At the risk of beating a dead horse, I’ve finished another book that deals with Las Vegas casinos and the impact organized crime had on the city and its eventual financial health as the 1980s rolled around. However, Vegas and the Chicago Outfit is primarily about how the Outfit came to power, how its early... Continue Reading →
Searchlight, Nevada and The King of Casinos
Don't feel bad if you've never heard of Searchlight, Nevada. It's the proverbial black spot on a map. It's an unincorporated town 13 miles square somehow holding 500 hearty souls. To be fair, ah, well, it's a dot, that's all. Really, if you are accidentally in Needles or Blyth, California, you might drift off towards... Continue Reading →
Mob City – Reno Connection
When Lucky Luciano organized the first Commission of the American Mafia, the cities with representation were all large, heavily invested in the riches from Prohibition, and had a ready delivery system for the booze that came in, usually along waterways and docks controlled by gangs. Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland (although each currently seeing a decline... Continue Reading →
Vegas and the Mob Book Trailer
Thanks for watching - Al W Moe
Vegas and the Mob
The Mob didn't start the gambling in Nevada, and especially not in Las Vegas. In fact, they were relative latecomers, since Nevada had gambling for years before it was officially legalized in 1931. Because Nevada was such a large state with such a small population, there wasn't much reason to spend any capital to set... Continue Reading →
Illegal Gambling Clubs of Toledo
Terry Shaffer's new book, Illegal Gambling Clubs of Toledo, is just terrific. It's one of only a few books on illegal casinos and certainly the most complete. Terry is a resident of Toledo and through hard work and a little luck, managed to get files and photos from back when the clubs were in operation.... Continue Reading →
The Roots of Reno
Yup - it's a new book. Your chance to get the straight scoop on how Reno managed to grow from a tiny little town below Lake Tahoe into the infamous "Biggest Little City in the World." Of course, this little ditty is written by yours truly, and I'm sorry to say it's not perfect. For... Continue Reading →