The Mob Museum

11/19/2020

Charles “Lucky” Luciano | The Bootlegging King of New York

Charles “Lucky” Luciano, born Salvatore Lucania in November 1897, probably did more to create the modern American Mafia and the national criminal Syndicate than any other single man. Luciano led a group of young Italian and Jewish mobsters against the older set of so-called “Moustache Petes,” and in the process set the stage for the Mob to grow beyond the limits of bootlegging profits to become, in the words of his friend Meyer Lansky, “bigger than United States Steel.”

Around the start of Prohibition in 1920, he was recruited as a gunman by Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria, and a few years later Luciano went to work for Arnold Rothstein, another seminal figure in early organized crime. By the mid-1920s, Luciano was reportedly making millions in bootlegging pro...

11/18/2020

Notable Name: Vito Genovese

In November 1897, Vito Genovese, also known as Don Vitone, was born in Tufino, Italy. Genovese was one of the most powerful Mob lords of his day, but his desire to be named “Boss of Bosses” — chairman of the Commission, the Mafia’s national governing body — led to the secret society’s unmasking at the infamous Apalachin Summit in 1957, as well as from the public testimony of one of his lieutenants, Joseph Valachi, the first “made” man to ever admit the Mob’s existence in a public forum.

While in Italy, Genovese kept his Mafia profile high, dabbling in numerous black market rackets, forging ties with Italian and Sicilian dons, keeping his criminal empire back in New York growing through acting boss Frank Costello, a notorious underworld fix-it man and political point man. Genovese e...

11/15/2020

Happy Kefauver Day! We’re proud to offer free general admission exclusively to Nevada residents today, November 15, sponsored by Zappos.com.

Though tickets are now sold out for today, we offer discounted admission to Nevada residents every day of the week at themobmuseum.org.

11/15/2020

#OnThisDayinHistory 1957, the Apalachin Meeting, a summit of Mob leaders from across the United States, was raided by New York state police. It is believed the Mafia summit was to sort out the new underworld order in the wake of Frank Costello’s stepping down. News of the raid prompted FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to acknowledge the existence of the American Mafia.

11/14/2020

Now open! The Mob Museum is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the landmark movie Casino with a temporary exhibit featuring artifacts, memorabilia and rare photographs. Visit the Museum’s first floor for an array of movie props linked to the Tangiers hotel-casino, the fictional stand-in for the real-life Stardust on the Las Vegas Strip, an original script donated by Frank Cullotta and so much more. Tickets are available at themobmuseum.org

11/13/2020

Women’s Rights Advanced During Prohibition - Prohibition: An Interactive History

Women’s public, private and political lives forever changed during the Prohibition era. Their involvement in passing the Prohibition amendment in 1919, gaining the right to vote a year later, and their growing autonomy at home, in the workplace and in relationships launched American women into uncharted territory.

During Prohibition, women gained the right to vote, but they also enjoyed greater autonomy in their private lives: at home, in the workplace and in relationships.

11/12/2020

The Kefauver hearing in Las Vegas

Seventy years ago this month, the Kefauver Committee met in Las Vegas — in the very building The Mob Museum is housed in — to investigate organized crime. The hearings focused attention as never before on gambling-related crime as a national problem.

Seventy years ago this month, the Senate committee met in Las Vegas to investigate organized crime

11/11/2020

Feeling lucky? It’s the final days to enter to win the ultimate Casino fan sweepstakes! Entries are accepted until 12 p.m. PST on November 12.

Enter sweepstakes: https://themobmuseum.org/once-upon-a-time-in-vegas-sweepstakes/

11/09/2020

Back by popular demand, The Mob Museum’s souvenir masks are now available in a 3-Pack! Inspired by the names and faces of Mob history, a cotton-poly blend offers quality comfort with a universal fit for all Mob Museum fans.

Purchase online and for a limited time get a free 2 oz bottle of hand sanitizer: themobmuseum.org/souvenir-face-masks/

11/09/2020

Frank “Mad Bomber” Balistrieri led the Milwaukee Mafia family from 1961 through the mid-1980s, when he went to prison for his role in skimming money from Las Vegas casinos. Some believe Balistrieri was behind the 1982 bombing of Lefty Rosenthal’s car. Balistrieri was well known for using explosives to solve his problems.

11/07/2020

In November 1913, James “Jimmy the Weasel” Fratianno was born in Naples, Italy. Fratianno earned the nickname “Jimmy the Weasel” as a kid in Cleveland. When a policeman ran after him, Jimmy threw a tomato at him and the cop said, “Look at that weasel run!” Fratianno spent his teen years climbing the criminal ladder in Cleveland, but really came into his own in Los Angeles, taking over as boss of the Los Angeles Mafia. In 1977, under pressure from prosecutors, Fratianno agreed to become a government witness. His 1980 authorized biography, The Last Mafioso, was a bestseller.

