thunderbird Archives

Casino History Circus Circus (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Nevada Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Las Vegas

1972 In the mail on Monday, April 24, each of 21 Las Vegas hotel-casinos received an identical, typewritten letter that demanded they pay a total of $2 million (about $12 million today) or get blown…

Beldon Katleman Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Club Savoy (Las Vegas, NV) El Cortez (Las Vegas, NV) El Dorado Club (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Fremont Street--Las Vegas Frontier Club (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gambling: War Gaming History Golden Nugget (Las Vegas, NV) Gus Greenbaum It Really Happened Las Vegas Club (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Last Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Clark County Sheriff Glen Jones--Nevada Meyer Lansky Monte Carlo (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Pioneer Club (Las Vegas, NV) Santa Anita Turf Club (Las Vegas, NV) Sin City (Las Vegas) United States Western Club (Las Vegas, NV) William J. Moore

Alleged Vegas Gambling War Brews

1949 The article, “Las Vegas Gamblers Arming in Control Battle,” ran on the front page of a Los Angeles newspaper in the third week of December, to the chagrin of Nevada gambling regulators, casino owners,…

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--Nevada

Just Like Living in Paradise

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…

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Casino International (Havana, Cuba) Clifford "Cliff" A. Jones Cuba Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Fremont Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Hilton (Havana, Cuba) Hy Abrams It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Moe Dalitz Morris Kleinmann Nacional (Havana, Cuba) Politicians / Politics: Cuba President Fulgencia Batista Riviera (Havana, Cuba) Thomas McGinty Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States Wilbur Clark

Cuban Casino Push

1952–1958 When Fulgencio Batista returned to power as president in Cuba in 1952, he aimed to foster a gambling empire from which he could generate revenue for his coffers. To facilitate casino development, he and…

Casino History Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Ray Warren Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Last Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Phoenix--Arizona Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee Politicians / Politics: U.S. Senator (TN) Estes Kefauver Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV)

Public Relations Nightmare for Nevada Gambling

1951-1952 Gambling boomed in Las Vegas, Nevada immediately following Senator Estes Kefauver and his committee’s nationwide investigation into organized crime. The 27 hearings the group conducted in 14 United States cities in 1950 and 1951…