Gambling History Archives

107th Street Mob Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Shills Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Helmuth Hartmann It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada United States

The Wanted Man of Mystery

1941 The man who played roulette in the Palace Club nearly every day for six months was noticeable for his suave appearance. Henry Helmut, age 47, had a bit of gray hair and sported a…

California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Bookmaking Gambling: Raids Gaming History Pasadena--California Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Moonlighting Gig Heats Up

1948 When Pasadena, California vice squad officers got a tip that chef/restaurant owner Paul B. Weston, 56, was sidelining as an illegal bookie, they raided his home and found gambling paraphernalia — where else? —…

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

Blaming It On The Dice

1946-1947 On the third Tuesday of April 1946, after work at the Southern Pacific Shop in Sparks, Nevada, Sam Lemel took the bus to Reno and went to Harolds Club where he played craps. He…

Casa Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Casino: Flying Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Flying Casino

1946 Owners of the Casa Vegas gambling club in Southern Nevada, Duke Wiley and Eddie Alias, announced their plan to acquire and convert a surplus, four-engine transport plane into a casino in the air. Slated…

Casino History Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Politicians / Politics United States

Anti-Gambling Fraud: Intentional or Accidental?

1934 After Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, a faction opposed to the industry fought to have it eradicated. “A group of Nevada citizens felt there was a growing protest against the injury being done our…

Casino History Did You Know? Don and Bea Hawkins Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States Winnemucca--Nevada

Quick Fact – Women Banned

1962 The City of Winnemucca in Nevada had an ordinance that prohibited women from working in a casino in which they had some ownership. Bea Hawkins, who with her husband Don, owned the Ferris Hotel…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Junkets Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Casino Swindlers

1974 It was a successful scam that cheated the Aladdin Resort and Casino out of about $250,000 (about $1.2 million today) … while it lasted. Four men had some friends take junkets to the Las Vegas…

21 (El Cerrito, CA) California Casino History Contra Costa County--California David "Dave" Nathan Kessel El Cerrito--California Gambling History Gambling License Gambling: Bookmaking Gambling: Illegal Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Hollywood (El Cerrito, CA) It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Federal Judge Louis E. Goodman Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee: Contempt of Congress Rancho San Pablo (El Cerrito, CA) The Wagon Wheel (El Cerrito, CA) United States Walter "Big Bill" Melburn Pechart

California Gamblers Snub Federal Inquiry

1950-1953 During the 1950 federal hearings on organized crime, two Northern California gamblers — Walter “Big Bill” Melburn Pechart and David “Dave” Nathan Kessel — were uncooperative, according to the questioners. They were Senators Estes…