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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Alleged former Philadelphia Mafia boss Joey Merlino rebrands himself as restaurant owner
Joey Merlino, a 63-year-old convicted felon and reputed former Philadelphia Mafia boss, has become a social media personality while also…
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Grounded in history, ‘Mafia: The Old Country’ is a game you can’t refuse
The Mob movie may be experiencing a lull, evident by the lukewarm receptions to this year’s The Alto Knights and Mob Cops,…
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Owen Hanson goes from cartel kingpin to selling frozen protein bars
At one time Owen Hanson, a former University of Southern California national championship football player, was making millions as a…
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‘Dr. Death,’ notorious Detroit contract killer, committed first murder 70 years ago
The shooting death of 43-year-old Luther Mixon on July 1, 1955, landed Chester Wheeler Campbell, 24, and two accomplices in…
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Chicago Outfit boss Sam Giancana killed 50 years ago
Late in the evening of June 19, 1975, Sam “Momo” Giancana was cooking in his basement apartment, presumably for a…
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Lefty Rosenthal’s alleged sports-fixing past recalled in national sports story
In the 1970s, Mickey Bruce, a former University of Oregon football player, was called to Nevada to testify against Mob…
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Las Vegas casino pioneer a footnote in Southern California slaying
A high-profile murder in 1950s Southern California at the former home of a Las Vegas casino operator led to the…
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