On Tuesday, Anastasio withdrew his application to reopen the South Shore Poker Club with a different name and business model. Police closed the club last year, citing management problems.
His proposed new venture would have been a social club where members could play cards, but not for money; his attorney compared it to an Elks club. The South Shore Poker Club had hosted nonprofit organizations’ poker fund-raisers, a lawful form of gambling in Massachusetts when operators meet specific legal requirements.
During a hearing on the proposed reopening, Board of Selectmen chairman Timothy J. Gordon questioned what the club’s charitable purpose would be and Town Administrator William J. Phelan pointed out that patrons would still be playing poker.
Officials also questioned the safety of the building, which they said had a faulty fire escape and out-of-date sprinkler inspection, although Anastasio does not own the building.
The board declined to vote Jan. 10, instead asking Anastasio to provide more information.
The following week, Anastasio accused Phelan of overstepping his bounds by attending an inspection of the fire escape.
Asked whether he has hard feelings about his experience with the town, Anastasio said, “Oh, absolutely. I think Bill Phelan went more than out of his way to make sure this didn’t continue in the town of Holbrook.’’
“As far as the Board of Selectmen,’’ he said, “I’m disappointed in the majority of the board, but there’s certainly a few members that supported what we’ve done in the past.’’
Some selectmen have praised the club for being a major donor to local causes.
Responding to Anastasio’s complaints, Gordon said the questions the applicant faced are a normal part of the process.
“I think we’ve been handling his case with due diligence, we’ve been asking questions, and we were in the middle of the hearing process,’’ he said. “I wasn’t treating him any differently than anyone else who came before us.’’
Phelan said Anastasio has the prerogative to change his mind about the club and run for office.
