Las Vegas police say an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated at Piero’s Italian Cuisine on Thursday. The Las Vegas culinary institution has been linked to criminal activity in both its very recent and distant past.

The current location of Piero’s, near the Las Vegas Convention Center, opened in 1987. (Image: UNLV Special Collections)

Piero’s was closed for the night at the time of the blast, which wasn’t reported to police until a cleaning crew arrived for work about eight hours later.

Two male suspects, both of whom were dressed in black and one of whom arrived at Piero’s on a scooter, are being sought. Sheriff Kevin McMahill said in a press conference that the IED ignited and, after burning for a couple of minutes, detonated, causing unspecified damage to the building.

The incident is under investigation by the FBI, the police department’s hazards and counterterrorism units, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Piero’s is owned by Las Vegas entrepreneur Stephen Siegel and his wife, Judi Perez Siegel. The couple — who also own the local Siegel Suites chain of extended-stay apartment hotels and the local food chains Bagelmania and Pinkbox Doughnuts — purchased the eatery in May from its original owner.

Criminal Past

Mobster Anthony Spilotro, leader of the “Hole in the Wall Gang,” leaves court in 1986, a few weeks before his assassination. (Image: Getty)

Freddie Glusman opened the original Piero’s in 1982 at 3555 S. Karen Avenue, near downtown, then relocated to its current location, the former Villa D’Este Italian Restaurant at 355 Convention Center Drive, in 1987.

Back when it was Villa D‘Este, the restaurant was reportedly owned by Chicago mob associate Joe Pignatello and frequented by mafia members including Anthony “Tony the Ant” Spilotro and Herbert “Fat Herbie” Blitzstein, both of whom were later assassinated.

This is what got Piero’s featured in the 1995 movie, “Casino.”

More recently, former New York Police Department detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa were about to dine at Piero’s on March 9, 2005 when they were arrested by FBI and DEA officers for working as secret assassins for the Lucchese crime family

They were convicted on eight counts of murder and conspiracy to murder, two attempted murders, obstruction of justice, extortion, money-laundering, and drug distribution. Eppolito received life plus 100 years, Caracappa life plus 80 years, and each was fined $4 million.

We’re not done yet…

Evan Gusman no longer works in the family business. (Image: pieroscuisine.com)

This April, Evan Glusman, Freddie’s son and the restaurant’s former operating manager, was arrested for making threats to shoot up Piero’s.

It was revealed in the younger Glusman’s arrest report that he had taken out a $1.5 million loan against the restaurant, committing fraud by claiming to be its owner when he was only its operating manager. When Freddie discovered this, he fired his son.

This reportedly made Evan unstable enough to send the following text, according to his arrest report: “I hope you realize I’m drinking and I’m going home to get a gun and fucking kill them in the middle of Piero’s.”

Glusman was arrested on suspicion of making a threat or conveying false information about acts of terrorism and harassment. He entered a no-contest plea to a reduced harassment charge in Las Vegas Justice Court.

That earned him a stayed adjudication, meaning no formal conviction would be recorded if he complied with unspecified conditions imposed by the court.

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