Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Discuss all mafia families in the U.S., Canada, Italy, and everywhere else in the world.

Moderator: Capos

Adam
Sergeant Of Arms
Posts: 669
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:20 pm
Location: East Lansing

Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by Adam »

Has anyone ever compiled a full list of the Nevada casinos that the mob controlled(which families because often they were often jointly controlled) and the timeline for them? From the 1940s to when it all ended in the 1980s? It also gets a little confusing because there's essentially a point when New York isn't involved anymore(I'm guessing after the Howard Hughes buying spree in the 1960s) and then it's just the midwest families. And maybe other casinos outside of Vegas itself. I think we overlook those a lot. Just as an example, the Detroit mob controlled the Edgewater casino in Laughlin in the early 80s, but there had to have been other ones like that that weren't in Las Vegas city. The whole Argent thing is pretty well documented with Glick and the the midwest families, but when you get into ones like the Tropicana, which Frank Costello had the weekly earnings written down in his pocket at Appalachian, but ends up being run by Kansas City in the 1970s. Or the Sands, Flamingo, Desert Inn.......it gets a little confusing as to who had what and when. Just curious.
User avatar
sdeitche
Sergeant Of Arms
Posts: 820
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2016 12:15 pm
Contact:

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by sdeitche »

Adam wrote: Mon Oct 09, 2023 3:17 pm Has anyone ever compiled a full list of the Nevada casinos that the mob controlled(which families because often they were often jointly controlled) and the timeline for them? From the 1940s to when it all ended in the 1980s? It also gets a little confusing because there's essentially a point when New York isn't involved anymore(I'm guessing after the Howard Hughes buying spree in the 1960s) and then it's just the midwest families. And maybe other casinos outside of Vegas itself. I think we overlook those a lot. Just as an example, the Detroit mob controlled the Edgewater casino in Laughlin in the early 80s, but there had to have been other ones like that that weren't in Las Vegas city. The whole Argent thing is pretty well documented with Glick and the the midwest families, but when you get into ones like the Tropicana, which Frank Costello had the weekly earnings written down in his pocket at Appalachian, but ends up being run by Kansas City in the 1970s. Or the Sands, Flamingo, Desert Inn.......it gets a little confusing as to who had what and when. Just curious.
The Genovese family had interests in LV casinos through the 1970s. Little Pussy Russo, for example, owned the Jolley Trolley casino (Now the Bonanza Gift Shop at 2400 S Las Vegas Blvd).
User avatar
Snakes
Full Patched
Posts: 4414
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 7:00 am
Location: Elvis Country

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by Snakes »

Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, and K.C. had joint control of at least two casinos: the Stardust and the Fremont.
User avatar
Wiseguy
Filthy Few
Posts: 9592
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2014 11:12 am

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by Wiseguy »

Aladdin - Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, Frank Piccolo (Gambino)
Circus Circus - Spilotro used gift shop as HQ
Desert Inn - Dalitz (Mayfield Road Gang), Cleveland, Chicago
Dunes - Chicago, Genovese, Raymond Patriarca
Flamingo - Siegel, Lansky, Costello
Thunderbird - Lansky
Frontier - Chicago
Sahara - Chicago, Kansas City, Genovese
Riviera - Chicago, Kansas City, Genovese
Sands - Doc Statcher, Genovese
Golden Nugget - Chicago
Tropicana - Genovese, Carlos Marcello, Kansas City
Caesars Palace - Chicago, Genovese, Patriarca
Royal Nevada - Chicago
Stardust - Chicago, KC, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Hacienda - Chicago, KC, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Fremont - Lansky, Genovese, Chicago, KC, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Marina - Chicago, KC, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Continental Hotel-Casino - Gambino
All roads lead to New York.
User avatar
FriendofHenry
Full Patched
Posts: 1915
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 6:34 am

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by FriendofHenry »

How 'bout we add the Hacienda on the Vegas Strip in Paradise, NV. controlled by Pittsburgh?
"Never walk in a room unless you know your way out" - Henry Zottola
User avatar
Ivan
Full Patched
Posts: 3871
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 6:33 am
Location: The center of the universe, a.k.a. Ohio

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by Ivan »

FriendofHenry wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2023 10:13 am How 'bout we add the Hacienda on the Vegas Strip in Paradise, NV. controlled by Pittsburgh?
Props for knowing the difference between Paradise and Las Vegas. :lol:
EYYYY ALL YOU CHOOCHES OUT THERE IT'S THE KID
Don_Peppino
Straightened out
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2022 12:52 pm

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by Don_Peppino »

So just for clarification, is it a myth that all five families invested in the Flamingo hotel and casino?
"I was a venture capitalist"
User avatar
Wiseguy
Filthy Few
Posts: 9592
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2014 11:12 am

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by Wiseguy »

I should point out that, as Capeci said, it typically wasn't a case of an entire family having an interest in a casino but rather individual members who were involved. So, even though the above list has name a of cities, it would be individual members of that family. Some of those would include -


Genovese: Frank Costello, Vincent Alo, Gerry Catena, Anthony Salerno

Chicago: Anthony Accardo, Sam Giancana, Johnny Roselli, Joseph Aiuppa, Jackie Cerone, Angelo LaPietra

Gambino: Frank Piccolo

Detroit: Anthony Zerilli, Michael Polizzi

Cleveland: John Scalish, Angelo Lonardo

Pittsburgh: Samuel and Mannarinos

St Louis: Anthony Giordano

New England: Raymond Patriarca

New Orleans: Carlos Marcello

Kansas City: Nick Civella

Milwaukee: Frank Balistrieri


Up through part of the 1960s you had a variety of people from around the country involved in Vegas before many of them sold out. Afterward it was usually the Midwest families having interests there until the mob was finally out of the casinos by the mid-1980s.
All roads lead to New York.
User avatar
FriendofHenry
Full Patched
Posts: 1915
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 6:34 am

