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Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Lido de Paris Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – The Nude is Falling

1969-1971 Patron Alvin Glasky sat in the Stardust hotel-casino’s showroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, watching Lido de Paris on a Saturday evening in 1969. As one of the topless showgirls was being lowered from the…

Alcatraz (CA) Alphonse "Al/Scarface" Capone California Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Quick Facts The Rock Islanders United States

Quick Fact – A Renaissance Convict?

1934-1938 While doing time at Alcatraz, Alphonse “Scarface” Capone, infamous Chicago organized crime boss heavily involved in gambling, played the banjo and mandola (a large mandolin) in the prison band, The Rock Islanders, a rotating…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Guys and Dolls musical Liberace Mario Lanza Nevada Quick Facts Sin City 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…

Casino History Chico Marx Commercial Hotel/Monte Carlo Casino (Elko, NV) Did You Know? Elko--Nevada Entertainment Gambling History Gaming History Lawrence Welk Nevada Newton Crumley Paul Whiteman Quick Facts Sophie Tucker Ted Lewis The Andrews Sisters United States

Quick Fact – Casino Trendsetter

1941 Nevada casinos are known for their big-name entertainment, and it all started in the city of Elko. In spring 1941, Newton Crumley, the owner of the Commercial Hotel and its Monte Carlo Casino, engaged…

Did You Know? Elvis Presley Entertainment Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Good Luck Charm

1969 Elvis Presley was one of the first headliners at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. His performances began a record-breaking run of 837 sold-out shows at the spot over the ensuing seven years. In his…

Bluebell Girls Dunes (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Entertainment Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: NV Attorney General Roger Foley

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,…

Bluebell Girls Did You Know? Entertainment Quick Facts

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…

Did You Know? Entertainment Ethnic Groups: African Americans International Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas Hilton (Las Vegas, NV) 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.

Did You Know? Entertainment 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…

Dennis Day Entertainment It Really Happened Myrton "Mert" Wertheimer Publicity Stunts / Promotions / Advertisements

Now, That’s A Publicity Stunt

1951 The Irish tenor, Dennis Day, was about to begin a singing engagement at downtown Reno’s Riverside hotel in the summer of 1951. Day is known for his appearances on the Jack Benny comedy show…

Entertainment It Really Happened John Ascuaga

Performing Pachyderm

1962-1999 You’ve likely heard of Dumbo, Horton and Babar, but what about Bertha? Real, unlike the others, Bertha is an elephant renowned for having performed in shows at the Nugget hotel-casino, in Sparks, Nevada, for…

"All The King's Men" Casino History Did You Know? Entertainment Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gaming History Louisiana Nevada Politicians / Politics: LA Governor Huey Long Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Gambling on the Oscars

1950 For Hollywood’s Academy Awards, Las Vegas, Nevada casinos offered even money on All The King’s Men, the favorite for Best Movie. The other nominees and their odds were Battleground, 5 to 2; The Heiress,…