Kutash brings comic boxing icon ‘Joe Palooka’ to stage

Bill Gang

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1997 | 9:49 a.m.

Having been beaten up by the federal justice system before his acquittal by a jury last week on bribery charges, it was only logical that show producer Jeff Kutash's next project would be a musical about a boxer.

Kutash said that he has picked 1940s and '50s comic icon, good-guy boxer Joe Palooka, for the musical he is creating for an as yet undetermined Las Vegas resort.

His partner in the venture, which he hopes will eventually translate to a big-screen movie, is his defense attorney, Oscar Goodman.

That announcement was the subject of a news conference Monday, although an accompanying news release declared that it was "setting the story straight" by scorching prosecutors and witnesses who tried to convict Kutash of bribing a state court judge.

Kutash deflected specific questions about the news release and disclaimed words in the document that had been distributed by Bruce Merrit Public Relations and Advertising.

Kutash kept referring inquires to the "court record" and returned to the topic of the proposed musical about the nearly forgotten character "in the fabric of the American folklore."

He said Palooka was an inspiration to young people as a comic character because he believed in God and "did the right thing."

"I think it's about time to put boxing on stage as a dance form, because that's what it is," said the former producer of the Riviera hotel-casino's "Splash" show.

Kutash, who has been living and working in Southern California, said that despite his legal problems here, he considers Las Vegas to be "a joy."

He had been charged with four felony counts of arranging to funnel $5,000 to District Judge Gerard Bongiovanni in October 1995 to ensure a favorable resolution in a lawsuit filed against him over control of the Splash show.

Although witnesses said that the money was delivered and Bongiovanni ordered a temporary restraining order keeping Kutash in charge, the federal jury decided that he was not guilty.

Goodman noted that in the federal system, "there are no rebates when you are successful and no apologies."

"They tried to ruin his life," the defense attorney said, recalling that FBI agents went to Kutash's home with guns drawn to arrest him, but the person who opened the door was his 6-year-old daughter.