The Seattle crime family, also known as the Colacurcio crime family
by Michael Rollins (June 3, 2008) The Oregonian or Seattle Mafia, is a crime family based in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

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 The Bonanno crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the " Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, and in the United States, as part of the criminal phenomenon known as ...

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.” 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.
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, Washington
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. 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 a 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. {{ISBN, 0295991119 Italian-American crime families Organized crime groups in the United States Gangs in Washington (state)