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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 22, 2002
Port Richey's gambling game could get competitive again, and these players have seen each other before.
A joint venture involving Mayport-based LaCruise Casino revealed Monday that it plans to come to the Little City by the River. Competition awaits: Paradise of Port Richey still sails, and financial and environmental troubles have closed down Stardancer Casino Cruises and left the local operation's future uncertain.
LaCruise Casino, owned by H. Dewayne Williams, once had a business relationship with Gus Boulis, the former owner of SunCruz. In 2000, Williams invested in a gambling boat business with Boulis in Little River, S.C. -- the home of Stardancer Casino Cruises.
Williams and Boulis went into business in South Carolina to keep from competing with each other in the Jacksonville area. When SunCruz tried to bring its boat back to Mayport, Williams sued.
At about the same time Boulis went to Little River, Stardancer came to Port Richey to compete with Paradise of Port Richey.
Paradise of Port Richey, owned by Alex and Mollie Kolokithas, also were in business with Boulis. That relationship ended in legal disputes over boat ownership as well as the local rights to the name SunCruz. Both of those cases have been settled.
Boulis was gunned down in Miami on Feb. 6, 2001. SunCruz declared bankruptcy after his death, and ownership of the company was returned to his estate as part of a court settlement last year.
Williams did not return a call seeking comment Monday. Dan Fell, a consultant hired to bring the gambling boat to Port Richey, said Williams and the partnership were not related to either Paradise or Stardancer. Fell said Paradise doesn't care about Port Richey.
Last week, Kolokithas family members donated $10,000 to city dredging efforts.