The elder Colacurcio pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income-tax returns in 1984. Theyll try to make sure they rack up a lot of back rent and are in debt to the club, Jane said. Washingtons COVID-19 exposure notification app is scheduled to conclude May 11 in tandem with the end of the Public Health. The moratorium gave Seattle's existing strip clubs "a lock on the market" and "a competitive lock on the dancers," according to Stranger reporting from the time. Furfaro asked the court for mercy: Dont make him quit, he said, hes too old. Each year, the council reviewed the moratorium. He finds him in a hotel room and, five stories up, opens the window and holds the guy out over the street by his neck. Charges were never filed, but when rival operators claimed the brothers threatened them with bodily harm if they didn't join the Colacurcio Bros. Amusement Co., the Seattle City Council refused to renew William Colacurcio's operating license. In front of us, a big man began drunkenly banging on the door, tired of waiting. After her conversation with Rossellini, Wills showed up at the Land Use Committee, which she was not a member of, and cast a key vote in favor of the re-zone. Suddenly, the glass in the door shattered and flew into the club. Colacurcio strongly denied it. They sized up their odds, took a deep breath, and pleaded guilty. 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 extent of Colacurcio's involvement in the nightclub industry may never be known. "Not until I'm in the grave.". Two of Franks other brothers, Patrick and Daniel, also pleaded guilty to criminal charges connected to the Phoenix and Tucson topless operations. Sam found his way to the federal pen in 1988 for skimming profits from topless bars in Arizona. Frank Colacurcio Obituary - Monroe, CT - Dignity Memorial The first time, 1943, Frank was 25 and the girl, 16. Business was too good and they couldn't fit all their patrons in their lot. Frankie lives with his wife and 14-year-old daughter in Arlington, Snohomish County, drives a 1991 Corvette and collects muscle cars as a hobby. They dont want management to see them there and retaliate against them, myself included.. [10] On July 2, 2010, boss Frank Colacurcio, Sr. died at the age of 93. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Tessa Gorman. With money earned from these businesses, Colacurcio started investing in bars, restaurants, and clubs. The government seized the properties, including Sugar's, in 2010. The audio quality is often too terrible to even contribute meaningfully, Jane said. Sudden sharp pain under right rib cage when bending over Amid all the consternation and conflicting accounts, Wills then lost her 2003 re-election campaign. Says the associate today: I told Frank to let me buy this round. Thanks to a host of associates, Colacurcio was often able to remain a silent partner in the clubs. The assets of the Colacurcio organization were frozen by the government in June 2008 following a two-year investigation. Hello, and welcome to Strippergate 101, a history lesson. I talked with Frank Colacurcio Jr. to see what he recalled from the 16-year-old event. That must have put a crimp in those father-son picnics. Seattle crime family. Frank quit school in the eighth grade and became a truck farmer. Francis Colacurcio Sr. (June 18, 1917 - July 2, 2010) [1] was an American mobster and boss of the Seattle crime family known for running strip clubs in Seattle, Washington. Cant remember if he got the operation or is gonna get it. That mentality seemed to be at play in a much larger issue: A strip club moratorium that had been in place since 1988. 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.[5] In 2008, local police and federal agents raided Colacurcio's home and business. The charges were dismissed against Colacurcio Sr. after his death. Not a good move for an old con on parole. The key to this case: testimony by Gilbert Pauole, the manager of one of the Alaska nightclubs, who is now in the witness-protection program. Sentencing in suitcase murders | Podcast, King County Councilmember proposes regional ban on public drug use, King County Crisis Care Levy passing in first election results, Washingtons COVID-19 exposure notification app to end May 11, Firearms scheme leads to federal charges | King County Crime Dive. 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. Still, after all the money Colacurcio earned - his 1993 divorce records listed more than $2 million in assets - he hardly lives in luxury. Cole would like to make it illegal. Forbes contributed $600 to Wills in the spring of 2001. In Seattle, thats already pretty expensive, from $120 to $180 depending on the club and how many nights a dancer is scheduled to work. For example, Levy contributed $600 to Heidi Wills on April 27, 2001; the moratorium was renewed on April 30, 2001. 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. Besides, Frank was colorful. The folklore that I remember growing up here in Seattle is that this was organized crime, if you will, and Mr. Colacurcio has no history suggesting that; there is no history of violence, there is no history of witness intimidation, there is no history of narcotics trafficking. Frank Colacurcio Jr. "I never pay attention," he says every time he's asked. 