Judge awards Ruvo’s company $5 mil.-plus
By Eli Segall, Las Vegas Sun
After years of court battles, Las Vegas alcohol distributor Larry Ruvo’s company has been awarded more than $5 million from a competitor that was found to have illegally undercut him.
But whether Ruvo, who also has a place in Glenbrook, collects all of his court-ordered payments is another issue.
District Judge Mark Denton last week ordered alcohol distributor Guy Azera’s companies to pay Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada $5.36 million in damages, fees and interest.
The ruling comes almost a year after a local jury found that Azera’s firms had committed fraud, civil conspiracy, unfair competition and other tactics that illegally crimped Ruvo’s business.
It was the first time a Nevada jury awarded punitive damages for violations of the state’s alcohol distribution laws, and Ruvo’s victory in the case helps ensure that consumers drink authentic, quality alcohol, his attorney E. Leif Reid said.