House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi was given State Police protection at his North End home after he received what authorities felt was a credible death threat during the highly charged debate over casino gambling, said three people who have been briefed on the threat and the State Police response.During two separate periods - each spanning two weeks during March and early April - police assigned an undercover officer to stand watch outside DiMasi's North End condominium, because of threats contained in an anonymous letter sent to his State House office and overheard in a conversation, said the sources, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.
The sources would not release details about the overheard conversation, such as where it occurred and who was involved. But they said one of the parties in the conversation mentioned specific details of DiMasi's private life, including the kind of dog he has and when he walks it.
Although the gambling issue was never specifically discussed in either case, the threats were made as DiMasi was publicly working to block Governor Deval Patrick's bid to license three casinos in the state. Patrick's proposal ultimately failed.
An undercover officer was assigned to remain outside DiMasi's home from late afternoon each day until 9:30 the next morning during both two-week periods, the sources said.
Captain Barry O'Brien, a State Police spokesman, confirmed that the threats against DiMasi were made and that an investigation is underway. O'Brien would not confirm that protection was provided to the speaker.
"We are not inclined to discuss the nature or the type of protection we would provide in the course of an investigation like this," O'Brien said.
DiMasi declined to have the police protection at his State House office. Security at the entrances of the building scan for weapons, and a State Police officer sits down the hall from the speaker's office outside the governor's office. Police had recommended a 24-hour detail, the sources said.
While DiMasi's office often gets nasty letters and phone calls, the sources, who read the letter and know the details of the reported conversation, said the threats in both cases were specific enough to prompt the speaker and his staff to contact the State Police.
The letter, which contained a specific threat to his life, came several weeks before the House vote on casinos. It warned the speaker that the writer knew where "you hang," the sources said.
Those speaking in the overheard conversation, which took place in a public facility a day or two after the casino vote, were quoted as saying that unspecified actions by the speaker were "unacceptable," according to the sources.
One of the parties in the conversation claimed to know DiMasi's daily habits, such as his hours for walking his dog, exactly where he lives, and where he goes on weekends, according to the sources. What concerned DiMasi and State Police were the specifics about his private life, the sources said.
DiMasi, who was in the Worcester area on official business yesterday, declined to comment.
The casino bill dominated the debate on Beacon Hill for several months and set off passion on both sides. A coalition of liberals, social conservatives, civic groups, and religious organizations argued strongly against legalized gambling. Casino advocates, including labor unions and racetrack and casino operators and developers, accused DiMasi and the House leadership of turning their backs on them.
Patrick had touted the casino plan as an economic development project that would generate thousands of union jobs.
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