Mrs. John Steinbeck’s Tale of Woe

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Suicide Divorce / Annulment Gambling Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack It Really Happened John Steinbeck Newell Benningfield Reno--Nevada West Indies Club (Reno, NV)

Mrs. John Steinbeck's Tale of Woe

1948-1950 Tragedy struck when the wife of famed American novelist, John Steinbeck, was in Reno, Nevada for a quickie divorce from him after 5½ years of marriage. In 1948, while establishing residency in The Biggest…

Australia Did You Know? Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Quick Facts United Kingdom United States

Quick Fact - Slots Semantics

Today In the U.S. we call them slot machines and one-armed bandits, but in Australia, they’re pokies and in the United Kingdom, fruit machines. Other names? Photo from freeimages.com: by Tijmen van Dobbenburgh

Casino: Financings: Reno Arch Club Primadonna (Reno, NV) Colony Club (Reno, NV) Harolds Club (Reno, NV) Horseshoe Club (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Nevada Club (Las Vegas, NV) Poor Pete's (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada

Out With The Passé

1926-present By 1963, major casino owners in Reno, Nevada thought the downtown fixture was outdated and ugly compared to their modern buildings on Virginia Street. They even offered to pay for it and its maintenance…

Gambling Gambling Laws / Regulations: Nevada Revised Statute 293.830 Gambling Laws / Regulations: Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act Gambling: Election / Political It Really Happened Nevada Politicians / Politics: Elections Politicians / Politics: Richard Nixon Politicians / Politics: U.S. President John F. Kennedy Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Political Bets

1960 Bookies throughout Nevada had been taking wagers right and left on who’d win the upcoming U.S. presidential election — Senator John F. Kennedy (Dem.) or Vice President Richard Nixon (Rep.). Suddenly, in November, they…

Bluebell Girls Dunes (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Entertainment Golden Hotel (Reno, NV) Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission It Really Happened Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Law Enforcement / Judicial System: NV Attorney General Roger Foley Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Grant Sawyer Reno--Nevada Riverside Hotel (Reno, NV) Stardust (Las Vegas, NV)

Bare Bosom Brouhaha

1958-1961 The debut of topless showgirls in Las Vegas roused disapproval — not surprising given it occurred early in the Leave it to Beaver era. The Stardust was the first to abandon bras and tops,…

Did You Know? Gambling Games / Races: Poker It Really Happened Quick Facts Steamboat Springs (Reno, NV) Virginia City--Nevada

Quick Fact - Steamboat Springs

1860s & 1870s In Virginia City, Nevada’s heyday, gold miners and magnates alike sought out R&R — gambling, hot springs soaking and dining — at the nearby Steamboat Springs resort south of Reno, a stop…

California Club Primadonna (Reno, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Did You Know? Ernest "Ernie" J. Primm Gambling Gambling: Shills Games / Races: Poker Gardena--California Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Shill Losses

1952 When Ernest J. Primm owned the Monterey Club, a poker house in Gardena, California (a Los Angeles suburb), he claimed on his state income taxes the losses of his shills, up to $500 ($4,500 today) a…

Fremont Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Marilyn Monroe Nevada Philip Paval Publicity Stunts / Promotions / Advertisements Sandra Giles

The Lady Of Chance … Au Naturel

1956 The Fremont in Las Vegas commissioned a large oil painting that depicted a “lady of chance” to grace a wall in its casino. The hotel-casino’s press agent, Shelly Davis, asked aspiring actress Sandra Giles…

Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Laws / Regulations Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Frederick "Fred" Balzar Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Seer Balzar

1930 In December, while vacationing in Southern California, Nevada Governor Frederick “Fred” Balzar — foretelling the future — told reporters that gambling already was wide open in his state and that a bill making it…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Horseshoe Club / Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) It Really Happened The Ramada Hotel Casino (Reno, NV) United States Virginia City--Nevada

The Faro Fadeaway

1825-1958 The hottest game in the Old West between 1825 and 1915, faro is pretty much extinct in the United States today. If you’ve never heard of it — and you aren’t alone there —…

Bluebell Girls Did You Know? Entertainment Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Quick Facts Stardust (Las Vegas, NV)

Quick Fact - Bluebell Girls

1958 Sixteen glamazon, primarily English dancers from Paris’ Lido Club troupe were imported to open Las Vegas’ Stardust hotel-casino. The Bluebell Girls’ show broke all attendance records; about 1,400 people left the gaming tables and…

Belle Livingstone Belle Livingstone George Wingfield It Really Happened James "Jim/Cinch" C. McKay Nathan "Nick" Abelman Prohibition Reno--Nevada The Cowshed (Reno, NV) William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham

Livingstone Taunts Mob With Cowshed

1931 Belle Livingstone wasn’t the typical Nevada gambling club owner. She’d acted on the stage and screen in the 1890s. She’d mingled with royalty and wealth in Europe and the United States. During Prohibition, she’d…

Did You Know? Entertainment Ethnic Groups: African Americans International Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas Hilton (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas--Nevada Natalie Cole Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Natalie Cole

1976 Natalie Cole made her Nevada performance debut at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino (formerly the International Hotel) on a double bill with Bill Cosby in April.

Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Frank Sinatra Gambling Games / Races: Baccarat Howard Hughes It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Sands (Las Vegas, NV)

Frank Sinatra's Hissy Fits

1967 & 1970 Apparently, the beloved crooner Frank Sinatra, Sr. had a temper, which he sometimes unleashed when casino operators denied him additional, excessive amounts of credit when gambling. In one instance when Sinatra lost…

Did You Know? Entertainment Las Vegas--Nevada Quick Facts Royal Nevada (Las Vegas, NV)

Quick Fact - Dancing Waters

1955 A dancing waters routine at the new Royal Nevada hotel-casino upstaged big-money entertainers — Carmen Miranda, Danny Thomas, Liberace and others — in Las Vegas, Nevada. The five fountains of colored water (30 tons…

Club 86 (Miami, FL) Florida Gambling Games / Races: Chemin de Fer Games / Races: Chuck-a-luck Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Roulette It Really Happened

Swanky Miami Casino-Fortress

1945-1950 Although gambling was illegal in Miami, Florida, in the 1940s, one lavish casino operated there for five years with the blessing of the local sheriff. Club 86, on Biscayne Boulevard, which belonged to local…

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