LAS VEGAS - In a letter dated May 31, attorney Dean R. Patti, on behalf of topless bar owner Frederick "Rick" Rizzolo, referred to children and their families as "loitering" when they attend Saturday afternoon televised wrestling matches at Buffalo Jim's Professional Wrestling School, 2455 Industrial Road.
The letter addressed to James Barrier, the owner of the wrestling school, states, "On Saturday, May 25, 2002, you held an assembly at the Buffalo Wrestling School resulting in approximately fifty (50) spectators loitering on the premises. As you may be aware, your lease, dated July 29, 1998, limits persons who can occupy the building at any given time and restricts the number of hours you can operate on any given day."
The letter then threatens, "This recent activity, among others, violates your lease and constitutes grounds for eviction. Should you repeat this activity without prior landlord approval, Ricriz, LLC, will be compelled to terminate your lease."
Rizzolo on May 1, purchased the shopping center that houses the wrestling school located adjacent to his topless bar, the Crazy Horse Too. Barrier owns two businesses in the center, both with long-term leases.
Rizzolo has recently been showing plans for a massive expansion that will include the leaseholds presently occupied by Barrier, however, no offer has been made to buy out Barrier's leases.
On the day in question, May 25, 2002, the persons accused of "loitering" consisted of several dozen preteen children and their parents who regularly attend the TV matches to cheer for their favorite pro wrestlers. The TV program is aired the following Friday night at 11PM on Cable Channel 48 in Las Vegas and in several other cites.
Parents of children who attend the weekly matches claim that their kids are being discriminated against and that their attendance does not constitute "loitering." Several parents have pledged that if their families are prohibited from entering the building this Saturday, they and their children will continue to picket Rizzolo's topless bar.
This is not the first time the Crazy Horse Too has become the subject of a major controversy. On August 4, 1995, Scott David Fau was found beaten to death next to railroad tracks behind the Crazy Horse Too. Witnesses reported seeing Fau being severely beaten by Crazy Horse employees in the parking lot after he was ejected.
On May 24, 2001, Kenneth Kirkpatrick told police that he had a disagreement with the management of the Crazy Horse regarding the amount of his bill. In the police report he claimed he was forced to sign a charge on his Visa card for $220, and according to the report: "the bouncers were shoving (him) around. Security then knocked him to the ground and punched and kicked him in the face and back of the head." Police submitted the case to prosecutors who obtained warrants for four Crazy Horse Too employees who were charged with robbery, battery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and coercion.
On September 20, 2001, Kansas resident Kirk Henry claimed that he had been ejected from the bar for allegedly not paying an eighty-eight dollar bar tab. He then said that two bar employees beat him and took all his cash with the exception of one dollar. One of the bouncers reportedly snapped Henry's neck causing his spinal cord to sever. The Metro Police Robbery Detail is considering filing attempted murder charges against the two bouncers.
The Buffalo Wrestling Federation has produced the weekly-televised wrestling events at the Industrial Road location since 1998.
For more information: http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/RickRizzolo.html