Caprio meets privately with tribal chief, lobbyists
6:29 PM Mon, Nov 09, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Three of the best-known faces from the 2006 Harrah's-financed Narragansett Indian casino drive returned to the State House Friday for a private meeting with General Treasurer Frank Caprio. The delegation included the Narragansett's Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, lobbyist Terry Fracassa, and one-time Celtics hoop star Kevin Stacom. All three lobbied hard three years ago to get the tribe's West Warwick casino proposal on the ballot, where it was ultimately defeated. Thomas said Fracassa contacted him about a potential joint venture with a company that manufactures items for the military which believed a partnership with a federally-recognized tribe might give it an advantage in the contract selection process. Thomas surmised "the reason this manufacturer sat down with us...[is that ] we could benefit them.'' But he said he did not want to jinx the potential "economic development'' project, which he has not yet outlined for his own tribe, by saying too much, too soon. Thomas said he has known and respected the Caprio family for years, and attended the same high school in Narragansett as the state treasurer, but he said it was Fracassa who suggested the treasurer's office would be a good "meeting space...[because] Frank and Terry knew these people.'' In a subsequent conversation, Fracassa too was reluctant to name the company or the representatives at this point, but he said he arranged the meeting in Caprio's office because the out-of-towners believed Rhode Island had a "difficult climate'' for doing business, but had heard enough about Caprio to believe he was "a person of action'' in the economic-development arena, who had been "pretty active in terms of meeting with the small business community.'' Economic development is not one of the state treasurer's specific job duties. But "I think Frank was saying that he would be able to act or help act as a facilitator in terms of just helping them gain traction...and just to basically offer general support [by] reaching out a helping hand and seeing that every question that they had would be answered,'' Fracassa said. When asked, however, to describe Caprio's role in this private meeting, his spokesman Tim Gray said he just "listened.'' He also issued a statement that made no mention of the two manufacturing company representatives. It said: "Treasurer Caprio met with a small group today to discuss potential economic development opportunities for the Narragansett Indian Tribe, including manufacturing and logistics, models which have proven to be successful with other tribes.'' "As you may know,'' Gray wrote in an e-mail, "Treasurer Caprio grew up in Narragansett and has known Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas since the 1970s when they played youth sports together.Today's attendees: General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio, Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, Narragansett Indian Tribe. "Also attending the meeting as guests of Chief Sachem Thomas were: Kevin Stacom, Mike Van Leesten, local economist, Terry Fracassa, esq. The group discussion today did not involve gaming issues.'' 
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