Letter: Confrontation with regulator spells end of Del Papa’s career

Thursday, March 12, 1998 | 10:53 a.m.

The acme was reached in 1996. Former Del Papa investigator Mike Anzalone, in a suit filed last month against Del Papa, alleges she ordered a secret intelligence probe of Bible in 1996. Anzalone contends he lost his job then because he refused to participate in the secret probe. Del Papa denies both charges. However, two former enforcement chiefs, Andy Vanyo and Ron Asher, have gone on record backing Anzalone.

The implications of this saga are major, because the federal gaming commission is studying gambling's impact in America. Bible is a member of this commission. The whole scenario gives our state government a black eye, negatively impacts our gaming industry, impugns Bible's integrity, led to the 1997 ABC "PrimeTime" negative story on Nevada gaming and gives the national, anti-gaming factions ammunition to use against us.

The "pragmatic" view avers: You can't attack Bible explicitly or implicitly without simultaneously attacking our gaming industry. Bible is an excellent, popular regulator and an objective voice on the national gambling commission to protect our main Nevada industry and economy -- gaming -- against the rabid anti-gaming zealots. Therefore, in this feud, Bible is supported by the casino industry and Del Papa condemned.

There now can be neither compromise nor reconciliation with Del Papa. "Pandora's Box" has been opened. Del Papa's political career is finished because she has committed the greatest of all Nevada "sins" -- Del Papa placed her ego and petty, petulant perturbations above the interests of Nevada's common good and that of the "gaming industry."

Clyde Dinkins