Picknelly, Palmer group dispute ongoing

PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) - The casino controversy continues between Penn National Gaming's partner in Springfield  and his former partners in Palmer.  

The 22News I-Team has obtained new information.

Peter Picknelly is a partner with Penn National in Springfield's North End.  They partnered this summer.  

In 2008, Picknelly invested $500,000 with Northeast Realty, the group that owns the land in Palmer where Mohegan Sun wants to build a casino.  This past July (2012), Picknelly asked for his money back; that request was denied.  The lawyer for the group in Palmer told 22News when Picknelly partnered with Penn National he was still invested in Palmer and is still tied to that money today.   

"His own documents show he was under revenue sharing as he was being promoted by penn national
as their 50-50 joint venture partner", says Attorney Stephen Spelman of Egan, Flanagan and Cohen, P.C.

Picknelly's lawyer is Paul Maleck of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, P.C.

"In 2011 he (Peter Picknelly) verbally told Leon Dragone that he is no longer interested in staying in Palmer and he was going to pursue his own casino", says Maleck. 
 
Dragone is a partner with Northeast Realty. In November 2012, documents show Picknelly transferred that $500,000 to a longtime business associate, Malcolm Getz, to try and free himself from the Palmer casino deal. 

"We've gotten a document from Palmer that shows that the attempted transfer to Mr. Getz didn't even happen until November 1st, after Mr. Picknelly has been announced as a joint venture partner with Penn National", says Spelman.

(What does Peter get out of signing over his money to Malcolm?)

"Like I said before Its an extra step that he took to show Northeast Gaming that he has absolutely no rights in Palmer", says Maleck.

22News then asked Maleck if Picknelly could profit off of the transfer of his $500,000 to Getz.  

Maleck said, "Unequivocally no."