus, was that Babes dancers last year had to keep some of their clothes on. But there have been several meetings with the adult entertainment advisory committee. Frank Jr. and the old mans associates operate a half-dozen strip joints in King and Pierce counties and most recently have opened, or tried to open, clubs in Kent and the Eastside-Papagayos Cantina in Overlake and Babes in Factoria. The government will receive payment equal to the appraised value of Honeys, and the building has been bulldozed. He stroked it like a golf club on the customers head and back. His prison time, mostly spent reading westerns, did him some good, he reasons. Its one of those wood-burl tables, for sale for $600. (She got the Lincoln, the $350,000 house in Kitsap County, stocks, and other property. In 1957,[2] he was subpoenaed to testify before the U.S. Senate Rackets Committee. He violated his terms in one fell swoop in May 1995-grabbing, kissing, and propositioning a teenager he was interviewing for a topless job. The office featured an exceptionally large, handsome desk at which Frank sat proudly. Robert Payton a.k.a "Bobby" - Right-hand man of Frank Sr. In 2005, both Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. were indicted, but in February 2006 the judge dismissed the charges. He was 25 at the time and worked as a truck driver, hauling fruits and vegetables from local farms to wholesale distributors. Bill went on to New Orleans where he was convicted in the 1980s for racketeering. [4] The vending machine businesses became important to organized crime figures who easily skimmed money. His son, Frank Colacurcio Jr., also pleaded guilty. That was his deal, he didnt trust anyone. Frank was breaking up with laughter when the unknowing politico raced up to the bar and ordered more drinks for me and my girl. Colacurcio crime family - GangsterBB.NET He was a subject of ongoing federal investigations into organized crime in the city and was suspected of being an organized crime boss. Frank Colacurcio Jr. I understand that they played the tape for him one day and he suddenly felt too old to seek re-election. He received this advice from Rick's attorney Gilbert H. Levy, who was friends with and received guidance from Rossellini, according to the Seattle Weekly. The pay can be good, $100 a day and up to $300 on a great day, mostly in tips. Seattle Times staff reporter Louis T. Corsaletti contributed to this report. Rather than marry, hed do the time, and did: two years for carnal knowledge. Was Former Seattle Family Part of Official Mafia? Shira Cole has been out of the dancing business for three years. According to Jane, in the months after the bill was passed, she spent a night consoling a 19-year-old dancer who had been assaulted in a VIP room. Nathalie Graham reported on city hall for, Supreme Court Ruling Could Allow Washington to Tax the Rich, How Washington Plans to Fix the Behavioral Health Crisis, Ambitious Housing Reform Has a Real Shot This Year. "He gives me advice on what shoes to wear.". A paranoid voyeur, Frank liked to keep an eye on things around the clubs. He liked the setting, the quiet. Frank Colacurcio Jr, son of the Boss of the Colacurcio Criminal Org/Family (Seattle). Besides nude dancing and doing time, their common interests apparently include a longing for females. I dont remember his name, says a friend of Colacurcios, but the guy had made off with funds from the state Democratic Party. PDF The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission in The Maiters of Frank [8], On June 30, 2009, Frank Sr., Frank Jr., and four associates were indicted by a federal grand jury on racketeering and other charges stemming from years-long investigations into allegations of prostitution and money laundering. That conviction was reversed on appeal. "Quasi-judicial rules are really important," Wills said. The View from Frank Jr. It is headed to Gov. But hell, hes Frank fuckin Colacurcio, the comeback kid. . The Colacurcio name still reverberates in the cash-rich world of nude women three decades after Colacurcio and his brothers, William and Sam, started a jukebox business. Frank Colacurcio Jr. agreed to a one-year prison . Pending cases. FBI Strip Club Mogul and Associates Indicted for RICO Conspiracy FRANK COLACURCIO JR, 48, and corporate defendant MM MR RM CORPORATION were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for conspiracy to commit RICORacketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations. Colacurcio's only son, whom everyone calls Frankie, pleaded guilty in the same 1991 case that prohibited his father from working in the business. So were talking, and this woman comes up and starts looking at the coffee table between us. In front of us, a big man began drunkenly banging on the door, tired of waiting. One issue that was a common thread through all of those articles: Strippergate. Frankie holds down the Lake City fort of Talents West, Franks longtime dancer-recruiting agency where girls looking for waitressing jobs usually wind up disrobing for male customers in nudie joints. The attention began in 1943. Frank said they werent fighting fair. A federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges FRANK COLACURCIO, SR, his son FRANK COLACURCIO, JR, and four of their close associates with a Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) scheme to promote prostitution at the strip clubs they operate in the greater Seattle area. He says he plays cards, dabbles in real estate and gives advice to his son and other associates who run the strip joints. The indictment further details how credit card machines and ATMs were used to facilitate the prostitution and how the proceeds of prostitution were laundered through various bank accounts. Strip club mogul's son pleads guilty | The Spokesman-Review Hadn't they made the inroads to prevent this? A former owner, Frank Colacurcio Sr., 93, died weeks later while the federal prosecution was underway. Nightlife figure and nightspot owner were the euphemisms of the day in a town historically disregarded by big-time organized crime (except as a quiet spot for East Coast witness-protection mobsters to hide out). Since the divorce settlement, ex-wife Jackie Colacurcio has lived in a modest bayfront home in Poulsbo, trying to avoid the spotlight. [10] He was sentenced in September to a year in jail and fined $1.3 million.[10][11]. Yet he is consistently vague about how many dancers he employs and how many clubs he runs. In 1991, Frank Sr. and Frankie were back in court. In the 1950s, Colacurcio and his brother Bill were distributing vending, slot, pinball and cigarette machines. Colacurcio Family, Seattle - GangsterBB.NET "It takes a lot for them to say, 'This guy is out of line,' because were trying to make money. schneider funeral home mt vernon in obituaries frank colacurcio construction. He attended Bullard Havens Technical School. Colacurcio: No Regrets -- `I'll Never Be Retired Retired. Not Until I'm Crime family based in Seattle, Washington. ), A lot of the dancers who are on the advisory committee are afraid to go in person to the meetings, Jane, a dancer in downtown Seattle told me. Frankies plea bargain in the 1991 case allowed him to continue running the current six topless clubs (neither he nor anyone at Talents West returned calls or would comment for this story). Hey Frank, one said with a smile and a wave, standing over the battered, near-comatose man, this guy giving you trouble? "Dancers tolerate a lot of bad behavior," Jane said. The strip clubs run by this organization, Rick's in Seattle, Fox's in Parkland, Pierce . He knows that doing time goes with the work, says a friend, although, the odd thing is, I think he could have gotten just as rich doing it all legit. The training has to be done by July so they havent really allotted any other time for other issues, Cole said. In 2003, law enforcement launched a criminal investigation in the Seattle area known as "Strippergate. Seattle, it turns out, has a storied and very puritanical past when it comes to strip clubs, and The Stranger had a wealth of articles on the subject for me to dig into. I talked with Frank Colacurcio Jr. to see what he recalled from the 16-year-old event. The extent of Colacurcio's involvement in the nightclub industry may never be known. This is where the women are. The audio quality is often too terrible to even contribute meaningfully, Jane said. In declining health, Colacurcio died at the age of 93 of heart failure, on July 2, 2010, at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle;[1] he was buried at Acacia Memorial Park in Lake Forest Park.
How To Return Smile Direct Club Impression Kit Uk, When Do Angela And Hodgins Get Back Together, Yarn Harlot Plain Vanilla Sock Pattern, Why Did People Revolt Against The Valois Family, Articles F