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Published on January 19th, 2023 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

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Anthony Gattineri and Others Indicted on Concealing Financial Interest of a Felon and Mob Associate

On Thursday, October 2, 2014, a Federal grand jury indicted Charles Lightbody, 54, of Revere, Dustin DeNunzio, 37, of Cambridge, and Anthony Gattineri, 56, of Winchester, on the charges of trying to conceal a mob associate’s ownership stake in land located in Everett, MA which Wynn Resorts had proposed building a casino on. Wynn was awarded the license to build the 27-story casino on the Mystic River in Everett in September 2014 by The Massachusetts Gaming Commission. As a result of sexual misconduct allegations against Steve Wynn, and in an effort to distance itself from the beleaguered founder of the casino empire, the project was renamed Encore Boston Harbor.  The casino eventually opened on June 23, 2019, at an estimated total cost of $2.6 billion.

Charles Lightbody, Dustin DeNunzio, and Anthony Gattineri were also indicted on the charges of impeding a gaming investigation, conspiracy, and tampering with evidence. The three men were arrested the same day and charged with aiding and abetting, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The conspiracy charges have a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and three years of supervised release with a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The wire fraud charges have a maximum sentence of no more than 20 years in prison, and three years of supervised release with a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The sentences are based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors and decided by a federal district court judge. On state charges, the defendants will face up to five years in jail. Lightbody was also indicted for assault and battery on a person over 60 resulting in bodily injury from an incident that occurred during a casino election rally in Revere on October 12, 2013.

Prosecutors claim that Lightbody, DeNunzio, and Gattineri lied and forged documents in order to conceal from Wynn and state officials that Lightbody, a convicted felon and known New England Family of La Cosa Nostra (NELCN) associate, was part owner of the land.

All of the men had a financial interest in FBT Everett Realty LLC (FBT), which held the title to the land on which Wynn Resorts was intending to build the new casino. It was alleged that between December 2012 and July 2013, DeNunzio, Gattineri, and Lightbody, insinuated to others that Lightbody was no longer a partner of FBT during FBT’s negotiations with the casino. In an attempt to hide his ownership stake, Lightbody transferred his interest in FBT to Gattineri in exchange for a $1.7 million promissory note. He also arranged for the creation and execution of two fraudulent documents to reflect the transaction. All of this was done in an attempt to conceal Lightbody’s financial interest from both Wynn Resorts and The Massachusetts Gaming Commission as he has a criminal record. Investigators were able to determine that Lightbody was indeed still a partner at the time of the negotiations. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Massachusetts Department of Correction helped investigate the federal case, in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office. The prosecutor on the federal case was Kristina E. Barclay of Ortiz’s Public Corruption Unit. 

Assistant Attorneys General David Rubin and Patrick Hanley of AG Coakley’s Gaming Enforcement Division were the main prosecutors of the state case, which was investigated by the State Police assigned to the AG’s Gaming Enforcement Division in collaboration with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Anthony Gattineri was eventually acquitted in 2016, along with the other defendants at trial, however, his legal entanglements and lawsuits as a result of the casino venture have continued.  

During the original casino license application process, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, concerned about the alleged criminal interests associated with the land owners, shared these concerns with Wynn, warning that the casino license application might not be approved as a result of these issues.  The landowners Dustin DeNunzio, Anthony Gattineri, and Paul Lohnes agreed to lower the parcel’s price from $75 million to a newly appraised value of $35 million. 

FBT’s principals, Dustin DeNunzio, Anthony Gattineri, and Paul Lohnes later sued the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to recover the lost $40 million premium, alleging various claims, including tortious interference with contract and a regulatory taking.  FBT Everett Realty, alleges the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) improperly coerced Wynn Resorts into reducing the plot’s purchase price by $40 million.

Anthony Gattineri has also brought a suit against Wynn MA, LLC and Wynn Resorts, Limited alleging he is owed approximately $18.6 million dollars. The lawsuit, in which Gattineri originally sought three times as much as he believes he was originally owed, alleges three claims arising out of an alleged Option Agreement between FBT Everett Realty, LLC, of which Gattineri is a member, and Encore. The Option Agreement concerned the potential purchase of land in Everett by Encore from FBT which is now the site of the Encore Boston Harbor casino.

Anthony Gattineri and his wife Lisa Cincotta Gattineri’s daughter Michelle is married to Rep. Jake Auchincloss, a United States Congressman representing the Massachusetts Fourth Congressional District.  Anthony Gattineri contributed $2,800 to the Auchincloss campaign in 2020.  His wife also contributed $2,800 in 2020.

 



About the Author

Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.


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