Berman
Leaves Empire Resorts
As reported by the New
York Record: "Robert Berman was once Sullivan
County's golden boy, the driving force behind
the region's hopes for casino development.
"More recently,
however he's been controversial, even confrontational,
and some government leaders have said the company
he built, Empire Resorts, would be better off
without him.
"On Wednesday, Empire announced that Berman,
who stepped down as chief executive officer
a few months ago, was leaving the company altogether
for family reasons. The announcement came 11
days after the death of his only sibling, Philip.
"…Empire owns both Monticello Raceway
and Might M Gaming and has been trying for more
than a decade to develop Indian-owned casinos
at the site with Berman at the helm throughout.
It hasn't been a smooth ride.
"He helped secure federal approvals in
2000 for the St. Regis Mohawks to build a casino
there only to see the tribe lured away by another
company at another site. He was there in 2002
when several former executives of the predecessor
company, Alpha Hospitality, were indicted on
bank fraud charges…"
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