Spindle Tricksters Clean Up
1906 A sextet of flimflammers arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada in December, set up at the corner of Main and Fremont Streets and began separating the locals from their money. ” … the spindle was…
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…
Casino Casino History Casino: Takeovers Chesterfield Syndicate (Detroit, MI) Daniel "Danny" W. Sullivan Gambling History Gaming History Harry Robbin Isadore Edward "Ed" Robbin It Really Happened Lincoln Fitzgerald Meyer Lansky Nevada Nevada Club (Reno, NV) Raymond Reuben "Ruby" Mathis Robbin and Robbin / Robbins' Nevada Club United States
Syndicate Members Usurp Father-and-Son Gambling Club
1941-1956 The Nevada Club (1941-1987) in Reno exemplifies the stereotypic mobsters-and-gambling connection that pervaded The Silver State for decades during the 1900s. The business began as Robbin and Robbin, opened by Harry Robbin, 65, and…
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.
Casino History Circus Circus (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada 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…
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…
Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino: Proposed Exchange Club (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gambling License Games / Races Games / Races: Craps Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: City of Las Vegas (NV) It Really Happened Las Vegas Club (Las Vegas, NV) Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Northern Club (Las Vegas, NV) Northern Saloon (Las Vegas, NV) Red Rooster (Las Vegas, NV) United States
Lawsuit: It’s Not Fair!
1931 Soon after Governor Frederic “Fred” B. Balzar approved wide-open gambling for Nevada, three men applied for an initial gambling license from the City of Las Vegas to operate a craps game at Lorenzi Lake…
Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Equipment Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States
Quick Fact – Oops! They Don’t Match
1931 After a brand new roulette setup was put in use at a Las Vegas, Nevada casino, it was discovered the number 28 was black on the wheel, as it should be, but red on…
Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: NV Gambling Law of 1931 Gambling License Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Washoe County Commission (NV) It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Nevada Supreme Court Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Washoe County Sheriff E. Russell Trathen--Nevada Nevada United States
Lawsuit: I’m Entitled to a Cut
1931 In April 1931, the month after the new, liberal gambling law went into effect (March 19), Washoe County Sheriff E. Russell Trathen, per his job description, collected $20,000 (about $330,000 today) in gambling license…
Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Harolds Club (Reno, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Raymond "Pappy" I. Smith Raymond A. Smith Sparks--Nevada United States
Quick Fact – Party Palace
1950-1979 The Harolds Club casino, in Reno, Nevada, held an annual winter holiday party for employees at its Harolds Trapshooting Club in the neighboring town of Sparks, on the Pyramid Highway. The fêtes, which featured dancing,…