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 7-2-12
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


Gag Order may squelch discussion of alleged
human trafficking of young women for
the purpose of prostitution

"Restraining Defendant GRASSO from intermeddling in Plaintiffs'
application process for a permanent liquor license"- Judge Mark R. Denton

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
July 2, 2012


  Ali and Hassan Davari                           Ross Goodman                           Michael Grasso

LAS VEGAS - In what may be a blatant violation of the First Amendment and a breach of the prior restraint doctrine, on Tuesday, June 26, Clark County District Judge Mark Denton approved attorney Ross Goodman's motion for a temporary restraining order filed by troubled strip club owners Ali and Hassan Davari against businessman Michael Grasso. The TRO is essentially a GAG ORDER to prevent Grasso from testifying before the Clark County Commission in regard to a permanent liquor license application for the Davaris to operate a second Las Vegas club called "Cover Girls" on the site of the former "Jaguars" previously owned by Mike Galardi.

Goodman told Judge Denton that he believes Grasso is about to violate a confidentiality agreement at a liquor licensing hearing that should take place within several weeks. Based on Goodman's request, and in Michael Grasso's absence, Judge Denton issued the following ORDER from his chambers:

Grasso was almost beaten to death on June 22, 2007 while visiting the Davari's Las Vegas Treasures Gentleman's Club. He sued the business for not providing a safe atmosphere for patrons. According to sources, Grasso received a confidential settlement of one million dollars with the stipulation he not make "disparaging comments" against the Davaris or their businesses for the rest of his life.

In March, 2012, Grasso became aware of a lawsuit in Houston, Texas involving another of the Davari's clubs. Two months later, Grasso found the following KHOU Channel 11 story along with several newspaper articles about the Davari's Texas troubles.
 

City, county attorneys: Treasures strip club a haven for drugs, prostitution 

by KHOU.com staff
May 16, 2012 

HOUSTON – The Harris County Attorney and the City of Houston filed a lawsuit Wednesday to have a local strip club shut down.

The lawsuit alleges that the owners, management and employees of Treasures – located in the 5600 block of Westheimer – knowingly tolerate drug activity, organized crime and the human trafficking of young women for the purpose of prostitution.

The lawsuit further alleges that the club benefits financially from its participation in illicit activities.

"The Houston Police Department has made numerous arrests for prostitution and drugs," said Houston City Attorney David Feldman. "However, the evidence of human trafficking makes this place especially abhorrent. Law enforcement efforts alone have not stopped the habitual criminal activity occurring there."

"Law enforcement officers tell us that just arresting the criminals doesn't solve the problem. When a place allows criminal acts to continue, criminals keep coming back. You must take away the habitat to fix the problem," County Attorney Vince Ryan said.

Prosecutors said there have been more than five gang-related incidents – some involving prostitution and drugs – at Treasures in the past year.

More than 30 crimes have occurred there over the past four years – evidence, the lawsuit alleges, that club owners and employees knowingly permit those acts.

City and county officials want the club to be declared a public nuisance, forcing it to close its doors.

© 2009-2012 KHOU-TV, Inc.

http://www.khou.com/news/City-county-attorneys-Treasures-strip-club-a-haven-for-drugs-prostitution-151752955.html

Additional stories about the Houston strip club:

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/news/human-traffricking-drug-activity-at-treasures-strip-club-alleged-by/article_b5e54988-9f9c-11e1-91e6-0019bb2963f4.html

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Lawsuit-seeks-to-close-Galleria-area-strip-club-3564374.php

http://news92fm.com/248393/houston-harris-county-file-suit-against-strip-club-in-hopes-of-shutting-it-down/

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8664381

Because the stories were published in mainstream media, Grasso did not feel they qualified under the terms of his settlement as "disparaging comments" made by him.

