Today is a good day to start a thread about Mount Airy Casino Resort. It may take a while to cover all the territory.
Let’s start with some ancient history.
Let’s start with some ancient history.
In 2008, the Feds got a mobster to roll over on the resort.
“The reputed boss of a northeastern Pennsylvania crime family could get time knocked off his prison sentence because he is cooperating with authorities in their prosecution of a casino owner.”
dailyitem.com/reputed-mobste…
“The reputed boss of a northeastern Pennsylvania crime family could get time knocked off his prison sentence because he is cooperating with authorities in their prosecution of a casino owner.”
dailyitem.com/reputed-mobste…
Seems Mr. DeNaples lied to the State of Pennsylvania Gaming Commission about his pals the monsters in order to win a $50 million slot machine license. 
Even Mr. DeNaples priest, Father Joseph Sica, got into hot water over his ties to the Bufalino crime family. Tsk, tsk, Father Joey.
“William D'Elia, 62, became the latest alleged American Mafia leader to turn government informant as he was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for witness tampering and conspiracy to launder drug money.”
D’Elia was the head of the Bufalino crime family.
D’Elia was the head of the Bufalino crime family.
In 2009, Louis DeNaples was forced to sell his stake
“DeNaples relinquished control of the casino in 2009 to avoid prosecution on charges he lied to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board about his affiliations with organized crime figures when he applied for his gaming license.
“DeNaples relinquished control of the casino in 2009 to avoid prosecution on charges he lied to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board about his affiliations with organized crime figures when he applied for his gaming license.
Luckily DeNaples was able to sell his share to his daughter Lisa DeNaples, who operates the casino.
mcall.com/news/pennsylva…
mcall.com/news/pennsylva…
In 2012 the resort petitions the gaming board to allow two of Lisa’s siblings to join its board. They also ask that their dad Louis be allowed to remain its financial guarantor.
The Office of Enforcement Counsel disagreed.
citizensvoice.com/news/gaming-bo…
The Office of Enforcement Counsel disagreed.
citizensvoice.com/news/gaming-bo…
Some six months later, the matter of Louis DeNaples lack of a gaming license being in conflict with his role as a guarantor was resolved gracefully, as he exited as a guarantor.
dailyitem.com/news/louis-den…
dailyitem.com/news/louis-den…
Lisa DeNaples did a bang up job of making improvements to the resort, landing a AAA Four Diamond Award, opening a Guy Fieri branded restaurant, and putting in a ginormous swimming pool. Sounds fun!
industrym.com/the-rise-of-mo…
industrym.com/the-rise-of-mo…
Still, Louis wasn’t happy with the decision that prevented him from earning anything from the casino. He was barred from receiving any payments, including to businesses he owned that might provide services to Mount Airy. He lost his 2016 case.
Boohoo.
mcall.com/news/pennsylva…
Boohoo.
mcall.com/news/pennsylva…
Also in 2012, Louis deNaples was forced to step down from his role as the chairman of First National Community Bancorp.
However, in 2013 the federal appeals court reversed the decision and DeNaples was allowed to remain on FNCB’s board.
[I was today years old when I learned there is a Mafia Wiki.]
mafia.wikia.org/wiki/Louis_DeN…
[I was today years old when I learned there is a Mafia Wiki.]
mafia.wikia.org/wiki/Louis_DeN…
Talk about ancient history, Mafia Wiki!
“In 1978, DeNaples pleaded no contest to a conspiracy charge of defrauding the government of more than $500,000 in contracts relating to the cleanup and recovery of the City of Scranton in the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes.”
“In 1978, DeNaples pleaded no contest to a conspiracy charge of defrauding the government of more than $500,000 in contracts relating to the cleanup and recovery of the City of Scranton in the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes.”
We’ll want to remember that in 1978 DeNaples defrauded the government when we get to 2020, gentle readers.
But we still have a few gaps to fill before we arrive at the present day.
But we still have a few gaps to fill before we arrive at the present day.
Because dear gentle readers, it is time to hold onto your hats for his 2013 book review of the Quiet Don that says Bufalino was involved in the Bay of Pigs, ordered the killing of Jimmy Hoffa, and, oh yeah, had DeNaples bribe Pennsylvania governor Rendell to change gambling laws.
This is tangential to our DeNaples thread, yet noteworthy.
La Cosa Nostra founder Bufalino allegedly ordered the hit on Hoffa “because of concerns the one-time union kingpin might spill details of his involvement in the Castro plot.”
💥
inquirer.com/philly/news/ph…
La Cosa Nostra founder Bufalino allegedly ordered the hit on Hoffa “because of concerns the one-time union kingpin might spill details of his involvement in the Castro plot.”
💥
inquirer.com/philly/news/ph…
It helps contextualize this statement,
“DeNaples, Birkbeck alleges, was initially granted a casino license to operate a slots parlor in the Poconos after corralling business associates to donate $600,000 to Rendell's campaign coffers.”
Is bribe too harsh? Shall we use bundle?
“DeNaples, Birkbeck alleges, was initially granted a casino license to operate a slots parlor in the Poconos after corralling business associates to donate $600,000 to Rendell's campaign coffers.”
Is bribe too harsh? Shall we use bundle?
Lest there be any confusion as to the credibility of Birkbeck’s reporting, we should observe he was sued for defamation by a murderer whose dad was DeNaples bestie.
This article 😅
timesleader.com/news/555157/in…
This article 😅
timesleader.com/news/555157/in…
Now, this tale from the far-right American Spectator is an eyebrow raiser, saying DeNaples gives generously to the Catholic Church & his former accountant’s son is now Monsignor Rossi at the National Shrine
😟
spectator.org/monsignor-walt…
😟
spectator.org/monsignor-walt…
The National Shrine is a whole different rabbit hole. From Neumayr’s gay-bashing leg work we see that DeNaples it well off, to say the least.
