Did 'Mob Links' Foil Donald Trump's Plan For Sydney Casino?

President Donald Trump's bid to open the first casino in Sydney in the 1980s was thwarted by the New South Wales government due to alleged "mafia connections," according to a report in the Australian.

The report in the publication indicated the Darling Harbour casino project was killed off because of a “high-level police report” by the NSW Police Board which said it would be “dangerous’’ to go ahead with it.

In 1987, Trump’s joint venture with the Queensland-based Kern Corporation was one of the four bidders for the casino's tender.

According to the report, while Kern — a then successful developer of shopping centers — was going to build the proposed development, Trump was to front and operate it.

At that time, Trump already owned two ­casinos in Atlantic City — Trump Plaza and Trump’s Castle — and was about to open a third with the Trump Taj Mahal.

“If our design is chosen, it will not only be the largest but one of the most magnificent, one of the most beautiful hotels anywhere in the world,” Trump declared to the Australian in February 1987.

However, cabinet minutes from May 4, 1987, summarized the police board's position and found the Kern/Trump bid unacceptable.

“Atlantic City would be a dubious model for Sydney and in our judgment, the Trump mafia connections should exclude the Kern/Trump consortium,” the report concluded.

What may have swung the decision against Trump were his dealings with mob-related personalities while buying property to further his casino establishments in Atlantic City.

To enlarge Trump Plaza in the early 80s, Trump bought a nightclub that was owned by Salvie Testa and Frank Narducci Jr, mafia hitmen known as the Young Executioners.

According to a report in the Australian, the two worked for Atlantic City’s mob boss, Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo, and Trump eventually bought the property for $1.1 million, about two times the market price.

It was deals such as these that have long fuelled rumors of Trump’s association with the mafia.

Though Trump has denied his association with mobsters of ever crossing the line, he did admit to the fact that almost anybody who was building casinos in the 1980s used companies that were mob linked.

“You had contractors that were supposedly mob-oriented all over Atlantic City. Every single casino company used the same companies.” he said once.

Though Trump has never been charged for any mafia-related links, the report claiming the project got nixed due to links to the mafia attracted people’s attention and Trump received quite a drubbing on Twitter.

Journalist Richard Cooke tweeted: “Reminder that Australia decided Trump was unfit to run a casino, let alone a country.”

Another Twitter user under the handle @AdamCSchembri questioned Trump’s journey of becoming the president of one of the most powerful nations in the world. “The govt of my home state in Australia stopped #Trump from building a Sydney casino due to 'mafia connections'. Now he's US President. How?,” he tweeted.

Journalist Quentin Dempster appreciated the Australian for its reporting.

He tweeted: "Too risky? Fine reporting by The Australian today on Donald Trump's 1987 Sydney casino probity checks with leaked NSW Cabinet documents."

The White House referred question from the Australian to Trump Organization, which didn't respond.