Proposed R.I. casino would challenge Mass. industry
Shouldn't be too hard to bluff 'em:
"Gambling revenue at Plainridge Park Casino fell by about 1 percent in October, marking the third straight month of declines, as the state’s first casino battles for market share in a region already dominated by larger and more-established out-of-state casinos."
Or we no longer have any money to waste at slot parlors.
Nice job, Massachusetts, hopping on the casino train as it comes to a halt.
Judge denies Aquinnah bid for Vineyard casino
He did you a favor.
"Wynn seeks a footbridge to casino" by Sean P. Murphy Globe Staff November 12, 2015
Workmen building a massive casino on the Everett side of the Mystic River can easily see the bustling MBTA station on the opposite bank in Somerville, a mere 500 feet away. But to get there requires a circuitous trek over some of Greater Boston’s most congested roads.
Now, Wynn Resorts wants to build a footbridge to span that short distance between the two cities, as part of its plan for its $1.7 billion casino and hotel development, linking it to Assembly Row’s shops and restaurants.
But Wynn’s vision, still in the planning stages, will face formidable opposition in the person of Mayor Joseph Curtatone of Somerville, a dogged opponent of the Everett casino who says the bridge would be a bane, not a boon, for his city.
“A footbridge would benefit Steve Wynn and Steve Wynn only,” Curtatone said. “Wynn is looking to tap into the success of Assembly Row to get more people to his craps table.”
The idea of a footbridge has been kicking around for more than a decade, and to some it has only become a more obvious need as a network of riverside parks has improved and expanded, and as more people work, shop, and dine at Assembly Row.
Some of those workers said they liked the idea of attracting more people to the burgeoning neighborhood, even if they are en route to a casino.
“To me, it’s a no-brainer,” said Michael Purrini, a bartender at Tony C’s Sports Bar in Assembly Row. “It would be great for us. We’d get some of the business. If you are going to spend billions on a casino, why wouldn’t you use every means to get people there?”
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Also see: Wynn Resorts can depose city’s lawyers in defamation suit
Who won?
Time for me to get moving.
Thoroughbred horse-racing to return to Suffolk Downs, with casino money
Look who you'll see at the track.
Related:
New Conn. competition for a Springfield casino
Changes in Springfield casino project raise questions
Springfield mayor welcomes MGM assurances on casino
Speaking of Springfield gangs:
"Latin Kings members facing federal charges in Springfield" by John R. Ellement and Travis Andersen Globe Staff November 10, 2015
Acquaintances in the Springfield area knew the men as Apache, Black, and Eric the Ferret. But to FBI agents and State Police, the three men were part of the Latin Kings, a Hispanic street gang whose members allegedly played key roles in violence in the Springfield and Holyoke areas.
Bienvenido “Apache” Nuñez, Jose “Black” Cartagena, and Eric “Eric the Ferret’’ Lopez were among 12 people recently indicted on federal charges aimed at disrupting the Latin Kings, authorities said Monday.
US Attorney Carmen Ortiz called the Latin Kings a “criminal organization whose tactics include intimidation, violence and even murder.” The charges “strike at the core of this organization and seek to bring peace to the neighborhoods they have damaged through drug dealing and violence.”
Lopez, 33, of Chicopee, and another man were indicted on charges of being felons in possession of firearms. In court papers, Lopez and the other men are alleged to have had four rifles, a handgun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
“So much of the street violence we deal with in this state, and in this country, is the result of the confluence of guns and drugs,” State Police Colonel Richard D. McKeon said in a statement. “The inclination of gang members to use firearms to protect their drug profits and settle scores requires constant vigilance and aggressive interdiction.”
Nuñez, according to the FBI, holds a leadership position within the Latin Kings as the “enforzador,’’ or third-ranking person in the gang organization. The 37-year-old Springfield man is currently charged with trafficking in cocaine.
And Cartagena, 37, is alleged to be the “inca,” or chief, of the Springfield chapter of the street gang, which the FBI said is headquartered in Chicago. Cartagena is charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
The arrests, said Harold H. Shaw, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Massachusetts office, “have significantly disrupted one of the most powerful and brutal gangs in Western Massachusetts.”
Shaw said the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force not only developed evidence to charge the 12 suspects with crimes but prevented some crimes from being committed during the course of the investigation, which began in October 2014.
Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno praised police and prosecutors and described Ortiz as “a great partner in our continued street attack on getting these gang-bangers, drug dealers, and gun-toting criminals off the streets.”
“We will keep this pressure on,” he added, “but the more important part is our preventative programs .. . . to tell our young people that there are better ways to go than to become a gang member.”
Cartagena pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Monday and did not challenge the government’s request that he be held but reserved the right to seek bail later, court records show. A status conference in his case is scheduled for Dec. 21.
Two other suspects, Francisco Bermudez, 26, and Norman Andino, 35, both of Chicopee, also pleaded not guilty Monday and were ordered held pending a detention hearing Thursday.
Arraignment information for the other defendants was not immediately available.
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I never go into Springfield, and we have reached a tipping point for the day for I am out of time.
NDU: MGM says it will spend $950m on casino in Springfield