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. Theres still quite a road ahead. That is a source of outrage to some and frustration to others. The indictments alleged Colacurcio Sr . Kinney believes the Colacurcios have no connection to East Coast crime families but are "their own variant of organized crime" - a notion Colacurcio has long scoffed at. Frank was breaking up with laughter when the unknowing politico raced up to the bar and ordered more drinks for me and my girl. Writers liked him. Colacurcio Strip Club Associate Files Suit | Seattle Met Indeed. His prison time, mostly spent reading westerns, did him some good, he reasons. 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. The doors of Ricks, Sugars, Honeys, and Foxs will finally be closed for good, prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. He had peepholes everywhere, says one of Franks ex-bartenders. "The majority of the attention we got wasn't deserved.". But hell, hes Frank fuckin Colacurcio, the comeback kid. I'm not going to accuse every doofus who slaps my ass because Im trying to make a profit. I talked with Frank Colacurcio Jr. to see what he recalled from the 16-year-old event. Seattle's Crime Boss: Mafia Malarkey -- Or Was It? 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. In 1988, Sam pleaded guilty to profit skimming, Daniel pleaded guilty to obstructing an investigation by providing false information to investigators and prosecutors, and Patrick Colacurcio pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking in stolen property, all related to the operation of topless bars in Arizona. Jay Inslee for his expected signing. "How do you define criminal?" | Learn more about Frank Colacurcio Jr's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn. [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. Many of them written by Erica C. Barnett. Frank Colacurcio. ", According to legal documents, property records and what can be extracted from his memory, Frankie is connected to Sugar's, Honey's, Rick's, Fox's, Papagayo's and Babe's dance clubs. Now banished to the sidelines by the terms of his probation for a tax-fraud conviction, Seattle's former topless-dance king, now nearing 80, is not allowed to work for or even frequent the adult-entertainment clubs he once ruled. I was among those who talked with Colacurcio back in his more expansive days. I keep saying that Id like to talk about other issues, but theres not enough time, Cole said. Frank Colacurcio, the eldest of nine children, was born to Italian immigrant farmers on June 18, 1917. He got to keep the Rolex, the $400,000 home with an indoor pool at Sheridan Beach, and two other properties worth another $400,000. "It takes a lot for them to say, 'This guy is out of line,' because were trying to make money. Son Frankie and his associates paid $1.8 million for the Papagayos property three years ago, and Frank himself is listed in court papers as worth at least $2 million, some of which he split with his wife during a 1993-94 divorce. Where he resides today. Seattle crime family - Wikipedia SEATTLE - The son of Seattle strip club mogul Frank Colacurcio Sr. has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of racketeering conspiracy. Frank Kinney, who tracked the Colacurcios and their associates for years but was never able to deal the blow that would knock them out. ), Despite his nearly lifelong battles with the law and local crusaders, Franks empire thrives. Frank F. Colacurcio Sr. (1917-2010) - Find a Grave Memorial If a dancer doesnt make enough to pay off the house rent, they basically get an IOU from the club, an amount that the manager on duty sets seemingly arbitrarily. In the end, crime never pays, and the results of this investigation prove that.. Colacurcio says he doesn't spend much time wondering how things might have been. Frank Colacurcio, Jr. Pleads Guilty in Strip Club Case Colacurcio, Jr I waited in line with two friends-both female-outside the popular Nitelite, often crowded beyond capacity. And, Colacurcio was supposed to have met with the son of New York mob boss Joseph Bonanno. 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. 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. "The donations were a way to get their attention. Ameduri said that L&I is working to improve this. His income has been estimated at $800,000 to $1 million a year. "Any politician, I dont care how large or how small, takes more of an interest in people who are donating than people who are not," Colacurcio Jr. said. Colacurcio Jr. was convicted of tax . July 2, 2010. Hadn't they made the inroads to prevent this? A paranoid voyeur, Frank liked to keep an eye on things around the clubs. Strippergate 101: Everything You Need to Know About a City Council He's been banned from working in the adult entertainment industry for life and said he is currently a "consultant" for a strip club called Kittens Cabaret in Georgetown. She was frustrated. Strippergate (Seattle) and Related Topics - hyperleap.com By 1962, Colacurcio had an interest in several bars, restaurants or nightclubs, including a beer garden at the World's Fair, and had brought topless dancing to Seattle. 