Benny Binion’s million-dollar gamble lives on 75 years later
On August 14, 1951, Benny Binion opened the Horseshoe Club in downtown Las Vegas. Binion’s Horseshoe would become a cornerstone of the casino industry, particularly for downtown. It also made Binion a household name for both locals and tourists, as well as poker players the world over. But when the Horseshoe Club first opened, Binion’s footing was uncertain. His struggles in obtaining a gaming license also offer a fascinating case study for 1950s Las Vegas and just how committed—or not—state officials were in keeping the Nevada casino industry free from organized crime entanglements. From Texas rackets to Las Vegas casinos Binion moved to ...
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CIA, Mob team up to topple Fidel Castro in Paramount Plus docuseries ‘Mafia Spies’
The CIA’s alliance with the Mafia during the Kennedy years to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro is at the center…
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John Dillinger’s wooden gun and death mask preserve notorious moments in his life
On July 22, 1934, “Public Enemy Number One” – John Dillinger – was killed by federal agents moments after he…
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Scarface retains cult status with Al Pacino’s ‘iconic’ performance
The 1983 movie Scarface, featuring Al Pacino in the title role, continues to attract attention more than 40 years after…
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The life and crimes of a Sinaloa sicario
Ten years ago, the confessions of a California-based hitman revealed new information on decades-old unsolved cases and offered a glimpse…
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Oscar-winning ‘On the Waterfront’ premiered 70 years ago, with Marlon Brando as a dockworker confronting the Mob
On the Waterfront, which debuted 70 years ago this summer, is a ground-breaking tale about dockworkers standing up to a…
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In 1980s New York, the Mob had its hands in everything — even a museum
This is The Mob Museum, but it has never been a mobbed-up museum. As surprising as it may seem, that…
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Mobsters and their four-legged associates: The top 5 pets of organized crime
“You come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married and you ask me to do…
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