Owner of Bay State land sought by Wynn resists disclosure pledge
BOSTON — One of the owners of land in Everett that Wynn Resorts Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn wants to buy to build a casino is refusing to sign a promise that no secret owners would profit from the sale.
Anthony Gattineri, co-owner of the site where Wynn Resorts has proposed to build greater Boston’s only casino, has refused to sign the pledge even though the Massachusetts Gaming Commission says it will not approve a casino without assurances that criminals won’t profit from it.
He’s also refused to testify under oath to commission investigators.
“He’s not signing under the advice of his criminal counsel,” Daniel Doherty, who represents Gattineri in business matters, told The Boston Globe.
His refusals are fueling speculation that convicted felon Charles Lightbody is still part owner of the land, something Lightbody’s lawyer denies.
“It has nothing to do with any hidden interest that anybody believes Mr. Lightbody has because he doesn’t have one,” attorney Timothy Flaherty said.
Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver said in an email that the company does not see Gattineri’s refusal to sign the statement as an obstacle.
“We are confident that we will resolve the matter to the satisfaction of the commission prior to them making a decision and that it will not jeopardize our license approval,” he said.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission in December found Wynn Resorts Ltd. suitable to hold a gambling license in the state.
The Las Vegas-based gaming company has proposed a $1.3 billion resort-casino in Everett on the site of a former Monsanto chemical plant. The project, built on 32 acres along the Mystic River, will include a 550-room hotel.
Wynn’s proposal is competing with Mohegan Sun’s proposal to build a resort casino on the Revere side of the Suffolk Downs horse track for the only casino license in the Boston area.
The commission’s decision is expected later this year.
Shares of Wynn Resorts gained 49 cents, or 0.23 percent, to close on Friday at $211.33 on the Nasdaq.
