Chinatown vs. Foxwoods

Center City casino plan sparks heated hearing, elicits tears from polA discussion in Chinatown last night about a proposed casino project at the Gallery quickly turned unruly and deeply personal when the specter of gambling addiction and suicide gripped the packed meeting.

Lai Har Cheung, who was raging on the edge of hysteria, pleaded with Councilman Frank DiCicco to stop Foxwoods from coming to the Gallery because members of her family were addicted to gambling. The crowd turned on DiCicco when he asked her to calm down.

"You know why I understand?" DiCicco shouted back at the crowd. "My father took his life because he was a gambler."

The Chinatown stage was set against Foxwoods long before city and casino officials arrived to explain why the project might be relocated from its state-approved site in South Philly. Children sporting T-shirts that said "No Casino in Chinatown" waved signs that said: "Don't gamble with my future." Posters accused Foxwoods of pushing gambling addiction on the community.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Facts About Indian Gaming.