THE MOB MUSEUM ANNOUNCES JULY EVENTS EXPLORING COLORADO’S BOOTLEGGING HISTORY, THE FBI’S RISE AND ITS FIGHT AGAINST OUTLAWS
LAS VEGAS (June 2024) – The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, announces its roster of July happenings, including events exploring Colorado’s bootlegging secrets and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s rise during the era of the public enemy. Additionally, the Museum invites visitors to experience its enormously popular ongoing appearances by Frank Calabrese Jr., the former Chicago Outfit mobster-turned-government informant. The complete list of July programs and promotions follows.
A Liquor Legacy: One Family’s Whiskey Wars in Colorado
Date: Wednesday, July 10
Time: 7 to 8 p.m. followed by a book signing.
Location: Inside the historic courtroom. To RSVP to attend, click here.
Cost: Free for Museum Members or with Museum admission.
Description: The grandson of a notorious Colorado bootlegger reveals his family’s story from the rise of Prohibition to the bloody end of its underworld empire. Sam Carlino tells the gripping tale of his grandfather Pete Carlino and great uncle Sam Carlino, who controlled the flow of illegal alcohol from Southern Colorado to Denver from 1922 to 1931. With intimate photos and new revelations, author Sam Carlino sheds light on a dark chapter in Colorado history. A book signing of “Colorado’s Carlino Brothers: A Bootlegging Empire” will follow the program.
Speaker: Sam Carlino is the grandson of notorious Colorado bootlegger Pete Carlino, an amateur Mafia historian and author of “Colorado’s Carlino Brothers: A Bootlegging Empire.”
Public Enemies: The Outlaws and the FBI, a 90th Anniversary Retrospective
Date: Thursday, July 18
Time: 7 to 8:15 p.m. followed by a book signing.
Location: Inside the historic courtroom. To RSVP to attend, click here.
Cost: Free for Museum Members or with Museum admission.
Description: Ninety years ago, brazen outlaws such as John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and George “Machine Gun” Kelly met their match with the rise of the FBI. Americans were captivated by headlines tracking the exploits of bank robbers and kidnappers, as well as the FBI’s efforts to catch them. During this time, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover transformed his mild-mannered investigative agency into a relentless gun-toting force determined to take down these “public enemies.” Inside the Museum’s historic courtroom, a panel of experts will delve into the stories and characters on both sides of the law.
Speakers:
- Ellen Poulsen is a researcher in the field of 1930s crime history. Her recent book “Chasing Dillinger: Police Captain Matt Leach, J. Edgar Hoover and the Rivalry to Capture Public Enemy No. 1” won her a second Independent Publisher Book Award. She has appeared on the Discovery Channel’s special “The Dillinger Conspiracy” and the History Channel’s “Crime Wave,” among numerous other documentaries.
- Joe Urschel is the former executive director of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington D.C. He is also the former managing editor, senior correspondent and columnist for USA TODAY.
- As a child, Tony Stewart discovered his great aunt Beryl Hovious was married to John Dillinger. After interviewing Hovious, Stewart was inspired to write “Dillinger, The Hidden Truth – Reloaded.” For decades, Stewart continued to research Dillinger and other gangsters and authored more than 15 books and magazines on these topics. He’s also appeared in several documentaries, including “Making History – Rise of the Gangster” on the National Geographic Channel, “Crime Wave” on the History Channel” and “The Dillinger Conspiracy” on the Discovery Channel.
- Geoff Schumacher, vice president of exhibits and programs at The Mob Museum, will moderate the discussion.
Family Secrets with Frank Calabrese Jr.
Dates: Every Wednesday through Sunday in July
Time: At the top of the hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Organized Crime Today exhibit
Cost: Free with Museum admission.
Description: Reformed mobster Frank Calabrese Jr. had only ever hoped to escape the tumultuous and violent life he had been groomed for by his own father, notorious Chicago Outfit enforcer and hitman Frank Calabrese Sr. Knowing there was only one way out of the life – to ensure his father was never back on the street – Calabrese Jr. contacted the FBI from prison where he and his father were both serving multi-year sentences. To secure the evidence the FBI needed to charge and eventually convict Sr. for life, Calabrese Jr. agreed to wear a wire in the prison yard to capture intimate conversations with his dad. To further cement his father’s fate, Jr. convinced his uncle Nick Calabrese to also testify against Frank Sr. Nick’s testimony helped the FBI solve 18 murders, including that of enforcer Anthony Spilotro, whose death was depicted in Martin Scorsese’s 1995 movie “Casino.” Calabrese Jr. now appears weekly at The Mob Museum to speak and reflect on risking it all to escape the life he never asked to be a part of. Visitors are invited to join Calabrese Jr. Wednesdays-Sundays at The Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas, to hear his story of family, violence, addiction, greed and ultimately redemption. Calabrese Jr.’s telling of his life story leaves audiences stunned as he exemplifies the true cost of organized crime.
Walter White’s Last Ride Raffle
Date: Now through Sunday, Dec. 15
Location: Raffle tickets are available onsite at The Mob Museum and online at TheMobMuseum.org/raffle for those 21 years of age and older.
Cost: Tickets start at $5.
Description: For a limited time, the Museum presents the chance for one lucky winner to drive away in the 1977 Cadillac Sedan DeVille d’Elegance driven by Bryan Cranston as Walter White – aka Heisenberg – in the series finale of AMC’s hit series “Breaking Bad.” Proceeds from the raffle will support The Mob Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in delivering its mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime’s history and impact on American society through exhibits, public programming and educational outreach. Participants must be 21 years of age or older. Full raffle rules and details can be found at themobmuseum.org/raffle.
New Episodes of Inside the Life
Date: New episodes every Thursday
Location: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts
Description: Inside the Life, a podcast produced by The Mob Museum, and presented by Levy Online and Levy Production Group, is hosted by two former elite undercover agents, Giovanni Rocco and Dutch McAlpin. Their stories of infiltrating everything from the American Mob and outlaw motorcycle gangs to the cartels will leave you stunned. This podcast gives listeners a one-of-a-kind look into the inner world of organized crime, featuring guests who have lived on both sides of the law, risked it all and emerged to tell the tale. New episodes air every Thursday and recent guests include former DEA agent Javier Pena, actress Kathrine Narducci and more.
ABOUT THE MOB MUSEUM
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a world-class journey through true stories—from the birth of the Mob to today’s headlines. The Mob Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive storylines. Numerous interactive exhibits include a Crime Lab, Firearm Training Simulator and Organized Crime Today exhibit. The Museum is also home to The Underground, a Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy and distillery. The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Museums;” one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and “Best Museum” by its 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards; one of National Geographic’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas;” USA Today’s “Best Museum in Nevada,” 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for “Best Las Vegas Attraction” in 2021, “Top Five Best History Museums in the United States” in 2021 and one of its “12 Can’t Miss U.S. Museum Exhibits;” named “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times and one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by FOX News. The Museum is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is open daily; visit the website for admission rates and operating hours. For more information, call (702) 229-2734, visit themobmuseum.org, or download the Museum’s free mobile app.
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