Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club, Slot Route Owners / Operators / Licensees / Gamblers Archives

Alphonse "Al/Scarface" Capone Anthony "Tough Tony" Capezzio Chicago--Illinois Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Kidnapping Edward "Red" Meehan Edward P. Jones Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins Games / Races: Policy / Numbers George Jones It Really Happened Matt Capone Mexico Murray "The Hump"/"The Camel" Humphreys Ralph "Bottles" Capone Sam "Golf Bag" Hunt Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo United States

Gambling Czar Abduction Mystery

1946 Two brothers — Edward P. and George Jones — freely controlled Chicago, Illinois’ policy* racket for 25 years, beginning in the 1920s. As a result, the two raked in money, $10 to $30 million…

California Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Bombings Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Washoe County Commission (NV) Harolds Club (Reno, NV) Harrah's (Reno, NV) It Really Happened John Ascuaga Nugget Motor Lodge / Dick Graves' Nugget / John Ascuaga's Nugget (Sparks, NV) Reno--Nevada Sparks--Nevada United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Reno/Sparks

1970-1971 In the summer of 1970, a package and suitcase found in a Sparks Nugget motor lodge room in Nevada with a note affixed saying to please deliver the items to Nugget owner John Ascuaga’s…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Gambling License Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Dudley Kline Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Leo Quilici United States Wells--Nevada

Scandal Hits Gambling Watchdogs

1953-1955 In fall 1953, John “Fat Jack” Galloway was playing the card game, 21, at Leo Quilici’s hotel-casino, the El Rancho Hotel, in Wells, Nevada. Fat Jack himself, in his early 40s, was the operator…

Castaways (Las Vegas, NV) Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Did You Know? Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Howard Hughes Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. Department of Justice Laws: U.S. Sherman Anti-Trust Act Nevada Quick Facts Sands (Las Vegas, NV) Silver Slipper (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Quick Fact - Road to Monopoly?

1968 Howard Hughes, billionaire industrialist, received the Nevada Gaming Commission’s blessing to buy the Stardust hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for $30.5 million and moved forward with the acquisition. He already owned five such properties…

Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling: Debt It Really Happened Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Nathan "Nate" S. Jacobson

Let's Get Ready to Rumble

1975 In the spring, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, a Las Vegas oddsmaker and bookie, allegedly punched, knocked down and kicked casino magnate, Nathan “Nate” S. Jacobson, in a Caesars Palace hallway in a confrontation over…

Advertisements Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club Fronts / Workers / Bookmakers / Dealers Harold S. Smith, Sr. Harolds Club (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Reno--Nevada

Men Please Do Not Apply

1937-1970 Card dealing was a male-dominated profession in Nevada’s casinos until 1937, when Harolds Club, in Reno, put the first woman at a 21 table to deal. Co-owner Harold Smith previously had been hiring women,…

Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club, Slot Route Owners / Operators / Licensees / Gamblers Did You Know? Games / Races: Chuck-a-luck Games / Races: Faro

Quick Fact - Tinhorn Gambler

Today/1888 A “tinhorn gambler,” according to several dictionaries, refers to a game of chance operator who pretends to have money, ability or influence. The phrase is said to come from people who set up chuck-a-luck games…

Emigrant Pass Ernest Dennison Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: NV Attorney General Alan Bible Law Enforcement / Judicial System: NV Police Superintendent Lester C. Moody Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Vail Pittman Roadside Zoos (Nevada)

Too Cozy With Illegal Gamblers

1948 A real or perceived protective relationship with illegal gambling operators got Nevada police superintendent, Lester C. Moody, fired. Governor Vail Pittman, who’d appointed Moody to the position two years before, terminated him in…

California Embassy Club (Gardena, CA) Ernest "Ernie" J. Primm Gambling Gambling Laws / Regulations: CA Anti-Gambling Act Games / Races: Poker Gardena--California It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Monterey Club (Gardena, CA) Politicians / Politics: CA California Attorney General Ulysses Webb United States

Webb's Wacky War On Poker

1936-Present If it weren’t for gambler Ernest J. Primm’s nerve and fortitude, California’s nearly 90 card clubs wouldn’t exist today. With a gambling license from the city of Gardena (in Los Angeles County), he opened…

Did You Know? Games / Races: Faro George "Tex" Rickard Goldfield Hotel (Goldfield, NV) Nevada Quick Facts The Northern (Tonopah, NV) Wyatt Earp

Quick Fact - Earp Myths

1905 Folklore has it that Wyatt Earp was the pit boss at The Northern in Goldfield, Nevada for George “Tex” Rickard, the proprietor. But it likely is false, according to Nevada historians, Jeffrey Kintop and Guy…

Allen Smiley Club Savoy (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Laws / Regulations Games / Races: Craps It Really Happened Jack Durant Las Vegas--Nevada Louis "Russian Louie" Strauss Norman Khoury

Dirty Dealings in Las Vegas

1949-1953 Only months after Cleveland bar owner, Norman Khoury’s 1949 acquisition of Club Savoy in Las Vegas, Nevada, California mobster/gambler Allen Smiley, an associate of the then-deceased Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, unexpectedly approached him. Smiley introduced…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Suicide Divorce / Annulment Gambling Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack It Really Happened John Steinbeck Newell Benningfield Reno--Nevada West Indies Club (Reno, NV)

Mrs. John Steinbeck's Tale of Woe

1948-1950 Tragedy struck when the wife of famed American novelist, John Steinbeck, was in Reno, Nevada for a quickie divorce from him after 5½ years of marriage. In 1948, while establishing residency in The Biggest…

California Club Primadonna (Reno, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Did You Know? Ernest "Ernie" J. Primm Gambling Gambling: Shills Games / Races: Poker Gardena--California Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Shill Losses

1952 When Ernest J. Primm owned the Monterey Club, a poker house in Gardena, California (a Los Angeles suburb), he claimed on his state income taxes the losses of his shills, up to $500 ($4,500 today) a…

Belle Livingstone Belle Livingstone George Wingfield It Really Happened James "Jim/Cinch" C. McKay Nathan "Nick" Abelman Prohibition Reno--Nevada The Cowshed (Reno, NV) William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham

Livingstone Taunts Mob With Cowshed

1931 Belle Livingstone wasn’t the typical Nevada gambling club owner. She’d acted on the stage and screen in the 1890s. She’d mingled with royalty and wealth in Europe and the United States. During Prohibition, she’d…

Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Frank Sinatra Gambling Games / Races: Baccarat Howard Hughes It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Sands (Las Vegas, NV)

Frank Sinatra's Hissy Fits

1967 & 1970 Apparently, the beloved crooner Frank Sinatra, Sr. had a temper, which he sometimes unleashed when casino operators denied him additional, excessive amounts of credit when gambling. In one instance when Sinatra lost…

Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club, Slot Route Owners / Operators / Licensees / Gamblers Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Did You Know? Gambling Games / Races: Bingo Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Las Vegas--Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Playing Incentives

1947 To keep players gambling at their clubs, Las Vegas, Nevada casinos boosted incentives with offerings such as double odds on craps, bingo prizes of $1,000 ($10,900 today), extra slot machine jackpots and brand new…