Published: September 15, 2008 11:05 pm      

NIAGARA FALLS: Talking about evening the odds

Frank Parlato discusses perceived business inequalities at forum

Standing in front of an American flag, a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a slot machine cloaked in a white sheet, businessman Frank Parlato gathered support Monday in his fight for equality with the Seneca Nation of Indians.

Close to 100 people attended the meeting hosted by Parlato at his One Niagara building to criticize the advantages the non-taxed Seneca casino and hotel have over other businesses. His speech, which featured several references to the “treasonous” gaming compact the state has with the Senecas, was complemented several times by loud applause from nearly all in attendance.

“If Seneca is tax free in Niagara Falls, than all Americans should be tax free,” Parlato said. “This is not an anti-Seneca meeting, this is a pro-American and pro-equality meeting. I don’t think we should allow foreigners to have more rights than our own children.”

Parlato has published numerous articles detailing his criticism of the Seneca’s perceived advantages and his plans to even the odds. Earlier this summer, he ordered six slot machines and vowed to put them in operation inside One Niagara, despite state laws preventing non-Indian gaming.

One of the slot machines was placed on top of two tables and covered up during Parlato’s speech Monday. He said he wasn’t ready to unveil the machine yet, and declined to say whether he will go through with his promise to allow patrons to gamble.

“That’s for people to guess and for me to find out,” he said.

While he acknowledged the casino has created jobs, Parlato said most of the positions going to non-Indians are low-paying and part-time. Meanwhile, the city and county are losing millions of dollars in property, hotel and sales taxes.

“There aren’t more jobs because of Seneca, there’s just more of us working under Seneca,” Parlato said. “Albany has created a monster called Seneca.”

Tommy Ryan’s Rock & Roll Diner is among the local businesses hurt by the Seneca’s facilities. Owner Tom Hanna said the longtime restaurant located near the state park entrance is closing in a few weeks.

Hanna agreed the Senecas hold an unfair business advantage, but pointed out Mayor Paul Dyster and members of the City Council were not in attendance Monday to support Parlato’s demands for equality.

“Does that give you any indication why Tommy Ryan’s is closing?” Hanna told the crowd. “This city just doesn’t give a damn.”

Joel S. Rose, co-chairman of the Citizens against Casino Gambling in Erie County, attended the meeting to observe and document the city’s concerns over casino operations.

“Casinos are something that they sell to the desperate,” he said, pointing out healthy communities don’t have casinos. “I don’t think we need to be desperate.”

As the meeting came to a close, Parlato asked those in attendance to organize and demand equality with the Senecas by signing petitions and placing pressure on elected city and state officials.

Among the first to sign on was resident Robert Simpson.

“We are equal to the Senecas,” he said. “Everything they can do we can do also.”

Not everyone was in agreement with Parlato. A few people spoke out and criticized him for singling out the Senecas for all of the city’s woes, despite the fact that population was on the decline and industries were closing long before the casino opened. One individual left the meeting waving a purple Seneca Nation of Indians tribal flag in the air.

Matthew Newman, an employee of the casino, said Parlato’s speech was lacking actual ideas.

“He keeps talking about equality, but he has no plan of action on how he’s going to get equality,” Newman said. “It’s all rhetoric. He would have more people follow him if he had a plan.”