Sunday, October 27, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: John L. Smith

Topless club proprietor staying cool under heat of criminal inquiry

If there's a calmer, cooler character in Las Vegas these days than Crazy Horse Too topless cabaret owner Rick Rizzolo, I've not met him.

At a time another guy might be angry, or squirming, or calling his mouthpiece, Rizzolo sounds as chilled out as iced tea served poolside.

His dancers are known to stop hearts, but what's Rizzolo's pulse rate: two beats a minute?

Even damning documents filed recently in District Court that say he's the subject of a joint FBI-Metro criminal investigation fail to have Rizzolo chugging Maalox. Nor is he blushing that activities at his club are the subject of a federal grand jury.

Granted, this isn't the first time Rizzolo's name has been mentioned in the same sentence as law enforcement. He draws attention to himself every time he bear hugs a city councilman or contributes a small fortune to the campaigns of local judges and other politicians.

In recent years, Rizzolo has raised more eyebrows than a team of plastic surgeons. So far, all the dark speculation hasn't hurt business at the Crazy Horse Too.

At election time, Rizzolo contributes enough money to judges to build a new courthouse and never flinches when a candidate tries to use him as a political whipping boy.

If a smart-aleck reporter like me mentions that his circle of friends includes men whom law enforcement lists as mob guys, Rizzolo shrugs it off. Cusumano, schmoozumano. It means nothing, he says.

But the stakes in Rizzolo's high-rolling life were raised considerably when Kansas City tourist Kirk Henry left the Crazy Horse Too on the morning of Sept. 20, 2001, after a dispute over an $88 tab and awoke in the parking lot with a broken neck. Henry sued the club and its owner, and Metro and the FBI are working a criminal investigation. The depth of that investigation is unclear.

In May, Rizzolo's lawyers subpoenaed evidence and witness statements from Metro's Henry investigation. Through Deputy District Attorney Mitchell Cohen, Metro has attempted to quash the subpoena. Henry's lawyers have added a damning motion of their own.

On Oct. 14, Cohen wrote, "A criminal investigation involving the incident was initiated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department ("Metro"). The investigation is now being (led) by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), and is active and ongoing."

Trouble is, the FBI doesn't investigate slip-and-fall suits or local assault.

On Oct. 14, Henry's attorneys, Donald Campbell and Stan Hunterton, went further: "As counsel (Rizzolo co-counsel Daniel Carvalho) well knows from his examination of the Henrys, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is assisting the Federal Bureau of Investigation in an ongoing criminal inquiry believed to involve multiple events and subjects. In fact, Mr. Carvalho was able to identify the lead investigator, Special Agent Robert Bennett of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Organized Crime and Racketeering Squad. And counsel's observation that `the LVMPD has had over one year to conduct their investigation' is hardly to the point. Clearly Mr. Carvalho has never conducted a criminal investigation. Federal investigations routinely take years to complete, particularly if such investigations involve a continuing pattern of criminal conduct subject to prosecution under the Racketeer Influence of Corrupt Organization Act (RICO)."

If it were mere speculation within the defamation-proof confines of a court document, such language could be written off as name-calling. But Campbell and Hunterton are former Organized Crime Strike Force prosecutors. They certainly know the components of RICO. They also have substantial federal law enforcement contacts.

Unimpressed, Rizzolo's co-counsel Anthony Sgro says, "Their name-dropping is of no consequence to us."

He admits: "I can't figure out what jurisdiction the FBI would have in this kind of a case because it is clearly a state court type of action. Whether it is criminal or civil, the FBI involvement in this case is still unclear."

But it's the kind of heat that even cool Rick Rizzolo might not be able to fade forever.

John L. Smith's column appears Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0295.