Mayor Walsh’s kick-ass chronological order of events detailing the many infidelities the Gaming Commission is committing with Steve Wynn is a must read. What’s that? You don’t have time? I understand so below is a summary.
A guy named Paul Lohnes and another guy named Gary DiCicco together bought an option on the Everett property. DiCicco was a convicted felon. Seems he was in the habit of burning down buildings he owned for the insurance. Typical wise-guy shit. A few weeks later they brought in another partner named Dustin DiNunzio. Meanwhile DiCicco was was leveraging his in interest all over the place.
After all was said and done the property came under their control with Paul Lohnes owning 50%, the convicted arsonist scam man DiCicco owning 15%, a guy named Anthony Gatteneri controlling another 15%, DiNinzio had 3%, and convicted felon named Lightbody 12%.
As time went on Gatteneri took over DiCicco’s 15%.
Got that?
Now Lightbody, the convicted gangster owning 12.5%, should be called “Lighthead” because he ain’t too bright. Some guys just can’t keep their mouths shout. (Like James “Marsha Clark” McHugh and Steve “Christopher Darden” Crosby)
Lighbody gets himself on a recorded telephone call with a buddy serving state prison time. Who would have thunk the prison records prisoner’s calls? On the tape he’s boasting about his interest in the land and the millions he’s going to make.
This shady group of characters (trust me, if you are willing to partner with DiCicco or Lightbody you’re shady) then got Steve Wynn to take a look for a possible casino.
Now here’s where it get’s good.
In the fall of 2012 (two years ago) Commissioner Crosby learned of the Everett site, Wynn’s interest in it, and Paul Lohnes (see above) 50% interest.
Lohnes name rang a bell of course. (If in fact this was the first he knew of it) The name rang a bell because it was the same Paul Lohnes who is his close friend, former employee, and most important the guy who bailed out his fledging business with a million dollar infusion of cash a few years back making him a former business partner.
Now a couple of months later convicted criminal/property owner Lightbody is again recorded talking to the same prisoner explaining how the law doesn’t allow criminals to profit anywhere in the scheme including ownership in the properrty. As a result, he tells his buddy, that his interest will be double and tripled blinded to hide it from the Commission.
Meanwhile the Boston Business Journal was reporting that DiCicco, ( the felon that was “dropped” from the ownership group) really wasn’t dropped.
You guys still with me here?
Okay, in December 2012 Wynn signs the agreement for the Everett land. Right away Lightbody, the other convicted felon, brags to his prison friend then goes out and tries to secure a mortgage with it.
Wynn officially applied for the license in January of 2013 with all the pertinent information including Paul Lohnes, Steve Crosby’s friend and former business partner. Crosby said nothing. Did not recuse himself.
A month later the Commission adopted it’s own ethics rules which followed the instructions in the law to keep it above board. They agreed to recuse themselves from any proceeding “where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned.”
In July of last year the Commission’s investigators reported Lightbody’s interest to the commission. There was done at a hearing. Upon learning this Steve Crosby divulged for the first time his relationship with Lohner and recused himself from that particular meeting. he did not recuse himself form voting on the license.
A week later the state police interviewed Crosby about his knowledge and relationship with Lohner, The next day Crosby filed a written letter explaining his conflict but he did not recuse himself from the vote. This was at least nine months after Crosby first learned of Lohners interest.
He also mislead the Commission by not disclosing that for seven years Lohner was the treasurer of a company, the Crosby Vandenburgh Group, which Crosby owned and ran. Basically they worked closely together for seven years and Crosby didn’t think this was worth disclosing.
He still did not recuse himself.
In September of last year Crosby starting running the hearings to decide the Boston license. During the next month Commission investigators attempted to interview Gattineri, whose name is on the ownership papers. He claimed his Fifth Amendment rights and would not talk to them.
The investigators presented their concerns to the Commission last December. Crosby kept his blinders on and rolled ahead. Then the commission had private meetings with Wynn people (not allowed) and crafted a resolution for their “problem”.
One way they did this was to re-do the lease agreement and eliminate the landowners receipt of a piece of the gambling revenue. Cost them tens of millions. (Yeah right, tell me Wynn and these characters don’t have their side deal.)
