Nico Santucci, born Nicholas Joseph Santucci in Chicago, Illinois is an Italian-American restaurateur, entrepreneur and designer. He is the founder and CEO of Black Door Global, a Los Angeles-based, real estate development and lifestyle company, and Elite Management Services, which includes restaurant, nightlife, and commercial food processing and real estate divisions. Santucci is also a philanthropist, having raised funds for Safenest, a Las Vegas charity helping abused women and children.
Biography
Early life
Santucci's Italian-American family immigrated to the United States from Abruzzo, Italy. He was raised in Chicago, Illinois, where he attended high school. He later moved to Los Angeles. His first entrepreneurial venture was as a teen, when he purchased a fleet of 40 decommissioned taxicabs for $100 a piece from Yellow Cab Company of Chicago, Illinois. He painted and repaired them to working condition and then sold them for $1,500. Santucci then entered the world of real estate by diversifying his assets into real estate holdings, beginning with the Parisian Palace, a mansion he designed not only as a home but as a venue for parties and events. He also designed and built the rock star-themed ultra lounge Black Door, Venus and C2K at the Venetian Hotel and Casino. Cafe Moda and the Lynx lounge were two other properties Santucci built and owned.
Restaurants
Nico Santucci has secured and maintained two Italian restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada called Capo's Italian Restaurants. Capo's is a trademarked speakeasy, mob-themed restaurant and bar. One source refers to Santucci as the head chef and owner.
Limousine Company
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Santucci started The Elite Limousine company, originally with one car and growing to 14 vehicless within two years. The limo company moved from Newport Beach to Beverly Hills in 1995. He later sold the company to a Japanese corporation.
Santucci decided to invest in real estate, where he bought, designed, and renovated mansions. He remodeled 11 mansions in Los Angeles, including Mansion 11, Penthouse 28.
Las Vegas Real Estate
Santucci purchased, designed and sold the Red Rock Mansion in Las Vegas. He then purchased a 14,000 square foot majestic French castle on Palmyra road in 2004. He redesigned the castle to resemble a 17th-century Versailles palace which later became known as the world famous Parisian palace with 21 rooms. He also added another 5,000 square feet to the property. He also designed the Sultan Lounge, Lynx Lounge, Zen Mansion, Capo's Tropicana, Moulin Rouge, and Capo's Sahara. He partnered with Dave Navarro and opened the Black Door Bar and Grill.
Food Manufacture
On October 20, 2011, Santucci and his Elite Management Services acquired the "Capone Family Secret" trademarkand company located in Cicero, IL, from Dominic Capone and Trademark Trustee Desiree Alonzo. Capo's Capone Family Secret from his family's secret recipes were made into a line of Italian canned and bottled home food products.
