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Chick Zito busted at Foxwoods
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — A television actor who once rode with the Hells Angels motorcycle gang was arrested and ejected from the Foxwoods Resort Casino Saturday night after refusing to remove a jacket bearing the Hells Angels logo.
Charles "Chuck" Zito, who plays a prison crew boss on the critically acclaimed HBO series Oz, was charged with first-degree criminal trespass by state police after he refused to remove his Hells Angels jacket.
Zito, a former bodyguard to the stars whose clients included Sylvester Stallone, Michael Jackson and Liza Minnelli, was at the casino at the invitation of HBO to attend the Evander Holyfield-John Ruiz WBA heavyweight fight. He lives in Pelham, N.Y.
Known for his own pugilistic endeavors — he once punched actor Jean-Claude van Damme in a bar after the action star allegedly made disparaging comments about him — Zito said he was supposed to meet other actors from the HBO show at Saturday night's fight.
He never made it into the arena. Casino officials asked Zito to remove his jacket, but he refused, police said. When told he would have to either remove the jacket or leave, Zito refused to do either, prompting troopers to arrest him.
"He was very cooperative and the arrest was made without incident," said state police Sgt. Ken Kelly. Zito posted a $500 cash bond and is scheduled to return for a court appearance on Dec. 27.
Casino spokesman Bruce McDonald said Foxwoods has a rule barring patrons from wearing gang colors in the casino for fear it will incite violence. Zito was given every opportunity to remove the jacket, but refused, McDonald said.
The 48-year-old actor and stuntman, whose movie credits include Amistad, and Die Hard 3, said the casino's rule is not posted and that he believes it is discriminatory. He said he intends to sue Foxwoods, "no matter if it's an Indian reservation or not," because he feels his civil rights were violated.
"We're going to sue Foxwoods, the state police and anyone else who arrested me," Zito told the Day of New London. "It was discrimination. They violated my civil rights and they humiliated me."
A member of the Hells Angels for more than 22 years, Zito said he refused to take off his jacket because he was defending his beliefs.
"If a guy walks in here with a Yankees jacket, are you going to make him take it off?" he asked. "This is America, this isn't Russia."
Charles "Chuck" Zito, who plays a prison crew boss on the critically acclaimed HBO series Oz, was charged with first-degree criminal trespass by state police after he refused to remove his Hells Angels jacket.
Zito, a former bodyguard to the stars whose clients included Sylvester Stallone, Michael Jackson and Liza Minnelli, was at the casino at the invitation of HBO to attend the Evander Holyfield-John Ruiz WBA heavyweight fight. He lives in Pelham, N.Y.
Known for his own pugilistic endeavors — he once punched actor Jean-Claude van Damme in a bar after the action star allegedly made disparaging comments about him — Zito said he was supposed to meet other actors from the HBO show at Saturday night's fight.
He never made it into the arena. Casino officials asked Zito to remove his jacket, but he refused, police said. When told he would have to either remove the jacket or leave, Zito refused to do either, prompting troopers to arrest him.
"He was very cooperative and the arrest was made without incident," said state police Sgt. Ken Kelly. Zito posted a $500 cash bond and is scheduled to return for a court appearance on Dec. 27.
Casino spokesman Bruce McDonald said Foxwoods has a rule barring patrons from wearing gang colors in the casino for fear it will incite violence. Zito was given every opportunity to remove the jacket, but refused, McDonald said.
The 48-year-old actor and stuntman, whose movie credits include Amistad, and Die Hard 3, said the casino's rule is not posted and that he believes it is discriminatory. He said he intends to sue Foxwoods, "no matter if it's an Indian reservation or not," because he feels his civil rights were violated.
"We're going to sue Foxwoods, the state police and anyone else who arrested me," Zito told the Day of New London. "It was discrimination. They violated my civil rights and they humiliated me."
A member of the Hells Angels for more than 22 years, Zito said he refused to take off his jacket because he was defending his beliefs.
"If a guy walks in here with a Yankees jacket, are you going to make him take it off?" he asked. "This is America, this isn't Russia."