But Crosby did not recuse himself. Instead he worked to make sure his friend’s deal wasn’t blown. The Commission also said they wanted affidavits identifying all the individuals with interest in the property. That just caused more shenanigans. This brought up another name, James Russo. He’s in for 3% of the take as a consultant or something. When the commission’s investigator’s went to talk to him he refused their attempts. And Gaetinari, the owner who took the fifth, well he wouldn’t sign the affidavit either on advice from criminal counsel.
This was all in 2013.. The came 2014 and this crap continued until May when the media reported Crosby’s association with Lohner causing Crosby to reluctantly stepped down saying, “Neither I or any of the Commissioners have any doubt about my ability to be impartial in the decision making process”. (That’s fucked up) Commissioner McHugh said he believed Crosby’s recusal was “unnecessary”. (That’s more fucked-up)
Meanwhile Gaetinari is doing all sorts of things to make it look like he’s legit. Rather then do what the law says and tell these people they’re disqualified the Commission worked along side them like they were trying to save Market Basket. Why?
Every things working out now. Lightbody gave up his interest in the land in exchange for the King Arthur’s Motel and Strip Joint around the corner from the proposed casino. Girls Girls Girls. Wherever and however you want them. Can’t have a high end casino without strippers and call girls.
You can read the last part of the mayor’s letter which outline the many procedural wink wink nod nod the Commission has been doing the past few months to bag the deal for Wynn or at least give the appearance it is bagging it for him.
So I ask you ladies and gentlemen. Is Steve Crosby mobbed up? Is Jim McHugh an unwitting bobo? Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy sort of thing?
Crosby’s business partner is business partners with these guys. So he does business with people who do business with them. Then add in all he’s done since taking the job to avoid recusal.
Meanwhile the Boston Globe is ignoring these facts in their editorials and now in their reporting. The have shown their true colors by supporting the corruption in the name of money. Frauds!!!
That’s exactly the kind of under-dealings that were expected to happen when Casinos were approved for the Bay State.
should be an uprate. Sorry about that.
to assert itself, do its job and lead finds itself being lead by the crew from Goodfellas. It is not easy to convince the public that we need to increase revenue in order to pay for needed improvements in the commonwealth. That takes guts and skill. The easy way out is to invite casinos with their promise of easy revenue and hope that this time, it will work. Deals with the devil are always easy to get into and costly in the end. This is the short term future of Massachusetts if we continue down this path.
This is actually a very accurate timeline and analysis, in my opinion (as someone who has been following the Boston license closely). Thanks for posting.
Who would have guessed casinos would bring in stories like this? And this doesn’t even touch on the shady business in Everett city hall. Shady small-time city Mayoring at its best. I’m not saying people in Everett are afraid to publicly voice their private concern over the casino project, but I’m not not saying it. Let’s just say Steve Wynn did his research right when he chose Everett as a partner.
in Massachusetts, contending that:
“We will regulate casinos vigilantly, professionally, and independent of politics.”
No one has held him to account for that statement, as far as I can tell, not even the editors of BMG, who maintained just last week that Patrick “so easily re-framed many controversial issues from a place of compassion and decency, because he believed what he said.” If he believed what he said in 2007 about regulating casinos in Massachusetts, he should be asked whether he still believes it today.
Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker should be asked this as well in light of the growing evidence that we really can’t regulate casinos vigilantly, professionally, and independent of politics.
… he threw away on one bad idea.
“And how was Mr. Crosby chosen, inquiring minds would like to know.”
I’m thinking at least one of our editors joins some of us in holding Deval Patrick responsible (among several) for the slimy casino mess spreading throughout the state.
But keep in mind, Mayor Walsh would not have blasted the Gaming Commission if his preferred Casino proposal was making headway.
Here’s Gov. Deval patrick’s response. The comments to the Globe piece are especially instructive.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/09/12/patrick-defends-gambling-commission-against-walsh-accusations/KVI6ytrN24jpnpCnueMF4I/story.html
Without him this discussion would not even be occurring.
I like Deval Patrick, but when I was given the opportunity to reflect on his tenure as governor, right here on BMG in a posy by John Walsh, I asked “WTF were you thinking on casinos?”
In my case, loyalty to my group only goes so far – I’m perfectly capable of liking Deval Patrick (and my state rep, who voted for the bill) while being against casinos.
I’ve worn the spots off the keys on this laptop…;)
Nevertheless, the point merrimackguy makes is, sadly, very true. The reason there is a casino debate today AT ALL is because Governor Deval Patrick embraced the concept.
