Since Jimmy Hoffa is rumored to be buried in the Meadowlands, adding casinos there would bring history full circle. After all, Hoffa’s union, casinos and the mob share a long tangled history.
Hoffa’s Teamsters Union financed a number of Las Vegas casinos that were operated by people with ties to organized crime. And Hoffa is rumored to have been murdered by a member of the Bufalino crime family. The murder is believed to have been prompted by what Hoffa knew about mob activities in Las Vegas.
Louis DeNaples, the original owner of a casino in the Poconos, was believed to have ties to the Bufalino crime family. A Dauphin County grand jury indicted DeNaples in 2008 for allegedly lying to gaming regulators about his relationships with Bufalino and William “Big Billy” D’Elia, Bufalino’s former driver and eventual successor. The perjury charges against DeNaples were withdrawn and he agreed to transfer ownership of the casino to family members. DeNaples denies any ties to the mob.
DeNaples’ casino is one of the reasons why some lawmakers want to add casinos in the Meadowlands. Competition from casinos in Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut have crippled casinos in Atlantic City. Lawmakers and other supporters in North Jersey say adding casinos in the Meadowlands is the only way to offset the loss in tax revenue from casinos in Atlantic City.
Gov. Chris Christie is opposed to the idea. He has invested political capital and state tax dollars in trying to revive Atlantic City. Christie, a Republican, also does not want to upset the working relationship he has with state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat. Sweeney is a treasurer and business agent for Ironworkers Local 399 union. That union, of course, is a big supporter of casinos in Atlantic City.
It’s all so cozy.
The argument against casinos in North Jersey is that they would cannibalize Atlantic City. The argument for casinos in North Jersey is that gambling in surrounding states has already cannibalized Atlantic City. The dilemma underscores the arms race to the bottom that many states have entered by betting on casinos to solve their budget woes. More gambling begets more gambling. In the end, the losers are the tapped out gamblers and taxpayers who ultimately pay for the economic and social costs of gambling.
How can we break the Prisoner’s Dilemma mentality that leads to races to the bottom? Mutual trust will rarely operate. I hope columns like yours will persuade people that this is a negative sum (lose-lose) game in which opting out early can be the best choice. People must keep in mind all the social costs of legalized gambling. These include the quantifiable costs such as administering the judicial system but even more important are the non-quantifiable costs like family destruction, suicide, business collapse. Your theme of race to the bottom is crucial.