Casino Ruhl Cabaret
The big-time gambling business has returned to the south of France. So, perhaps, has 'la guerre des casinos,' marked by the recollections of unsolved killings and a rash of recent bombings.
The Ruhl casino, shut during the casino war five years ago, was reopened April 10 amid festivities that included big cats-a lion, a tiger and a leopard-imported from Las Vegas and fat cats. Casino Ruhl Cabaret, cigarette slot machine, sugar creek casino concerts 2018, double diamond 2000 slots online, free. €300-100%. T&C.
The Ruhl casino, shut during the casino war five years ago, was reopened April 10 amid festivities that included big cats--a lion, a tiger and a leopard--imported from Las Vegas and fat cats imported from an international set of gamblers who were willing to risk their francs to the tunes of
'Jailhouse Rock' and the theme from 'Dynasty.'
The celebration also was marked by a deadline. The Interior Ministry`s authorization to reopen the Ruhl is valid only until December. This gives the government the option of closing the casino quickly if the war resumes.
The story of gaming in Nice includes the self-imposed exile of the Ruhl`s former chairman, Jean-Dominique Fratoni, 65, to avoid serving a 13-year prison sentence. Also prominent is the closing of the grandiose Palais de la Mediterranee, once the city`s only casino.
Residents along the Cote d`Azur talk repeatedly of the mafia`s hand reaching from Italy to gain control of the lucrative casino business in southern France. And, in a region where verbal restraint is not an evident virtue, the accusations and counteraccusations flying across La Baie des Anges, the city`s 'Bay of Angels,' sometimes land on some of Nice`s most prominent citizens.
The origin of the casino war dates to the original opening of the modern Ruhl on Nov. 23, 1974. Fratoni, a high-school friend of Nice`s rightist mayor and National Assembly deputy Jacques Medecin, set up the neon and chrome-plated gambling hall to challenge the supremacy of the genteel, 1920s-style casinos along the coast.
The competition turned nasty just a year later when Renee Le Roux took over the Palais de la Mediterranee upon the death of her husband. Shortly thereafter, a group that included three Italians won 4.87 million francs (then $1 million) at the Palais` tables. A bank gave Le Roux the credit needed to keep the business open.
A month later, similar misfortune befell the Sun Beach casino in nearby Menton. That gambling hall lost 3 million francs and was bailed out by Fratoni, who then took control. One of the players both evenings was Simon Gavet, who was shot to death in August, 1976.
A year after the shooting, in June, 1977, one of Le Roux`s daughters, Agnes, 29, voted against her mother at a Palais de la Mediterranee board meeting, depriving Le Roux of control. Le Roux always has maintained that pressure was put on her daughter to vote against her.
In November, 1977, Agnes disappeared. A Nice lawyer, Jean-Maurice Agnelet, was charged with kidnaping and murder, but a judge threw out the case for lack of a corpse. Le Roux has appealed that decision.
A series of shooting deaths also took place. In July, 1977, a senior employee of the Palais, Jean-Pierre Roche, was killed. The following February, Pancrace Santoni, a friend of Gavet, was slain. In January, 1982, Marcel Francisci, a Gaullist politician in Corsica who had planned to buy into the casino, was shot to death.
A Nice businessman, Andre Ferrant, who also had expressed an interest in the casino, was shot in October, 1983. Investigators, however, are not totally convinced that his murder was part of the casino war.
Meanwhile, police in charge of the cases investigated the Ruhl operation and charged 17 croupiers with theft. With Fratoni having fled the country, then Socialist Party Interior Minister Gaston Deferre closed the casino on Jan. 5, 1982.
The Palais de la Mediterranee, where Fratoni was appointed technical adviser when Le Roux lost control, also was closed because of its precarious finances.
Fratoni was sentenced in absentia to a 13-year prison term and heavily fined after being convicted of violating tax and currency exchange laws. He denies the charges.
It was not until France`s right-wing government returned to power under Prime Minister Jacques Chirac 13 months ago that the Interior Ministry allowed a new consortium to make plans to reopen the Ruhl. But its members have aroused fresh passions because of allegations that they are merely a front for Fratoni.
Toussaint Torre, 73, is the chairman of the Societe Nicoise des Bains de Mer, which has acquired the license to run the Ruhl. Torre comes from the same Corsican village, Cuttoli-Cortichiatto, as Fratoni.
Fratoni did nothing to quell the speculation about his involvement in the Ruhl operation. Indeed, his daughter and son-in-law are among those who hold stock in the company and on Radio Monte Carlo a week before the Ruhl gala, Fratoni said of his daughter`s involvement: 'I know every inch of the business and I don`t hide that I am giving them advice.'
