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	Sica's Arrest Ups the Stakes for Louis Denaples By David Falchek Citizens Voice January 4, 2008 http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19168160&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=455154&rfi=6 With lifelong friend and confidant the Rev. Joseph F. Sica facing a felony charge of perjury, the stakes have never been higher for junk man turned billionaire Louis DeNaples. A Dauphin County grand jury is examining whether DeNaples, owner of Mount Airy Casino Resort, lied to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board when he denied having ties to organized crime. Rumors of such ties have dogged the Dunmore businessman for decades. In pursuing the case against DeNaples, the Dauphin County district attorney alleges the Roman Catholic priest lied about his own relationship with an alleged mob boss, the late Russell Bufalino. The prosecutor says others who testified before the grand jury may be charged, leading many to speculate whether Assistant District Attorney Francis Chardo is preparing to charge DeNaples. Such a charge — even if it didn't result in a conviction — could to lead to the suspension of the slots license that keeps wagers flowing at Mount Airy, the state's first free-standing casino. DeNaples staked his reputation and a good chunk of his fortune on the $415 million resort. Even a temporary suspension would seriously disrupt the business. A license suspension is not automatic, however, said state gaming board spokesman Richard McGarvey. The board has broad latitude in how it might act when a license holder is charged with a crime, including revocation, suspension or setting conditions on the licensee, McGarvey said. "It is the same process we have with all licensees, who include gaming employees, gaming suppliers and others," he said. denaples from page 4 "The board takes the circumstances into consideration and makes a decision," McGarvey added. Rumored, but not charged It is difficult to pinpoint when DeNaples' name first became associated with organized crime. He has never been charged with organized crime activity, but Italian-American business people, regardless of whom they associate with, traditionally have found the mafioso stereotype hard to shake. Some speculation about DeNaples emerged from the muck and sediment of the Agnes Flood in 1972 and his resulting "no contest" plea to fraud, which carries the same weight as a finding of guilt. After the flood, DeNaples provided heavy equipment to Lackawanna County for deployment in flood cleanup in Luzerne, Tioga and Bradford counties. The federal government challenged the invoices and hours billed and charged DeNaples and three county employees with fraud. The first trial ended in a mistrial, with one juror holding out for acquittal — a juror who would later come back to haunt DeNaples. As Deputy U.S. Attorney Sal Cognetti prepared for a second trial, DeNaples and the defendants pleaded "no contest" and the judge accepted the plea over the protests of prosecutors. The defendants were fined and placed on probation. But it wasn't the end of the case. The FBI continued its decade-plus investigation using wiretaps and a grand jury. Eventually, it found that a juror's husband was bribed — with $1,000, a set of tires and a pocket watch — by James Osticco of Pittston, thought to be a leader in the Bufalino family. Osticco was found guilty of the jury fix and sentenced to eight years in prison. The juror's husband was sentenced to five years in prison for perjury. Much of the information about DeNaples' alleged association with William D'Elia comes from reports of the now defunct Pennsylvania Crime Commission. Critics charged the commission often overreached in its reports, citing casual meetings among figures as evidence of "mob ties" and failing to make specific allegations. The commission was eventually disbanded. In the late 1980s, Bufalino's health and influence were fading, according to commission reports. Many associates had died or been put in jail. Organized crime figures from New York and New Jersey began to move into Northeastern Pennsylvania, according to the reports. A 1987 report described a meeting between DeNaples and Salvatore Avellino Jr., of Long Island, N.Y., a purported member of the Lucchese crime family. At the meeting, Avellino wanted to discuss "problems" with dumping fees DeNaples was charging at Keystone, according to the report. Avellino and others were looking at opening a landfill in Northeastern Pennsylvania, a move that would have posed a competitive threat to DeNaples. In 1991, Lucchese boss Victor Amuso was arrested in Dickson City as a fugitive from justice. D'Elia continued to handle the affairs of Bufalino, maintaining contact with other bosses in neighboring states, the report alleged. It also said DeNaples and D'Elia struck a deal — D'Elia would sell space at the Keystone Landfill and receive a commission from DeNaples. One theory posed in a 2001 federal affidavit from unidentified informants held the Keystone payments amounted to "protection" money to keep the out-of-state bosses at bay as Bufalino's influence waned and left a vacuum. DeNaples was never charged for such a claim. D'Elia is in jail awaiting trial for charges of money laundering, witness tampering, kidnapping and solicitation to commit murder. He testified in July before the grand jury investigating DeNaples. Sica is free on $20,000 bail as he awaits a Jan. 25 preliminary hearing. Success led to giving Since his legal troubles in the 1970s, DeNaples has become phenomenally successful — and wealthy. He is widely believed to be the richest man in the region. In a 2006 interview with Times-Shamrock Newspapers, DeNaples said his assets total more than $1 billion. With DeNaples' success came widespread philanthropy, once very quiet and behind-the-scenes but now more public. In recent years, more edifices bear the DeNaples name at the campuses of two of his favorite beneficiaries, Scranton Preparatory School and the University of Scranton, both Jesuit institutions. While shunning the limelight, DeNaples assumed prominent posts in the community as chairman and largest shareholder of First National Community Bank in Dunmore and chairman of the board of trustees at the University of Scranton. He also has held seats on the boards of directors of Allied Services, Community Medical Center Healthcare System and Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. His generosity and success have brought him numerous awards from civic groups. As recently as October, DeNaples received the Chief Justice Michael J. Eagen Award for community service from the Lackawanna Bar Association. At the same event, the group presented its President's Award to former Lackawanna County Judge S. John Cottone, who as a U.S. attorney directed the prosecution of DeNaples three decades ago. dfalchek@timesshamrock.com
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