And how long did it last? Were they gone by 1970? Obviously Bugsy Siegel, Frank Costello and Gerry Catena held substantial interests for some time

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.up...ked-to-100000-casino-skim/3184567061200/

Gambino associates skimmed 100k from a casinò in 1987.

Dating to the 1940s-1950s nearly all NYC families had an interest to a lesser or greater degree in Vegas (and for that matter island casinos too)

At least they were offered points to purchase if they so desired. Some did, others maybe chose not to. But for top Commission bosses it was there for the taking

Always wondered how NYC wasn't as involved in Vegas as Chicago. I can't imagine all 5 families got fleeced by the outfit and just settled and were good with AC? I get proximity and stuff, but just seems weird that their interests in Vegas weren't bigger. Anyone have any clue as to how that happened?

That didn't happen. The Genovese Family was the most dominant crew in Vegas (after all they invented it). Individual mafiosi also held interests. Cleveland, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh I believe, New England, etc. As far as Profaci, Bonanno, Anastasia, Lucchese, that I can't speak to,

I was always under the impression Vegas was Chicago's. Or at least had the biggest presence, I should say.

I remember one of those tv documentaries where, 70s or 80s, Chicago guys saw NY and opened fire on them in broad daylight.

One of the books said, reps from a family, don't remember which, asked the commission for permission to move in out there. They said we won't publicly back you, but if you get in, then we will.

I copy and pasted the below from another poster on here (Shoutout toodoped). Seems well researched as well as pretty accurate. Going off of this, it seems most major families across the country were involved, but also seems like Chicago was the true power.


"The Pair-O-Dice Club

Frontmen: Frank Detra
Chicago Mob Connection:Ralph Capone
Story:It was Ralph Capone’s first "upscale" casino on the Strip


The Flamingo

Frontmen: Samuel Cohen, Morris Lansburgh,Daniel Lifter, Gus Greenbaum
Chicago Mob Connection: Paul Ricca,Tony Accardo,The Fischetti brothers, William Alderman
Other Mob Connecion:Bugsy Siegel,Meyer Lansky,Lucky Luciano,Frank Costello
Story:After Bugsy’s death, Gus Greenbaum of the Chicago Outfit took over the Flamingo with Moe Sedway.
Funding for the final construction of the Flamingo was provided by several Mob groups, including Tony Accardo and Paul Ricca from Chicago.
In 1951 Anthony Brancato, a hitman for the mob, and fellow criminal Tony Trombino robbed $3,500 from the Flamingo, was found shot to death later that summer in a car parked in Hollywood.
Later the casino was purchased by the Hilton Hotel Corporation in 1971, who had a consulting contract with Mob lawyer Sidney Korshak.


The Stardust

Frontmen:Tony Cornero,Jake Factor,Robert Stella Sr.Hyman Goldbaum ,Morris Kleinman,Allen Glick,Frank Rosenthal,Steve Wynn
Chicago Mob Connection:Tony Accardo,Joey Aiuppa, John Drew,Jackie Cerone,Angelo LaPietra,Phil Ponto
Other Mob Connection: Moshe Rockman,Moe Dalitz,Nick Civella,Frank Balistrieri,Tony Salerno,Carl DeLuna
Story: Tony Accardo and Paul Ricca took at least five points each, a point being valued at $125,000.00.During the 70's and early 80's Joey Aiuppa had interests in the Stardust.
Nick Civella got $60,000 a month out of the deal.
Also the Kansas City family put $1.2 million assistance in getting approval of the $62.7 million Teamsters Central States Pension Fund loan to buy the Stardust.
In 1984 The Nevada Gaming Commission fined Stardust owners Allan Sachs and Herb Tobman $3 million for failing to stop alleged mob skimming at the hotel and removed them from ownership, even though neither were accused of participating in the scheme.


Circus Circus Casino.

Frontmen: Jay Sarno
Chicago Mob Connection:Tony Accardo,Joey Aiuppa,Tony Spilotro
Other Mob Connection: Frank Balistreri
Story:With a loan from the Teamsters Union Central States Pension Fund, it was spent $15 million for developing the Circus Circus and another loan of $43 million in 1972.Also Tony Spilotro had a gift shop in the casino.


The Sahara

Frontmen:Jimmy Jacobsen,Milton Prell, Jacob “Jake” Lansky
Chicago Mob Connection:Tony Accardo,Sam Giancana
Other Mob Connection:Moe Dalitz,Jack Dragna,Meyer Lansky
Story:Milton Prell was a jewelry-store owner and supplier from Los Angeles.Allegedly the mob skimmed over $25,000 a week per person.



