Exclusive: Mobsters Welcome At Pa. Casinos
PHILADELPHIA - Fox 29 has learned that mobsters and criminals barred from New Jersey's casinos don't face the same exclusion in Pennsylvania.
With Philadelphia's first casino about to open, we've learned that none of the local wise guys or convicted felons banned in Atlantic City face the same restrictions here.
There are almost 200 gangsters, convicted felons and casino cheats on the New Jersey's casino control commission's exclusion list. In Pennsylvania, there are just four.
With the Sugar House Casino set to open its doors to gamblers in Philadelphia in a few weeks we went looking to see if any of made members of the local mob who are banned from gambling in Atlantic City, will be able to place bets at the state's newest gaming hall.
The answer right now is: yes.
The extent of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's exclusion list is four people, who are essentially accused of cheating the casinos or casino patrons.
There are no mobsters, no career criminals or illegal gamblers on the list.
For example, South Philly mob boss Joe Ligambi is barred from the casinos in New Jersey, but he's not on the exclusion list here.
Neither is mob boss Joey Merlino or current underboss Marty Angelina. Merlino is about to be released from prison on racketeering charges.
Merlino is a notorious illegal gambler whose been captured on tape gambling with Angelina and other mobsters in Atlantic City. Mob reporter George Anastasia from the Philadelphia Inquirer, says he just doesn't get it.
"You look at the new jersey list and you piggyback off of that . Any wise guys from this area that are on the jersey list ought to be on the Pennsylvania list. Because it's about the integrity of gambling and you don't want those kinds of individuals around the casinos. So Pennsylvania has a base already to build off of because gamblers who go to Atlantic City are just as likely to come here to Pennsylvania."
Now some other big names are also on New Jersey's exclusion lists like "Little Nicky" Scarfo and mob captain turned informant Phillip Leonetti. They are not on a list here either.
Preliminarily they make the argument that their list is only a couple of years old and New Jersey's is more than 30 years in the making.
They also note that since guys like Ligambi and Merlino have not yet been seen in Pennsylvania's casinos, it would be tough to ban them without due process.
Anastasia says maybe the gaming board should be more proactive like New Jersey when it comes to banning known trouble makers from the casinos here.
A spokesman for the Gaming Control Board says there will be a further explanation of on Friday
It may all come down to the board deciding to err on the side of due process instead of banning these guys and letting them ask for a hearing to appeal the decision.