I've been a gambler my whole life, ever since I started pitching pennies and shooting marbles. I hate to lose, so most of my education came on the cheap, and I've stayed with games I could beat, and steered away from people and games I couldn't. Near the beginning, I was a nine-year-old kid playing... Continue Reading →
I wrote my first little story about the Primadonna Casino in Reno for my chip collecting friends in 1984. We weren't a big group, so the front side of the first of four pages had an actual post card stuck to it. Below the scalloped edges of the Reno-Tahoe Advertising post card were a few... Continue Reading →
L. M. Strauss, a native of the San Francisco Bay area, was born in October 1904. Growing up, he was like any other youth in the area, driven by the desire to earn some extra cash to support his interests and socialize with his peers. His early exposure to poker, particularly five-card stud, and his... Continue Reading →
If anything is certain in life besides Death and Taxes, it's that the Mob kept plenty of muscle in Las Vegas to protect its interests. In this case, the New York Mob started first, with a friendly visit from Meyer Lansky to the first club along what became the Las Vegas strip a dozen years... Continue Reading →
Harold S. Smith was born in Denver, Colorado February 23, 1910. His father, Raymond I. “Pappy” Smith, was a carnival booth owner who ran games in traveling circuses and at established boardwalks and fairs. He preferred the slappers, a roulette-style game with prizes on each pegged slot, and offered normal roulette games at many locations.... Continue Reading →
Benny Binion, born Lester Ben Binion on November 20, 1904, in Plot Grove, Texas, was an American gangster and casino owner. He founded the World Series of Poker and Binion's Horseshoe, a casino resort in Las Vegas. Benny Binion was known for his extensive criminal activities and contributions to the development of the Nevada gambling... Continue Reading →
Carl Cohen was born in Cleveland, Ohio February 15, 1913, and spent his adult years working in the gaming industry, first finding employment at the Thomas Club as a dealer. Cohen saw the Cleveland Syndicate’s casinos as a fine job and was both a dice dealer and later a pit boss. He also worked as... Continue Reading →
Jack Dragna from a Los Angeles Police Department Mug Shot - 1946 Jack Dragna, born Giacomo Tommaso or Ignazio Dragna in Corleone, Sicily, in 1891, was a notorious American mobster who rose to power in the early 20th century, leading one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Southern California. After immigrating to the United... Continue Reading →
Above: Moe Sedway enjoys a cigar with friend and casino partner Gus Greenbaum (Right) Moe Sedway was an American gangster and a close associate of the infamous mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. Born in 1894 in Ukraine, Sedway immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in New York City's Lower East Side.... Continue Reading →
Today, Cleveland is best known as the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Clinic. Plus, their pro sports teams the Indians, Cavaliers, and Browns. The town and its weather are harsh, face-first against the cold winter winds that constantly blow from Lake Erie. Not the most inviting atmosphere, but... Continue Reading →
Wilbur Clark was a prominent figure in the development of Las Vegas, known for his contributions to the city's casino industry and luxurious resort properties. Congenial and affable, he offered a friendly face and made a casino look safe – not shady. Las Vegas was never perfect, but the right frontman never hurt. In the... Continue Reading →
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