11/06/2020

The Kefauver Committee and Organized Crime

In 1950, freshman U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver took the stage against organized crime, at the head of a special committee. The History Guy tells the story of how the Kefauver hearings revealed extensive evidence of organized crime’s infiltration of American business and politics and inspired an array of law enforcement initiatives to bring down the Mob.

In 1950, freshman U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver took the stage against organized crime, at the head of a special committee. The Kefauver hearings, as they beca...

11/03/2020

American Gangster was released in theaters in November 2007 with A-list stars portraying the true story of high-profile New York City drug lord Frank Lucas. It earned more than $96 million at the box office, ranking among the top-grossing gangster films of all time and it is consistently high on various “best mob movie” lists. But the film’s accuracy has also been the subject of intense debate.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3kTfcND

11/02/2020

Debuting November 13, visit The Mob Museum for a temporary exhibit featuring artifacts, memorabilia and rare photographs from landmark movie Casino.

On display will be an array of movie props linked to the Tangiers hotel-casino, the fictional stand-in for the real-life Stardust on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as an original script donated by Frank Cullotta, rare photographs from the set donated by former Mob defense attorney Oscar Goodman, and more.

10/31/2020

Happy 156th Birthday to Nevada! For a dose of Las Vegas history, spend your #NevadaDay in our historic building learning about the origins of this tough little town. https://bit.ly/2ZJSYWK

10/30/2020

The Godfather: Part III is getting a makeover

Director Francis Ford Coppola is pulling movie fans back into The Godfather trilogy. The 81-year-old director has re-edited the third film for release in December.

Director Francis Ford Coppola re-edits the Mafia trilogy’s less-heralded third movie

10/29/2020

Considered one of the greatest Mob movies ever made, Casino’s depictions of true events in Las Vegas during the 1970s and ’80s evoke nostalgic memories for those who lived it. To commemorate this landmark movie, we’re giving away an exclusive experience that will transport one lucky winner and a guest back in time to this iconic era in Las Vegas history. This “Once Upon a Time in Vegas” package includes:

- A VIP Mob Museum experience

- A virtual meet-and-greet with legendary Casino screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi

- A one-of-a-kind artist rendering of the iconic Casino promotional poster by British artist Charlie Tippell

- Two nights' stay at the Plaza Hotel & Casino with dinner at Oscar’s Steakhouse

- And more!

Enter to win: https://themobmuseum.org/once-upon-a-time-in-vegas-sweepstakes/

10/29/2020

Add on a big dose of intrigue and mystery to your self-guided downtown Finger Licking Foodie Tours with general admission to The Mob Museum! Enjoy your own private, self-guided culinary tour of downtown, plus access to all four floors of The Mob Museum. A Mob Museum souvenir mask and bottle of hand sanitizer are included in all Museum tickets purchased as an add-on to a Foodie Tour. Learn more: https://bit.ly/2HIGdoJ

10/28/2020

#OnThisDayinHistory in 1940, Gambino family boss John Gotti was born in The Bronx, New York. The Gambino crime family was one of the original Five Families of New York and for decades was the most powerful and profitable. Gotti was known as the “Dapper Don” for his flashy style and the “Teflon Don” for beating federal charges and trials in the 1980s.

10/27/2020

In New York City during the mid-1970s, the FBI investigated a rash of truck hijackings happening each day. The agency assigned agent Joseph “Joe” Pistone to go undercover for six months to find out where the Mob-connected thieves took the stolen cargo. His adopted name was “Donnie Brasco.” He was so effective as a wiseguy that the FBI let him keep it up. No one knew how far the investigation would lead, or what it would mean for Pistone.

In the end, the evidence and trial testimony Pistone provided in the 1980s produced 200 indictments of Mob associates and more than 100 convictions. His work decimated the Bonannos, one of New York’s five major crime families.

Learn about other undercover agents who infiltrated the Mob: https://themobmuseum.org/blog/top-5-undercover-agents-who-infiltrated-the-mob/

10/26/2020

Virtual Community Safety Forum: Election Integrity

In the thirteenth installment of our Virtual Community Safety Forum, sponsored by NV Energy, we explore the rising concerns surrounding election integrity. We're joined by Wayne Thorley, Deputy Secretary of State for Elections at Nevada Secretary of State and Special Agent in Charge Aaron Rouse of the Las Vegas FBI.

In the thirteenth installment of The Mob Museum’s Community Safety Forum virtual series, sponsored by NV Energy, we explore the rising concerns surrounding e...

