Trump's bid for Sydney casino 30 years ago rejected due to 'mafia connections

[packman]

(Recently declassified papers show that) A bid by Donald Trump to build Sydney’s first casino was rejected 30 years ago after police expressed concerns about his links to the mafia.

News Corp revealed on Wednesday morning minutes of the New South Wales cabinet that show police had warned the state government against approving a 1986-87 bid by a Trump consortium to build and operate a casino in Darling Harbour.

Trump, in partnership with the Queensland construction company Kern, was one of four groups vying for the lucrative project. The NSW government dumped it from the process on 5 May 1987, along with two other bidders.


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/16/trumps-bid-for-sydney-casino-30-years-ago-rejected-due-to-mafia-connections

[cilla4progress]

1. KEEP IT

COMING!!

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Same here in Nevada.

Has anyone found any up to date info about Trump's Chinese Casino project.

[Jim Lane]

5. Apparently he's never been denied a Nevada license.

According to this Snopes piece, "We were unable to locate any information to substantiate the claim that Trump was ever denied a gaming license or that his Las Vegas hotel was originally planned as a casino."

In fact, at one point he was licensed in Nevada because of a stock purchase:

And several years ago, Trump was licensed as a significant shareholder of stock in the Riviera, Burnett [chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board] said. The casino no longer exists, and Trump’s license has lapsed. (Source)

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Okay.

[Egnever]

8. He purchased that stock in an attempt to get around the gaming board if I remember correctly

and the gaming board told him to pound sand. At least that is what they were saying here in town at the time. Was a long time ago after I first moved here.

Could all be gossip bullshit but that was the talk around town here when it went down. Vegas was a lot different then.

[Jim Lane]

10. I don't think that's accurate.

Here's my recollection: The issue was that getting a gaming license can take a while. If an opportunity arises to buy or buy into an existing casino, or if you want to build a new one, the time involved in the licensing process may mean that the opportunity goes away. Therefore, if you think you might find yourself in that position, a solution (not unique to Trump) is to make a smaller purchase that requires licensing. The purpose is to go through the investigation and review process, and thus to have a license in your back pocket in case it becomes useful. Trump's Riviera stock purchase was small enough that he didn't need the top-level casino license, but even getting the more limited license would mean that much of the investigative work would already have been done, thus speeding the process if he later wanted a full license.

So it wasn't an attempt to get around the gaming board. It was more like the opposite -- an attempt to subject himself to the investigation and licensing process. According to the article that I linked (from the Las Vegas Sun), the attempt was successful, and he was granted the license.

[Egnever]

11. Was a long time ago

And he and Steve we're not pals then and Steve had a lot of pull.

He has a tower here with no gaming and it was during the time he built that tower it was being discussed here in town.

Very hard to find articles from that time but the tower was built after that article you linked was written.

Would likely need to go to the library and look up old articles to find more info.

You might be right and it was all just gossip here in town.

That said he has a property here on the strip and there is no gaming in it.

There is however a prime opportunity to grab up a huge half built casino right behind his property right now at bargain pricing.

[Mr.Bill]

14. Does he own the Vegas tower,

or is it just another one of the places where he only has a management contract for it?

[Egnever]

15. At this point who knows.

And knowing now much more about his MO it may not actually be his property.

All I know for sure is I remember when it was being proposed here and built and there was a lot of controversy at the time. Again was a long time ago memories are not that specific.

Got me wondering now maybe I will go to the library and look into it.

[Mr.Bill]

16. I just read the Wikipedia page on it,

and indeed, he has a "partner".

[Hekate]

3. 5th Rec

[malaise]

4. Kickety kick

Rec

[spanone]

7. Six years ago I was working at a hotel in Las Vegas.....

the head of security took me up to my room to check in (I was with some bigwigs).

He pointed to the trump building out the window and said 'trump doesn't have a casino license'

I asked why and he said 'Vegas doesn't like people who have filed bankruptcy'

trump was nowhere on the radar for his 'presidential' run....

[BigmanPigman]

12. He had ties to the Italian/NYC and Russian mobs.

Roy Cohn (affiliated with the Mafia) was his advisor and was Sen McCarthy's pal in the anti-communist "witch-hunts" in the 50s. He hangs out with crooks because he is a crook.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ppx7b9/a-brief-history-of-donald-trump-and-the-mafia
https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2018-01-18/trump-had-ties-to-russian-mob-figures-fusion-gps-founder-testifies
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/360852-trump-building-in-panama-tied-to-russian-mafia-international-crime

[Mr.Bill]

13. When Mueller is done with him

he won't be able to get a permit for a lemonade stand.