The New York Catskills once were the scene of quiet and beauty, and New Yorkers flocked to 'the mountains' for rest and recreation.
They are not tranquil now, with bitter internecine warfare at Monticello Raceway, where its owners Empire Resorts and that company’s former CEO are embattled in a bitter dispute.
Joseph Bernstein, who ran the company prior to his departure December 31, 2009, has filed a complaint with the New York Racing and Wagering Board, saying that Empire’s financial backers, the Malaysian company Kien Huat, has moved to take control and force Empire out of most revenues from the potential casino deal with the Mohawk Indians.
Bernstein’s successor as CEO, Joe D’Amato, says the charges are “simply untrue,” and that Bernstein filed the complaint after a dispute over severance pay.
Bernstein, still a major investor in Empire, says he was told to stay away from meetings by Kien Huat reps.
(Harness Tracks of America)