Often, it’s who you know.
SL Green, a New York City real estate giant that is applying for a coveted state casino license, will soon have the former chief of staff to Mayor Eric Adams to help it in its bid to open a casino in Times Square.
Frank Carone, a former power broker with the Brooklyn Democratic Party who helped Adams’ rise in politics, has signed a contract with the legal firm Greenberg Traurig, which is representing SL Green in its casino bid. Politico first reported the appointment.
SL Green, in a joint bid with Caesars Entertainment Caesars and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, plans to refurbish a building at 1515 Broadway and transform it into a casino.
The company is competing for one of three gaming licenses that the State of New York will be awarded in the downstate area. Other sites proposed for a casino license include Citi Field–Willets Point, the Aqueduct Raceway, Hudson Yards, Coney Island, Midtown East, Fifth Avenue and the Trump Golf Links in the Bronx.
Carone, who was Adams’ chief of staff in 2022, is not permitted to lobby given his recent departure. In a statement, he said he would “help create a diversified community engagement hiring plan.”
Greenberg Traurig was not immediately available for comment.
The successful bidders will need the approval of the governor’s office, along with New York elected officials, before a license is awarded.
The state was authorized through a 2013 amendment to the state Constitution to fill seven casino licenses. Four casinos have already been approved upstate, with the three yet-to-be awarded to be downstate.
