Halt in Progress
Chicago Casino Project Stalls Due to Speculations on Mafia Connections
In the winding world of casinos, it's not every day that construction grinds to a halt. The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has tossed a roadblock in the path of Bally's Corporation's ambitious project for Chicago's first casinoβall due to a questionable connection between a waste hauler and the shadowy world of organized crime.
Time and again, D&P Construction Co. has caught the eye of the underworld. Evident in the chaotic times of 2001, the company was implicated in a scandal surrounding the now-deceased mob leaders, John "No Nose" DiFronzo and his brother Peter DiFronzo, running the show of the Chicago mob. The colossal mess led to the loss of a gaming license for a prospective casino project in Rosemont, with Rivers Casino in Des Plaines snatching it up instead [1][2][3].
Various reports claimed that D&P sewed up contracts using strong-arm tactics, as well as through illicit payoffs. Now, with D&P supplying dumpsters on the current construction site, the IGB is urging a thorough investigation into the discreet and unapproved vendors gracing the premises [2][3].
Red flags galore
As the state's gambling watchdog, the IGB wants assurances that D&P's links to organized crime are officially in the pastβand not still lurking around corners, ready to potentially taint the whole operation with gaming regulations violations. The Chicago Community Builders Collective is neck-deep in the development process, with the site's contractor mysteriously choosing D&P [3].
Casino operators walk a precarious tightrope, with the revocation of their license being an all-too-real possibility if they associate with people of "notorious or unsavory reputation" or those with extensive criminal records [2]. Rivers Casino discovered this the hard way back in April 2016, when an investigation unveiled that a mob-affiliated company was secretly providing security and janitorial services, resulting in a hefty $1.65m fine [2].
Construction on ice
Eager to keep a clean slate, Bally's will need to devise a new strategy for vetting and approving subcontractors before the bulldozers roll again. The construction halt is the latest complication in a project that has already faced hurdles, including debris falling into the river, financial uncertainties, and a total redesign due to issues with underlying pipes [3]. If history repeats itself, it seems we're just getting started on the twists and turns of this rollercoaster ride.
[1] https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-ballys-chicago-casino-d-p-construction-20210311-mzhlmkxstrbddqwrwhr7m5334u-story.html [2] https://www.wttw.com/news/2021/03/ballys-chicago-casino-construction-halted- links-organized-crime-fbi-igb-says [3] https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-ballys-chicago-casino-construction- halted-20210311-mv7tukj7vdpscg2lbapfhxami6-story.html [4] https://www.suntimes.com/business/2001/6/21/Gaming-license-for-Rosemont-casino-project-revoked-amid-corruption- probe.html
- The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has halted construction on Bally's Corporation's casino project in Chicago due to a questionable connection between a waste hauler, D&P Construction Co., and organized crime.
- The IGB wants assurances that D&P's links to organized crime are officially in the past, as casino operators can face license revocation if they associate with people of unsavory reputation or extensive criminal records.
- Bally's will need to devise a new strategy for vetting and approving subcontractors to ensure they are not associated with the world of organized crime before construction resumes.
- Casinos and gambling are under constant scrutiny, particularly when it comes to maintaining a clean slate to avoid violating gaming regulations and risking license revocation.
- This construction halt and the potential ties to organized crime are just the latest complications in the development process for the Chicago's first casino, and history suggests that there may be more twists and turns ahead in this ongoing saga.
