[Louis Cypher]

By MARC LEVY
Associated Press Writer

December 1, 2005, 1:01 AM EST

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Pat Croce, the former president of the Philadelphia 76ers and now a motivational speaker and author, has joined Donald Trump's casino company in a bid to build a slot-machine parlor in Philadelphia, the company said Wednesday.

Trump's company, Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., has an option to build a gambling hall on a piece of former industrial land in Philadelphia and is one of two parties that has publicly announced its interest in seeking a slots license in the city.

Croce, who had said he was seeking partners in the "sports and entertainment world" to apply for a license, will head a group of investors joining Trump's venture.

Trump Entertainment Resorts' spokeswoman Virginia McDowell said one of the investors is Pete Ciarrocchi, the owner of Chickie's & Pete's, a popular Philadelphia restaurant and bar chain. But, she said, she could not identify the rest of the investor group or reveal their financial stakes in the deal because the details were not ironed out.

"The entire group is still assembling and their financial commitments are still in the process of being finalized," McDowell said.

In a statement, Croce said a slots parlor has the potential to "breathe new life into an entire community."

So far, only Trump's company and Planet Hollywood have publicly stated that they plan to apply for one of the two slots licenses that are set aside for Philadelphia. The deadline to apply for a slots license is Dec. 28.

Last year, Pennsylvania legalized up to 61,000 slot machines at 14 licensed venues, although no licenses will be awarded until next year, at the earliest.

Croce has remained in the public eye since leaving the 76ers. He had stints as a broadcaster, opened a pirate museum in the Florida Keys and, for a time, hosted his own television reality show.