Can Reformed Gangster Frankie Citro Escape Nevada’s Black Book Alive?

• Aging ex-gangster Frankie Citro battles Nevada to leave Black Book.
• Citro now performs as a Vegas entertainer, embracing reformed persona.
• Gaming Commission weighs petition, could set historic Black Book precedent.

A former gangster turned Las Vegas entertainer dreams of being the first living person to be removed from Nevada’s infamous black book so he might one day take his show to the city’s casinos.

Frank Citro Jr. landed himself in the book – a list of people barred from all the casinos in Nevada – in 1991 because of three felony convictions for crimes that included extortion, racketeering, and conspiracy to use counterfeit credit cards. Nevada regulators described him at a 1991 hearing as an “unsavory character.”

During his wayward years in the 1980s, he worked for Vito Spillone, a reputed Chicago Outfit figure who was running an illegal bookmaking and loansharking operation in Southern California and Las Vegas.

Now 80, Citro regrets is past associations and claims to have been on the straight and narrow since his release from prison in the late 1980s.

‘Las Vegas Tough Guy’

These days, all he wants to do is entertain people, he says. He frequently performs at The Italian American Club in Las Vegas as “Las Vegas Tough Guy Frankie Citro,” singing be-bop and Italian folk songs, while cracking jokes about his mobbed-up past, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal.

But to take it to the big stage, he needs to get back into the casinos. Earlier this month, his lawyer formally petitioned the Nevada Gaming Commission to cut him some slack.

The petition described Citro as a “reformed man” who has developed a “stellar reputation.” It highlights his work doing good for his community through charity fundraising.

Citro has a lot of prominent local supporters, including musical conductor Mariano Longo, cardiologist Herbert Cordero, the Rev. Michael Boykin, and Las Vegas entertainer Frankie Scinta, according to the R-J. Whether the gaming commission, which has 90 days to review the case, agrees remains to be seen.

If the gaming commission graces me with the blessing of taking me out, I think every casino in the world is going to want me as a host,” told the R-J. “You understand what I’m saying? Because I’m a good guy. And people from all over are going to want to hear stories about Las Vegas’ past. All I want is a chance.”

Rogues’ Gallery

Nevada’s Black Book is a rogues’ gallery of cheaters, mobsters, an illusionist, and one, single sex trafficker who would be committing a gross misdemeanor simply by stepping into a casino.

Unlike the unfortunate Spilotro, Citro isn’t prepared to wait that long.