THIS is the eerie tale of an abandoned cruise ship whose owner was murdered by mafias after he turned the boat into a gambling hub.
The once luxurious Blue Horizon had full-blown casinos and took wealthy passengers to international waters so that they could gamble.
Incredible images show the inside of the vessel with poker chips still lying intact across the tables.
One picture shows the casino machines in extremely good condition as if the slots were played yesterday.
Another one shows an empty bar where once gambling millionaires sat and boasted about their wagers out loud.
Some of the gambling games are still set up and ready to play.
The cruise ship now sits abandoned in port in Florida, USA.
Konstantinos “Gus” Boulis, the millionaire owner of Blue Horizoin was once invited to a Las Vegas-style gambling ship for a party.
After this event, he was motivated to buy the “Sir Winston” for just $2 million a few days later. This 100-foot cruise ship was promptly transformed into a casino vessel.
Thus began his venture into the cruise sector, where he introduced “Cruises to nowhere.” These trips catered to affluent clientele, offering them the opportunity to gamble in international waters unaffected by gambling regulations.
Boulis became one of the biggest names in gambling cruise ships, his profits made him a very wealthy man.
However, local governors and activists were not happy with his cruise ships turned gambling business – and he ended up in court.
An urban explorer named Leland Kent, who captured exclusive images of the now deserted Blue Horizon, commented: “Boulis established the SunCruz Casinos boat company in 1994 in Key Largo.”
“He bought luxury yachts and turned them into casino boats and began to operate his cruises to nowhere, sailing three miles from the Florida coast into what was then considered international waters where Florida gambling laws were not applicable.
Passengers would gamble on poker, blackjack, and slot machines.
And Boulis soon expanded his fleet of 11 ships and began calling it SunCruz Casino line.
“Boulis’ largest and most profitable gambling boat was docked on the Intracoastal Waterway in Hollywood, Florida, where he had the support of Mayor Mara Giulianti,” Kent added.
“However, Hollywood community beach activists, led by City Commissioner John F. Coleman, strongly opposed the gambling boat operation.
“Ken Jenne, the local sheriff, worked repeatedly with Attorney General Bob Butterworth to stop the company’s operations.”
In 1998, three SunCruz ships were shut down, and armed cops seized over 300 gambling machines, ship equipment and nearly $630,000 in cash,
Boulis fought in court and won because there was no probable cause for the State Attorney General’s Office to seize the equipment and money.
However, his flourishing business drew opposition from other Florida government officials at the federal level.
In February 2000, Boulis settled with Federal authorities by agreeing to sell his interest in the SunCruz business within three years and pay a $500,000 fine.
According to the Broward Palm Beach New Times, Gus Boulis had also registered his casino boat under his former girlfriend’s name, Margaret Hren, to hide his ownership.
Boulis sold off parts of his business and joined in partnership with three men.
But the partnership soon turned sour – and Boulis was shot in a mafia-style drive-by attack believed to be arranged by his partners.
Kent said: “In February 2001, five months after Boulis sold SunCruz, he was shot in his car in a Mafia-style attack in Fort Lauderdale. Boulis’ car crashed on U.S. 1 south of SE 17th Street Causeway.
“He was taken to Broward General Medical Center where he later died. Police say the shooting was set up by killers in two separate cars, one of which brought Boulis to a stop while the driver of the other car did the shooting.”
After Boulis’ death, SunCruz Casinos filed for bankruptcy.
The maritime company had three ships left: Jacksonville (SunCruz VII), Myrtle Beach (SunCruz VIII), and Port Canaveral (SunCruz XII).
The SunCruz VII became a Savannah gambling ship, the Diamond Royale, but was later sold at auction for $100,000 to a man looking for a houseboat.
The boat was later stripped and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean to create an artificial reef.
The SunCruz VIII became the New York City excursion boat Hornblower Infinity.
Lastly, the SunCruz XII is still in Port Canaveral, where she is sailing as the gambling ship Victory I.
