The gloves are off in the competition over who gets to open a casino north of the Big Apple.
A civil-rights lawyer has filed a lawsuit to block the operator of the Aqueduct slots parlor from opening a massive Sterling Forest resort casino in Tuxedo — just 40 miles from Manhattan.
But that attorney, Michael Sussman, has a checkered history: His law license was suspended for a year in New York and Massachusetts in 2002 over “multiple instances [of] commingling personal and client funds.”
Supporters of Genting Forest Resort said Sussman, given his own misuse of clients’ accounts, is the last person who should be lecturing anyone about economic development and the siting of a casino.
“The audacity of this guy. He just wants to make a name for himself,” said Wayne Reuvers, chief strategist and chairman of Live Technology, the largest private-sector employer in Tuxedo.
Reuvers said the Genting project, if selected by the state, would be an economic boon for the area. “The Genting plan is phenomenal. It would be like the town winning the lottery,” he said.
Sussman filed suit against Tuxedo on behalf of 18 residents, claiming the local government approved a zoning plan for the casino project without following state environmental law.
He said it’s ridiculous for adversaries to bring up his license suspension, which, he added, has no bearing on the casino siting controversy.
“That was a long time ago. I took my punishment,” Sussman said.