Bilking of Vegas’ Nevada Club

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…

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…

Bobby Garcia Carl "Cork" Civella Gambling Laws / Regulations: Nevada's Black Book / Excluded Person List Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Joe Sica John "The Bat" Battaglia Louis Tom Dragna Marshall Caifano / Johnny Marshall Michael "Trigger Mike" Coppola Mobsters / Gangsters / Syndicate Members (Alleged) / Organizations Motel Grzebienacy Murray "The Hump"/"The Camel" Humphreys Nevada Nick Civella Sam "Momo" Giancana

The Original Black Book

1960 A cheap, spiral notebook held great power in Nevada’s gambling world for decades. It contained known U.S. mobsters whose underworld statuses and histories were such that the state gambling authorities didn’t want them anywhere…

Gambling License Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Nevada

Bull's Eye on the Gambling Industry

1955 It’s hard to believe this ever happened in Nevada. As an emergency measure, the state government approved a temporary moratorium on issuing gambling licenses. It was to last five months, until 30 days after…

Gambling Gambling Laws / Regulations Gambling: Shills Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Nevada Rolo Casino (Reno, NV)

Gambling Decoys: Shills, Proposition Players

1947-1979 “Neat appearing girls from 21 to 25 to shill and learn to deal games at Rolo Casino, 14 E. Commercial Row,” read a Help Wanted ad in the Nevada State Journal (June 6, 1947) for…

Gambling Currency: Coins Gambling Currency: Tokens / Bingles Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Nevada

Got Coins?

1965 The U.S. suffered a shortage of coins in 1965. And that led to decreased business for Nevada’s largest industry — gambling. Usage of half-dollars, common in casinos then for table games and one-armed bandits,…

Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board