"Being Oscar" Bash at the Mob Museum #OscarsMemories

From Thursday, May 23 through Saturday, May 25,The Mob Museum will celebrate Oscar Goodman’s newly released autobiography Being Oscar: From Mob Lawyer to Mayor of Las Vegas.

Former mayor and current spokesperson for the host committee of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority, Oscar returns to the historic courtroom where he tried his first case. The Museum will be his debut appearance in Las Vegas and the premiere opportunity for locals to engage with Oscar while enjoying a variety of Oscar-inspired activities.

The Museum has planned an unparalleled three-day extravaganza to commemorate Oscar, his book launch, and our great city which is the backdrop for his story and acclaim.

Thursday, May 23

The Mob Museum’s lineup of “Being Oscar” events begins with a party on Thursday, May 23, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at The Mob Museum. Admission is $10 for the general public; Museum members are free. Each attendee will receive a complimentary cocktail, and a signature “Being Oscar” face fan, live entertainment, and a free photo opportunity. Goodman will address guests in the Museum’s courtroom at 7:30 p.m. and will be available to sign copies of his book for attendees afterward. Books will be available for purchase at the Museum and food and drink will be available for purchase.

For tickets for the book launch party on 5/23, click here

Friday, May 24

The Mob Museum will host the first official Las Vegas book signing with Goodman. Special programming throughout the day will include three 30-minute presentations by Goodman in the courtroom followed by book signings. These events will take place at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. “Being Oscar” face fans and photo opportunities will be available to all Museum guests that day.

Click here for your ticket which includes a copy of the book Being Oscar and free museum admission. click here.

For ticket which includes a copy of the book Being Oscar, free museum admission, and your choice of one 30 minute presentation featuring Oscar Goodman, click here.

Saturday, May 25

At 10:30 a.m., Goodman will make a grand entrance at The Mob Museum, where he will gather with members of the public—all holding “Being Oscar” face fans—for a photograph on the Museum’s front steps. All guests on this day will receive FREE admission to the Museum with the purchase of a book from our retail store and will have the chance to compete in a “Being Oscar” look-a-like contest to be judged by Goodman himself, as well as a trivia contest; raffle prizes will be given out all day. Goodman will sign copies of his book for Museum attendees from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For free admission with the purchase of a book for May 25, click here.

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The American Kidney Fund (AKF) will host Kidney Action Day at Millennium Park

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) will host Kidney Action Day at Millennium Park in Chicago on Saturday, May 11, 2013, from 10 a.m.– 2 p.m.  The event is free and open to the public and will include free kidney health screenings (including blood pressure and glucose screenings), interactive fitness demos, local entertainment, children's activities and healthy food samples.

“Kidney disease is a serious health concern in the Chicago area, where many neighborhoods have prevalent rates of kidney failure well above the national average,” said LaVarne A. Burton, president and chief executive officer of the American Kidney Fund. “Kidney Action Day provides an opportunity for local residents to learn about this disease, get tested, and help spread the word to others who may be at risk. We are so pleased to have the Chicago Department of Public Health and its Healthy Chicago initiative as a strategic partner. Working together, we can empower local residents to take action for their health and prevent future cases of this chronic condition.”

“The Chicago Department of Public Health is proud to join the American Kidney Fund in bringing Kidney Action Day to Chicago,” said Dr. Bechara Choucair, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. “Kidney Action Day is a great way for residents to take part in helping Chicago become the healthiest city in the nation. I encourage all residents to join us on May 11 for Kidney Action Day, get screened and take preventative steps to protect their health.”

Kidney Action Day will bring together hundreds of local health advocates, patients and members of the greater Chicago community to raise awareness for those at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The free health screenings will check for indicators of kidney and heart health, diabetes, and other important health measures. There is no pre-registration required for those interested in participating in the screening, which is open to everyone 18 and older. Participants are encouraged to bring the whole family out to enjoy an educational and entertaining event.

It is estimated that as many as 31 million people in the United States are living with CKD, the nation’s ninth-leading cause of death. CKD is known as a silent killer because it usually presents no symptoms in the early stages, making screening essential for those who are at risk—particularly those who have the key risk factors of diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of CKD. Other common risks for kidney disease include having heart disease, being over age 60, or being African American, Asian American, Native American, or of Hispanic ethnicity.

CKD is an often-preventable health condition. If an individual has developed early CKD, detection through testing is a key factor in slowing or stopping the progression of the disease. Left undiagnosed and untreated, CKD can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death. In many neighborhoods in Chicago, kidney failure rates are nearly double the U.S. average.

Because prevention and early detection are vital to keeping at-risk individuals in good health, AKF’s national campaign, Pair Up: Join the Fight to Prevent Kidney Disease, urges the public to learn if they’re at risk for kidney disease and to spread the word to friends or loved ones who also may be at risk. As part of Pair Up, AKF educates the public about risk factors and offers Kidney Action Days and other free kidney health screenings in cities nationwide.

The American Kidney Fund is dedicated to fighting kidney disease through direct financial support to patients in need, education and prevention efforts. In 2012, AKF provided almost $190 million in treatment-related assistance to dialysis patients across the country and more than $7.9 million to patients in Illinois.
Kidney Action Day is made possible through the generous support of National Sponsor American Renal Associates, Lead Regional Sponsor U.S. Renal Care, Inc., Strategic Partner Chicago Department of Public Health and other friends in the communities AKF serves. For more information on Chicago Kidney Action Day, visit http://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-action-day/locations/chicago.html.

For more information on the American Kidney Fund, visit www.kidneyfund.org.

