Nevada – Gambling History

Casino Casino History Chesterfield Syndicate (Detroit, MI) Daniel "Danny" W. Sullivan Gambling History Gaming History Harry Robbin Isadore Edward "Ed" Robbin It Really Happened Lincoln Fitzgerald Nevada Nevada Club (Reno, NV) Raymond Reuben "Ruby" Mathis Reno--Nevada Robbin and Robbin / Robbins' Nevada Club Takeovers United States

Syndicate Members Usurp Father-and-Son Gambling Club

1941-1956 The Nevada Club (1941-1987) in Reno exemplifies the stereotypic mobsters-and-gambling connection that pervaded The Silver State for decades during the 1900s. The business began as Robbin and Robbin, opened by Harry Robbin, 65, and…

Casino History Cheating / Fleecing Crimes / Violence / Punishments Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Holdouts Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - He Who Cheats First …

1938 During a preliminary hearing on the felony charge of using a cheating device while playing cards at a Las Vegas gambling house, Walter Eccles of Los Angeles explained that he’d used a holdout worn…

California Card Spying Casino History Charles "Chuck" J. Delmonico / Charles Tourine, Jr. Crimes / Violence / Punishments Debt Extortion Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History High Rollers It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Lawsuit Marshall Caifano / Johnny Marshall Nevada Nicholas "Nick the Greek" A. Dandolos Palm Springs--California Poker Raymond "Ray" J. Ryan Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States

A Rare Case: High Roller Defies, Tattles on Mobsters

1963-1964 Mobsters Marshall Caifano (aka Johnny Marshall) and Charles Delmonico were arrested in Las Vegas on a federal warrant in July 1963 for conspiracy to commit extortion and engaging in interstate transportation in the aid…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Geographical Areas Nevada Nevada Gaming Commission Nevada Gaming Control Board Nevada Tax Commission Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Greater Transparency Given

1952 The Nevada Tax Commission members agreed by unanimous vote to allow reporters to sit in and report on its voting sessions, meetings in which they made key decisions. Previously, voting had been done behind closed…

Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Disseminating Horse Racing Info Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Illegal It Really Happened Jack Sullivan / John D. Scarlett James "Jim/Cinch" C. McKay Nevada Palace Club (Reno, NV) Raymond J. Poncia Reno--Nevada United States Washoe Publishing Company Western News Company William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham

Reno Mobsters' Bank Club Breaks Gambling Law

1940-1941 In a series of raids in December 1940, Washoe County deputy sheriffs confiscated gambling-related paraphernalia from three Reno, Nevada locations: 1) Bank Club casino 2) Washoe Publishing Company (WPC) (room 311 in the Lyons Building)…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments Did You Know? Firearms Gambling History Henry Club (Reno, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada Robbery / Theft / Embezzling The Capitol (Reno, NV) United States

Quick Fact - More Trouble Anticipated

1931 Robberies were plaguing Reno. The Capitol bar and the Henry Club, both offering games of chance, were hit inside of eight days. A rumor circulated that notorious gangsters were headed to the Northern Nevada city.…

21 / Blackjack African Americans Beverly Hills-California Chuck-a-luck Craps Faro Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Keno Landmark Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas--Nevada Madison--Wisconsin Mock Nevada Openings Roulette Royal Nevada (Las Vegas, NV) Slot Machines / Fruities U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation United States Virginia

Replicated Casinos: Who, Why, When and Where

1957, 1962, 1968, 1974 Over the years, entities around the world fashioned casinos for various educational and training purposes. Here are four that were based in the U.S.: 1) Instruction for Novice Players In 1957,…

Assaults Crimes / Violence / Punishments Did You Know? Disturbing the Peace Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Golden Bank (Reno, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Reno Police Department--Nevada Reno--Nevada Slot Machines / Fruities United States

Quick Fact - Beat-it-Out-of-You Approach

1957 Inside the Golden Bank Casino on a Saturday afternoon, security personnel saw Merle Naughton, 40-year-old salesman, yanking and pounding on slot machines. When they told him to leave, he did. He went across the…

Accidents Automobile Beverly Hills-California California Divorce / Annulment Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Lux (offshore, Southern CA) Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Montmartre Club (Havana, Cuba) Nevada Rex (offshore, Southern CA) S.S. Rex (Las Vegas, NV) Stardust (Las Vegas, NV) Tony Cornero / Antonio Cornero Stralla United States

Shrouded in Mystery: Gambler Tony Cornero's Fleeting Marriage

1941 The brief union between Tony and Dorothy Stralla ended in a suspicious tragedy. Antonio Cornero Stralla was a colorful, law defying, Southern California rumrunner turned gambler. He was involved, most often as the owner/operator,…

Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Currency Gambling History Games / Races Gaming History Nevada Pseudo Coins / Slugs Quick Facts Seattle World's Fair / Century 21 Exposition Slot Machines / Fruities United States

Quick Fact - The Right Size

1962 After the Seattle World’s Fair, or the Century 21 Exposition, the bronze coins used as trade dollars during that event appeared in slot machines throughout Nevada.

Casino History Circus Circus (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments Extortion Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Las Vegas

1972 In the mail on Monday, April 24, each of 21 Las Vegas hotel-casinos received an identical, typewritten letter that demanded they pay a total of $2 million (about $12 million today) or get blown…

Accidents Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Lawsuit Lido de Paris Nevada Quick Facts Stardust (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Quick Fact - The Nude is Falling

1969-1971 Patron Alvin Glasky sat in the Stardust hotel-casino’s showroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, watching Lido de Paris on a Saturday evening in 1969. As one of the topless showgirls was being lowered from the…

21 / Blackjack Casino History Craps Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races Gaming History Mapes (Reno, NV) Nevada Openings Quick Facts Reno--Nevada Roulette Slot Machines / Fruities United States

Quick Fact - Gambling at Both Ends

1947 When the luxurious 12-story Mapes hotel opened in Reno, Nevada on Saturday, December 27, 1947, it boasted two casinos. One was on the river side of the main level, the other in the southwest…

Assaults Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Crimes / Violence / Punishments Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Palace Club (Reno, NV) Reno City Council (NV) Reno--Nevada Shooting Town House (Reno, NV) United States

Crimes in Reno Casinos Raise Concern

1945-1946 In the Bank Club, a co-proprietor of a local gambling saloon, Andrew Jackson “Jack” Blackman, shot to death James Lannigan, a small-time thug, on October 30, 1944, an action for which he was acquitted. In…

Casino History Did You Know? Eli Francovich Gambling History Games / Races Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts Reno City Council (NV) Reno--Nevada United States Wheel of Fortune Wine House (Reno, NV)

Quick Fact - Engendering Envy

1929 When the only types of legal gambling in Nevada were poker, five hundred, solo, whist, parimutuel betting on horse races and slot machines with restrictions, owner Eli Francovich* installed in his Wine House club…