Al Cianfichi and his partner Paul Shea were hoping to gain approvals for a 200-room, five-star hotel and a Las Vegas-style gambling room on 10.5 acres the city owns between Fulton Shipyard and Roger’s Point. 릴게임

Prior to the decision, both Cianfichi and Shea told council members the project would have become a stop on a San Francisco-Yosemite-Los Angeles tour circuit with the tour company’s Asian clientele, a group he predicts would bring untold riches to the city’s coffers. Cianfichi reportedly went so far as to say there would be so much money city bean counters would be unable to count it — they would have to weigh it.

The city council couldn’t see the dollar signs so well. They rejected the plan 4-to-1, saying it was not right for the city. One council member reportedly said a casino plan was not the type of business a growing city such as Antioch should be looking to bring. Councilman Arne Simonsen cast the lone dissenting vote, saying the city should at least keep its options open.

Cianfichi and Shea also had asked the council to lend its support to a petition that seeks to put Las Vegas-style gambling on a statewide ballot. Thanks to Cianfichi’s lobbying efforts, Antioch was added to the list of 12 cities (including Oakland and San Jose) that would be allowed to engage in a broad range of gambling games such as Roulette, craps and slots.

The council members, who could have simply done nothing, showed their support for Cianfichi’s idea by approving a motion to remove the city from the ballot initiative drive.