Las Vegas May Remove a Living Person from the Black Book

Las Vegas may be on the verge of breaking one of its strictest traditions: people who enter its Black Book will remain there for life. The Nevada Gaming Commission faces a challenge to this assumption as it may grant a hearing that could ultimately remove an 80-year-old man from the state’s List of Excluded Persons.

Entry into the Black Book Usually Lasts for Life

Francis Citro has been on the list since November 1991, barred from entering any major casino property in Nevada. The list, often referred to as the Black Book, was created to protect casinos from individuals deemed harmful to the state’s gaming industry. Inclusion is rare. Removal has only happened after a person’s death.

Citro was convicted of extortion in 1980, racketeering in 1986, and conspiracy involving counterfeit credit cards in 1987. Those convictions led to his placement on the exclusion list. However, Citro’s attorney, Michael Lasher, is asking regulators to break with tradition. He argues that his client has redeemed himself over the course of three decades and is no longer a threat to the state’s gaming sector.

Despite his criminal history, Citro has lived quietly in Las Vegas since the early 1990s, starting a new life as an entertainer and fundraiser. He performs at community events and charity drives and is well-known for his bebop standards, Italian folk music, and comedic stories drawn from the city’s old mob era. Supporters say he has raised money for local causes and organized holiday drives.

Citro Insists He Is a Changed Man

Before the Commission even considers Citro’s removal, it must first agree whether to hold a formal hearing. Formally, the rules permit anyone on the exclusion list to petition for removal, provided they demonstrate sufficient rehabilitation. However, this term is quite nebulous and gives commissioners wide discretion, explaining why the process has rarely moved forward.

If the commission agrees to consider Citro’s case, it would mark the first significant attempt in modern history to remove a living person from the Black Book. Letters supporting the petition come from a diverse group of community representatives and longtime Las Vegas performers. They argue that Citro has paid his debt, reformed his life, and become a net positive for the community.

Citro says he plans to attend the meeting himself. He hopes to someday perform legally in a casino lounge, a space he has been barred from for more than 30 years. Agreeing to a hearing would place the Commission in unfamiliar territory, as it is forced to reexamine a system designed to deliver permanent punishments.