Strip Club Owner and Smiley Donor Took Control of $1 Million Camp Cronin for $17K
Wednesday, August 02, 2023
The City of Providence’s Camp Cronin in Narragansett has been mired in controversy in recent years.
The property, valued at over a million dollars, had fallen into disrepair under former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s administration.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThis week, the Providence Journal reported that due to unpaid tax bills, Camp Cronin was purchased at a tax sale last fall — for a little over $17,000 by Airway Leasing, LLC. The city can reportedly still retain the property if it pays off the lien with “Airway” within the year.
That is just half the story, however.
Strip Club Owner, Smiley Donor
A GoLocal investigation has uncovered the principal of Airway Leasing is Gerard DiSanto, the owner of Desire Gentlemen's Club in Providence — and a campaign donor to Mayor Brett Smiley.
Campaign finance records show that DiSanto has given $3,000 to Smiley, who refused to answer questions about DiSanto — and other donors — during his run for Mayor in 2022.
DiSanto is a prolific political donor and while Smiley accepted and kept the strip club owner's donations — one politician did not keep his.
State Senator David Tikoian, the former North Providence Chief of Police and former Major in the Rhode Island State Police, returned a donation from DiSanto during the 2022 election cycle.
“I don’t know the guy from Adam. I had gotten some checks in, and I didn’t know the name,” said Tikoian.
Campaign finance records show a "refund of contribution" from Tikoian to DeSanto in October of 2022.
“I don’t know him; he might be a nice guy — but that’s not the kind of thing I want to be associated with,” he said. “I think I did the right thing.”
DiSanto's Attorney Responds
Nick Hemond, a Providence attorney, told GoLocal, "He bid on every property in Narragansett that day [at the tax sale]. He was selected for that parcel."
"He only knew he won the parcel by the plat and lot number — he did not know that it was," said Hemond.
Hemond said that DiSanto has not heard from anyone from the city since he was assigned the property at the tax sale.
According to Hemond, DiSanto has insured the land and is happy to discuss the future of the property with the city.
A spokesperson for Smiley, Josh Estrella, said, "The previous Administration failed to pay these taxes, the bills were not received, and the property was put up for tax sale in October of last year. Since we recently became aware of the sale, we have been working diligently with the Town of Narragansett to pay the outstanding taxes and regain ownership of the facility so that it can properly be rehabilitated and used by our residents."
For decades, the city of Providence ran recreation and senior service programs at Camp Cronin for city children and the elderly respectively.
Editor's Note: The article has been updated to reflect campaign finance records show a "refund of contribution" from Tikoian to DeSanto in October of 2022.
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