Tuesday, June 7, 2005 | 8:34 a.m.
A former operator of the Club Paradise strip club near the Hard Rock Hotel is running Jaguars and is in negotiations to buy that strip club from Jack Galardi, the operator said Monday.
Dennis DeGori said he has been running Jaguars since April and is also looking to rename the club at 3355 Procyon St., at Desert Inn Road.
Jaguars was one of three clubs owned by Galardi's son Michael Galardi that were raided by the FBI in May 2003 as part of an investigation into an alleged bribery scheme involving four former Clark County commissioners. The younger Galardi has pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
A sign in front of Jaguars says "Coming Soon Scores Las Vegas," but DeGori said negotiations with the Scores company are not completed. DeGori said he is in discussions to use the Scores name under a licensing agreement and he would continue to run the topless club. DeGori operates a Scores club in Chicago under a similar agreement.
DeGori, 48, said he ran Club Paradise for six years, leaving in May 2003.
DeGori said he was in negotiations with Michael Galardi to buy Jaguars about 18 months ago, but the timing was not right. He still wants to buy the club, but would not say how much he might pay for it.
"My intention is to purchase it," he said. "It will be a considerable amount of money."
DeGori said even if his negotiations with Scores are not successful, he plans to change the name of the club if he purchases it.
"I just never saw myself owning a club named Jaguars," DeGori said.
DeGori said the FBI raid has nothing to do with his desire to change the name.
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