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by FriendofHenry »

Wiseguy wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2023 12:51 pm I should point out that, as Capeci said, it typically wasn't a case of an entire family having an interest in a casino but rather individual members who were involved. So, even though the above list has name a of cities, it would be individual members of that family. Some of those would include -


Genovese: Frank Costello, Vincent Alo, Gerry Catena, Anthony Salerno

Chicago: Anthony Accardo, Sam Giancana, Johnny Roselli, Joseph Aiuppa, Jackie Cerone, Angelo LaPietra

Gambino: Frank Piccolo

Detroit: Anthony Zerilli, Michael Polizzi

Cleveland: John Scalish, Angelo Lonardo

Pittsburgh: Samuel and Mannarinos

St Louis: Anthony Giordano

New England: Raymond Patriarca

New Orleans: Carlos Marcello

Kansas City: Nick Civella

Milwaukee: Frank Balistrieri


Up through part of the 1960s you had a variety of people from around the country involved in Vegas before many of them sold out. Afterward it was usually the Midwest families having interests there until the mob was finally out of the casinos by the mid-1980s.
Props for knowing the Mannarinos were involved the the Vegas Casino business :)
"Never walk in a room unless you know your way out" - Henry Zottola
User avatar
sdeitche
Sergeant Of Arms
Posts: 820
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2016 12:15 pm
Contact:

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by sdeitche »

Wiseguy wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2023 12:51 pm I should point out that, as Capeci said, it typically wasn't a case of an entire family having an interest in a casino but rather individual members who were involved. So, even though the above list has name a of cities, it would be individual members of that family. Some of those would include -



Detroit: Anthony Zerilli, Michael Polizzi

Just reading some articles today about Catena and Bally and there are references to Zerilli and Polizzi at the Frontier (through Emprise, a gambling company that also tied back to Catena and the Bally deal).
User avatar
sdeitche
Sergeant Of Arms
Posts: 820
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2016 12:15 pm
Contact:

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by sdeitche »

Jerry Catena, Gyo DeCarlo, Richie the Boot - Sands, Fremont, Horseshoe Club (now Binion's). Note that Longy Zwillman and DOc Stacher also had ties to the Fremont (and Stacher to the Sands).
furiofromnaples
Full Patched
Posts: 1793
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:41 am

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by furiofromnaples »

What about the casinos in Reno?
DoubleZ
Straightened out
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2014 4:10 pm

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by DoubleZ »

Wiseguy wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2023 9:16 am Aladdin - Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, Frank Piccolo (Gambino)
Circus Circus - Spilotro used gift shop as HQ
Desert Inn - Dalitz (Mayfield Road Gang), Cleveland, Chicago
Dunes - Chicago, Genovese, Raymond Patriarca
Flamingo - Siegel, Lansky, Costello
Thunderbird - Lansky
Frontier - Chicago
Sahara - Chicago, Kansas City, Genovese
Riviera - Chicago, Kansas City, Genovese
Sands - Doc Statcher, Genovese
Golden Nugget - Chicago
Tropicana - Genovese, Carlos Marcello, Kansas City
Caesars Palace - Chicago, Genovese, Patriarca
Royal Nevada - Chicago
Stardust - Chicago, KC, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Hacienda - Chicago, KC, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Fremont - Lansky, Genovese, Chicago, KC, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Marina - Chicago, KC, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Continental Hotel-Casino - Gambino
Solid list.

You can also add Detroit to the Frontier. And a new entry with the Silver Slipper and Detroit.

To add to your point WG about individuals, not necessarily families being involved, that Sal Profaci of the Colombo’s likely had points in with his relatives in the Detroit fam in one or more of the projects.

In I believe Jack Tocco’s FBI file, it describes Profaci coming to Vegas with a contingent of Detroit members involved with one of the casinos. Side note, this contingent tried to be sly by only meeting with 3 people at a time to not draw attention to themselves as a large group, which I found quite interesting (almost spy-craft like).
Adam
Sergeant Of Arms
Posts: 669
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:20 pm
Location: East Lansing

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by Adam »

So I've been trying to do additional research, and I'm thinking about late 1970s casinos and what mob families/individuals would have interests still. So 1978 or so:

Stardust, Fremont, Hacienda, Marina: This is Argent, so Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City and Cleveland
Tropicana: Kansas City
Aladdin: Detroit and St. Louis

These are the ones I know and are pretty clear by later prosecution. But in the late 1970s, are there any others that still had mob interests?
User avatar
JeremyTheJew
Full Patched
Posts: 3212
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:08 pm
Location: DETROIT
Contact:

Re: Full List of Nevada Casinos Controlled By Mob?

Post by JeremyTheJew »

Can we get a breakdown what these examples exactly mean??

Such as these ppl OWNED a portion of it under fake front ppl?? Like Alan Glick or whoever else was just on paper but these guys were the ones who really did??

Or - did these certain guys just start taking a claim in said casinos and somehow started taking a cut??

Still a little confused of what the LV operation really is and consisted of…. Like did someone litterally just walk in every month and went to the count room and walked out with 100s of thousands in un counted money????

Or was the spot set up from the beginning so there was no need to “muscle” in ????

Interesting that here in Detroit the original Greektown Casino owner had his car blown up but it was never really reported on and broadcasted

This was way way back kn the day around the family secrets case time if not before
HANG IT UP NICKY. ITS TIME TO GO HOME.
Post Reply