LEO ROSALES: THE CURSE OF THE MAQUINITAS

By Juan Montoya
For weeks after the Herald featured a front-page story about the altruistic nature of District 3 City of Brownsville Commission candidate Rosalio "Leo" Rosales holding a garage sale to help the homeless, we've heard whispered rumors of past acts that belie the picture of a generous man.
Oh, sure, they say, he has a job at the Good Neighbor Settlement Home funded by the city, the United Way and the Methodist Church charities. But does this make him personally a do-gooder with no other motives other than to help his downtrodden fellow men (and women)?
Well, now we have been made privy to surprising documentation that shows that Rosales, employed at the Good Neighbor, has been in a few legal scrapes trying to eke out a living preying on the weaknesses of local residents who just can't seem to keep away from dropping their dollars in the slots of the one-armed bandits, as the maquinitas were initially called.
The sordid tale begins June 24, 2004, when Rosales and his partner Hector Peña Leal were visited at their place of business called Keno's Place at 641 E. Elizabeth St. (2004-06-002923-B).
There, investigator Jesus Pinales said in his report that he found two customers and Rosales' employee Alberto Martinez inside the establishment that contained 42 eight-liner machines. Once he ascertained from Martinez, and later from the customers and from Rosales himself, that the business was paying out cash prizes in violation of state law, PInales had the machines seized as well as $2,682 in U.S. currency.
According to Pinales' report, the evidence "was used or was intended to be used in the commission of a felony offense and the money "acquired with the proceeds gained from the commission of a felony."
The raid resulted in charges of facilitating gambling against Rosales and Peña in district court. According to the record, Roseals' attorney succeeded in the charges being lowered to a class C offense that resulted in a fine being assessed against Leo. He then went on to work for a local beer distributor.
The case involving the seizing of the 42 eight-liners was titled 2004-06002924-C.
Peña's case went on to court and a plea deal was later worked out by his attorneys.
A lot of local people have succumbed to the lure of the maquinitas, Abel Limas, we hear, for one. Even the former mayor Pat Ahumada is said to operate such an arcade.
We also understand that the travails of Rosales don't end there and include other scrapes with the law as a result of intemperate use of alcohol.
But that will have to wait until another day.