Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Please accept my deepest sympathy for the loss of Dennis. I had the privilege of working with him at the N.J. Casino Control Commission many years ago. He was an excellent lawyer and a truly great guy. Everyone who worked with him respected him and also had a great affection for him. Denny had a terrific sense of humor and was also quite a poet. He penned a lengthy humorous poem about the Casino Control Commission entitled "The Mother Of All Agencies": The Autobiography of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. I saved it. It is too long to include here in its entirety, but the opening lines are as follows:
ONCE UPON A TIME
THERE LIVED A CITY BY THE SEA;
BUT THE CITY WAS SICK AND DYING
AND SO THEY CALLED FOR ME.
YOU SEE, TO CURE THE CITY'S ILLS
THEY HAD A GRAND IDEA:
CASINO GAMBLING IN ATLANTIC CITY
WOULD BE A PANACEA!
A LAW WAS PASSED IN '76
TO MAKE THIS DREAM A FACT.
IT'S CHAPTER 12 OF TITLE 5,
BUT TO ME IT'S JUST "THE ACT".
(The poem goes on for several pages, and then concludes with these lines):
SO NOW I'M REVISED, RETOOLED, RENEWED
COMPLETELY INVIGORATED
BUT THE INDUSTRY FEELS AS IT ALWAYS DID:
OVERREGULATED.
BUT THAT'S OK, IN FACT IT'S FINE
IT'S THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE,
'CAUSE THEY'VE GOT TO DO WHAT THEY GOT TO DO
AND I'VE JUST GOT TO BE ME.
Dennis served with great distinction for many years as General Counsel to the Commission, a position I once held. He was an excellent public servant and a great friend to many. We are all truly saddened by the loss of this man.
Rest in Peace, buddy.
Ben Cohen
