D’AMATO FINALLY ATTACKS LIGHTHOUSE: Entering The Dirty Endgame

On the LI Herald page is the face of Joe Pesci Alphonse D’Amato, the fierce specter that has been connected to the political frictions of the Lighthouse due to a falling out between he and Charles Wang years ago. Newsday, in their one fair and well-done piece, alluded that the falling out stemmed from Wang’s refusal to hire Al’s brother. D’Amato these days heads a powerful lobby group and is very active in the Republican party. His lobby group is one of Edward Mangano’s main donors post-win, meaning they are likely vying for political grease and influence now that Suozzi has been toppled.

So, one can wonder and muse as he finally has come out to criticize the Lighthouse Project, with a long-winded piece on how we all should consider a casino.

“In my opinion, in today’s economy, it makes a lot more sense than the previously proposed Lighthouse project. For six years, real estate developer Charles Wang, the majority owner of the New York Islanders, has been pressuring elected officials from the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County to authorize this $3.7 billion project.”

Almost hilariously, he brings up the colleges next door…but not in concern for students or their primarily concerned parents, but brings up traffic…

“With Hofstra University and Nassau Community College in close proximity, traffic and safety are major concerns and must be addressed. It’s not enough to build more roads. A casino is not sustainable without mass transportation; the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Island Rail Road have to be involved.”

Most interesting is D’Amato’s allusion that Wang can’t get it paid for, even though it is universally known that Wang has investors behind him that are not beholden to the US Economic wreck…

“Six years ago our economy was in much better shape. It might have been possible to finance the project and fill 36 stories of office space. Now, regardless of the developer, it’s impossible.”

These are words that are from ToH agent’s mouths as well, and when facts of foreign money was brought up, there were sour looks and of disdain. At one hearing, it was commented on.

If Charles Wang could not do it, along with Scott Rechler, then they would not be waiting for the ToH plan come Memorial Day weekend. They wouldn’t be uber pissed by Mangano’s political moves, using Newsday as a cattle call for ideas to see if they float.

If the ToH, D’Amato and Nassau County Republicans are so convinced it can’t be paid for, then they should call him out on it by voting YES to begin with instead of this giant Kabuki show.

Don’t get me wrong, I can cite a laundry list of Wang, Lighthouse and Islanders missteps. But here in this, the Republicans nor D’Amato’s self-serving opinion piece, are just plain full of bologna.

We have seen the liquified divisive drivel that has come from Mondello, the LI Republican GOP party boss, about Wang and the Islanders firsthand this past summer. Spittle of venom landed on microphones at Kate Murray’s kick-off rally as he accused the small protest of Isles fans as being paid by Wang (untrue), and told them to: “blow it out their duffel bag”. Something he has still not apologized for.

The ghost of D’Amato’s tactics are far more insidious, concerning, and the fact his lobby group has taken a prime interest make one wonder on what D’Amato’s connection to the Shinnecock Nation and casino is besides just his high-faluting opinion on a LI local community paper. Al has huge connections to the gambling industry and has been actively fighting and lobbying issues for them for years.

Perhaps he stands to gain here in more ways than just being an oh-so-concerned citizen who just happens to use this to finally hit the project he was once fully behind…

until they left him behind.

Then all hell broke loose…a hell that LI fans are still waiting for the end of.

Meanwhile, Gary Bettman and the NHL keep repeating the same mantra of stall tactics, when it was the Lighthouse Project themselves who stopped paying FP Clark. It is the Lighthouse Project who would not return the Mangano group’s calls. It has been Wang who fibbed on-air during an Isles game saying he had no contact with the ToH, when in fact he did and there were back-channel meeting that went on in mid-October.

So, where will this endgame all go as everyone seems to have their own vested interest…yet nobody seems to really be putting the NY Islanders fan as #1. Not Charles Wang who had his LHP go dark with no word to the many fans they asked for help from. Not the ToH who cited traffic and is trying to come up with their own version to appease the many vested groups outside the area (Garden City). Certainly not one Edward Mangano who has not only suggested a casino, has even floated the idea of Long Island being it’s own state…

Because as we know….Long Islanders are filled with poltical doers and we would be so better off that way.

Just like they handled the Coliseum.

No thanks.