Gambling History Archives

Allen Smiley Argyle Hotel (San Antonio, TX) Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Beverly Country Club (New Orleans, LA) California Casino History Colony Club (Gardena, CA) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Falsely Claiming Citizenship Gambling History Gambling: Junkets Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History Garden of Allah (West Hollywood, CA) It Really Happened McNeil Island Corrections Center (WA) Meyer Lansky The Knickerbocker (New York, NY) Transamerica Wire Service

10 Intriguing Facts About Mobster/Gambler Allen Smiley

Allen Smiley “was one of the most powerful gangsters in [California],” wrote author Gerald Horne in Class Struggle in Hollywood, 1930-1950. He was Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel’s partner and best friend and subsequently, Johnny Rosselli’s* right-hand…

Casino History Circus Circus (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Disruptions Events: Strikes / Protests Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Mike O'Callaghan United States

Protests Deliberately Disrupt Gambling in Las Vegas

1971 Actress Jane Fonda and renowned activists led about 900 people down the Las Vegas Strip on March 6, 1971, a Saturday, in protest of welfare cutbacks. “Today we launched a spring offensive and…

Casino History Elko--Nevada Gambling History Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: Character Manufacturing Co. Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: Frank Polk Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: Sundance Cravat Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities: Animated Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas Club (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Nevada Club (Reno, NV) United States

Reno Company Handcrafts Animated Slot Machines

1950-1956 A novel, animated gambling device began to appear in Nevada casinos in 1950. It debuted in the lobby of Reno’s Mapes hotel-casino in the fall and “got a big play from visiting Shriners,” reported the…

Casino History Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened

It Really Happened! is Back

Hi, Wonderful Gambling History Blog Subscribers, I hope all is well with you! I’m so thrilled to announce that It Really Happened! is back up, and I’m generating new posts for it. I apologize…

California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Folsom State Prison (CA) Frank Bompensiero Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Bookmaking Gambling: Feuds Gaming History George "Les" Bruneman It Really Happened Jack Dragna Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianno Johnny Rosselli Leonard "Leo/Lips" C. Moceri Nationwide (Wire Service) Politicians / Politics: CA Governor Edmond "Pat" G. Brown Politicians / Politics: CA Governor Gerald "Jerry" Brown Surf Club (Redondo Beach, CA) United States

Los Angeles Mafiosos Snuff Out Innocents’ Lives Over Gambling Beef

1937-1981 An innocent man was placed in law enforcement’s crosshairs in late 1930s Los Angeles for a heinous crime … the frame-up stuck. Caught Unawares While strolling on Southern California’s Redondo Beach Strand, or boardwalk,…

Casino History Clayton P. Gatterdam Crimes / Violence / Punishments Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Misspot Dice England Europe Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gambling: Junkets Games / Races: Craps Gaming History Incline Village Casino (Incline Village, NV) It Really Happened London--England Villa Casino (London, England)

Americans’ Crime and Punishment in England

1969 For a week in May, the leader of a group of U.S.-based gamblers rented the Villa Casino, which overlooked Hyde Park in West London, along with two craps tables, the latter for $2,500 (about…

Casino History Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada United States

Casino Owner Blackballs Worker?

1956-1959 A thief absconded with $2,000 (about $17,500 today) from the Club Primadonna casino in Reno, Nevada on the first Friday of May 1956. The missing 10,000 dimes, 2,000 quarters and 1,000 half-dollars, the reserve…

Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Town House (Reno, NV) United States

Crimes in Reno Casinos Raise Concern

1945-1946 In the Bank Club, a co-proprietor of a local gambling saloon, Andrew Jackson “Jack” Blackman, shot to death James Lannigan, a small-time thug, on October 30, 1944, an action for which he was acquitted. In…

Casino History Circus Circus (Las Vegas, NV) Defense Attorneys: Oscar Goodman Elliot Paul Price Gambling History Gambling: Race Wire Gambling: Work Card Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened James "Whitey" Bulger Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Mike O'Callaghan United States Winter Hill Gang

The Vegas Casino Work Card Battle

1970-1973 When federal agents arrested Elliot Paul Price, 51, during a massive multi-city raid in 1970 and charged him with illegally transmitting race wire information across state lines via telephone, two dominos fell: • He…

California Casino History Did You Know? Gambler (Operators/Players): Donation Gambling History Gaming History Los Angeles-California Quick Facts Rex (offshore, Southern CA) Tony Cornero / Antonio Cornero Stralla United States

Quick Fact – Tainted v. Pure Money

1938 Gambler Tony Cornero Stralla offered to donate a day’s worth of revenue from his Southern California casino boat, the Rex, to Zoo Park at 3800 Mission Road in Los Angeles. The attraction, then owned/operated…

Accidents: Automobile Beverly Hills-California California Divorce / Annulment Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Lux (offshore, Southern CA) Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Montmartre Club (Havana, Cuba) Nevada S.S. Rex (Las Vegas, NV) Stardust (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Shrouded in Mystery: Gambler Tony Cornero’s Fleeting Marriage

1941 The brief union between Tony and Dorothy Stralla ended in a suspicious tragedy. Antonio Cornero Stralla was a colorful, law defying, Southern California rumrunner turned gambler. He was involved, most often as the owner/operator,…

Casino History Did You Know? Events: Seattle World's Fair / Century 21 Exposition Gambling Gambling Currency Gambling Currency: Pseudo Coins / Slugs Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – The Right Size

1962 After the Seattle World’s Fair, or the Century 21 Exposition, the bronze coins used as trade dollars during that event appeared in slot machines throughout Nevada.