Columnist's home
possible target of political pay back
Eminent Domain disaster narrowly
averted,
and Steve Miller takes it
personally
INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
April 27, 2009
Secret NDOT Design
Drawing showing new road through INSIDE VEGAS columnist's home
LAS VEGAS - Last Saturday was a typical
spring day in my quiet suburban neighborhood less than a mile west of the
bustling Las Vegas Strip. I was across the street visiting with a neighbor
when a very upset middle aged woman approached us. In her hand was an 11
by 17 inch glossy NDOT Design Concept showing a portion of the city of
Las Vegas. The official paper was obliquely titled "Nevada Department of
Transportation I-15 RESORT CORRIDOR ALTERNATIVE 'A.'" She said
she'd just learned that her home in the adjacent Rancho Sereno neighborhood
was under threat of being taken by Eminent Domain for a new city street
leading to the Palace Station, a neighborhood casino that recently filed
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Upon close examination, I discovered that
the NDOT generated document included a bold orange line drawn directly
through the lady's home and twenty five more on her street, and through
my home and four others located in the vintage Rancho De Monaco
neighborhood to the east. Attached to the drawing was a public notice telling
of a hearing to take place the following Tuesday -- just two days away.
This was the first time any of my neighbors
including several attorneys and the owner of a engineering company that
does business with City, County, and NDOT had heard of the plan. We were
flabbergasted?
Having personally served a four year term
as a Clark County Regional Transportation Commissioner, I keep up on this
sort of thing, but my neighbors and I had obviously been kept in the dark
about the imminent "Interchange and Arterial Improvement" plan. However,
being familiar with the normal governmental process that emphasizes transparency
and public participation -- and since neither had occurred -- I took
immediate action and produced the following flier that was hand delivered
to my neighbors and media informing them for the first time of the draconian
plan.
ATTENTION!
Westlund Drive, El Camino Ave., &
Lourdes Ave. homeowners
Our beautiful homes are under threat
of Eminent Domain seizure!
A public hearing is scheduled for 6 PM
Tuesday at the LV Valley Water District conference room on West Charleston
and Valley View to hear the City of Las Vegas and Nevada Department of
Transportation's proposal to destroy Rancho De Monaco and Rancho Sereno
in order to construct an interconnect between Rancho Dr. and Teddy Dr.
Please attend this meeting and express
your outrage.
Thank you,
Steve Miller
Former Ward One LV City Councilman
Former Clark County Regional Transportation
Commissioner
30 year resident of Rancho De Monaco |
Included with my flier was an assessor's
parcel map showing the 30+ threatened homes.
I also attached two AmericanMafia.com INSIDE
VEGAS columns telling of a similar NDOT Eminent Domain threat made against
Allstate Auto, the business owned by the late Buffalo
Jim Barrier. His garage was standing in the way of the expansion of
politically connected racketeer Rick Rizzolo's topless bar the Crazy Horse
Too.
I included NDOT's 2003 design drawing (below)
showing a custom designed driveway going directly through Barrier's business.
My columns identified Tony Letizia as the Program Development Manager in
charge of the questionable project -- coincidentally the same NDOT official
in charge of this latest threat against my neighborhood. Because
he was to be one of the hosts of Tuesday's neighborhood meeting, and based
on his history with the Crazy Horse driveway scheme, I could hardly wait
to publicly challenge him on his latest proposal!
Secret 2003 NDOT Design Drawing of access
improvements for topless bar including
dedicated left turn lane with traffic
signal and island
I helped Barrier in 2003 to speak out and
stop the illegal taking of his leasehold. Now it appeared
my chickens
had come home to roost, and it was time to speak out again -- and quick!
So on Sunday, I notified hundreds of my neighbors that their homes in our
vintage neighborhoods may get bulldozed. To Mr. Letizia's dismay,
these were the columns that accompanied my public notice:
Hypocrisy - Sin City Style
Connecting the Dots
INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
March 24, 2003
For example; maybe
its just a coincidence, but Tom Letizia's cousin Tony Letizia is the Nevada
Transportation Department's (NDOT) program development manager in Southern
Nevada. NDOT has recently proposed the taking of Buffalo Jim Barrier's
leaseholds by eminent domain to make way for Rizzolo to expand his (topless
bar) business. NDOT has also proposed an expensive - tax funded - signalization
system and dedicated left turn lane into the yet-to-be approved expanded
Crazy Horse. Barrier
in 1976, moved into the industrial center where the Crazy Horse later located.
