Untangling a Lobbyist's Stake in a Casino Fleet

[quaoar]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/30/AR2005043001147.html

Abramoff Played a Role in Courting Legislators, Lining Up Funding for Florida Partnership

By Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, May 1, 2005; Page A01

It was a gangland-style hit straight out of "Goodfellas."

A man in a BMW was driving down a quiet side street after an evening meeting at his Fort Lauderdale office when a car slowed to a stop in front of him. A second car boxed the BMW in from behind, then a dark Mustang appeared from the opposite direction. The Mustang's driver pulled alongside and pumped three hollow-point bullets into the BMW driver's chest.

The dead man was Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis, a volatile 51-year-old self-made millionaire, a Greek immigrant who had started as a dishwasher in Canada and ended up in Florida, where he built an empire of restaurants, hotels and cruise ships used for offshore casino gambling. Boulis's slaying, still unsolved four years later, reverberated all the way to Washington. Months earlier he had sold his fleet of casino ships to a partnership that included Republican superlobbyist Jack Abramoff.

< snip >

Not long after Abramoff and his partners bought SunCruz Casinos in September 2000, the venture ran aground after a fistfight between two of the owners, allegations of mob influence, dueling lawsuits and, finally, Boulis's death on Feb. 6, 2001. Now, Abramoff is the target of a federal investigation into whether the casino ship deal involved bank fraud. According to court records, the SunCruz purchase hinged on a fake wire transfer for $23 million intended to persuade lenders to provide financing to Abramoff's group.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. This shit just keeps getting...

Deeper and deeper.

C'mon, Abramoff. Spill.

On the other hand, it also seems like a great way to discredit anything he might have to say.

[RAF]

2. Untangling a Lobbyist's Stake in a Casino Fleet (Abramoff/murder)

With Millions of Dollars Unaccounted for, Another Federal Investigation Targets Abramoff

By Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, May 1, 2005; Page A01

It was a gangland-style hit straight out of "Goodfellas."

A man in a BMW was driving down a quiet side street after an evening meeting at his Fort Lauderdale office when a car slowed to a stop in front of him. A second car boxed the BMW in from behind, then a dark Mustang appeared from the opposite direction. The Mustang's driver pulled alongside and pumped three hollow-point bullets into the BMW driver's chest.

The dead man was Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis, a volatile 51-year-old self-made millionaire, a Greek immigrant who had started as a dishwasher in Canada and ended up in Florida, where he built an empire of restaurants, hotels and cruise ships used for offshore casino gambling. Boulis's slaying, still unsolved four years later, reverberated all the way to Washington. Months earlier he had sold his fleet of casino ships to a partnership that included Republican superlobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Abramoff is best known as a target of a federal investigation in Washington into the tens of millions in fees he and a partner collected from casino-owning Indian tribes. But the wreckage from his brief and tumultuous time as owner of the gambling fleet threatens to overtake his Washington legal troubles.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/30/AR2005043001147.html


Abramoff may now be linked to murder.

[Trajan]

3. Wow .... Check this ...

-snip-

Although the outlines of the tale have become part of South Florida lore, what has not been disclosed are the full details of the alleged fraud at the heart of the transaction and the extent of Abramoff's role -- including his use of contacts with Republican Reps. Tom DeLay (Tex.) and Robert W. Ney (Ohio) and members of their staffs as he worked to land the deal.

-snip-

Did Ney and Delay help Ole Jack land a business deal which was fraudulently financed ? ....

[gohuskies]

4. Cmon Abramoff, make DeLay pay!

Just got done reading the whole article. It is extremely damaging to DeLay as it points out just how deep the roots of political corruption go as it pertains to all his dealings with Jack Abramoff. Bank fraud, mob style hits and shady deals to allow Abramoff and his partners to take over this off-shore casino cruise ship business, where will this all end up??

[newyawker99]

13. Hi gohuskies!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Zen Democrat]

5. If I read this right, DeLay and Abramoff are tied to the Gambino family.

Those payments to the mobster from the Gambino family were paid out to the guy's family members shortly before Boulis's gangland-style murder.

[Gin]

6. I am "flabbergasted" just like Abramoff....."Abramoff was flabbergasted by

this news"...... I was shocked to read he is a hasidic Jew.

[MontageOfFreedom]

7. Oh this goes alot, alot farther then that.

I know all these revelations are sick, but this central organization and cult is made up of so many represenatives, and dominionist agendas its certafiably insane.

You know Jack Abramoff has alot in common with an overseer of this troop, Jesse Helms.

[chickenscratching]

8. Untangling a Lobbyist's Stake in a Casino Fleet (Abramoff)

Untangling a Lobbyist's Stake in a Casino Fleet

(With Millions of Dollars Unaccounted for, Another Federal Investigation Targets Abramoff)

By Susan Schmidt and James V. Grimaldi
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, May 1, 2005; Page A01

"A man in a BMW was driving down a quiet side street after an evening meeting at his Fort Lauderdale office when a car slowed to a stop in front of him. A second car boxed the BMW in from behind, then a dark Mustang appeared from the opposite direction. The Mustang's driver pulled alongside and pumped three hollow-point bullets into the BMW driver's chest.

"The dead man was Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis, a volatile 51-year-old self-made millionaire, a Greek immigrant who had started as a dishwasher in Canada and ended up in Florida, where he built an empire of restaurants, hotels and cruise ships used for offshore casino gambling. Boulis's slaying, still unsolved four years later, reverberated all the way to Washington. Months earlier he had sold his fleet of casino ships to a partnership that included Republican superlobbyist Jack Abramoff."



"Not long after Abramoff and his partners bought SunCruz Casinos in September 2000, the venture ran aground after a fistfight between two of the owners, allegations of mob influence, dueling lawsuits and, finally, Boulis's death on Feb. 6, 2001. Now, Abramoff is the target of a federal investigation into whether the casino ship deal involved bank fraud. According to court records, the SunCruz purchase hinged on a fake wire transfer for $23 million intended to persuade lenders to provide financing to Abramoff's group."

This is a 5 page article, but I recommend reading it. It truly feels like you're reading an overly intricate crime vignette.

more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/30/AR2005043001147.html

[chickenscratching]

11. kick

kick

[hang a left]

9. kick

You just have to read the article. The sleeze is beyond belief.

[Spazito]

10. Wow!

The crap just keeps piling up on Delay and Abramoff, this article is incredibly revealing, the raising of the Gambino family and the tie to Abramoff's 'partner in this brings in a whole new angle to the investigation.

[Spazito]

12. Kick for a MUST READ article!

:kick: