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© 2021, Doresa Banning

Reno–Nevada


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Extreme and Dangerous: One Gambling Cheat and His Career
Casino (Reno, NV) Casino History Cincinnati--Ohio Columbus--Ohio Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Misspoted Dice Europe Gambler (Operators/Players): Cheater: Harmony Kid (Lawrence Varner) Gambler (Operators/Players): Cheater: Jim Pents Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Faro Games / Races: Horse Racing Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Hot Springs--Arkansas It Really Happened New York--New York Palace (Reno, NV) Pekin--Illinois Reno--Nevada United States Washington--Indiana

Extreme and Dangerous: One Gambling Cheat and His Career

1886-1910 The Harmony Kid made his living as a traveling gambling cheat in the U.S. and was known from coast to coast. While primarily a card and dice sharp, Lawrence Varner (1865-1933) also perpetrated swindles…

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August 4, 2021

10 Intriguing Facts About Gambler-Businessman Joseph Zemansky
Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel (Tijuana, Mexico) Boxers / Fight Promoters: Jack Johnson Casino: Corporations: Mexican Development Co. Charles Carrollo Club Fortune (Kansas City, MO) Club Fortune (Reno, NV) Frank Carrollo Gambler (Operators/Players) Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service It Really Happened John Lazia Joseph Zemansky Kansas City Combine Kansas City--Missouri Nevada Reno--Nevada Tijuana, Mexico United States

10 Intriguing Facts About Gambler-Businessman Joseph Zemansky

The colorful career of San Francisco-born Joseph Zemansky (1877-1953) spanned three industries and two countries. After childhood in Sacramento, he spent several decades in California before settling in Nevada. Here are 10 highlights of Zemansky’s…

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July 1, 2021

Renowned Boxers Maneuver Into Gambling-Related Businesses
Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel (Tijuana, Mexico) Bar of Music (Reno, NV) Boxers / Fight Promoters: Buddy Baer Boxers / Fight Promoters: Jack Dempsey Boxers / Fight Promoters: Jack Johnson Boxers / Fight Promoters: Joe Louis Buddy Baer's / Freddie's Lair (Reno, NV) Casino History Casino: Openings Gambling History Hotel Playa of Ensenada (Ensenada, Mexico) James "Jim/Cinch" C. McKay Main Event (Tijuana, Mexico) Mexico Moulin Rouge (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Newport (Tijuana, Mexico) Reno race track casino (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada Tijuana, Mexico United States William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham

Renowned Boxers Maneuver Into Gambling-Related Businesses

This gambling history blog post discusses four famous boxers and their involvement with casino-related enterprises in the 1900s, in Mexico and Nevada. Learn more here.

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June 19, 2021

The Tavern, "Reno's Smartest Night Club," Endures Nine Years
Casino History Ernie Crofton Fay L. Baker Gambling History Gaming History George "Shorty" L. Coppersmith George "Shorty" M. King George T. Nelson It Really Happened John "Jack" S. Clark Nevada Reno--Nevada Ship and Bottle (Reno, NV) The Tavern (Reno, NV) United States Victor Partipilo Wander Inn (Reno, NV)

The Tavern, "Reno's Smartest Night Club," Endures Nine Years

1932-1941 The original owners of The Tavern in Reno planned to open it on Nevada Day (October 31) in 1932, but the economic downturn in the state, caused by The Great Depression, forced them to…

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May 12, 2021

New Game of Chance Hits Popularity Jackpot in 1930s Nevada
Bank Club (Reno, NV) Block N (Reno, NV) Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Fallon--Nevada Frances Lyden Frontier Club (Reno, NV) Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Race Horse Keno Gaming History Harolds Club (Reno, NV) Index Club (Winnemucca, NV) It Really Happened John Petricciani Las Vegas Club (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas--Nevada Lincoln Hotel (Eureka, NV) Montana Nevada Nevada Club (Stateline, NV) Palace Club (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada Stateline--Nevada United States Warren Nelson Wine House (Reno, NV) Winnemucca--Nevada

New Game of Chance Hits Popularity Jackpot in 1930s Nevada

1936-1950s The Palace Club introduced a new casino game to Nevada’s “Biggest Little City” on May 1, 1936. Renoites quickly discovered it, and its popularity soared, leading to a solid run over about a decade.…

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March 10, 2021

It Takes Club Fortune to Tango
Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel (Tijuana, Mexico) Club Cal-Neva (Reno, NV) Club Fortune (Reno, NV) Gambling History Games / Races: Tango Gaming History It Really Happened Joseph Zemansky Nevada Reno--Nevada United States

It Takes Club Fortune to Tango

1937-1947 More so than craps, roulette, 21 and slots, all on offer, tango enraptured gamblers at Club Fortune, then “the outstanding night spot in Western Nevada,” according to the Reno Evening Gazette (Jan. 12, 1953).…

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February 17, 2021

Investigation of the Death of Mobster-Gambler Mert Wertheimer
California Casino History Frank "Frankie" Frost Gambler (Operators/Players): Death Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno Johnny Rosselli Los Angeles-California Myrton "Mert" C. Wertheimer Nevada Nevada Club (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada Riverside Hotel (Reno, NV) Sam "Momo" Giancana United States William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham

Investigation of the Death of Mobster-Gambler Mert Wertheimer

1958 Myrton “Mert” C. Wertheimer was murdered, William “Bill/Curly” J. Graham ordered the hit and Frank “Frankie” Frost carried it out. This was hearsay from Los Angeles Mobster and made man, Aladena James “Jimmy/The Weasel”…

