It Really Happened Archives

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…

Gambling Games / Races: Spindle It Really Happened United States

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…

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 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…

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’s Lake…

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…