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 11-22-10
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


Rizzolo case minutia

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
November 22, 2010

LAS VEGAS - As the United States government's case against racketeer Rick Rizzolo drags on and on and on, several questions arise.

Who is the man who claims to be paying Rizzolo's hefty legal bills? And what was Rizzolo's former topless bar, the Crazy Horse Too, really worth at the time of his questionable divorce, and the transfer of his other assets to off shore banks with the help of the brother of a federal court judge?

The man who says he's paying Rick Rizzolo's legal bills

His name is Fred Doumani. In 2004 at the peak of the real estate boom, his family sold their 5.4 acre motel on the Las Vegas Strip to Hilton Hotels for an undisclosed sum.

In 1994, Doumani joined Rick Rizzolo and Black Book member Joey Cusamano in a failed $39 million dollar bid to buy the troubled Bicycle Club casino in Southern California. At the time, Doumani was being investigated by the criminal division of the Justice Department in a case that involved organized crime interests. He was later indicted, denied wrongdoing, and was acquitted.

In 1998, Doumani sued CBS for slander, and won.

During a "Sixty Minutes" segment, correspondent Ed Bradley described Doumani as having "ties to many mob figures." However, Doumani's lawsuit contended he "is not, and has never been, associated with organized crime and has not engaged in criminal and illegal acts." In 1999, CBS settled out of court by issuing a retraction to Bradley's accusation. Anchor Leslie Stahl stated that Fred and his brother Ed Doumani had been cleared in a federal fraud case that alleged they diverted $34 million in a judgment from a lawsuit over the 1979 sale of the Tropicana Hotel.

Fred Doumani acted as his own lawyer. He's a very smart man!

Doumani was a regular fixture at the Crazy Horse Too during the years prior to its closure. He also rented a warehouse on the property.  He bragged that Rick Rizzolo was his best friend. But more interesting was Doumani's regular presence behind the counter at the Crazy Horse Too's neighboring business Allstate Auto Repair owned by Rizzolo's bitter enemy, former pro wrestler Buffalo Jim Barrier -- a man who hated bullies.

Doumani and Barrier (AmericanMafia.com photo by Mike Christ) shared a love for vintage cars.

Barrier also loved to photograph Crazy Horse Too beating victims, and send his photos to the FBI. For many years when Barrier was too busy to man his front counter, it was not unusual to see Fred Doumani with grease on his hands standing in for Barrier, taking repair orders or giving mechanical advice to customers.

Barrier is credited for bringing down Rizzolo, and the closure of his night club. But even after the Crazy Horse went dark in July 2007, Doumani remained  close to Barrier.

Buffalo Jim Barrier died under very mysterious circumstances in April 2008, the day after Fred Doumani's best friend was released from federal prison. The big man who was known for carrying a roll of $100 bills was found with a single dollar bill in his wallet.

Doumani did not attend Barrier's funeral.

Below are excerpts from Fred Doumani's deposition wherein he tells about paying Rizzolo's legal bills.



FRED DOUMANI'S FULL DEPOSITION

INFORMATION ABOUT FRED DOUMANI
 
 

The man who offered "$45 MILLION" for the Crazy Horse Too

"The City of Las Vegas subsequently revoked the liquor and/or business license of the Crazy Horse Too. At the time of the revocation, an escrow had been opened for the sale of the Crazy Horse Too in the amount of $45 million (emphasis added). The planned sale of the Crazy Horse Too reportedly failed because of the revocation of its liquor license which diminished its value. The proceeds from a forfeiture sale of the Crazy Horse Too would have been sufficient to pay the Henry's settlement, but for the Government's failure to preserve its liquor and/or business license." "For the foregoing reasons, Ms. Rizzolo would request this Honorable Court to grant her motion for summary judgment." Excerpt from Lisa Rizzolo's Motion for Summary Judgment, November 15, 2010

However, the place was nothing but a "public nuisance!"

$45 million might have been its mob value if the strip club were allowed to continue robbing and extorting its patrons as happened to Kirk Henry who was almost beaten to death in 2001 after he refused to pay a padded bar tab. But following Rizzolo and his fifteen goon's 2006 convictions, their method of operation ceased, and the profit making ability of the club and its salability fell to zero.

Enter Mike Signorelli - the "$45 Million Dollar (straw) Man."

Signorelli claimed that he didn't know Rick Rizzolo prior to being introduced by a man named Fred Doumani, Jr. (AmericanMafia.com photo by Mike Christ).

On April 18, 2007, Signorelli reluctantly appeared before the Las Vegas City Council (Mayor Oscar Goodman was forced to abstain). Fred Doumani, Jr. sat in the audience.

During the hearing when Rizzolo's attorney Jay Brown (a former law partner of Mayor Oscar Goodman) tried to convince the city to allow the club to stay open in order to preserve its "$45 million dollar" value, Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese dropped the hatchet on Signorelli's purported bid to buy the dilapidated converted warehouse next to the tracks. Signorelli didn't have the money! And Rizzolo was still running the club via cell phone from the Federal Penitentiary!

"A reasonable person could draw the conclusion that Signorelli is simply running the business for Rizzolo, who is forbidden to do so." - Sgt. Ray Alexander, L.V.M.P.D

"Mr. Signorelli may be doing his best effort to keep Rizzolo out, but it's happening anyway." "He can't run this business without being influenced by Rizzolo's people." - City Attorney Brad Jerbic

 Mike Signorelli listens to City Attorney Brad Jerbic
      (AmericanMafia.com photo by Mike Christ)
According to Jerbic, "There is a desperate willingness to keep the old regime."

As Signorelli looked on in horror, Jerbic continued: "Persons associated with Rick Rizzolo are trying to infiltrate the club."

"The former owner is bound and determined to keep people close to him employed," stated Jerbic.

Sgt. Ray Alexander of Metro Special Investigations put the last nail in the Crazy Horse coffin when he told the council that his investigation could not verify that Signorelli had secured the $45 million he said he had to purchase the club.

In the interest of public safety, the council (with the absence of Goodman) had no other choice but to shut the business down.

Here's a link to Signorelli's confidential "$45 MILLION DOLLAR" purchase agreement prepared by none other than Mayor Oscar Goodman's law partner David Chesnoff.

And here's some more background on the man who Lisa Rizzolo said had "$45 MILLION" to purchase the jinxed topless bar:

http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/11-6-06_Inside_Vegas.html

http://americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/1-22-07_Inside_Vegas.html

http://americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/4-23-07_Inside_Vegas.html

http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vegas/6-4-07_Inside_Vegas.html

But the following memo I recently received from a retired Clark County District Court Judge best puts all of the above in the proper perspective:
 
Steve: 

Great job on keeping up with the tragic soap opera of the Rizzolos in Federal Court. I suspect the response from the government and from the Henrys is that the judgment and other obligations are stand alone, independent obligations that are owed regardless of the sale.  The sale of the Crazy Horse Too was seemingly the most direct route to that objective.  The other argument I would anticipate is that the Rizzolos are the causes of the failure of the club to sell. That is, their own history of misconduct, license violations, and criminal misconduct are the root causes of the shutdown of the club.  It is a self-fulfilling prophecy and it should not now be permitted to be used as a shield to protect them from the obligations to pay what is justly owed to others. 

Name withheld by request

VIDEO:  IN MEMORY OF BUFFALO JIM BARRIER

SONG:  THE GHOST OF BUFFALO JIM

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!



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Copyright © Steve Miller


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