Wealthy target
A man once known as the mob’s video gambling terminal (VGT) kingpin has been arrested for the irony-laden crime of robbing a Chicago area restaurateur allegedly “pulling in millions of dollars” from the gaming machines.
Late last week, the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that Kane County State Attorney Jamie L. Mosser has indicted 67-year-old Casey Szaflarski on felony charges linked to the burglary of the unnamed restaurateur’s Illinois residence in March.
accused of taking “control over property of the owner”
According to records just coming to light, Szaflarski and alleged accomplices Paul Koroluk and Louis Capuzi, Jr. stand accused of taking “control over property of the owner,” which included “currency and/or jewelry” worth $10,000 to $100,000.
While the Sun-Times didn’t identify the victim, it quoted him as stating the crime had “nothing to do” with VGTs. The restaurateur, however, said Szaflarski and his crew “knew what they were doing, I think.”
Longtime player
While the Capuzi, the 68-year-old alleged co-burglar and former state legislator’s son, has an arrest history, it pales in comparison to the rap sheet of mob-connected Koroluk, 67, and Szaflarski.
In 2012, federal prosecutors accused Szaflarski of running video poker operations for imprisoned alleged Cicero mob boss Michael “Fat Mike” Sarno. Sarno is serving 25 years in prison for extortion and racketeering crimes, including ordering the pipe bombing of a VGT-rival’s headquarters.
Szaflarski, meanwhile, got three years in prison and walked free in 2015. The fruits of VGTs, however, proved irresistible for the convicted felon in targeting the restaurant group headed by the victim. According to the Illinois Gaming Board, the group includes over 12 venues with net VGT income over $30m.
Crime games afoot
According to the Sun-Times, the popularity of VGTs and the cash they’re generating has seen crooks in the region target casinos and gaming sites.
Kane County Sheriff Amy Johnson, whose office is handling the Szaflarski investigation, declined to comment on whether the ex-VLT kingpin and his alleged henchmen are suspected of other break-ins.
Sheriff Johnson said the March heist is still a “pending investigation and being worked on.”
Szaflarski is next due in court in December.
