Movies / Movie Stars / Entertainers / Celebrities Archives

California Casino at Tallac (South Lake Tahoe, CA) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Elias "Lucky" Jackson Baldwin Gambling Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: CA Anti-Gambling Act Gaming History It Really Happened Nathaniel "Nat" Carl Goodwin South Lake Tahoe--California United States

Wealthy Californians Frequent Illegal Lake Tahoe Casino

1902-1927 Touted as “the finest clubhouse west of the Rocky Mountains,” the Casino at Tallac debuted at Lake Tahoe’s South Shore in California in July 1902 despite gambling having been illegal in the state since…

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Casino: Openings Did You Know? Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gaming History Jimmy Durante Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Holiday Season Launch

1946 Which famous hotel-casino debuted in Las Vegas, Nevada the day after Christmas in this year? Hint: Jimmy Durante was the grand opening star; while on stage he destroyed a $1,600 piano (a $20,000 value…

Cal-Neva Lodge (Lake Tahoe, NV) Casino History Crystal Bay--Nevada Did You Know? Elmer "Bones" F. Remmer Gambling History Gaming History Judy Garland Lake Tahoe--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts The Garland Sisters United States

Quick Fact - Casino Discovery

1935 Singer and actress Judy Garland (neé Frances Ethel Gumm) was discovered while headlining with her two older sisters at the Cal-Neva Lodge at Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Theatrical agent Al Rosen was in the…

Bobbie Gentry Casino History Did You Know? Divorce / Annulment Gambling History Gaming History Harrah's (Reno, NV) Harrah's Lake Tahoe (Stateline, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States William "Bill" F. Harrah

Quick Fact - Third Time's A ... Gamble

1969-1970 Casino magnate, William “Bill” F. Harrah, 58, married country artist, Bobbie Gentry, 27, in St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Reno, Nevada on December 18, 1969 with only members of the wedding party present. The…

Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Clara Bow Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Debt Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Louis Cornero Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Rex Bell Tony Cornero / Antonio Cornero Stralla United States

Quick Fact - The Hard Way or the Easy Way

1931-1932 Actors Clara Bow and Rex Bell gambled at the Meadows in Las Vegas in summer 1931 and racked up a $1,100 loss (about $18,000 today), for which they left an IOU. By December, the…

"Razzle Dazzle: The Elaine Townsend Story" Casino History Casino: Financings Connie Immerman Cuba Elaine Townsend Gambling History Gambling: Concessions Games / Races: Chemin de Fer Games / Races: Craps Gaming History Gran Casino Nacional (Havana, Cuba) Havana--Cuba It Really Happened Mobsters / Gangsters / Syndicate Members (Alleged) / Organizations

Woman Usurps Mobsters' Gaming Action

1947-1952 Despite New York mobsters trying to scare her off, an ambitious woman — Elaine Townsend (née Margaret Helgeson) — held her own as a gambling operator in the late 1940s. Bright, young and gorgeous, she…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Riviera (Las Vegas, NV) Tony Martin United States

Quick Fact - Application Red Flags

1960-1961 Singer Tony Martin applied for a gambling license to acquire a 2 percent interest for $50,000 ($410,000 today) in the Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Investigation into his background revealed he’d served two days…

Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Esmeralda's Barn (London, England) Gambling History Gaming History Geographical Areas It Really Happened London--England Movies / Movie Stars / Entertainers / Celebrities Reginald "Reggie" Kray Ronald "Ronnie" Kray

Esmeralda's Barn: The Hijacked Casino (Part 2)

1960-1963 Esmeralda’s Barn in London, England initially flourished under the ownership of twin brothers and gangsters, Reggie and Ronnie Kray. The place to be seen in the West End, famous politicians and celebrities frequented it —…

"Legend" Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Harassment / Intimidation Gambling Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: U.K. Betting and Gaming Act Gaming History It Really Happened Laurie O'Leary London--England Reginald "Reggie" Kray Ronald "Ronnie" Kray United Kingdom Wandsworth Reform Prison (London, England)

Esmeralda's Barn: The Hijacked Casino (Part 1)

1960-1963 Twins, Reginald “Reggie” and Ronald “Ronnie” Kray, gained notoriety as powerful and murderous gangsters in London, England in the 1950s and 1960s. During their reign of terror, their involvement in organized crime included protection…

"711 Ocean Drive" Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Boulder City--Nevada California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Harassment / Intimidation Edmond O'Brien Frank N. Seltzer (Producer) Gambling History Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History It Really Happened Joanne Dru Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Gangster Squad Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lieutenant William "Bill" Burns Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Los Angeles Police Department Los Angeles-California Mickey Cohen Mobsters / Gangsters / Syndicate Members (Alleged) / Organizations Nevada Palm Springs--California United States

Mobsters Threaten Hollywood Filmmaker

1950 In late 1948, Hollywood movie producer, Frank N. Seltzer — known for the movies, Jungle Patrol and Let’s Live Again, which debuted that same year — began research for his next project, 711 Ocean…

"Casino" Alphonse "Al/Scarface" Capone Casino History Casino: Financings: Teamsters Pension Fund Frank Sinatra Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission It Really Happened Joe Pesci Johnny Rosselli Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Restaurants / Chefs Restaurants / Chefs: Anjoe's -- Las Vegas, NV Restaurants / Chefs: Joseph "Joe the Cook" Pignatello Restaurants / Chefs: Villa d'Este -- Las Vegas, NV Sam "Momo" Giancana Sam Baker The Outfit (Chicago, IL) United States

No Gambling License For You!

1961-1990s “As a boy in Chicago, [he] learned to cook standing on a milk crate in his mom’s kitchen, where Mrs. Capone — Scarface Al’s mom — would join them,” reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal…

Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Guys and Dolls musical Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Liberace Mario Lanza Nevada Quick Facts Royal Nevada (Las Vegas, NV) Sin City (Las Vegas) United States Vivian Blaine

Quick Fact - Off, Off, Off Broadway

1955 At least 10 hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip offered entertainment, typically marquee names like Liberace and Mario Lanza, who’d played Sin City time and again. The Royal Nevada, though, changed it up with a…