As hymns and prayers filled the modern four-story stone and brick sanctuary, he sat wanly in a church pew facing a representation of a crucified Christ rising heavenward. When the choir seated to the right of the altar finished its songs of praise, friends and coworkers nodded silently in his direction. My heart felt so bad for him,'' says one former colleague. He had never spoken about it. I had no clue.
Opinion is sharply divided on whether a full five-year suspension is appropriate.
The commission, which has no comment for now, will speak its mind publicly when it votes, probably late this month or in January. Those in the recovery business are clamoring to have DiBartolomeo returned to work soon, to broadcast the message that problem gamblers working in the casino industry can get help without being penalized. But former regulators and an academic who studies the casino industry believe there's no room to compromise. You don't need someone like that in a casino,'' says Bill Thompson, a professor of public administration and gambling scholar at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I don't think the industry needs or wants him.