Wynn Resorts, which is building the $2.5 billion Encore Boston Harbor across the Mystic River from Boston, has countersued the Everett real estate company that has sued it claiming that it made a side deal when it purchased the casino site—an under the table deal that it then later refused to honor.
Wynn accuses Anthony Gattineri of “intentionally and maliciously” trying to interfere with the company’s relationship with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission through his lawsuit. In that original suit, against the MGC, Gattineri alleges that in 2014 Robert DeSalvio, president of what was then called Wynn Boston Harbor agreed to pay $18 million in exchange for Gattineri agreeing to sell the riverfront property for a lower price.
Reacting to allegations that the property was partially owned by a convicted felon, the MCG required that the sale price be no larger than $35 million, which was the market price. Without that the MGC would have refused to issue a license.
Gattineri alleges that he lost a large profit for no good reason since it was later shown that no convicted felon was a partner in the property. He sued the MCG in federal court in June.
Wynn acknowledges that a meeting between DeSalvio and Gattineri occurred in San Diego in 2014 but denies ever agreeing to a separate deal with him.
Wynn issued this statement, “The claims that Mr. Gattineri made are patently false and are designed to negatively impact our reputation with the public, and the gaming commission. We will continue to defend and protect ourselves from his outrageous allegations.”
Gattineri’s lawyer Stephen Gordon scoffed at the countersuit. He told the Boston Herald, “They seem to be suggesting merely filing a lawsuit to enforce Mr. Gattineri’s contractual rights interferes with their relationship with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.”
MGM Springfield
The $960 million MGM Springfield, which will open on August 23, is giving names to some of its meeting spaces and ballrooms taken from sister operations around the country.
The casino resort, which will open in the third largest city in Massachusetts, will have almost 34,000 square feet of space for ballrooms and meeting spaces next to a 6,200 outdoor terrace.
Michael Dominguez, MGM Resorts International’s chief sales officer told the Republican, “In designing MGM Springfield, we had a mission to create a luxury meetings experience that would be unique not only to Springfield, but to the entire region.” He added, “We’ve taken best practices from MGM Resorts properties from around the world and introduce them here, with a focus on delivering spaces that inspire collaboration, interaction and productivity.”
The property includes a 10,600 square foot Aria Ballroom (named after the casino on the Las Vegas strip), the 5,600 square foot Bellagio Ballroom, a 1,000 square foot Borgata Meeting Room and the 1,000 square foot Beau Rivage Boardroom. The casino will also operate the MassMuteal Center just a few blocks away, with over 100,000 square feet.
The casino resort will also be known for its restaurants. One of them will be Cal Mare, operated by celebrity chef and James Beard award-winner Michael Mina, who is known for kicking up Middle Eastern cuisine to new heights, but has also opened steakhouses, French and Japanese eateries from the Bay Area to the Gulf Emirates.
The chef at Cal Mare will be Adam Sobel, who will combine New England seafood with the tastes of Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Mina told Haute Living, “We’ve had an incredible working relationship with MGM Resorts International over the years, as I have several restaurants in their Las Vegas Strip properties, so the idea of bringing one of our restaurants to this new market was a great opportunity for us. The North Atlantic has renowned seafood and is the epicenter of fishing in the United States; thus it made sense for us to introduce an Italian seafood concept there. Coastal Italian cuisine is a passion of Adam’s, so to have access to amazing shellfish, oysters, clams and fish is exciting for him.”