Since moving in next to Barrier in 1984, Rizzolo has failed in several
court attempts to remove Barrier to make way for expansion. Now it appears
he wants the government to do the deed.
When asked if his
department was involved in the proposed eminent domain taking, Tony Letizia
answered, "Number one, I don't know who Frederick Rizzolo is nor have I
ever met or heard of him. Two, although I work for NDOT, I am unaware of
a proposed project to provide access to a business. Three, Tom Letizia
is my cousin not my nephew who I've not spoken to in years."
URL:http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vegas/3-24-03_Inside_Vegas.html
Be Careful What You Ask
For
You might just get it!
INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
July 3, 2006
At their depositions, (Barrier's attorney
Gus) Flangas asked Tony Letizia about his cousin Tom Letizia who handles
the advertising for the Crazy Horse, and is Mayor Goodman's campaign manager,
fund raiser, and advisor. Flangas inquired whether Tony had been influenced
in any way to help his cousin's two clients? Flangas also asked (former
City of Las Vegas Public Works Director Richard) Goecke if he had been
ordered by Mayor Goodman or Councilman
McDonald to design the driveway in such a way as to ruin Barrier's
business? Both denied the allegations, but must have gotten the hint.
By the fact that Letizia and Goecke were
the only public officials deposed, it was made clear that if Barrier is
somehow removed by the city to make way for the expansion of a topless
bar, he's going to sue those public officials who he considers co-conspirators
to put him out of business. According to Nevada legal precedent, former
and present public officials can be named as defendants in their individual
capacities in civil suits, and have to pay their own legal fees.
URL: http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vegas/7-3-06_Inside_Vegas.html
NDOT official Tony Letizia's cousin Tom
owns the Public Relations and Advertising firm that represented the Crazy
Horse Too in 2003 when Rizzolo wanted Barrier's business removed by the
state. The January
28, 2003 LV Review-Journal confirmed the relationship
when they wrote: "Tom Letizia, advertising executive who represents Crazy
Horse...."
Tom
Letizia (right) also works for Mayor Oscar Goodman (left) who as a private
attorney defended Rick Rizzolo in an attempted murder case. At the time,
Goodman was famous for requiring a one-half million dollar retainer from
his criminal clients.
Tom Letizia is the son in law of Fred Glusman
the owner of Piero's in Las Vegas and the Ritz in Newport Beach.
Both Glusman and Goodman have claimed Rizzolo to be one of their best friends.
The Ritz was the scene of "Rick's
Farewell Party" to honor Rizzolo the week before he went to prison.
Both Glusman's restaurants are used as
venues to raise campaign funds for Nevada politicians. Glusman and Letizia's
choices for Nevada governor have been hosted at these fundraisers.
Because NDOT is overseen by the Governor, I can't help but wonder whether
politics had something to do with Tony Letizia's job placement at the agency?
Former pro wrestler Buffalo Jim was known
to occasionally go the Ritz to hand out newspaper
articles about Rizzolo's mob activities. Rizzolo has a second home
in Newport Beach as do many Vegas movers and shakers, so Barrier's repeated
presence at their favorite hang out may have made them uncomfortable.
.
In January 2003, Rick Rizzolo was quoted
in the Las
Vegas Mercury saying, "Buffalo Jim is full of shit! Somebody filled
his head with the idea that I'm going to pay upwards of a million dollars
for his lease, but that's ludicrous. I'm not the least bit interested in
his space. I don't need it. I haven't talked to him whatsoever." The article
went on to state, "Rizzolo says a street-widening project that's slated
to get rolling in the next few years will render the whole conflict moot,
as Barrier will have to negotiate with the state Department of Transportation
and Rizzolo will raze the whole shopping center--including Crazy Horse
Too and Buffalo Jim's auto marine shop--and build a new 60,000-square-foot
gentlemen's club."
Curiously, Rizzolo made the above statement
before public notification of any street widening plan, therefore speculation
arose as to how he knew about it before the public was informed?
Buffalo went to the media with his problem,
and NDOT backed down. (Buffalo Jim Barrier was found dead
under
mysterious circumstances in a Boulder Highway motel room the day after
Rizzolo was released from prison.)
Based on the above history, I was more
than concerned when Tony Letizia's name appeared six years later as the
Manager on another clandestine NDOT Design Drawing -- this time to bulldoze
my family's home of thirty years and destroy two classic Las Vegas neighborhoods
in the process!
