Frank Colacurcio Sr., embattled owner of Sugar's and Rick's, dies at 93

From our NewsPartner, The Seattle Times

Frank Colacurcio Sr., Seattle's legendary organized-crime figure, dies at 93

By Steve Miletich

Seattle Times staff reporter

Frank Colacurcio Sr., the strip-club magnate whose organized-crime exploits covered more than half a century and coincided with Seattle's history of police corruption and reform, died Friday. He was 93.

As Seattle's longest running crime figure, Mr. Colacurcio often was portrayed by law-enforcement officials and the news media as one of Seattle's most notorious racketeering figures, if not its own small version of an organized-crime "Godfather."

The reputation stemmed from convictions for tax evasion and racketeering that repeatedly sent him to prison. Adding to the lore were murky stories — involving an ex-governor, corrupt cops and his cat-and-mouse dealings with law-enforcement officials — that no one could answer, except perhaps Mr. Colacurcio.

Despite his notoriety, Mr. Colacurcio wasn't flashy. He wore golf shirts, played cards and lived in a modest home in the Sheridan Beach neighborhood of Lake Forest Park at the north end of Lake Washington. His one indulgence was a 38-foot boat used for fishing in Alaska.

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