It Really Happened Archives

Gambling Currency: Coins It Really Happened Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Charles Russell

Loophole in the Law

1955 When Nevada legislators legalized gambling in 1931, they didn’t consider one significant caveat. The omission came to light in January 1955 when an industrious Las Vegas casino patron was arrested for using Mexican 10…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Grafting Gambling Gambling License Games / Races: Panguingue Games / Races: Poker George "Tex" Rickard It Really Happened Rawhide--Nevada The Northern (Rawhide, Nevada)

Lawmen Run Amok in Rawhide

1908 Two deputy sheriffs in the mining camp of Rawhide, Nevada,* were on the take. For a regularly paid fee, they allowed establishments to operate legal games without a license and/or run banned ones as well.…

Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel (Tijuana, Mexico) Casino de Mexicali (Mexicali, Mexico) Casino: Takeovers Feria Típica (Tijuana, Mexico) Gambling Games / Races: Baccarat Games / Races: Bull Fighting Games / Races: Cockfighting Games / Races: Dog Racing Games / Races: Faro Games / Races: Horse Racing Games / Races: Keno Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Roulette It Really Happened Mexico Monte Carlo (Tijuana, Mexico) Owl Cafe and Theatre (Calexico, Mexico) Politicians / Politics: Baja, CA Governor Esteban Cantu Prohibition Sunset Inn (Tijuana, Mexico)

Americans Head South Para Apostar

1913-1929 With various state bans on gambling and, later, a nationwide prohibition against liquor, many Americans, particularly wealthy Southern Californians, traveled to casinos in Mexican border cities to play and imbibe. “The great hegira* is in,…

Bobby Garcia Carl "Cork" Civella Gambling Laws / Regulations: Nevada's Black Book / Excluded Person List Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Joe Sica John "The Bat" Battaglia Louis Tom Dragna Michael "Trigger Mike" Coppola Motel Grzebienacy Murray "The Hump"/"The Camel" Humphreys Nevada Nick Civella Sam "Momo" Giancana

The Original Black Book

1960 A cheap, spiral notebook held great power in Nevada’s gambling world for decades. It contained known U.S. mobsters whose underworld statuses and histories were such that the state gambling authorities didn’t want them anywhere…

Entertainment It Really Happened John Ascuaga

Performing Pachyderm

1962-1999 You’ve likely heard of Dumbo, Horton and Babar, but what about Bertha? Real, unlike the others, Bertha is an elephant renowned for having performed in shows at the Nugget hotel-casino, in Sparks, Nevada, for…

Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club, Slot Route Owners / Operators / Licensees / Gamblers Colombo Hotel (Reno, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting It Really Happened

Bad Blood Between Casino Dealers

1935 Police discovered John S. Parks, a 67 year old, carrying a loaded Colt 45 automatic on a downtown Reno, Nevada street around midnight on a July Monday. With blood streaming from his nose and…

Cosmo Club (Reno, NV) Ethnic Groups: African Americans Ethnic Groups: Asians Gambling Gambling Laws / Regulations: NV Civil Rights Act Harlem Club (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Moulin Rouge (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada New China Club (Reno, NV) Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Grant Sawyer

Nevada Casinos’ Jim Crow

1931-1965 Nevada’s early gambling industry was “wrapped in a segregated White Curtain” (Reno Gazette-Journal, Feb. 27, 2008). Between 1931, when Nevada legalized gambling, and 1965, African Americans were banned from gambling or even being present…

California Gambling Games / Races: Lotteries/Sweepstakes Games / Races: Sports Betting It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit San Quentin State Prison (CA)

In the Name of Charity

1937 The Great American Football Pool (GAFP) of 1937 was to be of massive scale and the first of its kind in the U.S. The organizers aimed to sell 3 million tickets at $1 apiece…

Did You Know? It Really Happened Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Polygraph Used

1970-1974 During the years Kings Castle at Lake Tahoe in Northern Nevada was open, management routinely used polygraphs on employees, particularly for questions about cheating, theft and employment. Photo from freeimages.com: “No Lies”

Gambling License Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Nevada

Bull’s Eye on the Gambling Industry

1955 It’s hard to believe this ever happened in Nevada. As an emergency measure, the state government approved a temporary moratorium on issuing gambling licenses. It was to last five months, until 30 days after…

Gambling Harvey A. Gross It Really Happened Stateline--Nevada Wagon Wheel Saloon and Gambling Hall / Harvey's Wagon Wheel / Harvey's Resort Hotel (Stateline, NV)

Bomb Extortion Plan Blows Up

1980 Thirty-five years ago, on August 27, an intricate bomb blasted a chasm that spanned six of the 11 floors of Harvey’s Resort Hotel. The explosion hadn’t been intentional but, rather, the result of the…

Bernard "Mooney" Einstoss Casino: Financings: Reconstruction Finance Corporation It Really Happened Louis "Lou" J. Wertheimer Mapes (Reno, NV) Nevada United States

Was The Mapes’ Financing Unethical?

1947 The United States’ Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) co-financed construction of a gambling enterprise via its $975,000 loan for the Mapes hotel-casino in Reno, Nevada in 1947. Under Attack Three years later, Senators William Fulbright…