Tabish friend testifies about movie deal

Friday, March 3, 2000 | 11:20 a.m.

Rick Tabish once bragged that he expected to earn $200,000 to $300,000 from selling the rights to his story in the Ted Binion murder case, a Tabish friend testified Thursday.

Jason Frazer, a one-time Tabish business associate now cooperating with prosecutors, said the accused killer promised him $50,000 from that money for running his trucking business.

The 28-year-old Frazer, who also testified that he helped Tabish put together an alibi scheme in the Binion murder case, said he didn't know whether Tabish had a movie or a book deal.

And under cross-examination from Tabish's lawyer, Louis Palazzo, he said he never saw any kind of contract.

In November the Sun reported that Joseph Cusumano, a reputed associate of slain Chicago mob kingpin Anthony Spilotro, had been negotiating with Tabish to put together a movie project on Binion's slaying. Cusumano acknowledged that he was working with Edgebrook Productions, run by Hollywood producer Michele Berk, who said she had obtained Tabish's movie rights.

Well-placed sources said an agreement may have been struck with Tabish to assist him with his legal fees in return for a piece of his movie rights. Tabish and Binion's girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, are charged with killing the wealthy gambling figure in September 1998.

Frazer, meanwhile, testified Thursday that he had dinner in 1995 with Tabish and Salvatore "Sammy" Galioto, another reputed Chicago mob associate with ties to the movie industry. Frazer said a man he identified as "Joey," also was present. Prior to his testimony, Frazer identified the man for prosecutors as Cusumano, who is listed in Nevada's Black Book of "undesirables" banned from casinos.

In his testimony, Frazer said adult nightclub owner Rick Rizzolo, who has been linked to Cusumano in the past, also attended the 1995 dinner.

Frazer said Tabish told him that Galioto, who lives in Chicago, could be helpful in establishing union connections with his trucking company.

The Sun reported in November that a man identifying himself as Galioto signed in to visit Tabish at the Clark County Detention Center on Aug. 16, the day before Tabish's preliminary hearing.

Law enforcement sources have said Tabish made several phone calls to a Chicago area beeper number investigators believe belongs to Galioto weeks before Binion's Sept. 17, 1998, slaying. Records show that calls also were placed to Galioto in the immediate hours after Binion's death, as Tabish allegedly prepared to head to Pahrump to dig up the gambling figure's silver fortune.

Galioto, identified by the Chicago Crime Commission as an associate of "The Outfit" in Chicago, is said to travel in the same circles as Cusumano.

Sources close to the Binion case linked Rizzolo, who owns the Crazy Horse Too topless nightclub, to the Tabish movie deal, but he strongly denied any involvement.

In a Dec. 23 letter to the editor in the Sun, Rizzolo acknowledged that Cusumano was a close friend for many years, but he said he no longer associates with him.

"I have made an effort for many years now to make it clear to all that I have no dealings with Mr. Cusumano, business or otherwise," Rizzolo wrote. "And I have no intention of having any business dealings with Mr. Cusumano in the future."

Rizzolo also denied being close to Tabish, and he accused the Sun of "wrongly" trying to connect him to the murder defendant, who once piled up a $9,400 bill at Rizzolo's Crazy Horse Too adult nightclub.

Rizzolo's attorney, Tony Sgro, said Thursday that he doubted Rizzolo had dinner with Tabish in 1995.

"I would be shocked if that dinner took place," he said.

Sgro said he didn't believe Rizzolo would have known Tabish well enough to dine with him.

Jeff German is the Sun's senior investigative reporter. He can be reached at german@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4067.