The Gold Club

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The Gold Club was a strip club in Buckhead [1] that operated from 1987 [2] until 2001, the same year the owner pleaded guilty to racketeering charges.

Contents

Operations

The Gold Club was one of the most prominent strip clubs in Atlanta, Georgia, [1] located on Lindbergh Road. [3]

Owner Steve Kaplan [1] was the subject of a 14 week trial in 2001 [4] after prosecutors alleged that the club was used for prostitution, money laundering, bribery and credit card fraud. [1] Kaplan was also accused of having links to the Gambino crime family. [5]

The club was managed by Thomas "Ziggy" Sicignano, who acted as a witness for the prosecution during the trial. [1] Steven Sadow represented Kaplan during the court case, brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. [4] As part of a plea deal during the trial, [6] Kaplan confessed to racketeering. [7] Judge Willis Hunt sentenced Kaplan to sixteen months in prison. [8] Details of the plea deal included agreeing to close the club, 400 hours of community service, and a $5 million fine. [8]

The club was the focus of the 2001 Court TV program Sex, Sports & the Mob: Atlanta's Gold Club, written and directed by Steven Dupler. [9] After the club's 2001 closure, [7] the Atlanta City Council agreed to attempt to purchase the location, [3] although it was next used as a church before opening as The Gold Room nightclub in 2009. [7]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "CNN.com - Sex, sports and the mob: The Gold Club trial - June 15, 2001". CNN . 15 June 2001. Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  2. ↑ Orrick, William H. (18 September 2013). "Gold Club-SF, LLC v. Platinum SJ Enter: ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION". casetext . Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  3. 1 2 Esters, Kelli; Good, Joshua B. Good (7 August 2001). "From nude bar to park? Atlanta City Council votes to try to buy Gold Club". Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Archived from the original on 10 Dec 2001. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  4. 1 2 Firestone, David (2001-08-03). "Top Defendants in Strip-Club Trial Strike Deal". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  5. ↑ Simmons, Bill (27 September 2007). "Idiot's Guide to Gold Club Trial". Grantland . Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  6. ↑ "Gold Club owner pleads guilty to racketeering in deal with prosecutors | Maryland Daily Record". 2001-08-02. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  7. 1 2 3 Coffee, Gertha (19 October 2009). "Gold Room to fill spot vacated by Gold Club". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN   1539-7459. Archived from the original on 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  8. 1 2 Harris, Art; Polk, Jim (8 January 2022). "CNN.com - Ex-Gold Club owner gets 16 months - January 8, 2002". www.cnn.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  9. ↑ "WILL YES MEAN NO FOR WPOP?". Hartford Courant . 2001-12-14. Archived from the original on 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
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