Though the closeness of the cousins invites
inquiry, and though I like Tom Letizia as a person, I felt compelled to
go public with my 2003 and 2006 AmericaMafia.com columns in order to help
save my home and neighborhood. The inclusion of the columns with my public
notices about the Tuesday meeting inspired the following angry e-mail --
with a surprise happy ending:
Date: 4/20/2009 3:37:13 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: tletizia@dot.state.nv.us
To: Stevemiller4lv@aol.com
Mr. Miller,
Once again you have distorted the truth and have made false allegations
about me. Let me set the record straight for you. The I-15 Resort Corridor
Study purpose is to identify potential solutions to traffic congestion
issues by improving access to and within the Resort Corridor. During this
study, 50+ concepts/ideas have been identified and analyzed. The concept
you are referring to was looked at and was removed for further consideration
due to meeting with the City of Las Vegas and Councilwoman Tarkanian who
made it clear the concept was not supported by them or the neighborhood.
At the study's conclusion we will document the concept was looked at as
required but will also state that it was not supported by the community
and was therefore dropped from further consideration.
Tony Letizia
Manager South, Program Development
3830 Meadows Lane
Las Vegas, NV 89107
(702) 486-0479 office
(702) 486-0487 fax
This communication, including any attachments, may contain
confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity
to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination or copying of this communication
by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If
you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply
e-mail and delete all copies of the original message. |
After getting past the unprofessional first
sentence, I realized that Tony had inadvertently confirmed for the first
time that the project was canceled, and I needed to inform my neighborhood
of the good news ASAP! Feeling that his personal criticism was irrelevant
compared to the gravity of the subject, I edited out the first sentence
and shared the rest of the official NDOT e-mail with my neighbors and the
news media.
Being edited inspired the following sophomoric
response:
Date: 4/20/2009 3:53:53 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: tletizia@dot.state.nv.us
To: Stevemiller4lv@aol.com
Steve, I notice you removed the first sentence of my response. In the
future contact the person your about to write something about to make sure
what your saying about them is true and accurate.
Regards,
Tony Letizia
Manager South, Program Development
3830 Meadows Lane
Las Vegas, NV 89107
(702) 486-0479 office
(702) 486-0487 fax
This communication, including any attachments, may contain
confidential information and is intended only for the individual or entity
to whom it is addressed. Any review, dissemination or copying of this communication
by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If
you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply
e-mail and delete all copies of the original message. |
His second e-mail deserved an educational
reply:
Date: 4/20/2009 5:06:56 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: Stevemiller4lv
To: tletizia@dot.state.nv.us
Tony:
The first time residents of Rancho De Monaco heard of this "study" was
in a flier we received on Saturday. It would have been appropriate for
whomever was responsible for disseminating such highly important information
at NDOT or CLV to communicate with persons who live in effected areas.
That did not occur. My neighbors and I reacted based on the immediacy of
the situation as anyone would if faced with the loss of their home. My
reference to you was in the context of a previous experience with a driveway
and signalization someone proposed to benefit a strip club on Industrial
Road. Based on the similar lack of communication from you and NDOT in that
case, it was entirely appropriate for me to reference the subject to give
historical perspective. In the future, I would greatly appreciate being
kept informed of transportation issues affecting my neighborhood.
Regards,
Steve
This communication, including any
attachments, does not contain confidential information,
and dissemination or copying of this communication is strictly approved
by sender because it was not paid for by taxpayers! |
Who is the man who proposed bulldozing
the business once owned by my good friend, and six years later the bulldozing
of my home? And does his actions have any connection to Barrier being a
key source of information in the federal racketeering case that closed
the Crazy Horse Too, imprisoned its owner for a year and a day, shut down
the goose
that laid the golden eggs for local and state politicians, and offended
two of his cousin's best friends and clients -- Rizzolo and Goodman? My
neighbors also are wondering whether I was personally targeted because
I was the journalist who spent the most time covering Rizzolo's
sordid story?
I made a media request to NDOT for Tony
Letizia's educational background, but received no reply. I want to know
who appointed him and how he could be allowed to wield so much power over
certain people's lives? So I went to Google, and here's what I found:
Rockslide
- Musicians:
Carol~Lyn Liddle Vocals
Doug Ebeneter Guitar
Tony Letizia Drums, Vocals (pictured
right rear with earring and beard)
Justin Vogel Bass, Vocals
Robert "Anthony" Kemper Keyboard, Vocals
The NDOT junior executive who proposed
bulldozing my home and others doubles as a local rock musician. The State
Treasurer reports that Letizia earns a salary of $64,000 per year from
the taxpayers. His income from Rockslide is unknown.
