Dangerous Liaisons in Sin City

Casino History, Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Assaults, Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing, Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion, Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder / Killing, Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting, Gambling History, Gaming History, Horseshoe Club / Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel (Las Vegas, NV), It Really Happened, John "Johnny" W. Hicks, Las Vegas--Nevada, Nevada, Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV), United StatesLeave a comment

1972-1977 A $25,000 ($146,000 today) offer for the murder of 27-year-old John “Johnny” W. Hicks had been circulated, it was rumored throughout Las Vegas in mid-1972. The son of Marion B. Hicks, previous owner of the Thunderbird Hotel, and his wife Lillian, then proprietor of the Algiers Hotel next door, Johnny was working as an…

Just Like Living in Paradise

Beldon Katleman, Casino History, Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV), El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV), Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV), Gambling History, Gaming History, Gus Greenbaum, It Really Happened, Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard, Last Frontier (Las Vegas, NV), Marion Hicks, Nevada, Paradise--Nevada, Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV), United States, Wilbur Clark, William J. Moore, Winchester--NevadaLeave a comment

1950-Today When people are on the Las Vegas Strip, they’re really in Paradise — the town, that is. In 1950, a rumor surfaced that the City of Las Vegas’ boundaries would be expanded to include the then multimillion-dollar luxury resort area on South Las Vegas Boulevard. Disliking the idea, the proprietors of the hotel-casinos there…