Law Enforcement / Judicial System Archives

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…

Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts Casino History Crystal Bay--Nevada Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada United States

Lawsuit: No Casino in My Neighborhood, Period

1945-1947 Ray Wherrit and Austin K. Wright of San Luis Obispo, California set out in 1945 to build a $120,000 hotel-casino in the Crystal Bay Park subdivision on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. The…

California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments Gambling Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: San Francisco Police Department--California Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Nevada San Francisco--California United States

Draftsman Gets a Wild Hair … Or Two … Or Three

1952 “Someone very dear to you is being held and will be killed if you don’t give me the money.” This was the content of the note, a bluff, Frederick Charles Will, handed to the…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments DeSoto County--Mississippi Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: DeSoto County Sheriff Elton S. Baxter--Mississippi Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Shelby County Sheriff Guy Joyner--Tennessee Mississippi Politicians / Politics: MS Governor Paul E. Johnson Shelby County--Tennessee Tennessee United States

Law Officers Battle Over Gambling in the South

1940 They couldn’t just agree to disagree. They were the sheriffs of two bordering counties in different states. Sheriff Guy Joyner of Shelby County, Tennessee insisted illegal gambling was taking place just past the state…

Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Clara Bow Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Debt Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Louis Cornero Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Rex Bell United States

Quick Fact – The Hard Way or the Easy Way

1931-1932 Actors Clara Bow and Rex Bell gambled at the Meadows in Las Vegas in summer 1931 and racked up a $1,100 loss (about $18,000 today), for which they left an IOU. By December, the…

California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Los Angeles city jail Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Joint Features Gambling

1916 The Los Angeles city jail was likely the only legalized casino in California, with gambling taking place daily to a shocking extent, declared Faith Chevaillier, a woman whom President Chester Arthur appointed to evaluate…

California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Los Angeles Chief of Police Charles E. Sebastian Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Vice Crusade Tactic

1913 As what the Los Angeles Times called the “the first sally in the greatest campaign that has ever been waged for the elimination of gambling” (April 7, 1913), Los Angeles Chief of Police Charles…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Kansas Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Gamble Gone Really Wrong

1921 Two Minnesotans each wagered $5,000 (about $67,000 today) on a new Fort Scott, Kansas oil well not producing 25 barrels the first day. Twenty-seven Kansans pooled the same amount and bet the opposite. The…

Casino History Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: NV Regulation 25 Gambling: Junkets Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Harry Wald It Really Happened Japan Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Nevada United States

Gambling Junkets Cause International Discord

1974-1975 For many Japan-based businessmen, gambling trips to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada turned nightmarish. Kikumaru Okuda, 46, also a resident of the Land of the Rising Sun, and a film producer with Toho Film…

"711 Ocean Drive" Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Boulder City--Nevada California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Harassment / Intimidation Edmond O'Brien Frank N. Seltzer (Producer) Gambling History Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History It Really Happened Joanne Dru Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Gangster Squad Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lieutenant William "Bill" Burns Mickey Cohen Nevada Palm Springs--California United States

Mobsters Threaten Hollywood Filmmaker

1950 In late 1948, Hollywood movie producer, Frank N. Seltzer — known for the movies, Jungle Patrol and Let’s Live Again, which debuted that same year — began research for his next project, 711 Ocean…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Firearms Gambling Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Reno Police Department--Nevada Nevada United States

Gunfire Roils Crowded Harolds Club

1947-1953 Harolds Club bustled on Christmas Eve in 1947 with revelers enjoying the gambling and camaraderie when an unexpected event instantly silenced the din. Panic followed. Since the previous morning, Reno, Nevada police had been…

California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Grafting Ethnic Groups: Asians Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Los Angeles City Council (CA) It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Los Angeles Captain of Police Captain of Police C.A. Ketlar Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Los Angeles Chief of Police J.W. Davis Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Los Angeles Police Department Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Officer John L. Fonck United States

Dirty Police Chief in City of Angels?

1886 In fall 1886, Officer John L. Fonck confronted one of his superiors face to face. He charged Chief of Police J.W. Davis with “standing in with the gamblers,” in other words, allowing them to…