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 11-14-05
Inside Vegas - Steve Miller

Steve Miller is a former Las Vegas City Councilman. In 1991, the readers of the Las Vegas Review Journal voted him the "Most Effective Public Official" in Southern Nevada. Visit his website at: http://www.SteveMiller4LasVegas.com

CORRECTION to last week's INSIDE VEGAS
Judge Stewart Bell was NOT Rick Rizzolo's
defense attorney in baseball bat beating case


INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller

AmericanMafia.com
November 14, 2005

CORRECTION AND SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
 
In last week's AmericanMafia.com INSIDE VEGAS column, I incorrectly identified Clark County District Court Judge Stewart Bell as having served as Rick Rizzolo's defense attorney in the 1985 baseball bat beating of Rick Sandland. Because of my error, I have been provided court documents indicating that Judge Bell, while in private practice, was not the attorney for DEFENDANT Rizzolo, the purported owner of the Crazy Horse Too topless bar who plead guilty to battery with a baseball bat -- a felony. Judge Bell was the attorney for PLAINTIFF Sandland who later died of brain damage caused by his injuries. I sincerely apologize to Judge Bell for the error.
 
Steve Miller


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EXCERPTS FROM UNITED STATES FEDERAL COURT RECORD, August 2005:
(Bold lettering added by Steve Miller)
 
INTRODUCTION
           
Counsel for the defendant Rizzolo (Dean Patti and Tony Sgro) have now decided to seek a protective order after they improperly instructed their client not to answer questions propounded by the undersigned (Stan Hunterton, attorney for Plaintiff Kirk Henry).
 
Following the termination of the deposition, Mr. Sgro informed the undersigned that he would be departing for a vacation in Italy and would not be returning until mid-August. Accordingly, the undersigned had agreed to set plaintiffs' anticipated motion for sanctions at a time when Mr. Sgro would be in town. In the interim, however, Mr. Rizzolo's counsel has apparently awakened to the fact that it is incumbent upon the party who refuses to answer deposition questions to affirmatively seek a protective order from the Court. Mr. Rizzolo has now done so.
 
The inquiries of Rizzolo were entirely appropriate. Mr. Rizzolo claims that he suffered "embarrassment" and "harassment" because he was asked about his relationship with several high ranking members of the Chicago La Cosa Nostra crime family, known as the "outfit." While Mr. Rizzolo's relationship with organized crime figures might well be embarrassing, that is not a basis for refusing to answer questions concerning that subject in the present litigation.
 
A review of the Fifth Cause of Action clearly demonstrates that the plaintiffs have alleged Mr. Rizzolo to have conducted his business of the Crazy Horse through the threatened and actual use of violence.*  In this regard, Rizzolo was forced to admit in his deposition of July 20, 2005 that he had sustained a conviction in 1985 in relation to a beating he had administered to a Crazy Horse Too customer via a baseball bat.**
 
Another highly relevant fact is that each and every one of Rizzolo's shift managers is a convicted felon, including Robert D'Apice, who has bragged to law enforcement about his organized crime ties. Another manager, Vinny Faraci, is a known associate of the Bonnano Organized crime family and the son of a mafia captain, Johnny Faraci. Until very recently, Mr. Rizzolo also employed Rocky Lombardo, the brother of Joey "The Clown" Lombardo, the underboss of the Chicago "Outfit' who was recently indicted for multiple murders and racketeering and remains a fugitive.
 
On July 18, 2005, the day Rizzolo was ordered to appear for his deposition (later postponed at his request to the 20th), an FBI organized crime supervisor in Chicago was reported by the Chicago Tribune to have testified that Mr. Rizzolo had attended a meeting of high ranking mafia members, including Joey "The Clown" Lombardo, John "No Nose" DiFronzio, and his consigliere, Joe "The Builder" Ariddaechi. 
 
FOOTNOTES:
 
*The defendants have repeatedly attempted to have Judge Glass dismiss this cause of action. In their last attempt, Judge Glass forcefully informed them that the Fifth Cause of Action (the baseball bat attack) as styled, with Mr. Rizzolo as the named defendant, will he presented to the jury at the time of trial. (Because of Judge Glass' "forcefulness" in this case, attorney Sgro had the case transferred out of her court, and into Federal Court where the baseball bat beating became part of the public record. - SM)
**Mr. Rizzolo testified that he thought he was convicted of disorderly conduct. As previously presented to the court, Judge Stewart Bell, while in private practice, represented the brain damaged victim and has informed co-counsel that Mr. Rizzolo was originally charged with battery with a deadly weapon and thereafter pled to a reduced charge of battery.
 
(Click on images below to see actual court documents)


In the face of numerous court records showing an ongoing pattern of violence at Mr. Rizzolo's place of business; Rizzolo's ongoing relationship with several high ranking members of the Chicago La Cosa Nostra crime family; and after recently published evidence that Rick Rizzolo is a convicted felon, Mayor Oscar Goodman is again being asked to bring the club's liquor license before the city council for disciplinary action. However, in spite of overwhelming evidence, he continues to refuse to act, possibly out of loyalty to his former criminal defense clients who are suspected of having hidden ownership in the Crazy Horse, and because Goodman was once Mr. Rizzolo's criminal defense attorney.

During the 1980's, attorney Oscar Goodman was well known for charging his criminal clients a retainer of one-half-million dollars before he would take their case.

It is also suspected that Goodman will not bring the Crazy Horse before his council for license revocation action because of possible fear of retaliation from fugitive Joey "The Clown" Lombardo who is one of the suspected hidden owners, and whose brother Rocco was an executive at the club.

I would like to thank Mr. Rizzolo's quick-witted attorneys for transferring the Kirk Henry case out of District Court and into Federal Court making it possible for the discovery and initial news coverage of the previously unavailable record of the baseball bat attack, and their client's guilty plea.

Nonetheless, the Crazy Horse Too, 2476 Industrial Rd., continues to threaten the lives of its patrons, including a near fatal stabbing the week of October 27.

INSIDE VEGAS corrects mistakes. Bring errors to Steve Miller's attention @ SteveMiller4LV@aol.com.









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