Lawyer wants prosecutors to follow money, not Rizzolo name
Never let it be said Herb Sachs gives up without a fight. The feisty Sachs, attorney for Kimtran Rizzolo, says his client is being victimized because she shares the last name of notorious former Crazy Horse Too topless cabaret boss Rick Rizzolo.
From the looks of things, she shares something else with Rizzolo - his money.
Kimtran Rizzolo was married to Bart Rizzolo, late father of the mobbed-up former topless club owner. After Bart Rizzolo's death, his widow got approximately $1 million from the sale of a Philadelphia topless club in which Rick Rizzolo held an interest.
Sachs continues to argue that the money legally belongs to his client because she received it from her late husband's estate, not directly from the former club king. Rick Rizzolo is being pursued in federal court by attorneys for Kirk Henry, the Kansas tourist who was made a quadriplegic after being assaulted by one of Rizzolo's Crazy Horse Too goons in September 2001.
U.S. District Judge Philip Pro and Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr. repeatedly have ruled in favor of Henry and his wife. Sachs has appealed Pro's decision.
"The judge doesn't like Rick, and that's not my concern," Sachs says. "My concern is Kimtran. She never got a penny from Rick. What she did get is, as a result of her being the executrix of the estate of Bart, a check from Philadelphia. They don't like Rick, and anybody with the name Rizzolo is a bad person."
Sachs takes particular exception to my writing on the subject and indicates I've been unfair. And he's right.
For some reason, I tend to side with assaulted quadriplegics over mobbed-up topless bar moguls.
Mr. Sachs, I promise to try to be nicer in the future.
STRATEGIC COMPLAINT: Strategic Allied Consulting has busted out of Florida, and the Republican National Committee has distanced itself from the controversial voter registration outfit.
In Nevada, where Strategic has a checkered history, its status remains unclear. According to one source, the company's contract was scheduled to end Sept. 30. As of late last week, vote canvassers working on behalf of Strategic were still on the street.
Community activist Gina Greisen recently witnessed a Strategic canvasser in action outside the Henderson JobConnect office on Water Street and filed a complaint with the secretary of state alleging voter registration fraud. She has given authorities the name and contact phone number of the citizen who experienced the ethically shoddy sales pitch. In other words, there's a corroborating witness and physical evidence in the form of a torn-up registration form.
"Voter registration fraud is not OK for anyone," says Greisen, who at times works for Democratic candidates. "I don't care what party you're in. I would turn in a Democrat just as fast as a Republican."
Several days after Greisen contacted the authorities, I observed the same guy trying the same deceptive rhetoric on unsuspecting passers-by outside the JobConnect office.
CD 4 RACE: Local NAACP leader Frank Hawkins, the contractor and former city councilman, continues to be an outspoken critic of fellow Democrat Steven Horsford in the Congressional District 4 race against Republican Danny Tarkanian. Of late, Hawkins has discussed his distrust of Horsford and personal endorsement of Tarkanian on radio. (The NAACP does not endorse candidates.)
BRYCE IS RIGHT: Las Vegan Bryce Harper's remarkable rookie season with the Washington Nationals saw him hit 22 home runs and finish fifth in the National League with 98 runs scored.
It's impossible not to be a fan of the 19-year-old phenom, and the playoffs are only beginning.
After more than three decades in the newspaper racket, I've finally found someone who works in Washington we can all admire.
ON THE BOULEVARD: Talk ranged from policing to graffiti removal at Ricki Barlow's "Coffee With the Councilman" Ward 5 constituent outreach session Thursday morning at a Rancho Drive Starbucks. I thought the green-checked tablecloth was a nice touch.
Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith. Follow him on Twitter @jlnevadasmith.
