‘Mafia connections’ crush Donald Trump’s Aussie casino dreams

Thirty years ago, before he became the leader of the free world, U.S. President Donald Trump dreamt of opening the first casino in Sydney—a dream that Australian regulators immediately put the kibosh on over concerns of the then-businessman’s “mafia connections.”

Trump and its partner, Queensland-based Kern Corporation, was one of the four groups bidding for the Darling Harbour project in Sydney. Trump’s proposal, however, was rejected by the New South Wales (NSW) government in May 1987, along with two other bidders.

The reason?

According to a report from The Australian, a secret report by NSW police board recommended against approving Trump’s offer because it would have been “dangerous.”