Fratoni`s words showed that the Interior Ministry had delivered a gambling permit to 'ghosts,' Le Roux said. 'It`s just the tip of the iceberg.'
According to sources in Nice, Fratoni`s comments infuriated Mayor Medecin, who has placed great hopes in the Ruhl`s economic future. Medecin has estimated that the Ruhl`s reopening could bring Nice an annual income of 40 million francs, or about $6.6 million.
Though some consider this figure ambitious, many of the city`s business executives hope that foreign gamblers, accustomed to bypassing Nice on their way to other casinos, will turn to the Ruhl, which is only a 20-minute taxi ride from the Nice airport.
In the next few months, the Ruhl will be equipped with slot machines that, it is hoped, will attract a new class of gambler. Until now, they have been prohibited in France and limited to Monte Carlo.
The master of ceremonies at the Ruhl`s reopening, over which Medecin presided, said the casino`s ambition was 'to become to Nice what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.' But many Nice residents fear that the reopening will encourage only new violence.
On Feb. 10, a small bomb exploded at the Menton Casino. The next day, another damaged an ice-cream kiosk owned by Max Gilli, Medecin`s campaign manager and a shareholder in the Ruhl. In March, a bomb damaged Nice`s Casino Club, a small gambling establishment once owned by Fratoni.
On April 1, two more attacks damaged restaurants owned by Gilli`s daughter and another Ruhl partner. Medecin blamed the attacks on 'jealousy' and said that they were planned 'to harm the city by creating an unhealthy atmosphere around the casino.'
Meanwhile, Le Roux is now in her 60s and lives in Monaco. She devotes her time to trying to discover her daughter`s fate.
She said she believed that members of the Nice underworld, angered at recent police closings of some illegal backroom gambling clubs, may have been responsible for the recent bombings.
Police sources said the attacks closely resembled similar bombings in Corsica, leading them to look for a Corsican connection.
At the Ruhl gala, the master of ceremonies noted that the casino`s owners had three types of friends: 'Those who hate us, those who ignore us and those who love us.'
Nice › Nice Nightlife
Nice is the place to be for people who want to make an electrifying nightlife experience on Cote d’Azur. Indeed, Nice is said to feature some of the most sparkling nocturnal leisure opportunities on the French Riviera, which is in itself an essential ingredient of the tourist achievements of Nice. It’s true shopping, sunbathing and sightseeing, for instance, can fill visitors’ days spent in Nice, but searching out the nighttime opportunities of the city is a must-do for all those who want to discover Nice in depth.
Promenade des Anglais and the center of the city concentrate most of the bars and pubs, discos, casinos and concert halls in Nice, encouraging visitors to cultivate their propensity and passion for, let’s say, listening to live music, dance, party the night away, attend to a cultural happenings, drink or gamble.
In order to ease tourists' exploration of Nice by night, Ligne d’Azur, the company in charge with the public transport system of the city, has set up a night service called Noctambus. This service consists of four bus lines and one tram line, with buses departing every half an hour from the J.C. Bermond Station and following sundry routes, and with trams covering the distance between Pont Michel and Las Planas. The service is available between 9.10pm and 1.10am.
Cultural venues in Nice
Nice Opera
Opera de Nice is located close to Quai des Etats-Unis and to the Cathedral of Saint Reparate. It is one of the main cultural venues in Nice and the place to be for people who delight in attending to philharmonic concerts and ballet representations. The building was inaugurated in 1885 as home of the municipal theater, and in 1902 the institution changed its name into Opera de Nice. The building has been declared a national monument since 1992.
- Name:
- Nice Opera (Opera de Nice)
- Address:
- 4-6, Rue Saint Francois de Paule, 06300, Nice, France
- Telephone:
- 0033 04 9217 4000
- Fax:
- 0033 04 9380 3483
- Website:
- www.opera-nice.org
Nice National Theater
Casino Ruhl Cabaret Hotel
In Nice there are 8 theaters, but the biggest of all is the National Theater. It can accommodate more than 1,000 spectators, and it is located close to the Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Name:
- Nice National Theater (Theatre National de Nice)
- Address:
- Promenade des Arts, 06309, Nice, France
- Telephone:
- 0033 04 9313 9090
- Fax:
- 0033 04 9313 7960
- Website:
- www.theatredenice.org
Lino Ventura Theater
The Lino Ventura Theater does not enjoy a privileged location in Nice, being situated some 5 kilometers northeast of the center of the city. It is, however, the second largest of all theaters in Nice, only after the National Theater. The performances organized here range from music and dance shows to, of course, theater representations.
