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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Irish drug kingpin living in Dubai attracts new attention
Irish drug kingpin Daniel Kinahan is back in the spotlight with a magazine story noting that he is living freely…
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Hollywood fixer Willie Bioff killed in automobile blast 70 years ago
Chicago Outfit associate Willie Bioff rose to power as a corrupt union official, extorting millions from Hollywood studios on behalf…
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Las Vegas Mob classic ‘Casino’ celebrates 30th anniversary
Three decades after Casino was released in November 1995, screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi says the nearly three-hour film portrays the end of…
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FBI indictments link New York mobsters, professional athletes in two cheating schemes
If you thought the traditional Mob was dead, think again. The FBI on Thursday announced sweeping indictments implicating members of…
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‘Beer Baron’ Dutch Schultz gunned down 90 years ago
On October 23, 1935, Dutch Schultz was shot in a Newark restaurant along with three of his associates. In the…
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Mathew Bowyer, bookie for baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, vows to turn his life around
As he prepared to begin serving a federal prison sentence for booking sports bets illegally, Mathew Bowyer pledged never to…
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The long con of underworld grifter ‘Count’ Victor Lustig
The sensational exploits of Depression-era con artist Victor Lustig are now underworld legend. But many oft-told tales overlook his surprising…
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