Colacurcio crime family

http://www.multilingualarchive.com/ma/enwiki/en/Colacurcio_crime_family

The Colacurcio crime family is mafia criminal organization based in King County in the state of Washington, United States that has influences in racketeering loansharking, gambling, prostitution, political corruption, police corruption and the strip club industry in the state of Washington. The Seattle crime family has been called the biggest organized crime organization on the west coast that is independent of bigger mafia organizations on the east coast. The state organized crime task force suspects that the Seattle crime family has an estimated 70-100 members based in both of Washington's King and Pierce counties and also operating in the states of Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Las Vegas, and in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Contents
1 History
2 Civil war
3 Crackdown in the 1970s and 80s
4 Recent years
5 Influential members
6 See also



History
The organization was started by longtime friends Giovanni Rosellini and William Colacurcio both went into business for themselves opening a farm and saloon.


Civil war
When the boss of the family died of natural causes, he did not name a successor, two candidates for the top job decided to fight. Those two men were Capo's Frank Colacurcio Sr. and John Carbone, known to newspapers as "Handsome Johnny". Colacurcio and Carbone were firebombing each others taverns and nightclubs and eventually Carbone had one of his top soldiers, Richard Caliguri, go to the home of one of Colacurcio's lieutenants and scare the wife and children. Some suspect there were no real violence such as murder because the two crews were disappearing men in the crews.


Crackdown in the 1970s and 80s
Starting in 1968, the Washington state patrol started investigating the family looking for charges of racketeering and organized crime. The investigation of the crime family ended up with the results of Carbone and four men in his crew being charged with racketeering, bribery and arson with Carbone being sentenced to 20 years on racketeering. The state organized crime task force caught up with Colacurcio after discovering that he was the mastermind behind a secret payoff-system in the Seattle Police Department. charging Colacurcio with racketeering and being sentenced to 16 years in federal prison in the state of Texas. High ranking member Gilbert Paoule who ran Alaska operations became an informant after being indicted for murder in Alaska, testified against his mentor Frank Sr., Frank Jr and Nick Furfaro and went into the witness protection program.


Recent years
The state organized crime task force during Colacurcio and Carbone's time in prison suspected former state governor Albert Rosellini of being the head of the criminal enterprise of Seattle since his retirement from government but have been unable to get evidence of his criminal dealings. Rosellini has said that he is not connected to any organized crime element and seems to have brought the family into legitimate businesses such as oil and keeps many political contacts in the state. In 2003 a multi-agency including the FBI, Seattle Police Department and King County Sheriff's Department started an investigation called "Strippergate" in which Frank Colacurcio, his son Frank Jr, Gil Conte, Nicholas Furfaro and Albert Rosellini Sr. were investigated for Bribery of three Seattle City Council members. Rosellini was not charged or fined in the case. Charges were brought in the year 2006 but were dismissed. In February 2007 the state supreme court said the investigation may continue and the King County prosecutor may bring political money-laundering charges against anyone involved in the case.


Influential members
Frank Colacurcio Sr. a.k.a "Big Frank"- high ranking member of criminal organization, was released from prison and remains a consultant to his business, Talents West. Charged with assault in 2005 for fondling a 23-year-old woman and was also charged with political money laundering in 2006, but charges were dismissed and reinstated by the state supreme court.

John Carbone a.k.a "Handsome Johnny" - Former capo, was released from prison in 1997 and died of a heart attack at his home in Gig Harbor, Washington.

Joseph Carbone a.k.a Joey - Known member, son of Handsome Johnny, convicted on racketeering in 1980s, may have taken over father's position as capo.

Albert D. Rosellini Sr. - Still works each day at his downtown office, remaining close to political figures in the state of Washington and still denies any ties to organized crime.

Albert Rosellini Jr. - Seattle businessman, suspected member.

Stanley Naccarato a.k.a "Mr.Tacoma", "Stan" - Tacoma fundraiser and restaurant operator, suspected member since his retirement from baseball.

Michael Tucci a.k.a "Big Mike" - Tacoma construction magnate and suspected member.

