One "whorehouse" down, two to go
INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
May 9, 2005
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  Del Mar Motel shut down        Crazy Horse remains open       Some profit at City Hall
          (KLAS TV News)                         (Photo by Buffalo Jim Barrier)

LAS VEGAS - On Wednesday, May 4, the Las Vegas City Council conducted a Show Cause hearing on the license of the Del Mar Motel on the Strip.

It is a whorehouse. The business plan is hourly rates, whores and johns only, and run as many of them in and out as possible in 24 hours.  --  Deputy City Attorney Bill Henry

Clyde DeWitt, the attorney for the motel, argued that his client simply provides a "sexy" place where consenting adults can meet in privacy for a few hours, and that the owner and management are not responsible for what happens once the door closes -- the incarnation of Sin City's "What happens here stays here" ad campaign.

Jim DiFiore, the obedient manager of the city's Business Services Division, countered that the place was a public nuisance attracting street walkers into the neighborhood. DeWitt unsuccessfully argued that the street and sidewalk are not his client's responsibility.

What finally did the trick (no pun intended) was when a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer wheeled in the motel's inventory of condoms, 11,955 total -- a room clerk testified that guests are provided with three free condoms and four mints with each room whether they want them or not -- and when an officer said the Del Mar had 536 police responses in a three year period.

Three and half hours after the hearing began, the council rightfully voted 6 to 0 to shut the place down. The seventh vote would have been that of Mayor Goodman, but he abstained.
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 Police wheel in boxes of condoms        Sign in front of Del Mar            Used condom in Crazy Horse parking lot
                           (STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN)                                                       (Photo by Buffalo Jim Barrier)
                                                 
The closing of the Del Mar reinvigorated the question of why was it the only prostitution-laden business in the area that was shut down?  The nearby Crazy Horse Too "Gentleman's Club" had a total of 737 police responses in a three-year-period including 9 for assaults and 6 for robberies involving bar employees, 201 more than the Del Mar, and the Del Mar didn't employ the offenders, as did the topless bar.

While I was employed at the Crazy Horse Too, the "dancers" engaged in an activity called a "friction dance" wherein the male customer puts on a condom and the dancer straddles the customer and manipulates her body against the male customer so as to arose or gratify the sexual desire of the male customer. -- Affidavit of Sandra Write-Kelemen

That the patrons of Crazy Horse Too scatter trash and garbage consisting of greeting cards of the dancers, used condoms, drug paraphernalia consisting of used needles and empty "baggies," discarded beer bottles, liquor glasses and pornography of various types. Recently, I arrived at my business to find my parking lot again, particularly soiled with the above items. -- Affidavit of Robert L. Westfall

I repeatedly observed sexual activity taking place in the parking lots surrounding Crazy Horse Too gentlemen's Club, being performed by the employees of Crazy Horse Too. -- Affidavit of Don Welch

You would walk out the door, see people getting beat up in the sidewalk, out in the street, in the parking lot. I walk out my back door and see the same thing. You see people having sex out back. It was a pretty common occurrence to see people being beat up out there. --  Affidavit of Dan Kennedy

The above statements are part of Clark County court records. On the other side of the coin are these amazing statements by Mayor Goodman who thinks Downtown Las Vegas should become a giant brothel:

It would turn old motels into beautiful brothels. - Las Vegas SUN, 10/24/03

It's something that the public should really consider because there's a tremendous amount of money that could be raised as a good source of tax revenue here. - KLAS TV News, 10/22/03

We're an adult community, an adult playland, let's not pretend to be something we're not. I think anything that's legal should be here. -  Las Vegas SUN, 8/2/02

You get the tax dollars, it's safer on a sexual basis, and probably on a community safety basis, you're not going to have trick rolls and the like. - KVBC TV News, 10/23/03

 Las Vegas Review-Journal cartoon by Jim Day, Sunday, October 26, 2003


Speaking of "trick rolls and the like," the following is the statement of a federal witness about an incident that purportedly happened at the Crazy Horse in 2003:

We agreed to start a tab and I gave the barmaid my credit card. After a couple of lap dances the blonde I was with began to proposition me with various sexual favors and hourly rates. Before I knew it I had been offered, and agreed to, 24 hours of time with her for $1,300.00. She said we could do anything I wanted, sex front and back, blow jobs anything for 24 hours. She left for a few minutes and returned with another lady. This lady was Asian and went by the name of (withheld). Before I knew it, the second lady was in on the same deal for another $1,300.00, only she proposed 48 hours.

The three of us went to the front desk and began a lengthy paperwork process, approximately 40 minutes. There was a Russian blonde cashier behind the counter that had my credit card and another Russian lady dancer sitting in a chair next to the counter in front. The 2 dancers I was with were making a big scene. The Asian actually had her hand down my pants, holding my penis and proudly announced that we were going to go " F - - ky S - - ky" for 48 hours... As the foolery and distractions continued, I was presented with paperwork to sign periodically. Photo copies of my drivers license and credit card were taken and I had to give a thumb print.

