Colacurcio properties to be auctioned

A pair of notorious Seattle businesses go on the auction block next month when the U.S. Department of Justice sells the abandoned buildings that held Rick's strip club and the offices of Talents West, from which the late Frank Colacurcio Sr. and his crime family operated their strip clubs for decades.

The properties were seized as a result of the FBI's investigation into prostitution, racketeering and money-laundering that eventually dismantled the Colacurcio organization. All proceeds of the sales will be deposited into the Department of Justice's Assets Forfeiture Fund.

The auction is set for June 29. Those who want to register for the auction can do so in advance at www.LPSAuctions.com. For more information, contact the U.S. Marshals Service Asset Forfeiture Unit at 206-370-8651.

Colacurcio Sr. died last year at age 93 while under indictment on allegations of racketeering and promoting prostitution. He was credited with introducing go-go dancing to Seattle in 1965 and had been convicted multiple times for racketeering, conspiracy, assault and tax fraud.

Frank Colacurcio Jr., 48, is nearing the end of a one-year prison sentence for his role in the operation of the strip clubs. A total of four other associates pleaded guilty to federal prostitution-related crimes and were given probation. The prosecutions, however, allowed the government to take over the clubs and dismantle the businesses.

At one point, the Colacurcio organization's string of strip clubs spanned 10 Western states. Over the years, the clubs dwindled to four but still remained under the glare of law-enforcement investigations.

Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com