CASINO HISTORY!
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Old Tales of Nevada
IT REALLY HAPPENED!
This blog brings to life compelling and true casino- and gambling-related stories, from around the world, between 1800 and 2000.
Wyatt Earp's Main Career Was Gambling
Iconic American figure, Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (1848-1929), is heralded for his courageous exploits as a lawman, but he was a gambler first and foremost, often relying on the then-respectable profession to earn income throughout his lifetime. He’s earned a spot in U.S. gambling history. Earp’s Gambling Education and Practice At age 20, the tall, […]
From a Craps Game to the ICU
1934-1935 An argument between two underworld men devolved into violence during a dance endurance competition in Hollywood, California on April 14, 1934. Explosion of Rage At 7 a.m., the 21th consecutive hour of the walk-a-thon,* competing dancers sluggishly moved about the Winter Garden Auditorium floor. Mobster James “Socks” McDonough, among the spectators, sat at a […]
Lake Mead Didn't Become State Park Due to Gambling
1939 With the recent discoveries of dead bodies there, Lake Mead in Southern Nevada has been in the news. The 1.5 million acres encompassing this water body and its environs have been a designated national recreation area since 1964, but a portion of them almost had become a Nevada state park three decades earlier. The […]
Kentuckian Builds U.S. Gambling Franchise in 1800s
1832-1860 Elijah Skaggs, nè Eli Harrison Skaggs (1818-1890) stands out in U.S. gambling history. He was one of the country’s cleverest card tricksters and a hugely successful gambler. More significantly, he created a franchise system for the business of crooked faro. “He probably had more to do with the spread of gambling in this country […]
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Enthralled by Bugsy, Capone, Lanksy, Costello, Luciano, et. al?
The Mobsters section is dedicated to these and similar notables — organized crime members involved in gambling. Bet you a cold beer or a hot latte you can’t ID everyone in the gallery.
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