During this period of time I began to wonder why it was taking so long to process this transaction... I asked the girls where we would be going for the next 48 hours. The Asian said "downstairs." I asked "here in this building?" She said "yes, here in this building downstairs." The other lady confirmed the Asian's response... They both said they had to use the bathroom first before we go downstairs and encouraged me to do the same. Again there were at least four employees that heard and witnessed all of this. I later learned there is no downstairs.

...When we returned to the front desk within 5 minutes, expecting to meet them, they never showed up. We never saw them again. I immediately asked the cashier for a refund. She said she couldn't do that. I said "but you have to, you just witnessed this entire scam and you know that I didn't get what I paid for." Again she said no. I asked to see the Manager. His name is (withheld). I explained what had just taken place and a few of the witnesses and employees confirmed my story. I insisted on a refund. He said no but come back tomorrow and we'll take care of you.

... It was at this time that another lady dancer showed up. She had witnessed part of this ordeal and felt sorry for me... She knew how I felt and warned me not to make trouble with the management, that they would not tolerate any verbal abuse or deal with disputes. It could be dangerous!

... I was shocked to hear that I had $6,500.00 worth of charges to my account!. Needless to say I was speechless. Considering the warning I was given earlier, I decided not to make a scene as we left for home.

... I am now a Federal Witness to this investigation and protected by the laws that govern it. -- Statement of Crazy Horse Too patron, 05/09/03

What regularly happens at the Crazy Horse sure sounds like "trick rolls and the like" to me! Why is one public nuisance shut down while the City of Las Vegas allows another to operate with impunity?

It may have had something to do with the Del Mar's choice of attorneys. As long as the Crazy Horse stays open, the money keeps rolling in to pay certain local attorneys including David Z. Chesnoff who doubles as Goodman's business partner.

Los Angeles attorney Clyde DeWitt is not close to Oscar B. Goodman, his sons, protégés or partner, therefore he has limited standing before the city council. Had the motel's owners used the services of John Moran, Jay Brown, Ross or Eric Goodman, Louie Palazzo, or another of Goodman's inner circle, the motel may have just been fined and allowed to stay open on a probationary basis with the mayor's abstention. In the past, other adult business offenders were offered such a deal when they used an attorney from the inner circle.

I believe Goodman's long time reason for doing nothing in regard to the Crazy Horse is all about money. His personal law firm Goodman and Chesnoff represent persons suspected of having hidden ownership in the Crazy Horse Too. His protégés, Dean Patti and Tony Sgro, represent the Crazy Horse corporations, staff, and Rick Rizzolo.
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Dean Patti and Mayor Goodman           Tony Sgro and Vinnie Faraci
collaborate to relax lap dance laws       (AmericanMafia photo by Mike Christ)
              (LV Review-Journal photo)                

The Goodman Law Group consisting of the mayor's two sons under his counsel, may in the future be called upon to represent Crazy Horse clients. Millions of dollars in potential legal fees stand to be lost if the topless bar is closed before the trial's begin, so the bloodshed is obviously allowed to continue so money for legal fees can stockpile. Its also speculated that inner circle lawyers are telling their Crazy Horse clients to not plea bargain so they can charge them exorbitant fees in prolonged trials.

All dancers at the Horse are reportedly informed that if they are arrested for drugs or prostitution, they must call a secret 24 hour phone number that will connect them directly to Patti, Sgro, or one of their partners -- they will not be put on hold. This expensive service is also reportedly being paid for by the Crazy Horse. It looks to me like the Horse is being milked dry by its handlers.

Another reason why club employees may be locally immune to prosecution for prostitution, assaults, or credit card fraud is that Rizzolo generated over $50,000 for the campaign of Clark County DA David Roger, and tens of thousands for the campaigns of Municipal Judges George Assad and Jessie Walsh. When I disclosed the donations, Roger reportedly returned the money, however, he gladly accepted office space in Patti and Sgro's building for his campaign headquarters. Assad and Walsh kept the money.

Prostitution is only a misdemeanor in Clark County, and suspects employed at the Crazy Horse often appear in Municipal Court before Judges Assad and Walsh. Unfortunately, it sometimes becomes difficult to tell the difference between the DA, Judges, and prostitutes after so much money has changed hands.
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             Roger                                   Assad                                 Walsh

The FBI is fully aware of the possible political corruption, and this information may come out during the upcoming "Operation Crazy Horse" federal racketeering trials.

At least one thing's for sure. The Del Mar was up front when it came to letting passersby know what it was. Never did the seedy motel try to masquerade as the Wynn Las Vegas, and conversely, the Crazy Horse should never try to masquerade as a "Gentleman's Club." 

In the meantime, Goodman, Jim DiFiore, David Roger, and several municipal judges remind me of these monkeys when it comes to the Crazy Horse money machine:

Now that you've been informed, if you're in Vegas looking for some action and don't want to be ripped off, exposed to STDs, beat up, or trick rolled and the like, drive sixty-five miles north to Nye County where prostitution is legal. On second thought, save the gas and just head on over to City Hall for some real Sin City action!

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