'Broken Tooth' emerges from jail to different world
Source: Agencies |
December 2, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
NOTORIOUS Macau gangster Wan "Broken Tooth" Kuok-koi emerged from jail yesterday morning into a very different gambling haven than the one he bullied in the late 1990s.
Imprisoned for close to 15 years inside the enclave's high security prison, the former triad leader was escorted out by two police officers before being whisked into a white Lexus driven by two men dressed in black. Wan, in his late 50s, ignored requests for comment from journalists.
Bloody gangland turf wars are a thing of the past, with Macau transformed into a booming, glitzy strip of casinos, malls and hotels - many owned by American tycoons. But triad gangs still operate as intermediaries and junket operators offering credit and recovering debts around VIP gaming rooms.
Attempted murder
Macau's total gambling revenue has soared to US$33.5 billion - five times that of Las Vegas - from just US$1.7 billion in Wan's heyday.
It's not known whether Wan - who was jailed for more than 14 years for attempted murder, loan sharking and money laundering - will return to the gambling business.
Wan's swift exit from the hilltop prison, is a marked difference to his heyday when he courted media attention and helped produce a movie called "Casino" about a triad boss.
Wan's brother Kuok-hung has carved out a career in the VIP junket business. Wan was visited in jail by his brother and mother earlier this week.
While few predict Wan's release will spark a return to Macau's darker days, the authorities are taking no chances. Last weekend, a number of Wan's former associates were arrested on suspicion of planning to commit murder.
"We are well equipped to handle all situations," a spokeswoman for Macau's judiciary police said.
Kenny Leong, chief executive of Nasdaq-listed Asia Entertainment and Resources Ltd, did not expect much impact from Wan's freedom. "Things are completely different now. Everything is more professionally managed," he said.
Wan, a stocky man with often garish sartorial taste, is said to be unable to straighten the middle two fingers of one hand after being mangled by meat cleavers in a street fight. Locals say he was a common sight, driving around Macau in a mauve Ferrari.
Earlier this week, a new, white Toyota Vellfire spacewagon left a gated compound and wound its way up to the hilltop prison, where a stylish woman with long hair and dark glasses stepped out with a shy-looking, bespectacled teenage son wearing sneakers.
After an hour-long visit, Wan's wife and son declined comment about how they felt about being reunited.
Imprisoned for close to 15 years inside the enclave's high security prison, the former triad leader was escorted out by two police officers before being whisked into a white Lexus driven by two men dressed in black. Wan, in his late 50s, ignored requests for comment from journalists.
Bloody gangland turf wars are a thing of the past, with Macau transformed into a booming, glitzy strip of casinos, malls and hotels - many owned by American tycoons. But triad gangs still operate as intermediaries and junket operators offering credit and recovering debts around VIP gaming rooms.
Attempted murder
Macau's total gambling revenue has soared to US$33.5 billion - five times that of Las Vegas - from just US$1.7 billion in Wan's heyday.
It's not known whether Wan - who was jailed for more than 14 years for attempted murder, loan sharking and money laundering - will return to the gambling business.
Wan's swift exit from the hilltop prison, is a marked difference to his heyday when he courted media attention and helped produce a movie called "Casino" about a triad boss.
Wan's brother Kuok-hung has carved out a career in the VIP junket business. Wan was visited in jail by his brother and mother earlier this week.
While few predict Wan's release will spark a return to Macau's darker days, the authorities are taking no chances. Last weekend, a number of Wan's former associates were arrested on suspicion of planning to commit murder.
"We are well equipped to handle all situations," a spokeswoman for Macau's judiciary police said.
Kenny Leong, chief executive of Nasdaq-listed Asia Entertainment and Resources Ltd, did not expect much impact from Wan's freedom. "Things are completely different now. Everything is more professionally managed," he said.
Wan, a stocky man with often garish sartorial taste, is said to be unable to straighten the middle two fingers of one hand after being mangled by meat cleavers in a street fight. Locals say he was a common sight, driving around Macau in a mauve Ferrari.
Earlier this week, a new, white Toyota Vellfire spacewagon left a gated compound and wound its way up to the hilltop prison, where a stylish woman with long hair and dark glasses stepped out with a shy-looking, bespectacled teenage son wearing sneakers.
After an hour-long visit, Wan's wife and son declined comment about how they felt about being reunited.
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