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Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Holdouts Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Francis Leo Luckett Gambler (Operators/Players): Card Sharps Gambling History Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Reno--Nevada Tip Club (Reno, NV) United States

Ace of Spades Defeats Card Sharp

1930 Cheating at gambling in the early 20th century in Nevada could land a person in serious trouble. That’s exactly what happened to Francis Leo Luckett, 28. A Pennsylvania native, he’d been in Reno by…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Staying Put

1956 She wouldn’t budge. C. Johnson was playing a slot machine from a stool that was blocking the aisle in a downtown Reno, Nevada casino. When employees asked the Oakland, California resident to please shift…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Prizes Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Shot at a Car

1972 Recognize these cars? A Pinto, Chevelle, Javelin and Datsun 240Z? Harrah’s hotel-casino in Reno, Nevada gave them away as well as cash in four weekly drawings for $35,000 worth of prizes ($205,000 today) over the…

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Bugsy Siegel’s Hidden Safe

1972 Twenty-six years after the gangland assassination of mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and his debut of the Flamingo in Las Vegas, a trap door was discovered in one of the hotel-casino’s offices when the carpet…

Abner "Longie" Zwillman Casino History Clifford Jones Cuba Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Golden Nugget (Las Vegas, NV) Haiti International Casino (Haiti) It Really Happened Lucky Strike (Las Vegas, NV) Meyer Lansky Nevada Palace Club (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Vegas Gambler Defies Mandate

1959 In February, The New York Times outed Clifford A. Jones. It brought to light that he held gambling interests in and out of Nevada, which The Silver State’s gaming law then prohibited. It was…

Bakersfield--California California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Savings at all Costs

1933 When panhandling in Bakersfield, California, an Arthur J. Hayden received 25 cents ($4.70 today), which he took to a casino and parlayed into $690 ($13,000 today). The next day he grew his winnings to…

Boxers / Fight Promoters: Edward "Gunboat" Smith Casino (Reno, NV) Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Questions of Identity

1923 A new man in town was thought to be the famous Irish American boxer Edward “Gunboat” Smith. But when the City of Reno police arrested him as a suspect in a $310 ($4,500 today)…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Charters Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts Searchlight--Nevada United States Willie Martello

Quick Fact – Desert Getaway

1961 This ad for the El Rey Club invited people to escape one sunny desert town (Palm Springs, California) for another (Searchlight, Nevada), as the enticement ran in the former’s newspaper, The Desert Sun. Owner Willie Martello began…

Casa Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Casino: Flying Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Flying Casino

1946 Owners of the Casa Vegas gambling club in Southern Nevada, Duke Wiley and Eddie Alias, announced their plan to acquire and convert a surplus, four-engine transport plane into a casino in the air. Slated…

"Razzle Dazzle: The Elaine Townsend Story" Casino History Connie Immerman Cuba Elaine Townsend Gambling History Gambling: Concessions Games / Races: Chemin de Fer Games / Races: Craps Gaming History Gran Casino Nacional (Havana, Cuba) Havana--Cuba It Really Happened

Woman Usurps Mobsters’ Gaming Action

1947-1952 Despite New York mobsters trying to scare her off, an ambitious woman — Elaine Townsend (née Margaret Helgeson) — held her own as a gambling operator in the late 1940s. Bright, young and gorgeous, she…

Casino History Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Stateline--Nevada United States

8 Twists in Tahoe Gambler’s Court Case

1957-1960 In June 1957, a federal grand jury secretly indicted the owners of the Wagon Wheel Saloon and Gambling Hall (Harvey’s today) at Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada — Harvey A. Gross, and his wife, Llewellyn…

Bobbie Gentry Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States William "Bill" F. Harrah

Quick Fact – Third Time’s A … Gamble

1969-1970 Casino magnate, William “Bill” F. Harrah, 58, married country artist, Bobbie Gentry, 27, in St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Reno, Nevada on December 18, 1969 with only members of the wedding party present. The…