Geographical Areas Archives

California It Really Happened John Ascuaga Nugget Motor Lodge / Dick Graves' Nugget / John Ascuaga's Nugget (Sparks, NV) United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Reno/Sparks

1970-1971 In the summer of 1970, a package and suitcase found in a Sparks Nugget Motor Lodge room in Northern Nevada with a note affixed saying to please deliver the items to Nugget owner John…

Did You Know? Gambling: Debt Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Accounting Shift

1964 The Dunes in Las Vegas, Nevada switched from writing off unpaid IOUs to claiming them as income, allegedly to keep Internal Revenue Service agents from harassing its customers — asking guests in the hotel…

Did You Know? Gambling Games / Races: Craps Quick Facts San Francisco--California United States

Quick Fact – Out Of The Loop

1895 When two small boys appeared in a San Francisco, California court for shooting craps, the arresting officer testified. Then this transpired: Judge: “Are you sure the boys were shooting craps?” Officer: “Of course, I…

Gambling License Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Dudley Kline Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Leo Quilici United States Wells--Nevada

Scandal Hits Gambling Watchdogs

1953-1955 In fall 1953, John “Fat Jack” Galloway was playing the card game, 21, at Leo Quilici’s hotel-casino, the El Rancho Hotel, in Wells, Nevada. Fat Jack himself, in his early 40s, was the operator…

Castaways (Las Vegas, NV) Did You Know? Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Howard Hughes Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. Department of Justice Laws: U.S. Sherman Anti-Trust Act Nevada Quick Facts Silver Slipper (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Quick Fact – Road to Monopoly?

1968 Howard Hughes, billionaire industrialist, received the Nevada Gaming Commission’s blessing to buy the Stardust hotel-casino in Las Vegas for $30.5 million and moved forward with the acquisition. He already owned five such properties on…

Casino de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) It Really Happened Monaco

Terror at Casino de Monte-Carlo

1880 British and French patrons crowded the Casino de Monte-Carlo, games were in full operation and large sums of money sat on the tables. It was a typical Saturday night in spring at the Monaco…

Did You Know? Quick Facts Sawdust Corner Saloon (Virginia City, NV) Virginia City--Nevada

Quick Fact – Big Numbers

Mid-1870s Virginia City, Nevada, at the peak of the mining boom when the population was about 18,000, boasted one gambling house for every 150 people. That’s 120 of these places, primarily saloons! Some of the…

California Gambling: Bookmaking Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service Hy Goldbaum It Really Happened McNeil Island Corrections Center (WA) West Hollywood--California

Bookies’ Bookies Not So Good With Numbers

1945-1955 In the late 1940s, three bookies — or commissioners, as they preferred to be called — operated on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California under the name, Golden News Service. Hy Goldbaum, George Capri…

Elko--Nevada It Really Happened Stockmen's Hotel (Elko, NV)

Casino Criminal Loses Control

1954 Late on a Saturday night in 1954, during the peak of business, an unemployed, 27-year-old railroad hand entered the Stockmen’s Hotel, in Elko, Nevada, where townspeople, miners, ranchers and tourists congregated to socialize, drink and…

California Did You Know? Gambling Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Wild Justice

1890 Judge Beckley Campbell conducted court in a Benicia, California saloon. After hearing the evidence and deciding on a verdict in cases, he meted out punishments based on the result of tossing two dice in…

Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Laws / Regulations: Nevada's Black Book / Excluded Person List Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Louis Tom Dragna Nevada

Nevada’s Black Book: Civil Rights Violation?

1960-1967 Los Angeles mobsters, Louis Tom Dragna and John “The Bat” Battaglia, conversed in a hotel-casino cocktail lounge on the Las Vegas Strip one day in February 1960. But their visit was cut short when…

Emigrant Pass Ernest Dennison Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: NV Police Superintendent Lester C. Moody Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Attorney General Alan Bible Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Vail Pittman Roadside Zoos (Nevada)

Too Cozy With Illegal Gamblers

1948 A real or perceived protective relationship with illegal gambling operators got Nevada Police Superintendent Lester C. Moody fired. Governor Vail Pittman, who’d appointed Moody to the position two years before, terminated him in May…