The Gold Club was a strip club in Buckhead, a district of Atlanta, Georgia, [1] that operated from 1987 [2] until 2001, the same year the owner pleaded guilty to racketeering charges.
The Gold Club was one of the most prominent strip clubs in Atlanta. [1] It was 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. [1] Steven Sadow represented Kaplan during the case, which was 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 subject 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] 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]