casino history Archives

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…

Did You Know? Games / Races: Poker Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit McGill Club (McGill, NV) McGill--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact – McGill Suit

1928 A woman named Gladys Anderson sued the McGill Club in McGill, Nevada for $5,000. It was the amount she claimed her husband had lost there playing poker. The district court, however, dismissed her case…

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…

Did You Know? Games / Races: Chuck-a-luck Games / Races: Faro Games / Races: Roulette Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Equipment Carful

1920 Following abolishment of gambling in Nevada, a Los Angeles moving picture company purchased and shipped to California a carful of equipment outlawed in 1909, including roulette wheels, faro tables and chuck-a-luck games. Photo from…

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…

Did You Know? Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Store Slots

1967 Nevada legislators proposed a bill that would disallow any future installation of slot machines in grocery and drug stores, but it died in the Senate Taxation Committee.

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…

Crystal Bay Club Casino (Crystal Bay, NV) Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Chips Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Lingerie Caper

1966 A 34-year-old 21 dealer at a Crystal Bay Club Casino at Lake Tahoe slipped $100 worth of gambling chips into her bra each day for a week before getting caught. Once busted, she accepted…

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…

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.