After a lifetime of hard work, Dunmore money man Louis DeNaples is barred from the biggest business he ever built.
After all those years of hard labor, state gambling regulators yesterday told the 67-year-old rookie casino owner that he can’t even set foot on the grounds of the Poconos resort that was supposed to be his shining legacy.
A Dauphin County grand jury recommended that he be charged with four counts of perjury for allegedly lying to gambling regulators about his connections to organized crime. District Attorney Ed Marsico has given DeNaples a few days to turn himself in.
After all these years of faithful service to his church, his community and his family, DeNaples will be arrested like a common crook.
It’s likely that none of this would have happened if police hadn’t arrested alleged Mafia don Billy D’Elia, who faces spending the rest of his life in prison if he’s convicted on federal charges that include conspiracy to kill a federal witness.
Based on the testimony of D’Elia and others, grand jurors concluded that DeNaples lied when he said he didn’t know D’Elia or share a deep personal and business relationship with him.
Based on D’Elia’s testimony, grand jurors concluded that DeNaples lied when he said he didn’t know the late Mafia legend Russell Bufalino or share a deep personal relationship with him.
D’Elia testified that DeNaples is far from the pillar of the community that DeNaples’ most staunch defenders believe.
If convicted, DeNaples could spend the rest of his life in jail.
But he vowed to fight, a paid spokesman said yesterday, and is looking forward to heading to court where he can put the rumors to rest.
I’m looking forward to a trial as well.
Maybe then DeNaples will explain why he already passed on the chance to put the rumors to rest when, according to news accounts, he refused to testify before the grand jury and cited his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
The case against DeNaples is huge.
Many witnesses testified against him, including D’Elia and others whom DeNaples never expected to come forward.
Witnesses include former Philadelphia Mayor John Street.
Most people around here, including me, didn’t know that DeNaples even knew Street.
DeNaples further clouded the issue when, according to the presentment, he told state gambling regulators during a gaming license interview that he didn’t even know what the Mafia was.
During that same interview, DeNaples showed his obvious lack of sophistication by telling his questioners that he wasn’t sure of the identity of a black man who allegedly came to see him about doing business in Philadelphia.
“To me, all black people look alike,” DeNaples said, according to the presentment that quoted his testimony.
DeNaples’ slur should particularly get the attention of everyone that supports the new medical school that’s supposed to be built in Scranton. In recent days, school bosses appointed DeNaples to the school’s board of trustees.
This defendant’s presence on the board should be less than reassuring to black staff, black students or black patients who put faith in the medical facility and dream of hope for the future.
DeNaples will bring a lot of baggage to the courtroom if his case ever comes to trial. And I’m not just talking about bulging briefcases and mountains of documents that his army of lawyers will likely lug into the polished halls of justice.
Despite his charitable cash contributions to many worthy causes, until now DeNaples has lived the life of a rich reclusive mystery man. Once he stepped into the public arena, though, he opened himself up to scrutiny.
Although the gambling board heard DeNaples’ testimony in secret, we now know some of what went on.
DeNaples never thought that would happen.
Then D’Elia decided to talk.
Now the state will take over the casino and hold all cash in escrow until further notice.
Win or lose, DeNaples should realize that he’s not as powerful as he thought he was.
Corbett
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