Feeling he had every right to disseminate copyrighted news stories, Grasso contacted Clark County Commissioner Steve Sysolac. Believing their conversation was confidential, Grasso reportedly expressed his concerns about the advisability of letting the Davaris expand their business in Vegas while allegedly being involved in serious crimes in Texas. He also reportedly described his own experience at Treasures in Las Vegas.

On June 14, a hearing was held in Grasso's absence. Ross Goodman told Judge Denton that Commissioner Sysolac contacted him following Grasso's phone call and divulged the content of their conversation. Goodman asked for a TRO to prevent Grasso from talking to any more commissioners or alerting Las Vegas media to the Houston stories in what Goodman described as "intermeddling" in his client's application process for a permanent liquor license.

Judge Denton agreed, and on June 26, issued the order silencing Grasso.

Ross Goodman is the son of former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and current Mayor Carolyn Goodman, a family known for their political clout.

Five years ago, Michael Grasso first learned of Las Vegas' incestuous brand of justice:  “On the night of June 22, 2007, I got beaten. I was knocked unconscious. I was cut up badly. It was a brutal attack. A guy bumped into me and even after I apologized he cursed me out. Then I remember nothing but the clubs’ employees told me they pulled four guys off me. They were over 6-feet and weighed over 200 pounds and said they were fighters and trainers. Apparently they'd been thrown out of Treasures twice before but the club said they snuck back in to reclaim their cell-phones.”


Grasso sued Treasures and his assailants. His lawsuit ended up in the court of then-Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass. Two of Grasso's assailants were represented by criminal defense attorney Steve Wolfson who is Judge Glass' husband and was then a member of the Las Vegas City Council.

While sitting in for another judge, Judge Glass dismissed all charges against her husband's clients. Her action resulted in a complaint filed with the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline.

Judge Glass resigned from the bench soon after learning of the Judicial Discipline complaint to become the host of the ill-fated TV program "Swift Justice with Jackie Glass." The show was canceled because of low ratings. Glass is planning to resume her Las Vegas law practice. In January 2012, Steve Wolfson was elected to replace David Roger as Clark County District Attorney. Roger also had generous friends in the adult entertainment industry.

.
                      Jackie Glass                                                 Oscar Goodman and Steve Wolfson

In April 2012, Jacqueline R. Holloway, Director of the Clark County Department of Business License, granted the Davaris a "Temporary" license to operate their new club. She did so without a public hearing -- an unprecedented action for a topless bar.

Michael Grasso has moved out of the Las Vegas area.

At press time, a public hearing on the Davari's permanent license application has not been scheduled but is expected to be announced soon. Had Grasso not been silenced, he was expected to attend the hearing to submit the Texas news articles without personal comment.

Inspired by the audacity of the gag order, I took it upon myself to share the restrained news articles with each member of the Clark County Commission and the Special Investigations Unit of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who are investigating the Davari's suitability for another liquor license.

Based on my personal experience on a liquor licensing board (the Las Vegas City Council), I fully expect the LVMPD to issue "Areas of Concern" with the Davari's application and trigger a public hearing so citizens other than Michael Grasso can express their concerns and submit updated Texas news articles.

Houston's alleged human trafficking, drug activity, and organized crime should not be politically allowed to spill over into Las Vegas.

MORE INFORMATION:

Another strip club beating goes unpunished.
Thugs hire City Councilman as their lawyer.
Mayor's lawyer-son hired by strip club.
Police request prosecution, but DA
refuses to cooperate -- again!

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
May 11, 2009

http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/5-11-09_Inside_Vegas.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

District Judge Jackie Glass Resigns In Middle
of Judicial Discipline Commission Probe

Evidence indicates she squelched criminal charges
against defendants represented by her husband,
then stopped a state probe of her actions by
resigning from the bench and taking a job
on CBS TV as judge on "Swift Justice"

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
May 30, 2011

http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/5-31-11_Inside_Vegas.html

(Editor's Note: This column has been distributed to all members of the Clark County Commission, and investigators with the LVMPD Special Investigations Section.)
 



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