The Fat Man's US gamble backfires

Saturday March 03, 2007

Casinos call them whales - aerial rollers affluent enough to elude a million dollars on the turn of a identify or the revolve of a roulette revolve. They compass from Arab princes to international arms dealers.

Ascendancy London's exclusive gaming circles, the whale admitted being the 'Fat Man' is mythological. His appellation is Fouad al-Zayat and last clock this Syrian-born businessman, who has homes access London and Cyprus, was ordered by the courts to settle a ￡2m gambling debt.

The Fat Man's huge loss came influence a single after hours playing blackjack at Aspinalls casino agency Mayfair. The private club won a freezing aligning on Zayat's assets, which accommodate a Boeing 747 and a ￡158,000 Rolls-Royce, although they still allowed him to gamble.

Judge documents showed that between October 1994 and April 2006 the Fat Man stake ￡91m at this one casino alone, losing some ￡23m.

Now The Watcher responsibility affirm that authentic is not condign the Fat Man's gambling exploits that are attracting attention. Influence February 2003, Zayat was entertaining an considerable guest at aggrandized of his favourite London gambling haunts, Les Ambassadeurs, which describes itself being 'one of the most exclusive gaming clubs influence the earth' and has classy views overlooking Hyde Grassland. Adjacent the Fat Man that bedtime was a aerial-flying US politician, Republican Congressman Bob Ney from Ohio, who was sometimes proclaimed influence Washington circles because the 'Mayor of Capitol Hillock'. Actual was Ney who, access response to France's approach on the invasion of Iraq, led the act access the US to rename French fries 'bent fries'.

But thanks to al-Zayat real was to body money of a at variance amicable that would at once escort to Ney's political downfall and revolve a interlacing of intrigue that went to the passion of Washington.

Documents from the US Appeal Department appearance that Zayat had addicted the US politician thousands of dollars of comp gambling beans for account at several private casinos. On a second trip to London, Ney won halfway ￡47,000 thanks to the Fat Man's gambling money. According to the US documents, Zayat's company had paid for Ney's 'round-trip airfare, animation accommodation, meal and entertainment'.

Accordingly what did the Fat Man demand from an Ohio Congressman? Zayat runs an aerospace firm called FN Aviation, which operates out of London and Nicosia, and wanted to sell US planes and spare parts to Iran. But character the US professional is a just trade prohibition on a country that is any of George Jungle's 'Pivot of Evil'.

Zayat wanted Ney's advice influence obtaining his company an freedom that would secure a multi - million - dollar deal hide the Iranians. Ney has admitted to articulation Zayat and influence January the Congressman was sentenced to two - and - a - half senescence access jail next pleading responsible to trading political favours for banknote and gifts.

The source of Zayat's cash is something of a puzzle, but he was once a Middle East representative for Boeing and has been an adjudicator influence a character of acknowledged precaution - related deals. Ace are no proclaimed photographs of him.

Added of the catalogue of characters access Zayat's being is his biz partner, Nigel Winfield, who arranged the US Congressman's trip to London. During the news surrounding Ney, authentic emerged that Winfield had a history of criminal convictions, including a jail word for fleecing Elvis Presley out of $330,000 ascendancy a affected aeroplane leasing scheme. Influence 1986 he was accustomed a 10-time sentence for evading taxes, but was released agency 1992. Winfield lives influence Cyprus near Zayat, who divides his bit between his animation at ease access Nicosia and the Four Seasons Hotel influence London's Park Passageway.

The Witness has tracked him down, but no one from his Cyprus office was prepared to answer questions. Chartered accountants Silver Altman, whose Compass help are listed because the focus of al-Zayat's British operations, also refused to answer any questions.

Zayat once spoke about his gambling habit to a newspaper after he faced a writ from the Ritz Casino in 2002 over seven cheques totalling ￡2m. He said at the time: 'This is the only sin I have. I have lost a lot of money. I know it's wrong to lose money like this, but if you've ever been to a casino you will understand what the atmosphere is.'

Despite his spat with Aspinalls, Zayat remains a part of the exclusive circle of whales which includes the Sultan of Brunei and international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. The original whale was Frank Lefty Rosenthal, the Las Vegas gambling tycoon who inspired Robert De Niro's character, Sam Ace Rothstein, in Martin Scorsese's film Casino. Rosenthal once claimed that there were 150 whales across the globe, with 80 per cent of them being Asian. He defined the whales as gamblers who could command instant credit of between $1m and $5m.