A retired NYPD officer who pled guilty to running a high-end escort service is sinking his teeth into a new business venture a decidedly more wholesome “mobile food delivery app,” he told the court Thursday.
But first he’ll have to serve a year and three months behind bars.
Michael Rizzi, who dodged a major bullet when Brooklyn federal judge Carol Bagley Amon sentenced him to lesser end of the up to four years guideline prosecutors recommended – says he created and developed the endeavor with his 11-year-old son.
It was not clear if Rizzi’s new happy ending would be serving up prepared food or ingredients to streamline home cooking.
Rizzi honed his business acumen while masterminding and running a multimillionaire-dollar prostitution ring where johns shelled out as much as $20,000 for a night with a different kind of hot dish. He pleaded guilty last October.
The beefy ex-cop hugged hoards of family and friends who had turned out to support him Thursday after he tearfully told Judge Carol Bagley Amon he had “no one to blame” but himself.
“I want to apologize to my wife and children,” said the 46-year-old – who allegedly got business advice from “Luv Gov” Eliot Spitzer’s ex-madame.
Rizzi met former “Manhattan Madam” Kristin Davis at an event, she’s formerly said, and immediately started trying to ply her for information on how to be a hooker booker.
Davis said she brushed him off, since she was no longer heading the famous service alleged to have served the likes of Eliot Spitzer, Alex Rodriguez, and David Beckham.
Rizzi touted the ladies of the night on nearly 60 websites, under names like Plushplaymates.com, Eliteclubnyc.com and Hotmodelsnyc.com.
Choking up in court Rizzi said he was “terrified” his parents would die while he was imprisoned.
Rizzi said he had been devoting much of his time to caring for his aging his parents, as well as his in-laws–which include Gambino solider Richard Giuloano Jr.
Rizzi’s wife Jill, who was in court, is also the niece of Joseph Giuliano, a Gambino capo.
“I want to put this in my past,” he said.
“I don’t think people realize the burden being prosecuted has,” defense attorney Javier Solano said as he looked fondly at his client. “I’m the one who has received his messages at 2 am, I’m the one who’s heard about his sleepless nights. I don’t think there’s anything else that needs to be done to deter him from doing anything like this ever again.”
“In terms of punishment, it’s already happened to him,” the lawyer opined. “He has been punished.”
Judge Amon called the case “difficult,” and noted how Rizzi’s NYPD service–which ended following an on-the-job back injury– made his sentencing more complex.
“It cuts both ways,” she said before sentencing Rizzi to 15 months in prison, three years supervised release and four months of home detention.
“He served for years without any blemish to his record. On the other hand, as the prosecution said, this is someone who clearly knew better.”
A beaming Rizzi declined to comment as he strutted out of court surrounded by a gaggle of friends and family.
“He’s thankful for Judge Amon’s decision,” Solano told reporters. “He believes what she did was fair in light of his circumstances.”
