The Rizzolos ordered to pay Kirk Henry $2.2 million
of $3 million received for the Philly Crazy Horse Too
"Rick Rizzolo shall not take any action to hinder the payments of the funds."
Will Kim Tran Rizzolo be allowed to keep the $789,000.00 balance?
Will Rick Rizzolo get a job as a tour guide at the Mob Museum?

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
October 31, 2011

LAS VEGAS - A Federal Judge on October 27, 2011 filed a three page ORDER (excerpts below) requiring Vegas racketeer Rick Rizzolo to pay back a beating victim over $2.2 million dollars Rizzolo and his family received for their share of a Philadelphia strip club.

                                                                        (Click on image to view full ORDER)

Rizzolo and 16 others in 2005 pleaded guilty to racketeering involving the beating and robbing of dozens of Las Vegas Crazy Horse Too customers. One of the victims, Kirk Henry (left) of Olathe, Kansas, in 2001 suffered a broken neck resulting in quadriplegia when he protested a padded bar tab. Henry sued the Rizzolos which inspired an FBI investigation resulting in indictments against Rizzolo and his goons. Rick plea bargained agreeing to pay $9 million in restitution to Henry in exchange for a shortened prison sentence. Rizzolo served less than a year, then reneged on his agreement. Ten years after his beating, Henry had yet to be paid until recent events inspired the court to drop the gavel on Rizzolo.

For Rizzolo's refusal to man up to his legal obligations, he was re-sentenced on July 19, 2011 to nine additional months in Federal Prison and two more years of parole for numerous violations of his conditions of supervised release.

Through investigations paid for by Kirk Henry, it was learned that Rizzolo in 2008 sold his one third interest in the Philadelphia Crazy Horse Too to auto dealer Vince Piazza for $3 million dollars. An initial payment of $789,000.00 was secretly transferred to Rizzolo's late father Bart.

Henry's attorneys also learned of another payment of $465,864.19 that Rizzolo was scheduled to receive from Piazza. The money was transferred on August 16, 2011 to Henry's trust account after his attorneys filed a Motion in U.S. Federal Court to bring Piazza up on Contempt of Court charges if he withheld the money from Henry against court orders.

The remaining $1,745,136.00 was to be secretly paid in payments over a three year period to Rick's off shore "Lions Limited Partnership" account held by his ex-wife Lisa, but will now go to Kirk Henry. All that's left is the $789,000.00 transferred to Bart Rizzolo now being claimed by his widow Kim Tran Rizzolo.

It will be up to United States Federal Judge Philip Pro to rule on a lawsuit filed by Henry against Kim Tran to determine whether she can keep the $789,000.00 already in her possession. Kim Tran's only stated defense is that; "Any harm allegedly suffered by Plaintiff was caused by its own actions," and, "Any harm allegedly suffered by Plaintiff was caused by persons, firms or corporations other than Defendant," i.e., she did not personally break Henry's neck, so she's entitled to keep the money.

With the most recent Federal Court ORDER in hand, Henry's attorneys are expected to prevail in court against Kim Tran and collect the Philadelphia money she's stashed, then go after Lisa Rizzolo's off shore accounts for the rest of what is estimated to be over $10 million including interest still owed to Henry.

Judge Pro paved the way for Henry to collect his money from Lisa's off shore accounts when he issued SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF SUPERVISION including #9: "You shall move to the United States the location and management of all Trust Accounts in which you (Rick Rizzolo) hold an interest directly or indirectly as a beneficiary."

After Henry is paid, and unless a deal is made with the IRS, according to the FINAL ORDER of FORFEITURE (#242) entered on October 15, 2008, the IRS is expected to step in next to collect: "The restitution of US $1,734,000.00 plus accruals to the IRS; The fines of US $750,000.00 plus interest; The forfeiture of US $4,250,000.00 plus interest; The IRS tax lien against Rick Rizzolo for the 2006 individual income taxes of US $1,032,535.26 plus accruals."

These financial hits along with the out of control legal fees Rick, Lisa, and Kim Tran Rizzolo have paid and continue paying to try to keep their ill-gotten loot, may soon render the family middle-class Vegas citizens, that's unless Rick has millions in cash stashed in Strip casino cages. For years Rick has been known as a "whale" (million dollar line of credit), and the IRS and Henry's attorneys are aware of his gambling addiction. His casino cage safety deposit boxes, a place where many whales are known to hoard their cash, may soon become fair game for Henry followed by the IRS while Rick sits out of touch in prison awaiting his June 12, 2012 release.

After his release, a much poorer Rick will continue serving his extended parole through 2014. During this period, he's required to find a job outside the casino and adult entertainment industry.

Long-time Las Vegans are suggesting that Rick apply for a job as tour guide at the Las Vegas Mob Museum, or a job as tour guide for the Vegas Mob Tour.

The Mob Museum was conceived by Rizzolo's friend and former mob lawyer ex-LV Mayor Oscar Goodman. It will be located in downtown and is scheduled to open in February. The Vegas Mob Tour is a two and a half hour bus tour that reveals the sordid history of Las Vegas.

These jobs won't pay as much as robbery and extortion at the Crazy Horse Too, but they'll exploit Rick's natural talents while providing a boost to the local economy.

(Editor's note: The links Steve provides in this week's column are especially interesting.)