N.O. Nightclub Owner Frank J. Caracci Dies
Times Picayune 09-28-1996

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Frank Joseph Caracci, a longtime French Quarter nightclub operator whose name
came up in Louisiana's recent video poker scandals, died Wednesday of heart
disease at Memorial Medical Center. He was 72.

Mr. Caracci owned the 500 Club on Bourbon Street and other nightclubs in the
Quarter.

Federal and state authorities often identified Mr. Caracci, a twice-convicted
felon, as a Mafia associate, but he denied any links to organized crime.

In 1970, Mr. Caracci was convicted of bribing an Internal Revenue Service
agent, sentenced to a year in prison and fined $10,000. Two years later, he
was given two years' probation and fined $10,000 for illegally transporting a
pinball machine across state lines.

In 1976, then-Gov. Edwin Edwards gave Mr. Caracci a pardon that restored his
Louisiana rights.

Mr. Caracci was linked with attempts by two prominent New Orleans area figures
to place video poker machines.

In one case, former New Orleans Police Assistant Superintendent Antoine Saacks
traveled with Mr. Caracci to Las Vegas in 1990 as part of a contract Saacks
had to find locations for video poker machines in the city. Saacks was
suspended from the department for doing business with a video poker company in
violation of department regulations.

Then, in 1993 and 1994, Mr. Caracci's name cropped up again in connection with
Robert Guidry, owner of Kenner's Treasure Chest casino and a video poker
company called A.-Ace Video Gaming Co. Under an April 1992 contract, Mr.
Caracci and his sons were to receive a commission of 25 percent of A.-Ace's
profits for any video poker machines they placed in businesses for the
company.

In that case, A.-Ace fought off a State Police attempt to strip the company of
its video poker license because of Mr. Caracci's alleged mob ties.

Mr. Caracci was a lifelong resident of New Orleans. He was a graduate of
Samuel J. Peters High School.

Survivors include his wife, Rosemary Graffagnini Caracci; two sons, Vincent
and Mark Caracci; a brother, Victor Caracci; a sister, Frances Caracci
Zuppardo; and five grandchildren.

A Mass was said Friday at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home. Burial was in
Metairie Cemetery.