Las Vegas
Strip & downtown histories
View all →A living archive of the Silver State
Nevada was built on risk.
Here is what really happened.
True stories, primary sources, and timeless photographs from the people and places that shaped Nevada’s casinos. Carefully researched. Thoughtfully told.
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◇Reno
The original gambling capital
View all →Lake Tahoe
Resorts, roads & rivalries
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Pioneers across Nevada
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Featured research
The year the dice hit the desert: 1931 and the birth of Nevada gaming
Long before the Strip, a small legislative change opened the door to consequences that still shape Nevada. Start with the story behind open gaming.
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Recently researched
2026 · Nevada Gaming History
The Stardust and the Last Great Skim: Rosenthal, Spilotro, and the Outfit’s Collapse
The Stardust Hotel & Casino became the final battleground of Mob influence in Las Vegas. Frank Rosenthal ran the casino with unmatched precision, Tony Spilotro enforced the Outfit’s interests on the streets, and Teamsters money fueled the last great skim. Their rise and fall marked the end of an era — and the collapse of Chicago’s control over the Strip.
2026 · Nevada Gaming History
Why Nevada Legalized Gambling
Why Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, from economic desperation and Reno’s early operators to the casino boom that reshaped the state.
2026 · Nevada Gaming History
Johnny Roselli: The Smoothest Mobster in Las Vegas and the Man Who Bridged Hollywood, Washington, and the Strip
Johnny Roselli connected the Chicago Outfit, Hollywood, the Las Vegas Strip, and the CIA, moving through the relationships that shaped an extraordinary career.
From the shelf
Go deeper with the books behind the research.
From the casinos of Reno and Tahoe to the power behind Las Vegas, Al W. Moe’s books tell the fuller story.
Explore the books