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. Out of the spotlight for several years, the Colacurcio name has resurfaced in recent weeks with the opening of two adult-entertainment clubs, Papagayo's in Bellevue's Overlake area and Babe's in that city's Factoria neighborhood. I do understand that retaliation threat, Cole told me, I understand completely. L&I cannot do an inspection unless a complaint has been filed, according to Rep. Tina Orwall, who sponsored the bill last year. Under the terms of Colacurcio Jr.'s plea agreement, he will be sentenced to a year and a day in prison. He didnt, however, figure out how to avoid getting caught at it or, whenever he got out of stir, how not to go back to the female commodity business. The bill was enacted last summer. (She got the Lincoln, the $350,000 house in Kitsap County, stocks, and other property. The Colacurcios wanted to expand Rick's north Seattle parking lot. He was a subject of ongoing federal investigations into organized crime in the city and was suspected of being an organized crime boss. He was 93. Frank didnt have a high regard for women; between the first assault in the 1940s and the last in the 1990s, there were myriad dancers, girlfriends, and prostitutes with Franks pawprints all over them, former employees say. Jane said that the clubs are worried theyll get sued by customers. For less than a million dollars, you can own the home of deceased organized crime boss, Frank Colacurcio. ", 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. Back rent is an industry-wide issue. And despite his highly publicized trials and convictions, Franks sentences havent been necessarily harsh-he got only 30 months in prison and five years probation for the 1991 conviction because the judge figured Frank was a harmless old man. The story of Frank Colacurcio, the Bellevue boy who built a notorious nightlife empire. "At some point, the issue was brought up that no ones going to look at [the lot]," Colacurcio Jr. said, declining to say who told him this. The Shoreline building was sold at auction in 2011 and has remained vacant. Frank Colacurcio Obituary (1949 - 2020) - Newtown, CT - Connecticut Post "We've always been very close; he's always given me advice on everything," he says. When Will Seattle Get Police Alternatives? "Because in my opinion, he's the one that has all the authority," she said in a deposition. That's been my one drawback. Colacurcio was indicted last year along with his son, Frank Jr., and several associates. . This was a big disappointment to the head of the party, who was Franks old friend. 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. PDF The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission in The Maiters of Frank The judge politely refused; after all, how would it look for a probation officer to be supervising the boss of a nudie joint? That conviction was reversed on appeal. Sixteen years after "Strippergate" helped cost her a city council seat, Heidi Wills is running for council again. 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. Wills was fined $1,500 for not disclosing her Rossellini meeting on the record. [5], In the 1950s, Colacurcio entered the jukebox, cigarette, and vending machine businesses. 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. (However, most dont show up at the monthly meetings. Although Colacurcio never testified, Committee Counsel Robert F. Kennedy did question him about his alleged racketeering activities in Seattle. facts management parent login. Allegiance: Seattle crime family: Francis Colacurcio Sr. (June 18, 1917 - July 2, 2010) . Frank Colacurcio Sr. Frank Colacurcio Sr., longtime resident of Newtown, Connecticut, passed away on September 28, 2020 at the age of 70. . Frankie pleaded guilty in 1991 to the felony charge of tax fraud but, like his father, says it was a setup. ), 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. The city had turned down the rezoning application for the parking spots twice before 2003, once in 1989 and once in 1998. For Jane, she would feel much more comfortable advocating for herself and her fellow dancers by saying these kinds of things in meetings if she knew there would be no professional ramifications. ", If its so bad that she reports it, Jane said, it's "because Ive been hurt or Im scared.". Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "I don't break the law, but who knows? (A longtime Colacurcio associate recalls there were three pre-operative transsexuals or transvestites who danced as women at Franks clubs. He was self-employed for many years. [4] In the 1960s, Colacurcio opened topless clubs in Seattle and skimmed money. In a manner that history has not publicly recorded, the farm business evolved into a coin-operated machine business. Under the terms of the plea agreement, FRANK COLACURCIO, JR., and the . I dont remember his name, says a friend of Colacurcios, but the guy had made off with funds from the state Democratic Party. Frank Colacurcio Jr, son of the Boss of the Colacurcio - Reddit They only meet once a month for three to four hours. gs, conclusions and a eements will be bin' upon the Parties, th . He was 93. I would ask better questions next time. Back when I was working, I couldnt even talk to anybody about [these issues], I was so afraid that I would get fired. [1], In the 1960s, Colacurcio acquired more interests in restaurants and nightclubs. Frank Colacurcio Jr, son of the Boss of the Colacurcio Criminal Org/Family (Seattle). She sits down and rubs it and pokes around and starts asking about it. "I've never done anything wrong," he says, quickly adding, "Does that include traffic violations? asks a longtime Seattle detective. Seattle newspapers were never quite sure what to call Frank. . ", "He said that the neighbors didnt want to see additional parking because they didnt like the strip club that had been there for ages," Wills said, "and that he would erectsorry for the play on wordsa large barrier to prevent noise and other altercations from being visible to the surrounding neighbors, and that they would hire a parking lot attendant. Frank Colacurcio Jr. a.k.a "Frankie" - Son of Frank Sr. She tries to make it to every meeting. 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. Contact Us- Overview- Territory/Jurisdiction, News and Outreach - Press Room|Stories- In Your Community- Multimedia: Podcasts | Videos, About Us- Our People & Capabilities- What We Investigate- Our Partnerships- Seattle History, This content has been reproduced from its. The following fin . ", Nathalie Graham reported on city hall for. Every night, a dancer has to pay the club house rent. At the time Strippergate had happened, Wills had been a city council member for five years. Two Colacurcios face charges over 'Strippergate' The strip clubs run by this organization include Ricks in Seattle, Foxs in Parkland, Pierce County, Honeys in Everett and Sugars in Shoreline. Wills also did not disclose that she had met with Rossellini before the vote. This story originally was published by Seattle Weekly sibling Eastsideweek on July 10, 1996. 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. Media attention became rampant. FBI Strip Club Mogul and Associates Indicted for RICO Conspiracy Hiring agency director and high ranking member of family. "Quasi-judicial rules are really important," Wills said. "I've never been an extravagant person," he says, quickly adding, "I have what I desire.". Members of the conspiracy were indicted in June 2009. In court, the judge looked down and saw a much younger Frank this time. As part of his plea agreement, FRANK COLACURCIO, JR. is barred from participating in any adult entertainment enterprise in the State of Washington for the three year term of supervised release which will follow his prison sentence. His appeal on the first tax conviction failed, however, and Frank went off to the federal lockup. The government will receive payment equal to the appraised value of Honeys, and the building has been bulldozed. The office featured an exceptionally large, handsome desk at which Frank sat proudly. You light the fuse and then just slap the cap onto the underside of the machine and walk out. But that's the extent of his "mob connections." Last year, strippers (also called dancers) organized with Working Washington to get their concerns about the industrya highly regulated mess that has created a virtual monopoly in the stateheard by legislators. 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. But, back to Strippergate. "Some people would call it extravagant," the younger Colacurcio says of his lifestyle. Frank Colacurcio, Sr. died in June 2010, still under indictment for the RICO conspiracy. She uses that freedom to advocate loudly for what dancers need. A lingering mystery of those long-ago probes has been a tape recording confiscated by U.S. agents from Bill Colacurcios house and said to be prime evidence of corruption by a top Seattle city official. "[7] The investigation focused on Frank Sr, Frank Jr., and former Washington Governor Albert Rosellini for bribing members of the Seattle City Council. 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. It was Junior's testimony which landed Frank and his son, Frank, Jr. in federal prison for two and a half years on plea bargain to charges of tax fraud. So Frank goes to work and tracks the guy down in San Francisco. . He got three years. Frankie doesn't deny that he often turns to his father for advice. Other Colacurcio brothers had run-ins with the law. If passed, the property tax levy will help fund behavioral health infrastructure in the region. Its one of those wood-burl tables, for sale for $600. But hey, Franks a macho guy. 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. As Frankie put it a while back to a Seattle Times reporter, discussing his six-month tour of duty in the federal system, It didnt bug me that much except you dont have women, which is horrible. 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. Frank Colacurcio Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2
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