If you thought Pennsylvania‘s casino-selection process was more than a bit fishy, you’re not alone. Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. Ralph Periandi (ret.) tried to probe whether then-Gov. Ed Rendell (D) and “members of his administration and others in state government might be trying to control the new gaming industry in Pennsylvania.” Ya think? If you were a “george” donor to the Democratic Party your chances of getting a casino license were extremely good, as Neil Bluhm and the late Don Barden could tell you. (OK, you might have trouble getting an answer from Barden.) However, in Periandi’s attempts to put the squeeze on Mob associate Louis DeNaples, the state court system kept tripping him up.
These revelations are a subplot in a new biography, The Quiet Don that is mainly preoccupied with Russell Bufalino, the titular capo. From this foretaste, it has the flavor of a must-read.
At a time when it’s pushing for a Massachusetts casino license, the last thingFoxwoods Resort Casino is a scandal, let alone two. However, the treasurer of Foxwoods owner the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is apparently going to plead out on charges that he took 70 grand from tribal coffers. Ex-chairman Michael Thomas has a date with the pokey, after being convicted of embezzling 100,000 clams from the tribe. Casino CEO Scott “Woody” Butera is going to have to convince Bay State regulators that his operation is safely insulated from corruption at the top of the tribe.