Casino Ruhl Cabaret Club
- Name:
- Lino Ventura Theater (Theatre Lino Ventura)
- Address:
- 168, Blvd. de l’Ariane, 06300, Nice, France
- Telephone:
- 0033 04 9700 1070
- Fax:
- 0033 04 9700 1071
- Website:
- www.tlv-nice.org
Theatre des Oiseaux
Theatre des Oiseaux (literally, Theater of Birds) is one of the most atypical theaters in Nice. It is both a bar-restaurant and a scene of theater performances. Another particular feature of Theatre des Oiseaux refers to the highly interactive character of the events organized here.
The venue neighbors on the Cathedral of Saint Reparate, being at the same time located just a short walk from Palais Lascaris.
- Name:
- Theatre des Oiseaux
- Address:
- 6, Rue de l’Abbaye, 06300, Nice, France
- Telephone:
- 0033 04 9380 2193
- Fax:
- 0033 04 9380 2193
- Website:
- www.bardesoiseaux.com
Casinos in Nice
The gambling scene of Nice is not necessarily the most extensive on the French Riviera. On the other hand, Casino Ruhl and Palais de la Mediterranee (which is managed by the namesake hotel) do cater for the gaming enthusiasts.
Casino Ruhl
Casino Ruhl is part of Lucian Barriere Hotels & Casinos, and it stands out as the most sparkling gambling venue in Nice. Besides the gambling areas (a slot machine area and a gaming room where visitors can delight in playing blackjack, roulette and poker, for instance), the casino also features two bars and two restaurants, as well as an auditorium.
The casino is also reputed for its cabaret shows which include all the details of a classical cabaret representation. As expected, clients and visitors must abide by the dress code required by the casino.
- Name:
- Casino Ruhl
- Address:
- 1, Promenade des Anglais, 06000, Nice, France
- Telephone:
- 0033 04 9703 1222
- Fax:
- 0033 04 9703 1299
- Email:
- reservation-ruhl@lucienbarriere.com
- Website:
- www.lucienbarriere.com
Bars and pubs in Nice
The nightlife scene of Nice is complemented by a plethora of bars and pubs, most of them clustered along Promenade des Anglais and Vieux Nice. Ranging from lounge bars to Irish pubs, these venues are the perfect opportunity for listening to live music, dancing, drinking, socializing with the locals and discovering the nocturnal magic of Nice.
Wayne’s Bar
Wayne’s Bar is virtually unanimously deemed one of the best and most popular bars in Nice. It is located in Vieux Nice and it stands out by the daily live music concerts it organizes. Dancing too contributes to the effervescent atmosphere of the place, but drinking, on the other hand, comes at a price (but this the general nightlife picture in Nice, for that matter). It experiences an increasing popularity with English speaking tourists.
- Name:
- Wayne’s Bar
- Address:
- 15, Rue de la Prefecture, 06300, Nice, France
- Telephone:
- 0033 04 9313 4699
- Email:
- info@waynes.fr
- Website:
- www.waynes.fr
Le Relais
Le Relais counts as one of the most stylish bars in Nice. It is located in the luxury Hotel Le Negresco, and it lives up to the refined etiquette dictated by the hotel. It is a place recommendable to people who afford to spend lavishly. Starting with the interior decorations and ending with the jazz evenings and the piano performances, all about Le Relais exudes taste and distinction.
- Name:
- Le Relais
- Address:
- Hotel Le Negresco, 37, Promenade des Anglais, 06000, Nice, France
- Email:
- relais@lenegresco.com
- Website:
- www.hotel-negresco-nice.com
Discos and clubs in Nice
There are plenty of discos and clubs in Nice. Their profile is as miscellaneous as it gets in terms of music and dancing opportunities, ranging from Latino clubs to house discos.
High Club / Studio 47
High Club / Studio 47 is one of the highest rated discos in Nice. Some of the most reputed DJs are constantly invited here to perform to the satisfaction of the public thrown in a raving dancing trance.
- Name:
- High Club / Studio 47
- Address:
- 45, Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France
- Telephone:
- 0033 06 1695 7587
- Website:
- www.highclub.fr
Gay clubs in Nice
Nice is not necessarily a gay tourism destination, yet it does cater for the gay public. Le Klub is representative in this respect.
Le Klub is not an exclusively gay club, since it lends itself to being frequented by straight people drawn here by the vibrating house music. However, as a rule, the usual clientele consists of gay men (locals and tourists alike) who find here a prized resource for satisfying their nocturnal leisure needs.
Le Klub
- Name:
- Le Klub
- Address:
- 6, Rue Halevy, 06000, Nice, France
- Telephone:
- 0033 04 9316 8726
- Email:
- info@leklub.net
- Website:
- www.leklub.net