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January 27, 2021

Game of 21 Leads to Murder
Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Dixie's Log Cabin (Reno, NV) Gambling History Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Gaming History It Really Happened Joyce Moseley Nevada Nevada State Prison (Carson City, NV) Reno--Nevada United States

Game of 21 Leads to Murder

1953-1955 When sheriff’s deputies responded to a 10:45 p.m. call from Dixie’s Log Cabin* on January 11, 1953, they found a man, injured and lying in the parking lot there. He was Raymond “Bud” Dutcher,…

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January 20, 2021

The Powerful Lure of a Bedazzling Jackpot
Bar of Music (Reno, NV) Barrel House (Reno, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Counterfeiting Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Jackpots Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Games / Races: Ten-O-Win Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Reno--Nevada The Cedars (Reno, NV) United States Wolf Den (Reno, NV)

The Powerful Lure of a Bedazzling Jackpot

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 1907-1945 Wanting to kick off 2021 with a positive blog post and being inspired by the $15.5 million jackpot win on Christmas Eve at Las Vegas’ Suncoast Hotel and Casino, we sought…

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January 6, 2021

Reno Mobsters Aid Gangster From Chicago, Raising Suspicions
Bank Club (Reno, NV) Cal-Neva Lodge (Lake Tahoe, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Rigged Roulette Wheel Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Elmer "Bones" F. Remmer Frank "Frankie" Frost Gambling History Gaming History George Wingfield Golden Hotel (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Jack Sullivan / John D. Scarlett James "Jim/Cinch" C. McKay Nevada New York--New York Reno--Nevada Riverside Hotel (Reno, NV) United States William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham

Reno Mobsters Aid Gangster From Chicago, Raising Suspicions

1936 A man walked into the Greenleaf & Crosby jewelry store in New York’s Rockefeller Center at about 11 a.m. on Monday, January 6. Two others followed through the other entrance. “This is a stickup,”…

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August 19, 2020

Mobster-Gambler Frank Frost Leaves Crime Trail in Chicago, Los Angeles, Reno
Alphonse "Al/Scarface" Capone Arnold Rothstein Bank Club (Reno, NV) Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Chicago--Illinois Continental Press Service (Chicago, IL) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Firearms Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Suicide Events: St. Valentine's Day Massacre Frank "Frankie" Frost Gambling History Gambling: Bookmaking George "Bugs" Moran Giuseppe "Joe" Aiello Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission It Really Happened James "Jim/Cinch" C. McKay Los Angeles-California Palace Club (Reno, NV) Reno Turf Club (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada Trans-America News and Publishing Co. (wire service) United States William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham

Mobster-Gambler Frank Frost Leaves Crime Trail in Chicago, Los Angeles, Reno

1906-1967 Frank “Frankie” Frost (1898-1967) spent about two decades working in Reno’s gambling scene and had close relationships with those in power locally, including gambler-Mobsters William “Bill/Curly” Graham and James “Jim/Cinch” McKay and banker and…

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August 13, 2020

Three Brothers Build Legacy in 20th Century U.S. Gambling
Alfred "Al" J. Wertheimer Aniwa Club (Detroit, MI) Bernard "Mooney" Einstoss Bonanza Club (Reno, NV) California Casino History Cathedral City--California Cheboygan--Michigan Chesterfield Club (Detroit, MI) Chesterfield Syndicate (Detroit, MI) Cleveland--Ohio Clover Club (West Hollywood, CA) Colonial Billiard Parlor (Detroit, MI) Colonial House (Palm Springs, CA) Colonial Inn (Hallandale Beach, FL) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Daniel "Danny" W. Sullivan Detroit--Michigan Dunes (Cathedral City, CA) Florida Frank Grannis Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Hallandale Beach--Florida It Really Happened Julian "Potatoes" Kaufman Kaufman's Plantation (Hallandale Beach, FL) Leo Kind Lincoln Fitzgerald Louis "Lou" Wertheimer Mapes (Reno, NV) Meyer Lansky Miami--Florida Michigan Model Billiard & Bowling Parlor (Cheboygan, MI) Monte Carlo (Detroit, MI) Myrton "Mert" C. Wertheimer Nevada Nevada Club (Reno, NV) New Cheboygan Billiard & Pool Hall (Cheboygan, MI) Ohio Palm Springs--California Park Avenue Health Club (Detroit, MI) Purple Gang Raymond Reuben "Ruby" Mathis Reno--Nevada Riverside Hotel (Reno, NV) Robbin and Robbin / Robbins' Nevada Club Royal Palm Club (Miami, FL) Shawnee Club (Cleveland, OH) United States Vincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo West Hollywood--California

Three Brothers Build Legacy in 20th Century U.S. Gambling

1907-1958 Wertheimer was their name. Three of these four Michigan-born brothers became full-fledged, successful gambling operators in the first half of the 1900s, their reach spanning five states: Michigan, Ohio, Florida, California and Nevada. “As…

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June 12, 2020

Was Reno City Councilman Crooked?
Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Reno City Council (NV) Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Reno City Council (NV): William A. Justi It Really Happened James "Jim/Cinch" C. McKay Nevada Reno--Nevada United States William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham

Was Reno City Councilman Crooked?

1923-1945 Reno, Nevada’s Third Ward city councilman during the 1920s and 1930s was “owned by” the local Mobsters, acted in their interests and protected them, contended Harold S. Smith, Jr., Harolds Club co-owner, in his…

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March 25, 2020

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