Chicago Sun-Times: Stephens' pal, wife take Fifth at casino hearing

An allegedly mob-linked former pal and business partner of Rosemont Mayor Donald E. Stephens invoked his right not to incriminate himself Tuesday while testifying about his involvement in a failed Rosemont casino project.

With his high-powered lawyer sitting next to him on the witness stand at a state casino license revocation hearing, Nick S. Boscarino refused to say whether he secretly controlled a trust in his wife's name that owned $1.5 million in Emerald Casino shares.

It was the presence of that "Sherri Boscarino Trust" on a list of Emerald investors that helped trigger an Illinois Gaming Board investigation that eventually sunk the Emerald proposal. The Gaming Board is now trying to take back Emerald's dormant license.

Gaming regulators have accused Boscarino, 52, of South Barrington, of being "a known associate of organized crime." An FBI memo entered into evidence at the hearing last week accused him of being "at the very least a close associate of a number of Chicago [mob] members and associates."

Denies mob links

The former Teamsters chief steward at the Rosemont Convention Center has previously denied the accusations. But instead of repeating the denials under oath or refuting suggestions he controlled the Emerald shares, he clammed up.

"I decline to answer the question and assert my privilege against self-incrimination," said Boscarino, who is out on bond on a 2004 insurance scam conviction.

Boscarino's attorney, Patrick Tuite, said his client wouldn't answer questions because he is appealing that conviction.

Mayor Stephens broke ties with Boscarino in December 2001 because of that scam, in which Rosemont was overcharged hundreds of thousands of dollars for insurance. Stephens has returned thousands in campaign contributions from Boscarino.

But questions posed Tuesday showed more than $47,000 in campaign cash continued to flow since then to Stephens and Stephens-linked political committees through a Boscarino company, his mother and his stepbrother, Michael Hansen. Stephens' attorney, Bob Stephenson, said the mayor does not oversee those committees, but he will return all money Boscarino family members have donated since he severed ties with Boscarino.

Emerald sold shares in 1999 to the Boscarino trust, which listed Boscarino's mother, Ida L. Hansen, as trustee. Gaming board attorneys also called Hansen and Sherri Boscarino to the stand, and they also invoked their Fifth Amendment rights. Sherri Boscarino also invoked marital privilege.