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Colacurcio Organization
Founded	1950s
Founder	Frank Colacurcio
Founding location	Seattle, Washington, United States
Years active	1950s–2010s
Territory	Washington
Criminal activities	Racketeering, prostitution, extortion, money laundering, corruption and fraud

The Colacurcio Organization, also known as the Colacurcio crime family,^[1]^[2] was a criminal organization based in Seattle, Washington.

History

In the 1950s, Frank Colacurcio began operating cigarette and jukebox vending machines in the Seattle area.^[3] The vending machine businesses became important to organized crime figures who easily skimmed money.^[3] In 1957, Colacurcio began working with Portland crime figure James "Big Jim" Elkins to open prostitution houses in Portland.^[3] In the 1960s, Colacurcio opened topless clubs in Seattle and skimmed money.^[3] In the 1970s, Colacurcio met with Bonanno crime family member Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno in Yakima, WA 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."^[3] 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.^[4] In 2008, local police and federal agents raided Colacurcio's home and business.^[2]^[5]^[6]^[7] The strip clubs owned by Colacurcio were being used as fronts for brothels.^[5]^[6]^[7]

In 2009, Colacurcio Sr., his son Frank Colacurcio Jr., and four others were indicted and charged with conspiracy and racketeering.^[8] 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.^[9] In June 2010, Colacurcio Jr. pleaded guilty to a racketeering and conspiracy.^[9] On July 2, 2010, boss Frank Colacurcio, Sr. died at the age of 93.^[4]

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.^[9]^[10]

References

Notes

^ Eaves, pg. 234
^ ^a ^b Feds bust Colacurcio crime family's four Puget Sound strip clubs by Michael Rollins (June 3, 2008) The Oregonian
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e The cops vs. Colacurcio - the last round by Steve Miletich and Jim Brunner (May 6, 2007) The Seattle Times
^ ^a ^b Frank Colacurcio Sr., Seattle's legendary organized-crime figure, dies at 93 Miletich, Steve (July 2, 2010) The Seattle Times
^ ^a ^b Feds say prostitution rampant at strip clubs by Mike Carter and Jim Brunner (June 3, 2008) The Seattle Times
^ ^a ^b Everett strip club a front for brothel, feds say by Diana Hefley and Jackson Holtz (June 3, 2008) The Herald, Everett, Washington
^ ^a ^b Strip club sting foreshadows possible federal charges^{[permanent dead link‍]} by Sean Robinson (June 3, 2008) The News Tribute
^ Colacurcio Sr., five others indicted on a charge of conspiracy and racketeering by Ian Ith (June 30, 2009) The Seattle Times
^ ^a ^b ^c Carter, Mike (24 September 2010). "Frank Colacurcio Jr. gets prison term, $1.3M fine". Seattle Times. News Paper. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
^ Western District of Washington (24 September 2010). "Frank Colacurcio Jr. Sentenced to Prison in Strip Club Case Colacurcio Jr. Forfeits Millions in Cash and Property". U.S. Attorney’s Office. FBI. Retrieved 27 March 2022.

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. ISBN 0295991119