Thursday, April 9, 1998 | 10:37 a.m.
AARON RUSSO gave us a show at the Clark County Republican Party Convention last month.
And he appears headed for an encore at the state GOP gathering here on April 23-25.
The Republican candidate for governor, is suing his own party to slash the cost of attending the convention from $125 to $20.
"No party can be in a position where only rich people can participate," Russo said Wednesday. "It eliminates the rank and file from the political process."
Russo, a transplanted Hollywood producer who wreaked havoc at the county convention, and five of his followers filed suit this week against the Nevada GOP calling the registration fee "unreasonable."
The Russo campaign contends the $125 price, which increases to $150 for those who register after April 13, is making it "difficult if not impossible" for many delegates to attend the convention.
One of Russo's co-plaintiffs, Jennifer Harris, submitted an affidavit indicating she won't be able to afford to go if the cost remains at $125 or higher.
A hearing on Russo's suit is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. Friday in the courtroom of District Judge Mark Gibbons.
Nevada GOP Chairman John Mason said the party is prepared to defend the registration fee in court.
"I think it's extremely reasonable for what we provide," he said, adding the party isn't making a profit on the convention.
Mason said he's looking forward to getting a judicial opinion on the subject.
The GOP boss was reluctant to brand Russo a troublemaker because of the candidate's outburst at the county convention.
But Mason said: "Some of the behavior attributed to him and and others was inappropriate for a public forum."
Mason said he believed Russo's challenge last month of several hundred delegates loyal to his opponent, Kenny Guinn, was "not well thought out."
Guinn, the front-runner in the race, ultimately prevailed on the challenge.
The Guinn campaign, which paid the $25 registration fee for 480 of its delegates to the county convention, appeared amused by Russo's flap with the state party.
Guinn strategists said Russo once again doesn't understand how the system works.
Mason, meanwhile, said he doesn't expect any trouble from Russo at the state convention.
But then, he may not understand Russo.
* Call this a progress report.
Back in 1985, state and federal regulations were put in place requiring casinos to report all cash transactions of $10,000 or higher.
The laws were aimed at stopping drug dealers and members of other criminal enterprises from using casinos and banks to launder money.
Lawmen say that for the most part the regulations have been effective. Many of the bad guys have been driven away from casinos.
But the regulations have led to an interesting phenomenon in the gambling world.
Instead of dealing in cash, bigtime poker players and sports bettors have become fond of conducting business with casinos in $1,000 and $5,000 chips.
Transactions involving casino chips, it turns out, are exempt from the cash reporting laws.
Chips are so commonplace today they've become a bonafide form of currency for professional gamblers.
Millions of chips are said to be locked away in casino safe deposit boxes belonging to high-profile gamblers all along the Strip and Fremont Street.
Casinos encourage the practice because they want the business.
Gaming regulators are aware of the growing trend but don't seem too concerned.
When authorities suspect a gambler may be running afoul of the law, however, one of the first places they look for evidence are those safe deposit boxes.
In the investigation into the betting activities of Billy Walters, for example, police seized more than $500,000 in chips from boxes at a dozen or so different casinos. A county grand jury now has the case.
Skeptics within the betting world say dealing with chips has become a legitimate way to circumvent the cash reporting laws.
But others insist it really comes down to a matter of convenience on the part of gamblers.
It's much easier and safer, they say, to carry around $100,000 in $5,000 chips in your pocket than a briefcase full of cash.
To the gambler, it's called progress.
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