Procacci, Lomax Share Casino Vision With Public

JOE PROCACCI, whose tomato-producing conglomerate handles one in every five tomatoes eaten in the United States, believes he knows how to pick winning board members as well as quality fruit. He introduced Casino Revolution’s new board of directors earlier this week.

BY JOE SHAHEELI/ Of the six bidders who are seeking approval for their plans for the city’s second casino from the Gaming Control Board, only one continues to offer up-to-date reports and interviews with the board members on a regular basis.

One of the forces propelling this dedication to openness and transparency is the fact its controlling partners, Joseph G. Procacci and Dr. Walter Lomax, see their “Casino Revolution” as a product completely molded by local input.

Operating as PHL Local Gaming, LLC., Procacci and Lomax plan the largest of the six offerings presented to the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission with a major hotel, hundreds more slot machines, room for even-larger expansions over its 25 acres, adjacent to major interstate highways, the sports complex and unlimited parking.

Meeting this week, five new directors were introduced to the press, who together possess an aggregate of over 100 years of experience in the making, developing and operating of scores of casinos around the world.

These include Joseph J. Canfora, with 25 years, now Casino Revolution’s president; John P. Burke, former CEO and executive VP of Trump Entertainment Resorts; Bennett Lomax, CEO of the Lomax Cos.; Mark Sterbens, 30 years in gaming and hotel industries; Craig F. Sullivan, president of one of the nation’s top casino-gaming consulting firms; and Board Chair Joseph Procacci, founder of Procacci Brothers Sales Corp.

The official details of what the hotel and casino will provide in the way of amenities, gambling space, and employment will be made available to the public. The projected hotel will be huge, since it is also being considered “as the identifying landmark for the thousands of vehicles traversing the interstate and the Walt Whitman Bridge, and traveling to the sports complex,” explained Canfora.

It’s obviously a casino-savvy board, buttressed by local ownership.

Adding to this weight, reported Canfora, are the statistics that will be materialized into thousands of jobs. The $428 million, four-star quality, 250-room hotel will also include the casino, which will offer 2,400 slots, 105 table games, a steak house, an espresso bar, an Italian restaurant, a 300-seat buffet, a 156-seat café and a covered 1,600-car garage.
Another plus: Casino Revolution will be able to open six months earlier than the start-up dates listed by competitors. This is possible due to the configuration of the huge buildings now on the site at Front & Pattison, This will create 600 quick jobs and an estimated $51.9 million in city and state revenues during that period.

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