The Hacienda

Frontman: Allen Glick, Paul Lowden,Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal
Chicago Mob Connection:Tony Accardo,Joey Aiuppa
Other Mob Connection:Nick Civella,Frank Balistrieri
Story: The Hacienda opened on October 17, 1956 at a cost of $6 million, with 266 rooms and the largest swimming pool on the Strip


The Fremont

Frontmen: Allen Glick, Frank Rosenthal, Jay VanDermark,Steve Wynn
Chicago Mob Connection:Tony Accardo,Joey Aiuppa,Jackie Cerone,Angelo LaPietra
Other Mob Connection:Nick Civella,Carl DeLuna,Frank Balistrieri,Tony Salerno,Anthony Chiavola Sr
Story:The Mob skimmed over $2 million in unreported income from the Fremont Hotel and Casino. Jay VanDermark was extremely valuable because he allegedly set up the entire skim operation there.


Desert Inn

Frontmen: Wilbur Clark,Allard Roen, Morris Kleinman, Ruby Kolod
Chicago Mob Connection:Johnny Roselli, John Louis Battaglia
Other Mob Connection:Moe Dalitz,Jack Dragna
Story:Desert Inn Casino opened in 1950, managed by Moe Dalitz and his Cleveland Mayfield Road Gang, including Morris Kleinman, Sam Tucker and Lou Rothkopf.The Chicago and the Cleveland syndicates acquired over 59 percent of this gambling enterprise.


The Riviera

Frontmen:Jerome Mack,Gus Greenbaum,Ross Miller,Bernie Nemerov
Chicago Mob Connection:Paul Ricca,Tony Accardo,Sam Giancana,Fischetto Brothers,Marshall Caifano
Other Mob Connection:Raymond Patriarca,Moe Dalitz,Tony Salerno
Story:In 1955 The Riviera opened and quickly established mob links. The Riviera was allegedly a group of Miami investors headed by Florida businessman Sam Cohen.
Past owners included Harpo (Arthur) Marx, movie star, comedian and his brother, Gummo (Milton) Marx
The Riviera, which opened in 1955, had lost money consistently for three months. Accardo, the de facto owner, knew that if a casino loses money for 90 straight days something more than bad luck was going on.
He gave the official on-site owners 15 minutes to leave. Then Accardo asked Gus Greenbaum, retired president of the Flamingo, who was living in Scottsdale, Ariz., to return to Las Vegas and save the Riviera. Greenbaum declined.
A few nights later, Greenbaum’s sister-in-law was murdered in her bed. Gus changed his mind and came to Las Vegas to work for Accardo.
On Dec. 3, 1958, a maid found the bodies of Gus and Shirley Greenbaum in their Phoenix home. Marshal Caifano orchastrated the murder of Greenbaum


Caesars Palace

Frontmen: Jay Sarno, Nate Jacobson
Chicago Mob Connection:Tony Accardo,Sam Giancana,Fiori Buccieri,Marty Buccieri,Tony Spilotro
Other Mob Connection:Raymond Patriarca,Jimmy Alo,Jerry Catena, Moe Dalitz
Story: The Teamsters Union’s pension fund,with at least $10 million sunk into the Palace (and another $40 million sprinkled around town).The money was in the form of “permanent” loans and undoubtedly contributed to the retirement of more aging mafiosi than over-the-highway truckers
Marty Buccieri was a pit boss at Caesars Palace and a distant relative of Chicago underboss Fiori "Fifi" Buccieri. He reportedly had connections to most of the Vegas crime figures worth knowing, the Las Vegas Sun reported in 1975
Fiori "Fifi" Buccieri demanded a $30,000 finder’s fee for his help in obtaining the loans.
After Accardo gained an interest in the under-construction Caesars Palace in 1965, he sent Tony Spilotro to Las Vegas to watch out for Chicago’s interests.



The Sands

Frontmen: Jack Entratter,Carl Cohen,Ed Levinson,Frank Sinatra
Chicago Mob Connection:Tony Accardo,Sam Giancana
Other Mob Connection:Meyer Lansky,Moe Dalitz,Frank Costello, Joseph "Doc" Stacher
Story:In 1952 the resort, made famous as a hangout for Frank Sinatra and fellow Rat Pack members, was one of several Strip resorts that reportedly ran cash-skimming operations for the mob.
Sam and Accardo were hidden owners of the Sands in the early 1960s.
Frank Sinatra, well-connected to Mob friends in Chicago and New York, was given 2-percent in the club and his license was approved. Over the years, his salary grew from $15,000 a week to appear in the showroom to $100,000.
In the 1967 it was purchased in by billionaire Howard Hughes, when it allegedly became "legitimate."


