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July 17, 1996
A statement prepared by a Zeff lawyer blamed the failure of the Shoreline Star greyhound racing track in Bridgeport on poor winter weather, which in turn caused poor attendance. The Chapter 11 proceeding allows the track to seek refinancing of its debt without being pursued by creditors.
Zeff's wife, Susan, the track's vice-president, said in a statement that wagering on racing will continue while refinancing goes forward.
"We believe that our business can be stabilized and ... are hopeful that a fair plan can be promptly agreed upon with our creditors," she said.
Zeff, the track's principal owner and president, made no statement.
The greyhound track, which opened last November, is at the center of a set of investigations involving the 62-year-old Zeff, who won fame handling society divorces and medical malpractice claims in Detroit in the 1970s and 1980s.
In May, Connecticut state police began investigating Zeff for taking a Las Vegas vacation with that state's chief gambling regulator, hours after the official voted to approve a proposal favorable to Zeff.
Zeff, who operated a jai alai facility for 20 years in Bridgeport before converting the operation to a dog track, had sought the regulator's help in being exempted from a state-required background check.
Since then, Connecticut officials have begun a probe into the source of $28 million of private funds Zeff says he spent to develop the greyhound track. In Michigan, the state Attorney Grievance Commission has begun an investigation into Zeff's professional conduct.
On June 25, Zeff was arrested at his Westport, Conn., home by state police serving a search warrant. Zeff has pleaded not guilty to charges of destroying evidence and interfering with an investigation.
The list of creditors Zeff filed in federal court contains mainly law and public relations firms and vendors of track services. Liens filed in another Connecticut court suggest Zeff still owes more than $4 million in unpaid construction costs, too.