As much as like Mr. Patrick, if casinos come to pass in this state, then I predict that history will blame him for the consequences.
…about Patrick’s legacy and I said as much in the comment I referenced above. For the record, here is what I said:
http://vps28478.inmotionhosting.com/~bluema24/2014/05/whats-the-story/#comment-339756
so, MG’s point does not stand – his point was that I must like casinos because I like Deval Patrick, and that is simply not true.
While MG is certainly not a right wing troll like DFW, he’s still on the right of the political spectrum. Right wingers place a heavy emphasis on loyalty to their group when deciding about policies worthy of their support, while left leaning folks like you and I wake a more nuanced approach, weighing many factors without the heavy emphasis on loyalty. That’s where MG is wrong – I can like Governor Patrick and detest casinos at the same time.
I should plug a keyboard into a USB slot!
History is filled with horrible executives who were well-liked.
I agree that mg overstates the case against Deval Patrick, but I suggest that his fundamental point remains sound. If allowed, casinos will be among the worst mistakes in modern Massachusetts history, and history will blame Deval Patrick for that mistake.
against John and the rest of us who supported his candidacy and other policy initiatives but not this one.
I completely agree. I still like Barack Obama, but I can cite several mistakes he’s made as well.
Here’s to future … non-mistakes.
…that will scuttle any Presidential ambitions that the governor may have had. Because there is just no way no make this look to the rest of the nation like clean and responsible administration by somebody who wants the highest administration job in the land.
And I am still waiting for the post that explains how this is all the fault of Mass GOP and George Bush. Because a one-party super-majority is really such a harmless thing, as long as you keep the Speakers out of court.
I agree with you that our state government is badly broken, pervasively corrupt, and unable to accomplish the basic duties of governance — keeping the trains running on time, raising and collecting the taxes needed to sustain civilized society, that sort of thing. I also agree with you that Deval Patrick’s embrace of casino gambling will cause deep and perhaps insurmountable damage to any presidential ambitions he may have.
The Democratic Party did not cause the Mass GOP to adopt the extreme positions that have driven away the vast majority of Massachusetts voters. The Democratic Party did not cause the Mass GOP to not even run candidates in most local elections. The Democratic Party did not cause the Mass GOP to nominate hopeless inept, criminal, or utterly incompetent nominees for the few races it did choose to compete in. The Democratic Party did not cause the national GOP to transform itself into the toxic bastion of hatred, bigotry, xenophobia, and nihilism that it has become.
I find it enormously ironic that you, a Republican, would apparently strive to avoid the self-responsibility that was the hallmark of GOP dogma for decades. Our current one-party super-majority is the DIRECT result of the stupid, self-destructive, and politically disastrous decisions and actions that the MA GOP has been making since the Reagan era.
The Mass GOP has met the enemy, and it is the Mass GOP.
Having kids die under state custody is a gross violation, one that would be one very Coakley campaign ad if Baker was the incumbent, and one we should be sure to expect to see in his. A lot of people outside of BMG think he hasn’t done that great of a job, and it’s incumbent on the Democrats to get ahead of that.
Welcome back here! Go over to RMG sometime and you will see post after post saying Fisher was robbed, or wishing Ted Cruz style candidates could run in MA since they are ‘purer and thus more eletable’. There are certainly some like that here (a good chunk of my fellow Berwick supporters in the last few weeks), but most of us are pretty reasonable and fair minded pragmatic people.
I don’t see that in your base. The elders get it-Baker clearly has a great strategy to winning this state, one I expect to work a lot better than his 2010 strategy. But with the Carrs and the ditto heads bashing “illegals” and generally being insensitive to women and minorities, it’s a wonder the party has occasional bursts of competitiveness like it did with Brown and the governors. And largely those bursts are due to Democratic ineptitude or overreach.
And again, we are both in glass houses, since our party can instantly pass a buffer zone or casino bill, but still can’t fund the T, end education inequity, or pass a true minimum wage increase. And we have no excuse for that, this should be a liberal utopia and it isn’t, because of patronage and corporate cronyism. Its a microcosm of America-one base holds cultural views out of synch with the bast majority of voters, tearing it’s base down, and the other has a base that get’s totally taken for granted and is too scared to assert itself. Give them gay marriage and we can deregulate the banks and privatize education, they surely say over cigars and brandy while glancing without irony at the FDR pictures on the wall.