Interesting article about Abramoff and the Sun Cruz purchase in 2000

[DoYouEverWonder]

Ran across this article in the St. Pete Times archives about the sale of Sun Cruz. Basically the government forced Gus Boulis to sell his business. This is the sort of thing the government does when they want to run someone out of town. They go after you for a bunch of little stuff and they get you to the point that you have no choice but to sell.

A couple of interesting tidbits:

Adam Kidan founded a bedding-by-phone business called Dial-A-Mattress in Washington. LOL

SunCruz's new president was Ben Waldman who served in the Reagan administration, including as associate director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. (I don't recall his name. Anyone know what he's up to lately?)



New owners board SunCruz

Sep 28, 2000

Clarification (9/28/00): Paradise of Port Richey Inc. continues to lease SunCruz Casino gambling boats that it operates from Port Richey and Inglis and a third it keeps in Tarpon Springs, although the boats have been sold by SunCruz Casinos Ltd. A story Thursday was unclear on that point.

A group of gambling and entertainment executives promise to try to steer clear of the trouble that the previous owner had with state regulators.

New owners are at the helm of SunCruz Casinos, whose gambling ships churned up controversy from Crystal River to Key Largo as the company grew into Florida's largest day-cruise operator.

A group of gambling and entertainment executives bought the Dania Beach company Tuesday from founder Gus Boulis for an undisclosed price.

<snip>

Kidan, who will be the company's chairman and chief executive, touted the new management's business expertise and experience in government. He is an owner and general counsel to the St. Maarten Hotel Beach Club and Casino. Vice chairman Jack Abramoff is a government affairs counselor for a Washington law firm, and spent more than a decade producing feature films. SunCruz president Ben Waldman served in the Reagan administration, including as associate director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/61241551.html?MAC=a65f16fe273fa2fb2dd6f6b80bb8f7ab&did=61241551&FMT=FT&FMTS=FT&date=Sep+28%2C+2000&author=STEVE+HUETTEL&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&printformat=&desc=New+owners+board+SunCruz