casino history Archives

Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Shills It Really Happened Nevada Reno--Nevada United States

New Shill Doesn't Get It (Or Does He?)

1946 A Reno, Nevada casino hired a man, new to the city and gambling, as a shill. (A shill is paid to play games in a gambling house to entice others around to do the…

Casino History David J. Funk Gambling History Gambling: Parimutuel Games / Races: Dog Racing Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Racing Commission Henderson--Nevada It Really Happened Las Vegas Downs Inc. Nevada Nevada Turf and Kennel Club Reno Speedway (at Lawton's Hot Springs) (Reno, NV) United States

Gambling on Live Dog Races in Nevada

1938-Today Bets placed, spectators occupy the stands, waiting. Anticipation, excitement fill the air. Finally, the get-ready bell dings, and the crowd quickly quiets. The start signal sounds. The gates open. Out lunge the competitors, into…

Advertisements Advertisements: Advertising Agencies: Hoefer Advertisements: Advertising Agencies: Thomas C. Wilson Advertising Co. Advertisements: Advertising Agencies: Wallie Warren & Associates Casino History Casino: Corporations: Harrah's Entertainment Inc. Dieterich & Brown Inc. Gambling History Gaming History Harrah's (Reno, NV) Harrah's Lake Tahoe (Stateline, NV) It Really Happened Lake Tahoe--Nevada Nevada Reno--Nevada Stateline--Nevada United States William "Bill" F. Harrah

Bill Harrah Steals Harolds Club's Ad Formula

1937-1970s For Harrah’s, which debuted in Reno in 1937 as a bingo parlor, extensive advertising was key to its growth into one of Nevada’s largest gambling empires by the 1970s.* However, owner/operator William “Bill” Fisk…

Abner "Longie" Zwillman Arrowhead Inn (Saratoga Springs, NY) California Casino History Charles "Lucky" Luciano Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Assaults Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Fraud Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Ethnic Groups: Jewish Americans Frank Sinatra Gambling History Games / Races: Games Creators / Manufacturers: Runyon Sales Co. Gaming History It Really Happened Joseph "Doc" Stacher Meyer Lansky National Crime Syndicate Nevada New Jersey New York United States

10 Intriguing Facts about Mobster-Gambler Joseph "Doc" Stacher

Joseph “Doc” Stacher (born Gdale Oistaczer, 1902-1977) was a “a genial, shrewd, witty gent” who could be “homicidally tough,” wrote “Voice of Broadway” columnist Jack O’Brian (Monroe News-Star, March 17, 1977). Closely aligned with fellow…

"Red" MacDonald Abe Fox California Casino History Colma--California Emilio "Gombo" Georgetti Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Bookmaking Gambling: Illegal Governing / Regulatory Bodies: California Crime Commission Guarantee Finance Co. (Southern California) It Really Happened John O'Neil Olmo Group Ralph Cody Sam Termini San Mateo County--California United States Willow Tree (Colma, CA)

Illegal Bookmaking Enterprise Flourishes in the City of Souls

1949-1950 During the Prohibition years in California, 1919 to 1934, San Mateo County was a hotbed for illegal vices — gambling, prostitution and drinking. Even a Mobster, Hillsborough-based Sam Termini, said the county was the…

A.L. Mason B.F. Bailey C.C. Cox Casino History Gambling History Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Faro It Really Happened Louvre (Reno, NV) Nevada Oberon (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada United States

Early On, The Louvre Suffers Typical Gambling Business Woes

1900-1906 A snapshot of six early years of one popular gambling-saloon in Reno, Nevada spotlights some of the problems these establishments routinely faced: on-site crime, financial troubles, crooked games and changes in both owners and…

Casino History Fred Heier Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gambling: Symbols: Johnny Ox Games / Races: Poker Gaming History Indiana Indianapolis--Indiana It Really Happened Jack Shea T. Thompson aka Johnny Ox United States William "Bill" Kissel

It Really Happened! Investigates: Who is "Johnny Ox?"

1903 “Accommodation for Johnny Ox,” a gambling-related headline in the Nevada State Journal, March 17, 1903, puzzled us. Curious (read: obsessive), we set out to decipher it. The brief news item relayed two gambling saloons…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Defense Attorneys: James D.C. Murray Gambling History Gambling: Reporters Of: Martin Mooney Games / Races: Policy / Numbers Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: New York Court of Appeals New York--New York Queens County Jail United States

Newsman Gets Burned for Reporting on Illegal Gambling

1935-1936 In about mid-December 1935, New York newspaper reporter Martin Mooney (1896-1967) faced serving his jail sentence during the upcoming holidays. His offense? Contempt of court for refusing to reveal to the local grand jurors…

Carlton Bar (Reno, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Franz Gersich Gambling History Gaming History George Delich It Really Happened Nevada Reno--Nevada Sam Delich United States

Pharmacy Student Travels to Nevada for Exam, Leaves in Body Bag

1946-1947 When police arrived at the alley behind the Carlton Bar in Reno just after midnight on May 16, 1946, they found an unconscious man lying on the ground, covered in blood. An American Legion…

Casino Casino Central--Argentina Gambling History Gaming History Mar del Plata--Argentina Quick Facts South America

Quick Fact -- Big Business

It opened in 1939 and for years was the world’s largest. It was (and still is) in Argentina‘s Mar del Plata, the “smartest, most opulent, most ostentatious shore resort in South America,” as described by…

Alton--Illinois Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Activists: Irene Kite Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts Casino History Cliff Phayer Gambling History Gambling: Mobster Control Of Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Harry Murdock Harry Price Illinois It Really Happened Mobsters / Gangsters / Syndicate Members (Alleged) / Organizations Paul Delaney United States

Female Axe Murderer Gets Results

1937-1939 In 1937, an Alton, Illinois woman took on the local gambling-Mobsters and the political machine … with an axe. Motivating Factors In Irene Kite‘s county of Madison, gambling was illegal, yet law enforcement and…

Casino History Casino: Corporations: National Jokereno Inc. Casino: Openings Games / Races: Jokereno Gaming History It Really Happened Jokereno Club Nevada Reno--Nevada United States W.F. Bolte William A. De Vellier William J. Hackett

The Brief Tale of Jokereno, Game and Club, in "The Biggest Little City"

1931-1932 In 1931, the year Nevada legalized gambling on a wide open basis, the state’s major metropolis Reno saw the introduction of the game of chance jokereno and the namesake place offering it commercially, the…