Columnist Jeff German: Crazy Horse boss Faraci takes early ‘retirement’

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005 | 11:11 a.m.

They're starting to feel the pressure of a never-ending federal racketeering investigation at the Crazy Horse Too.

Another one of the club's key managers, whose name has surfaced in connection to the investigation, has had a life-changing experience.

Vinny Faraci, a longtime Crazy Horse shift manager, abruptly "retired" last Wednesday, just two months shy of his 50th birthday, after a 20-year stint at the topless club that began as a bartender.

Over the years Faraci, whose father is reported to be a ranking member of New York's Bonanno crime family, had become a trusted employee of embattled Crazy Horse owner Rick Rizzolo.

His departure follows the racketeering indictment last month of Bobby D'Apice, another loyal Rizzolo shift manager.

D'Apice, who's still on the job at the Crazy Horse, and his pregnant wife, Nicole Rubino, also were charged with tax evasion in a separate indictment, furthering speculation that federal agents were looking for D'Apice's cooperation.

But his lawyer, Michael Cristalli, said Tuesday that D'Apice has no intention of helping agents and is preparing to fight the charges.

Faraci, meanwhile, has retained the services of Las Vegas attorney David Chesnoff, who has a celebrity-laden list of clients that includes many underworld figures.

Both Chesnoff and Rizzolo's lawyer, Tony Sgro, said Tuesday the sudden split between Faraci and Rizzolo wasn't the result of any falling out, as rumored on the street.

"They've worked together for 20 years, and the guy decided to retire," Chesnoff said. "There's no problem between them. Everybody's friends and wishes each other well."

Chesnoff said Faraci wanted to take a break so that he could spend more time with his children.

It's a timely life choice, considering Faraci faces the possibility of spending a lot of time behind bars if he's charged and convicted in the racketeering probe. The feds have promised more indictments in the near future.

Sgro said the only thing Rizzolo wasn't happy about was losing an employee he had come to rely upon at the club.

Faraci told Rizzolo that he has some "consulting" work lined up, Sgro said.

You can be sure the feds also are doing some consulting now that Faraci has parted ways with Rizzolo.

When it comes to the casino industry's worst side, the horror stories never end.

David Malin, the former chief financial officer for SBA Development, is the latest victim of an industry that continues to turn its back on the lives it ruins.

He is the latest problem gambler to come out of the closet.

Of course, in a state with no program to treat the addicted, Malin didn't come clean until it was too late.

On Monday Malin told U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt that a gambling addiction led to his embezzlement of nearly $6 million from his company.

Hunt, however, wasn't very sympathetic at this late stage, sentencing Malin to 70 months behind bars and ordering him to pay $5.5 million in restitution.

Malin won't be the last gambling addict to surface while the Legislature takes its time debating whether to create a long-overdue treatment program.

You can bet on it.