🚨 He owns his own bank (probably more.) 🚨
🚨 He owns his own bank (probably more.) 🚨
Before we return to the bank, a quick foray into campaign contributions. Here we see the convicted felon giving $15K to the Dem DA candidate in 2016 pennlive.com/news/2016/04/p…
Here’s DeNaples giving Kane $25K to drop an inquiry by revoking subpoenas in 2013, reported in 2015.
pennlive.com/politics/2015/…
pennlive.com/politics/2015/…
Here is DeNaples’ businesses giving former Republican governor Tom Corbett $42,500, as reported in 2015.
Corbett lost his 2014 re-election bid.
citizensvoice.com/news/dem-law-f…
Corbett lost his 2014 re-election bid.
citizensvoice.com/news/dem-law-f…
So you get the picture.
Louis DeNaples, who founded Mount Airy Casino Resort, got forced to pass the biz to his kids, & then started throwing around big bucks to politicians of all stripes. & why shouldn’t he?
He’s the chairman of the board at $FNCB.
marketwatch.com/investing/stoc…
Louis DeNaples, who founded Mount Airy Casino Resort, got forced to pass the biz to his kids, & then started throwing around big bucks to politicians of all stripes. & why shouldn’t he?
He’s the chairman of the board at $FNCB.
marketwatch.com/investing/stoc…
It’s your basic full service bank, doing about $40 million a year in revenue, $FNCB trading around $6, with 17 locations in Pennsylvania, per this rundown off the Seeking Alpha app.
You can see the bank changed its name in 2016, but let’s not delve into that just now.
You can see the bank changed its name in 2016, but let’s not delve into that just now.
Instead, let’s contemplate the first and fourth paragraphs of this 17 day old Reuters story on the Main Street loan program which is part of the corona virus stimulus, from the CARES Act, I believe.
reuters.com/article/usa-fe…
reuters.com/article/usa-fe…
“The Federal Reserve … central bank disclosed the largest loan so far went to a resort in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains.”
“The largest - $50 million - was to Mount Airy #1 LLC, operator of the Mount Airy Casino Resort”... made by none other than FNCB!
“The largest - $50 million - was to Mount Airy #1 LLC, operator of the Mount Airy Casino Resort”... made by none other than FNCB!
And there you have it, folks.
The biggest ever Main Street recovery loan went to a mobbed up Pennsylvania casino & it was bankrolled by the bank chaired by the casino founder, DeNaples.
They are laundering money in plain sight & that money belongs helping small businesses.
👿
The biggest ever Main Street recovery loan went to a mobbed up Pennsylvania casino & it was bankrolled by the bank chaired by the casino founder, DeNaples.
They are laundering money in plain sight & that money belongs helping small businesses.
👿
Now, as usual, I have buried the lede. Not only that, I buried tweets two and three so here they are in all their glory.
To close the loop on Louis DeNaples, Mount Airy Casino, & FNCB:
Known fraudster & mobster gets casino license by lying to state gaming board & gets kicked out.
His companies are not supposed to do business with the casino
Yet, the casino just got a hugest loan from his bank.
Known fraudster & mobster gets casino license by lying to state gaming board & gets kicked out.
His companies are not supposed to do business with the casino
Yet, the casino just got a hugest loan from his bank.
This is Trump’s America.
A stitch in time saves nine 🧵
Please unroll @threadreaderapp
Post script.
I just don’t get it.
Is James Bone, Jr. the EVP and CPA
I just don’t get it.
Is James Bone, Jr. the EVP and CPA
Or is he the “Attorney in Fact”
Maybe this is some term of art I am unfamiliar with despite years of exposure to financial statements or ... ?
I’ve never seen an accounting guy also be a lawyer or vice versa.
Maybe I only worked legitimate places. 🤷♀️
Maybe this is some term of art I am unfamiliar with despite years of exposure to financial statements or ... ?
I’ve never seen an accounting guy also be a lawyer or vice versa.
Maybe I only worked legitimate places. 🤷♀️
Well, a fresh new day in the redwoods, so I decided to search Twitter for the term DeNaples.
Lo and behold, it’s swampy, very swampy.
Lo and behold, it’s swampy, very swampy.
That $50 million is the bigliest portion (60%) of that Main Street tranche.
Yes, dear readers, we could have done the math from the Reuters article, but it looks so much better in a spreadsheet from someone who understands finance at an elevated level.
Yes, dear readers, we could have done the math from the Reuters article, but it looks so much better in a spreadsheet from someone who understands finance at an elevated level.
A journalist covering economics says the Main Street program is operating at less than capacity due to serious design flaws.
🧐
🧐
Anyway, back to the $50 million FNCB loaned to Mount Airy.
This loan is an outlier by a magnitude of order that would greatly skew the bell curve of loans made thus far, were we to create such a graph.
It is more than 4x the next loan, and 10x the 3rd& 4th loans.
Amazeballs!
This loan is an outlier by a magnitude of order that would greatly skew the bell curve of loans made thus far, were we to create such a graph.
It is more than 4x the next loan, and 10x the 3rd& 4th loans.
Amazeballs!
Curiously, a reply to Mr. Steele’s spreadsheet tweet alleges that Mount Airy and a Trump casino (Taj Mahal?) shared the same IT person.
This certainly bears further research, and don’t worry, at some point I will circle back to this. Stay tuned for Dumfounded goes hog wild!
This certainly bears further research, and don’t worry, at some point I will circle back to this. Stay tuned for Dumfounded goes hog wild!
It’s probably just coincidence.
Scranton is the county seat for Lackawanna County.
Scranton is the county seat for Lackawanna County.