Tropicana

Frontmen: Ben Jaffe,Lou Lederer,Kell Houssels Sr
Chicago Mob Connection:Sam Giancana, Paul Ricca,Murray Humphries
Other Mob Connection:Frank Costello, Morris Mac Schwabel,Joseph Jacob Frankel,Meyer Lansky,Carlos Marcello,Dandy Phil Kastel,Nick Civella,Carl Civella,Joe Agosto,Anthony Chiavola Sr
Story:Managed by Frank Costello and the front man there was Lou Lederer, who represented Chicago mobsters. Lederer was the man sent to scout out the Dominican Republican in 1963 for Sam Giancana.
Nearly 30 percent of all the profits were cut-up and sent to the New York mob
In 1957 key player in the construction of the Tropicana, which opened that year, was Johnny Rosselli, who represented Chicago and Los Angeles mob interests in Las Vegas.
In 1975 Joe Agosto, representing the Kansas City mob in Las Vegas, became part owner of the Tropicana and later pleaded guilty to skimming money from the hotel. Other top Kansas City mobsters were also convicted in connection with the scheme.
In reality, the Tropicana was first controlled by Frank Costello and later by the Kansas City crime family.


The Dunes

Frontmen: Morris Shenker(Chicago,St. Louis and Kansas City,New England mafia),Jerome Mack(New England mafia),Major Riddle(Chicago Outfit)
Chicago Mob Connections:Tony Accardo,Sam Giancana
Other Mob Connection:Raymond Patriarca,Nick Civella,Meyer Lansky, Anthony Giordano
Story:The Dunes Casino opened in 1955.In 1961 it was one of the finest and largest hotels on the Strip. Together with the Sand and Desert Inn hotels, it was known as one of the three Kings of Las Vegas. The South Tower was added in 1979. The hotel was built in part with financing from movie mogul Al Gottesman and the Teamsters Pension Fund. The major investors were Sidney Wyman,Joseph Sullivan, Alfred Gottesman and Bob Rice. (It was later believed that Raymond Patriarca, the head of a Providence, Rhode Island crime family was the source of Sullivan's investment.) The resort soon ran into financial difficulties and the casino closed after a year. The resort was purchased in 1956 by two businessmen, Major A. Riddle and Jake Gottlieb, who had dealings with the Chicago Outfit.Many long-time residents knew the Dunes was controlled by the mafia, having been first built with money from it and the mob-controlled pension funds of the Teamsters and Pipefitters unions. The demolition signaled the end of significant mafia control and influence in Las Vegas. For many years, the hotel was owned by Major Riddle from the "Chicago Outfit" and later sold in part to Morris Shenker, an "attorney associated with the St. Louis Mafia, Meyer Lansky, Jimmy Hoffa, and Frank Foster, owner of Athony Alarm.


Royal Nevada

Frontmen: Albert B. Moll, Herman E. Kohen, Joe Leibman and Sid Wyman
Chicago Mob Connection:Johnny Roselli
Other Mob Connection:Moe Dalitz
Story:By early 1957 Rosselli was told to pack up and move to Las Vegas.Within a year, he got construction financing for the Royal Nevada. The money came from the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund, controlled at the time by Chicago mobster Paul "Red" Dorfman, and later by his son, Allen.


El Rancho

Frontmen:Wilbur Clark,William Wilkerson
Chicago Mob Connection:Johnny Roselli,Marshal Caifano
Other Mob Connection:Meyer Lansky,Frank Costello
Story:On April 3, 1941, the El Rancho opened on 57 acres of land with a simple sign lifted on stone pillars advertising the new resort.Johnny Roselli,Chicagos Bugsy Siegel,had interests in this casino.In 1960 fire burned down El Rancho Vegas.


The Golden Nugget

Frontmen:Steve Wynn,Mel Harris(son of a notorious Miami-based mob bookmaker)
Chicago Mob Connection:Joey Aiuppa,Jack Cerone
Other Mob Connection:Tony Salerno,Sammy Spiegel,John 'Peanuts' Tronolone
Story:The Golden Nugget was originally built in 1946, making it one of the oldest casinos in the city. Jackie Gaughan at one time owned a stake in the hotel as part of his many downtown properties.Steve Wynn bought a stake in the Nugget, which he increased so that, in 1973, he became the majority shareholder, and the youngest casino owner in Las Vegas.Allegedly Wynn had some connections and pressure from Tronolone(Chicago) and Salerno(NY).

Binion's Horseshoe Casino

Frontmen: Benny Binion, Ted Binion
Chicago Mob Connection: Joey Aiuppa,Herbert (Fat Herbie) Blitzstein, Anthony (Tony the Ant) Spilotro
Story:Binion was a former bootlegger and knew few mob guys,allegedly a close associate of Meyer Lansky.Benny Binion showed up in Las Vegas in 1946 with $2 million in cash in two suitcases, a step ahead of the Dallas lawmen. That may or may not be true, but it is a fact that the late Binion built one of the longest-running gambling dynasties in town before he died in 1989.It was roumored that his son Ted a casino executive,was a heroin addict and had connections with Chicago gangsters.


