Thanks to recent federal legislation that permits The Morning File to wiretap phone calls it deems important to our readers' security, we eavesdropped on the recent Pittsburgh casino-saving conversation among Majestic Star's Don Barden, billionaire investor Neil Bluhm, Gov. Ed Rendell, influential state Rep. Dwight Evans of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board member Jeffrey Coy. Here's the transcript:

BARDEN: Does anybody mind if we have this conversation after 9 p.m. instead? I won't have to pay for my cell phone minutes that way.

RENDELL: Sorry, Don, we're on kind of a tight schedule here. But I think Mr. Bluhm is willing to help you out with the Pittsburgh casino's finances, if you'd like. More than a hundred million dollars, in fact.

BARDEN: Why, that's very nice of him. Thank you!

BLUHM: But you'll have to give up 75 percent of the control.

BARDEN: Oh. (Profanities deleted)

COY: I don't really think you have much choice, Don. Everyone's stopped working at your site.

EVANS: Still, I think it's very important that a brother have a strong role in the project.

COY: I have a brother who's worked in construction. He can help.

EVANS: Not that kind of brother.

COY: Ohhhhhhh.

RENDELL: Frankly, I'm a little surprised by the need for all this, Don. It seemed everything was hunky-dory a year ago. What went wrong?

BARDEN: You name it: the financial markets, the Riverlife Task Force, the Pirates. I couldn't even get the Steelers behind me, and they love gambling.

EVANS: Well, the Rooneys are having their own problems these days.

BARDEN: Yeah, I saw that. Too bad. (Uncontrollable giggles)

RENDELL: Now I just want it on the record that my support for this new ownership plan has nothing to do with the hundreds of thousands of dollars Mr. Bluhm has donated to me and the Democratic Party. Everyone got that?

(Undecipherable replies, due to whistling and laughter)

RENDELL: I said everyone got that?

EVANS: Sure... uh... governor... Heh heh... Whatever you say.

COY: But I do wonder whether Mr. Bluhm could be outside of our state rules by his ownership role in both a Philadelphia and Pittsburgh casino.

BLUHM: But I do wonder whether Mr. Coy is outside the rules by even taking part in this conversation as a gaming board member.

COY: I won't tell if you won't.

BLUHM: Deal.

BARDEN: Did he say deal? Does that mean we can get a game of poker going?

RENDELL: No table games yet, Don. Let's take it one step at a time.

BLUHM: Yeah, if you think the casino's moving slowly in Pittsburgh, check out our situation in Philadelphia. We can't even break ground because of all the local opposition to gambling.

BARDEN: Amazing. Where do people get these ideas?

COY: For some strange reason, there's a mistrust of people who run the casino industry, as though they're only in it for the money. By the way, you are going to live up to your commitments with the amphitheater, landscaping, dock, riverwalk and everything else, right?

BARDEN: (muffled garble)

RENDELL: What's that, Don? I don't think we heard you.

BLUHM: I can vouch for those.

BARDEN: Yeah, that's what I was about to say. I just had something stuck in my throat. Mr. Bluhm and I will take care of that.

RENDELL: Good, good. Pittsburgh deserves a first-class project. Maybe not as good as the ones in Philadelphia, but since we don't know when those are ever going to be built, there might as well be a decent one in Pittsburgh.

EVANS: Couldn't have put it better myself, governor.

BARDEN: If you guys could wrap this up, I'm just about right at my minutes limit for the month, and I'd like to avoid going over.

COY: Just one more question. If it's no longer the Majestic Star, what are you guys going to be calling the place anyway?

BARDEN: Your call, Neil.

BLUHM: Haven't got a clue.

BARDEN: Sounds good to me. I look forward to seeing you all at its opening next year.