Bally's Chicago Development Resumes Following Halt Due to Underworld Involvement
May 16, 2025, 02:41h.
Last updated on: May 16, 2025, 02:42h.
Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilcRead MoreGaming BusinessRegulationTribal Gaming Bally's Resumes Work Amid Vendor Scrutiny.* Work halted after connections to Mob-linked contractor were discovered.* Regulators aim to stem the tide of organized crime in casinos.*
Regulators in Illinois have given Bally's the go-ahead to resume construction on its Chicago casino, following a fortnight of halts due to worrisome ties to an outfit of unsavory characters.
D&P Construction, a waste-hauling company linked to the late gangster kingpin, John "No Nose" DiFronzo, and his violent brother, Peter DiFronzo, caught construction workers' eyes when dumpsters on-site adorned with the D&P logo were spotted.
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) promptly issued a cease-and-desist order, concerned about undisclosed and unapproved vendors working on the construction site.
Wednesday saw the IGB announce its satisfaction that, for now, all vendors have received necessary approval, but it warned Bally's to maintain transparency and honesty with future vendors.
Bally's has vowed to rectify disclosure failures and ensure ongoing clarity regarding vendor affiliations.
"With IGB guidance and oversight, Bally's is implementing reinforcements to vendor and contractor compliance measures, while adding additional safeguards for monitoring, supervision, and surveillance around the construction site," the IGB declared.
A Checkered Past for D&P
D&P has a history drenched in scandal, back in the late 1990s, when it became embroiled in the controversial Emerald Casino in Rosemont. The proposed casino was meant to generate mountains of profits and taxes, but the proposed location, just a stone's throw from O'Hare Airport, was a recipe for disaster.
In 1999, work commenced on the project, but by 2001, the IGB had revoked the casino's license due to multiple violations, including misrepresentations of D&R's ownership and hidden associations with organized crime figures. D&P's involvement was also under interrogation.
Rosemont's then mayor, the late Donald E. Stephens, faced accusations of mob ties throughout his political career, but whether D&P and the DiFronzo family have continued their relationship remains unclear.
Shrouded Ownership
For years, Peter's widow, Josephine DiFronzo, was listed as D&P's owner, despite an FBI memo in 2003 asserting that D&P was controlled by Peter and John DiFronzo. Law enforcement has pointed out that companies linked to organized crime families often hide ownership by nominating female relatives to evade scrutiny.
Josephine DiFronzo is no longer listed as the owner of D&P, but she remains the president of Windy City Recycling Inc, a waste management firm sharing a long-time officer with D&P.
Being a notorious hotspot for organized crime, Illinois gaming authorities strive to keep the mob out of the gambling industry.
Bally's Chicago casino resumes construction after a fortnight halt due to connections with the questionable D&P Construction, a company linked to the DiFronzo family, known for their mob ties.The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) issued a cease-and-desist order due to undisclosed and unapproved vendors, concerned about organized crime infiltration in casinos.D&P Construction has a tainted past, involved in the revoked Emerald Casino in Rosemont in the late 1990s due to violations, misrepresentations of ownership, and ties to organized crime figures.IGB is maintaining vigilance over Bally's, demanding transparency and honesty with future vendors, while reinforcing vendor and contractor compliance measures to prevent organized crime involvement in the casino-and-gambling industry.