Tony Letizia's 2003 action caused great
stress in the life of Mr. Barrier, and his latest shenanigan terrorized
dozens of my neighbors, many who are elderly or infirm. Over 300 Rancho
De Monaco and Rancho Sereno homeowners took the time to attend Tuesday's
neighborhood meeting to learn if their homes were in jeopardy. Many in
attendance called the idea "sinful" or "malicious."
Dozens of homeowners stepped forward to
tell NDOT and the meeting's hostess City Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian that
they had no knowledge of the proposal, and were offended to receive such
shocking news so late in the planning process.
The Councilwoman said she opposed the plan
and that it was officially dead, inspiring a big round of applause.
Letizia opened his portion of Tuesday's
meeting by saying the house-taking plan was shelved last October. However,
the road through my neighborhood was listed on last Tuesday's meeting agenda,
and NDOT had not erased it from a giant blow up of proposed road construction
projects that was displayed at the meeting.
Councilwoman Tarkanian also angrily revealed
that she was not invited to two previous NDOT meetings on the road subject
held last summer.
On a table near the entrance to the meeting
was an NDOT handout titled: NOTICE OF CLARIFICATION - PROPORTED TEDDY DRIVE/RANCHO
DRIVE CONNECTION."
Even though the word "purported" was misspelled,
the flier clearly criticized me for "disseminating" the clandestine road
plan. The flier stated: "The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT)
has been made aware of false information disseminated..." It then showed
a portion of my flier and stated: "NDOT is not recommending this
concept for further consideration."
Other than the sarcastic e-mail I received
on Saturday, this was the first official NDOT notice that the project was
killed. Based on the fact that the information I disseminated was not "false
information" as late as last Saturday, I felt compelled to interrupt our
NDOT host's opening remarks to correct him for dishonestly accusing me
of distorting the truth, and making false allegations about him. Following
my remarks, additional attendees expressed their outrage at not being informed.
Letizia's boss relieved him of the microphone
for the rest of the meeting. The Public Engineer was forced by the audience
to repeat several times that the draconian plan was dead, though a number
of homeowners complained that its mere mention placed a cloud over our
neighborhood's resale home values -- something he could not explain away.
I
also let Councilwoman Tarkanian (left), the wife of legendary UNLV basketball
coach Jerry Tarkanian, know that she's my hero for saving our homes, though
I now regret using her forum to end my presentation by calling Tony Letizia
a "jerk."
But the majority of homeowners agreed that
he and his department failed in their responsibility to inform the public,
and the proposed Eminent Domain taking would only benefit a casino and,
if successful, would be the second time in Las Vegas' history that Fifth
Amendment property rights were violated to help casinos (see:
GEORGE
MAGAZINE, March 1998 Special Report:THE 10 MOST CORRUPT CITIES IN AMERICA).
Tony Letizia, et.al. was unsuccessful in
removing Buffalo Jim's garage to purportedly benefit a politically connected
strip club owner. And he was unsuccessful again last Tuesday evening when
Councilwoman Tarkanian shut down his latest scheme to bulldoze my home
and others.
Before and after the meeting my neighbors
asked me to calm down and not take the latest action personally, but I
found it very difficult to heed their advice because of the similarities
between the two failed bulldozing attempts that seemed to target Barrier
and me.
"Steve, It's not about you" they said,
but I just couldn't feel comfortable accepting that opinion after writing
AmericanMafia.com columns for the past seven years. Many have learned the
hard way that in Vegas, truth is stranger than fiction, and others have
sadly learned that the Vegas Mafia works in mysterious ways.
I love rock and roll. As a former
DJ and rock concert promoter, I wish Tony Letizia success in his music
career, but I also wish he would stick to what he does best -- playing
drums and doing vocals at gigs -- (the Palace Station perhaps?) -- and
never again abuse his appointed government position to threaten businessmen
and homeowners in what appears to me to have been two unsuccessful attempts
at blatant political pay back or patronage under color of law.
Or better yet, I wish Rockslide
would have a big hit record, go on an extended tour, or get a high paying
gig at a Strip hotel. Then Tony Letizia could quit his day job so my neighbors
and friends can live in peace.
Rock on....