The Sundance Hotel

Frontmen:Al Sachs,Herb Tobman
Chicago Mob Connection:Joey Aiuppa,Jack Cerone
Other Mob Connection:Moe Dalitz, Angelo "Big Ange" Lonardo,John Tronolone
Story:n 1983,Sachs and Tobman faced suspension of their gaming licenses due to charges of skimming. Dalitz applied to manage the Sundance himself, but the Gaming Commission stalled on his application, until July 1984, when he agreed to surrender management to Jackie Gaughan until the casino could be sold."

I don't know who wrote that list BigTuna but there's a lot that wrong there. Not to get into the minutiae and particulars but for instance where is Gerardo (Jerry) Catena on this list? He held one of the largest hidden interests in numerous Vegas casinos. For that matter where's Ruggiero (Richie the Boot) Boiardo. Frank Costello, Eugene Catena, Vincent (Jimmy Blue Eyes) Alo, and Angelo (The Gyp) DeCarlo? All of whom held points in various Nevada casinos. Catena had such tremendous points in various hotels that he actually gave away and sold other NY/NJ guys points just so they wouldn't get too jealous of him.

Wheres Meyer Lansky? Its a fact that many of the Jewish frontmen put in place in Vegas casinos were put there by him, so that the NY mob could control the skim? After all it was NY that put Las Vegas on the map back in the 1940s to begin with. right?

The list provided is very skewed toward Chicago (as if they alone controlled everything when in actuality nothing could be further from the truth). Because Tony Accardo was in the midwest they were entrusted as watchdogs for some of the other families but they had to report in, and state what was what so every crew could earn.

I wish this site had thumbs ups and downs for posts to be recognized….. this and many of yours would get a thumbs up.

What about Howard Hughes that bought almost all the casinos in las vegas in the middle 1960s?

Thanks for that ringing endorsement DuesPaid. It's nice to hear we're simpatico in our opinions on so many things "mob.' lol

This is great discussion! I am not in *complete* disagreement with you. It is my belief that most major families across the country had a hand in establishing Vegas. It is also my belief that after Siegel was killed, the power in Vegas shifted from NY to Chicago. I agree that NY always had a presence in Vegas, specifically Jerry Catena, who with Chicago had a large interest in Bally. I just think that by the early to mid fifties, Chicago was the dominant family out there and remained as such until the skim bust. Just my opinion! Hope you had a great fourth!

For the little midwest families the las vegas skimming was the greatest source of money,so thanks to Hoffa that gave milions to the mob for buy and invest in the casinos,they was best focused on it while the east coast families were much more diverse when it came to ways of making money so they doesnt invest so much money as the midwest family did.

In the garden state book it said little pussy had a stake in some small Vegas casino. But it never did well, sometimes the weekly skim was only a $100. And he was meant to kick upto the Boot. There was a little bit more in the book.
Like a story that pussy russo was killed as a favour to Chicago/ spilotro.
Russo brothers were being bugged and there talk ' outed fellow genovese mobsters Tony Pro and Matty the Horse and their vegas connections ' .

They came from all over the US, (Cleveland, Detroit etc..) people like Carl Cohen, who gained national notoriety for a 1967 altercation with Frank Sinatra at the Sands, in which he responded to the singer's drunken and aggressive behavior by punching him in the mouth and knocking the caps off his front teeth.

Pittsburgh definitely had some interests in Vegas. I think some of that came from their influence in the Teamsters International. In the 70's and 80s, Jo Jo Pecora and Wango Capizzi ran the Las Vegas Travel Club in Pittsburgh, shuttling paying customers to certain casinos in Vegas that they had a piece of.
Pittsburgh also shared interest in a Cuban Casino with Trafficante before Castro through the boys out of the country.

I read somewhere that Lanksy spear headed the expansion of gambling through out the Carribean countries.
They had so much clout that they were partnering up with the leaders of the country and opening casinos.

Its amazing what these guys were able pull off if you stop for a minute and think about it.

The power and wealth they accumulated is just mind blowing.

Joe Bonanno was offered the opportunity during the mid 60s by the Haitian Dictator Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier to take of the crumbling casino business left behind by members of the Gambinos. Also it was a hub for heroin traffic and they would've been permitted to control. Obviously, the Bonannos were preoccupied at the time to cease that opportunity

Ashkenazi Jews, according a number of studies, have a higher average IQ than other whites.

What is that a "SNAPPLE FACT"?