Bufalino Family boss D’Elia spilled beans on DeNaples

It seems that Scranton-area businessman Louis DeNaples indeed does have close mafia ties. DeNaples in an attempt to get approved for a slots casino gaming license last October told Pennsylvania gaming regulators that he did not even know alleged mobster William D’Elia. DeNaples denied having any underworld ties what so ever and was simply an honest businessman looking to get into the gaming business.

But the Fed’s now claim that the reputed boss of the Bufalino Crime Family did indeed cooperate during the October investigation of DeNaples. The Fed’s say that D’Elia supplied information and even photographs proving that he knew and had meet with DeNaples. For his cooperation in the investigations the Fed’s filled for a 21 month sentence reduction for D’Elia who is serving time for a money laundering conspiracy charges and witness tampering. D’Elia’s attorney also filed a letter to federal prosecutors where he supplied proof of DeNaples attending the funeral of D’Elia’s mother in 1980 and the wedding of D’Elia’s daughter in 1999.

This really now opens up a can or worms for Pennsylvania gaming officials as to why if they had this proof available to them did they grant a slots casino license to DeNaples. Pennsylvanis gaming officials even denied to interview D’Elia about all this evidence before or after the two year investigation into DeNaples in which the charges were ultimately dropped and the casino license was awarded. With ties to a reputed mafia boss as D’Elia there should have been a more intense investigation once this new evidence was introduced by the Fed’s.