Mob-linked Contribution May Hurt Rosemont Casino Bid

By Prescott Carlson in News on Dec 7, 2008 9:12PM

With the Chicago Crime Commission already thinking that plopping a casino in Rosemont would be handing over a big cash cow to organized crime, Rosemont Mayor Bradley Stephens can't be happy that a political donation from an allegedly mobbed-up company to an organization he heads was discovered by the Sun-Times. D&P Construction contributed $400 to the Regular Republican Voters League of Leyden Township last November -- D&P was linked to "individuals who have been identified as known members of organized crime" by the Illinois Gaming Commission in 2001, which killed the deal for Emerald Casino to open there. Gaming Board investigations chief Jim Wagner thinks this new discovery is troubling:

"D&P is, to me, a company that has been so often in the news that there should be every attempt to disassociate themselves from that company," said Wagner, who recently stepped down as the Chicago Crime Commission's chief. "The problems that are in Rosemont should be enough to disqualify putting the casino in that environment."

Stephens claims that the check was deposited in error, the money has been returned, and that "to keep throwing this stuff up is ridiculous."

Photo of Mayor Stephens from the Village of Rosemont website