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John "Big Man" Venizelos Scheduled to Plead Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking, #BonannoCrimeFamily #HellsAngels

A Bonanno crime family associate charged with joining a Canadian drug lord to become one of New York City's largest marijuana suppliers is scheduled to plea guilty to narcotics trafficking charges.

John "Big Man" Venizelos, 33, is believed to have secured a plea deal from Brooklyn federal prosecutors that will significantly reduce his time in prison - averting the life sentence he faced if convicted at trial, sources said. But because Venizelos honored the mob's omerta code of silence and refused to hand over information to the feds, sources said, he's expected to face approximately 10-14 years in prison when sentenced eventually by Brooklyn federal Judge Raymond Dearie.

Venizelos - who sports horn-rimmed glasses and wears Ralph Lauren Polo ensembles - held a "straight job" before his arrest managing "Jaguars 3", a Brooklyn nightspot run by Vincent "Vinny Green" Faraci, a Bonanno crime family soldier. The nightclub, located in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood, attracts patrons that have included several cast members of "The Sopranos” — including Tony Sirico, who portrayed the fictional mob family's “Paulie Walnuts”.

It was his sideline as an alleged drug trafficker, however, that attracted attention to Venizelos. He was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents earlier this year and charged with being one of the biggest New York customers of French Canadian drug kingpin Jimmy “Cosmo” Cournoyer.

Cournoyer - who is awaiting trial in Brooklyn federal court - allegedly lies at the center of $1 billion narcotics ring and operated through alliances he created between the Hells Angels, the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel, the Bonanno crime family, and the Montreal Mafia, The Post first reported.

Only weeks after Venizelos' arrest, federal prosecutors accused him of trying to intimidate witnesses who might testify against him.

Prosecutors say Venizelos sent encrypted BlackBerry messages to a colleague explaining that Cournoyer had bankrolled a special "murder fund" to underwrite hits against informants in the high-profile international narcotics case.

Prosecutors also say they seized letters written by an unnamed colleague of Venizelos that discussed the Bonanno associate’s ties to organized crime - including references to sit-downs with captains in various New York La Cosa Nostra families The DEA also utilized informants to secretly record tapes of Venizelos discussing drug deals, officials said, and then seized a number of unlicensed handguns when they searched Venizelos' residence.

John Meringolo, a New York Law School professor who represents Venizelos, initially insisted that the $100,000-plus seized by feds at Venizelos' residence wasn't drug money - it was simply cash for tipping exotic dancers at the "Jaguars 3" club.

Meringolo told the judge today that he had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and the judge adjorned the hearing until Wednesday on procdural grounds.

Cournoyer's attorney, Gerald McMahon, says he plans to vigorously fight the case against the French Canadian at an upcoming trial this summer.

Thanks to Mitchell Maddux.

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Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev at Federal Prison Hospital That Was Past Home for Several Mobsters

When Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev entered the federal prison hospital at Devens, he became the latest high-crime prisoner name to take up temporary residence at the former Army base.

The Federal Medical Center Devens, which opened in 1996, serves as a federal Bureau of Prisons hospital for inmates needing specialized or long-term medical or mental health care. The facility is on the site of the former Cutler Army Hospital.

Inmates treated there have been mobsters, corrupt politicians and people convicted of financial crimes.

Among the mobsters to spend time in the hospital was Sicilian crime boss Gaetano Badalamenti, who died of heart failure in 2004. He was convicted as ringleader of the $1.65 billion drug smuggling operation known as The Pizza Connection.

Other mafiosi at the hospital have included John "Sonny" Franzese, an underboss of the Colombo crime family convicted of racketeering; and John Riggi, former boss of the DeCavalcante crime family, released in November after 22 years at various prisons. He was convicted of conspiracy in the murder of acting mob boss John D’Amato. Also serving time at Devens was Frank Locascio, a former underboss of the Gambino crime family.

The 1,000-bed medical center opened its doors in Devens at 42 Patton Road in 1999, three years after Fort Devens formally ceased to be an Army base.

The base served as the Army’s New England headquarters for 79 years. It was conveyed to the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency for redevelopment as Devens, a residential and business community made up of property formerly part of surrounding towns. The army still has its reserve forces training center on sections of the former base.

Among the better-known soldiers to serve there was Gen. Colin Powell, who met his wife while assigned to Fort Devens.

The U.S. Marshals Service said that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had left Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center overnight and been transported to Devens.

Thanks to George Barnes.

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Damon Rucker Convicted of Witness Retaliation

A former Freeport, Illinois man was convicted late yesterday of witness retaliation by a federal jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford following a two-day jury trial. Damon Rucker, 36, was found guilty of causing bodily injury to a witness on December 20, 2012, with intent to retaliate against the witness for testifying against Rucker in federal court.

According to the incitement and evidence at trial, Rucker was initially convicted in federal court in Rockford on July 31, 2012, having pled guilty to a drug trafficking crime. A co-defendant, who also pled guilty in that case, agreed to cooperate with the government and testified against Rucker during Rucker’s sentencing hearing.

On December 20, 2012, Rucker, with intent to retaliate against the co-defendant for testifying, slammed the witness’s head against a concrete wall while both were in custody. At the time, the victim was in the process of being transported to a different jail and was in hand and leg shackles. Rucker was not shackled at the time.

Rucker faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, in addition to a term of supervised release of up to five years following his imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. The court must impose a reasonable sentence under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. in federal court in Rockford. The conviction was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Marshals Service and the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott R. Paccagnini and John G. McKenzie.

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