extortion Archives

Casino History Circus Circus (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Las Vegas

1972 In the mail on Monday, April 24, each of 21 Las Vegas hotel-casinos received an identical, typewritten letter that demanded they pay a total of $2 million (about $12 million today) or get blown…

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…

California It Really Happened John Ascuaga Nugget Motor Lodge / Dick Graves' Nugget / John Ascuaga's Nugget (Sparks, NV) United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Reno/Sparks

1970-1971 In the summer of 1970, a package and suitcase found in a Sparks Nugget Motor Lodge room in Northern Nevada with a note affixed saying to please deliver the items to Nugget owner John…

Gambling License Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Dudley Kline Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Leo Quilici United States Wells--Nevada

Scandal Hits Gambling Watchdogs

1953-1955 In fall 1953, John “Fat Jack” Galloway was playing the card game, 21, at Leo Quilici’s hotel-casino, the El Rancho Hotel, in Wells, Nevada. Fat Jack himself, in his early 40s, was the operator…

Did You Know? Harrah's (Reno, NV) Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Gutsy Granny

1972 A 71-year-old, wheelchair-bound, California grandmother, Susan Ellyn Reid, who had a long rap sheet and various aliases, entered Harrahs Club in Reno, Nevada in July carrying a box. She gave casino personnel a typed…

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.…

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…

California Casino History Charles "Chuck" J. Delmonico / Charles Tourine, Jr. Crimes / Violence / Punishments Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Card Spying Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambler (Operators/Players): High Rollers: Nicholas "Nick the Greek" A. Dandolos Gambler (Operators/Players): High Rollers: Raymond "Ray" J. Ryan Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Debt Games / Races: Poker Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Marshall Caifano / Johnny Marshall Nevada Palm Springs--California Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States

A Rare Case: High Roller Defies, Tattles on Mobsters

1963-1964 Mobsters Marshall Caifano (aka Johnny Marshall) and Charles Delmonico were arrested in Las Vegas on a federal warrant in July 1963 for conspiracy to commit extortion and engaging in interstate transportation in the aid…