Frank Colacurcio Jr. a.k.a "Frankie" - Son of Frank Sr. Hiring agency president, general manager and bookkeeper, high ranking member.

Robert Payton a.k.a "Bobby" - Right-hand man of Frank Sr. Hiring agency director and high ranking member of family.

Nicholas Furfaro a.k.a "Nick" - Nightclub manager, known member since 1963 and high ranking member.

John Conte Sr. a.k.a "Gil" - Former lounge singer, charged with Colacurcio in 2006. Known high ranking member since 1972.

John Conte Jr. - Mechanic, son of Gil, suspected member.

Francis Lucarelli a.k.a "Frank" - Executive chef, suspected member.

Gilbert Paoule a.k.a "Junior" - Became a member after short prison stint with Colacurcio Sr. and after becoming his protege, was put in charge of Alaska operations in the 1980s and was arrested then later testified against Colacurcio in a tax evasion case in Seattle. Also informed about Arizona operations ran by Colacurcio's younger brothers.

there hiearchy was probably different than other cosa nostra hierarchy. Sounds like there hierarchy structure relates to the camorras hierarchy.

Technically speaking, they were never seen by other families or the FBI as a Mafia family. They were Italian, they knew some Mafia people, they ran their strip club business, etc. in very mob-like ways, but not really an LCN group.

It's because its Washington. On extreme opposite ends of the U.S. based on typical Mob power base, not even counting the handful that were in L.A./O.C.

Exactly.

They're just an Italian gang involved in some Organized Crime. Yes, they have power, but aren't a crime family of LCN.

Dude, I don't even think their still around anymore. Didn't have enough guys to create a new generation. That and Washington really changed their strip club laws on account of these guys.

Hell of a thing though, Italian-American OC in fucking Seattle of all places.

Here's a really good article on the Colacurcio's

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-07-09/...mpire-of-flesh/

Here's another:

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2003-07-23/news/the-stripper-king/

Pimps...the son is broke now.

Just gangsters with Italian surnames, but they lived well for a long time

furio.... bringing up families that never were families or aren't viable ones anymore, again, lol.

never heard of them

You would think that when you are bringing in cash like that you could keep you shit straight and sty out of the public eye.

I mean, have you ever seen a strip club go out of business...

The Colacurcio crime family is a Camorra family. Bill Bonanno, Peter Notaro, Carl Simari, and another Bonanno soldier is rumored to having a meeting with Frank Colacurcio up in Washington about a joint operation. Whatever happened, it ended with Colacurcio allegedly telling Bill to get out of his town. Don't know if the story is true or not, but the meeting is supposed to have taken place sometime in the early 70's. The Genovese crime family had their hooks in Settle till around 2008 I think.

Quit dreaming guys! Come on now. These people were NEVER a part of cosa nostra. They were just a crew of Italian thugs with one Irishman. Just because the leader was Italian and had connections to Bill Bonanno means they were a mafia family? Not at all. Bill was out of LCN at the time he met with them.

Nice find, Furio. But they were not mafia at all. Just because they were mostly Italian means they were mafia?

I've heard they are LCN. Domenic S. is their acting street boss right now. They'll so low key with that Cali Kush n da Maui na wut I mean

There is not anybody in that group named Dominick. There's not an acting boss either.

It's a gang aka pimps.

It wasn't even that. It was Frank Sr., Frank Jr. and some cronies running a few strip clubs. Yes, they were Italian. And, yes, they may have ran their business like gangsters, and even knew one or two real ones. But they weren't LCN.

I don't believe these guys were actually LCN. If any of them were made, I'd be surprised...however, they ran a nice , profitable operation without a lot of FBI heat...not a bad way to make a living.

If Des Moines, Dallas and Denver had their own LCN operations, it wouldn't shock me if Seattle did...I don't believe these guys were LCN (unless they were made in Italy or in another family and ended up settling out there), but they sure made money without interference from LCN or other competing OC groups.

I think it's funny that there seems to be some delineation between mob guys in other parts of the country and these in Seattle running some strip clubs and being looked down on. Been to Detroit and it's surrounding areas in the last 30 years? Obviously not.

Wow.