Louis DeNaples and Mount Airy Casino timeline

The Associated Press

A timeline of significant events involving and Mount Airy Casino Resort:

-1978: DeNaples pleads no contest to felony conspiracy charge stemming from Hurricane Agnes cleanup.

-July 2004: Legislature authorizes slot-machine gambling at 14 locations across state.

-December 2004: DeNaples purchases shuttered Mount Airy Lodge in Pocono Mountains for $25.1 million.

-December 2005: DeNaples applies for gaming license for proposed Mount Airy Casino Resort.

-December 2006: Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board investigator seeks to interview reputed mobster William D'Elia, linked in government reports to DeNaples.

-Dec. 13, 2006: DeNaples clears background check conducted by gaming board staff.

-Dec. 20, 2006: DeNaples wins casino license.

-July 2007: D'Elia testifies before Dauphin County grand jury investigating whether DeNaples was truthful when he told the gaming board he had no ties to organized crime.

-Aug. 29, 2007: The Rev. Joe Sica, friend and adviser to DeNaples, testifies before grand jury.

-Oct. 22, 2007: Mount Airy Casino Resort, state's first freestanding slots casino, opens.

-November 2007: DeNaples begins preparations to transfer ownership of Mount Airy to his children and grandchildren.

-Jan. 2, 2008: Sica charged with lying to grand jury about his relationship with late mob boss Russell Bufalino.

-Jan. 30, 2008: DeNaples is charged with four counts of perjury. Gaming board bars him from the business.

-May 2, 2008: Pennsylvania Supreme Court orders county judge to look into DeNaples' allegations of grand jury leaks.

-August 2008: County judge submits opinion finding that no grand jury leaks occurred.

-Feb. 24, 2009: Pennsylvania Supreme Court orders appointment of special prosecutor to investigate allegations of grand jury leaks, but declines to stop the prosecution of DeNaples and Sica.

-April 14, 2009: Prose cutors announce they are dropping charges against DeNaples and Sica. DeNaples agrees not to exercise legal control over Mount Airy.

_____

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.