Hank Greenspun, iconoclastic Las Vegas newsman who played both sides of the Mob, died 30 years ago
In the spring of 1952, Hank Greenspun, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, embarked on one of his many…
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Las Vegas Mob stories attract Hollywood interest
Of the many Mob movies and television shows now in the works, several are focused on underworld figures who had…
‘Mob Cops’ saga still reverberates 10 years after their life sentences
A former New York garment dealer, Burton Kaplan, sat down with DEA agents in 2004 to tell them an incredible…
Gus Greenbaum, Las Vegas casino operator for the Mob, and his wife were murdered 60 years ago this week
After nightfall on December 2, 1958, Bess Greenbaum, wife of Las Vegas casino boss Gus Greenbaum, drove from their Phoenix…
After 50 years on the Las Vegas Strip, Circus Circus still going strong
Fifty years ago this month, Circus Circus opened its doors at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. It’s…
The first mobster in Las Vegas: Part 3
Last of three parts On June 20, 1929, Jim Ferguson, the king of the Las Vegas bootleggers, took the stand…
The first mobster in Las Vegas: Part 2
Second of three parts The year 1928 initially looked good from Jim Ferguson’s standpoint. The “King of the Tenderloin” in…
The Stardust Hotel, longtime cash cow for the Mob, debuted 60 years ago on the Las Vegas Strip
One of the Las Vegas Strip’s most iconic casino resorts opened 60 years ago today. The Stardust was renowned for…
Joe Friday tackled the Los Angeles crime syndicate
William H. Parker, a hardnosed police chief in midcentury Los Angeles, did not want organized crime in his city. In…
Forty years ago, Jimmy “The Weasel” Fratianno turned on his Mob family
Some mobsters left their legacy by the gun, some by the knife, but Jimmy “the Weasel” Fratianno is best known…