Las Vegas--Nevada Archives

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Casino International (Havana, Cuba) Clifford "Cliff" A. Jones Cuba Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Fremont Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Hilton (Havana, Cuba) Hy Abrams It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Moe Dalitz Morris Kleinmann Nacional (Havana, Cuba) Politicians / Politics: Cuba President Fulgencia Batista Riviera (Havana, Cuba) Thomas McGinty Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States Wilbur Clark

Cuban Casino Push

1952–1958 When Fulgencio Batista returned to power as president in Cuba in 1952, he aimed to foster a gambling empire from which he could generate revenue for his coffers. To facilitate casino development, he and…

Casino History Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Ray Warren Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Last Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Phoenix--Arizona Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee Politicians / Politics: U.S. Senator (TN) Estes Kefauver Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV)

Public Relations Nightmare for Nevada Gambling

1951-1952 Gambling boomed in Las Vegas, Nevada immediately following Senator Estes Kefauver and his committee’s nationwide investigation into organized crime. The 27 hearings the group conducted in 14 United States cities in 1950 and 1951…

Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Cal-Neva Lodge (Lake Tahoe, NV) Casino History Club Cal Neva (Reno, NV) Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Incline Village--Nevada Lake Tahoe--Nevada Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada Restaurants / Chefs: Denny's Restaurants Inc. United States

Quick Fact - Diners and Casinos?

1968-1969 Can you imagine if Denny’s was in Nevada’s casino business? Well, it nearly happened. In 1968 Denny’s Restaurants Inc. had reached an agreement to acquire Caesars Palace in Las Vegas but didn’t go through…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Games / Races: Keno Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board: Ed Olsen It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Club (Las Vegas, NV) Robert Van Santen United States

Bilking of Vegas' Nevada Club

1961-1966 Early in 1961, Michael Catrone, 60, an apartment complex owner, presented to the Nevada Club in Las Vegas, Nevada a winning keno ticket for $25,000 ($198,000 today). Yet the casino’s general manager didn’t pay…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Did You Know? Dunes (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling: Debt Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Accounting Shift

1964 The Dunes in Las Vegas, Nevada switched from writing off unpaid IOUs to claiming them as income, allegedly to keep Internal Revenue Service agents from harassing its customers — asking guests in the hotel…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Games / Races: Spindle It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada United States

Spindle Tricksters Clean Up

1906 A sextet of flimflammers arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada in December, set up at the corner of Main and Fremont Streets and began separating the locals from their money. ” … the spindle was…

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…

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,…

Did You Know? Elvis Presley Entertainment International Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas--Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Good Luck Charm

1969 Elvis Presley was one of the first headliners at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. His performances began a record-breaking run of 837 sold-out shows at the spot over the ensuing seven years. In his…

California Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling: Bookmaking Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service Hy Goldbaum It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada McNeil Island Corrections Center (WA) Stardust (Las Vegas, NV) West Hollywood--California

Bookies' Bookies Not So Good With Numbers

1945-1955 In the late 1940s, three bookies — or commissioners, as they preferred to be called — operated on California’s Sunset Strip in West Hollywood under the name, Golden News Service. Hy Goldbaum, George Capri…

Did You Know? Las Vegas--Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Women, Oh, No!

1905 A Las Vegas, Nevada newspaper commented on the increasing popularity of gambling among ladies: “Gambling made fashionable among women is a rather serious matter. It is bad enough among men, but when the mania…

Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Laws / Regulations Gambling Laws / Regulations: Nevada's Black Book / Excluded Person List Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened John "The Bat" Battaglia Las Vegas--Nevada Louis Tom Dragna Marshall Caifano / Johnny Marshall Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Grant Sawyer

Nevada's Black Book: Civil Rights Violation?

1960-1967 Los Angeles mobsters, Louis Tom Dragna and John “The Bat” Battaglia, conversed in a hotel-casino cocktail lounge on the Las Vegas Strip one day in February 1960. But their visit was cut short when…

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…

Gambling: Shills It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Quick Facts Sin City (Las Vegas)

Las Vegas–Nevada