Mr. DeNaples is entitled to the American Constitutional presumption of innocence pending resolution of the case. But assuming the evidence presented as part of the indictment is credible, one can only ask how Mr. DeNaples ever got his slots gambling license from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board with so little apparent scrutiny — or, at least, good judgement.
DeNaples says he barely knew, or didn't know at all, the four Philadelphia and Scranton people the grand jury says DeNaples was deeply involved with. Hence the four charges of perjury.
The grand jury presentment says that DeNaples' relationship to William D'Elia — reputed head of a Scranton area organized crime family — was so close that after DeNaple's father died, DeNaples gave his father's rosary beads to him. Prosecutors say DeNaples was actually a guest at the 1999 wedding of D'Elia's daughter, and that DeNaples' unlisted phone number was found in an address book in D'Elia's car.
Yet DeNaples told the state gaming board that he knew D'Elia only as a customer at his bank and auto parts store.
A deceased alleged former Scranton crime boss — Russell Bufalino —once gave DeNaples the ring he was wearing, according to the grand jury, in addition to three suits of clothes. DeNaples told the gaming board he only knew Bufalino by name.
DeNaples also got the slots license despite a 1978 no-contest plea in a scheme to defraud the federal government. He pleaded no contest following a trial that ended in a hung jury, and was given probation. The spouse of a holdout juror was bribed by a Bufalino crime family underboss, according to an FBI investigation, was convicted, and sentenced to an eight-year term. DeNaples said he knew nothing about it.
Dauphin County prosecutors brought the perjury case to the grand jury after reviewing information provided by the state police. Gov. Rendell brokered an agreement whereby the state police were supposed to provide the same information to the gaming board as part of the slots application review, but the politically connected gaming board awarded the license to DeNaples anyway.
DeNaples' political campaign contributions are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to press reports, and senior political leaders appoint the gaming board members. Senate Democratic Leader Robert J. Mellow of Lackawanna County, who twice appointed people to the board, is one of the many DeNaples donation recipients.
