The Colacurcio Organization, also known as the Colacurcio crime family,Eaves, pg. 234 Feds bust Colacurcio crime family's four Puget Sound strip clubs by Michael Rollins (June 3, 2008) The Oregonian or Seattle family was a criminal organization based in Seattle, Washington, United States.
History In the 1950s, Frank Colacurcio began operating cigarette and jukebox vending machines in the Seattle area.The cops vs. Colacurcio - the last round by Steve Miletich and Jim Brunner (May 6, 2007) The Seattle Times The vending machine businesses became important to organized crime figures who easily skimmed money. In 1957, Colacurcio began working with Portland crime figure James "Big Jim" Elkins to open prostitution houses in Portland. In the 1960s, Colacurcio opened topless clubs in Seattle and skimmed money. In the 1970s, Colacurcio met with Bonanno crime family member Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno in Yakima, Washington to discuss a business relationship. When questioned about the meeting, Frank Colacurcio replied with "I went to Yakima to pick hot peppers, but I didn’t pick no bananas." The mention of bananas was a reference to the Bonnano family, which was involved in an internal war referred to by the media as the "Banana Wars". In the following years Colacurcio continued to expand his strip-club business.
In 2003, a criminal investigation began in Seattle known as "Strippergate" focusing on strip clubs owned by Frank Colacurcio, Sr. and his son, Frank Colacurcio Jr.Frank Colacurcio Sr., Seattle's legendary organized-crime figure, dies at 93 Miletich, Steve (July 2, 2010) The Seattle Times In 2008, local police and federal agents raided Colacurcio's home and business.Feds say prostitution rampant at strip clubs by Mike Carter and Jim Brunner (June 3, 2008) The Seattle TimesEverett strip club a front for brothel, feds say by Diana Hefley and Jackson Holtz (June 3, 2008) The Herald, Everett, WashingtonStrip club sting foreshadows possible federal charges by Sean Robinson (June 3, 2008) The News Tribute The strip clubs owned by Colacurcio were being used as fronts for brothels.
In 2009, Colacurcio Sr., his son Frank Colacurcio Jr., and four others were indicted and charged with conspiracy and racketeering.Colacurcio Sr., five others indicted on a charge of conspiracy and racketeering by Ian Ith (June 30, 2009) The Seattle Times In April 2010, Colacurcio Sr.'s nephew Leroy Richard Christiansen along with club manager Steven Michael Fueston, Colacurcio Sr.'s close associate David Carl Ebert, and Colacurcio Sr.'s driver John Gilbert Conte all pleaded guilty to prostitution and racketeering. In June 2010, Colacurcio Jr. pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy. On July 2, 2010, boss Frank Colacurcio, Sr. died at the age of 93.
On September 24, 2010, Frank Colacurcio Jr. was sentenced to one year in prison, fined $1.3 million and ordered to forfeit all interest in the strip clubs and related property worth more than $6 million.
References Notes
Sources Eaves, Elisabeth. Bare: the naked truth about stripping Avalon, 2004. Anderson, Rick. Seattle Vice: Strippers, Prostitution, Dirty Money, and Crooked Cops in the Emerald City Donnelly, Robert C. Dark Rose: Organized Crime and Corruption in Portland. University of Washington Press, 2011.