10/23/2020

Did the Chicago Outfit elect John F. Kennedy president?

A number of authors assert, based on claims by individuals who were linked in one way or another to organized crime in Chicago, that the Chicago Mob — usually referred to as the “Outfit” — was responsible for John F. Kennedy’s election as president in 1960. It is alleged that John Kennedy’s father, Joseph, met with Outfit boss Sam Giancana before the election and struck a deal. But did this really happen?

John Binder, author of “The Chicago Outfit” points out that there is no convincing evidence to support these claims. Read on to learn more in our latest blog post.

Long-held claims of Mob influence do not hold up to scrutiny

10/22/2020

The first mobster in Las Vegas: Part 1

Meet Las Vegas’ first organized crime figure, James “Jim” Ferguson. During his reign in Nevada, Ferguson left a trail of destruction, from death to political corruption, robbery, burglary and bootlegging. In the 1920s and ’30s, the U.S. government considered him a “menace to society.” Nevada law enforcement officers said Ferguson led “one of the most dangerous gangs of criminals operating” in the state.

In this three-part blog post, learn about the "King of the Tenderloin" and how the law finally caught up with him.

Las Vegas crime kingpin Jim Ferguson reigned over city’s bootlegging, vice rackets during Prohibition

10/20/2020

Herbert “Fat Herbie” Blitzstein was a loan shark for Chicago mobster Tony Spilotro and a key member of the “Hole in the Wall Gang,” who were notorious for punching holes in walls to burglarize properties. Blitzstein helped Spilotro run a jewelry store, the Gold Rush. But the store was a cover for Spilotro’s criminal activities, with shares of the proceeds sent out of state to his Outfit bosses.

After the death of Spilotro, Blitzstein began running a lucrative loansharking racket coveted by jealous, low-level representatives of the Los Angeles and Buffalo syndicates working in Las Vegas. With the success Blitzstein obtained, came greed. A hit was put out on Blitzstein by a group of the Los Angeles mobsters who had aspirations to expand their rackets in Las Vegas but felt Blitzstein was in their way. Blitzstein was shot and killed in his Las Vegas home in 1997.

10/20/2020

Federal law enforcement agencies announce series of major busts

While most of us are focused on the pandemic and the final weeks of the presidential campaign, federal law enforcement agencies have been busy executing a series of huge busts related to international drug trafficking and tax fraud.

Cases include arrest of former Mexican defense minister, record meth seizure, $2 billion tax fraud indictment

10/18/2020

Author Talk with John Alite: Inside the Gotti Crime Family

In this Mob Museum public program from September 10, 2015, John Alite shared the often shocking stories from his 25-year, front-row seat to the rise and fall of the Gotti family. Stories include how he committed violent acts as a Mob enforcer for the Gotti family, earned millions in rackets from New York to Florida, fled the country to escape indictment and more.

In this Mob Museum public program from September 10, 2015, John Alite shared the often shocking stories from his 25-year, front-row seat to the rise and fall...

10/17/2020

Cleveland Mafia boss Angelo “Big Angie” Lonardo was the first sitting American Mafia don to become a witness for the government. In 1988, Lonardo testified before the U.S. Senate, delivering lurid details of the Midwest Mob’s skimming of Las Vegas casinos and providing a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of Mafia politics. His testimony covered several powerful gangland empires spanning from his one-time headquarters in Ohio all the way to the highest levels of the underworld in New York.

Read more in this blog post from 2018: https://bit.ly/31jzFU5

10/16/2020

An Offer You Can't Refuse: A Look At The Mob Museum | Taxgirl · Tax news, tax info, and tax policy

The Museum’s Geoff Schumacher joined the taxgirl to talk about The Mob Museum and the early days of IRS Criminal Investigations, including how Al Capone was convicted and imprisoned for tax evasion in October 1931.

Follow the link below to listen to this podcast episode.

Some of the biggest crime cases in history involve financial disputes and tax evasion. Kelly introduces her favorite museum, The Mob Museum, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The museum focuses on mob crime history including the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago involving Al Capone. Capone refused to fi...

10/16/2020

Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson was born in Charleston, South Carolina in October 1905. Johnson was a bookmaker and enforcer in New York City. He began working as a lieutenant for Stephanie St. Clair in the early 1930s. After they fought an unsuccessful turf war against Dutch Schultz, Johnson agreed to run Harlem operations for Schultz and his Mafia allies, including Charles “Lucky” Luciano.

10/13/2020

The 1930s were a tumultuous time in the Tampa underworld. Dubbed the “Era of Blood” by local journalists, the sound of shotgun blasts was a common occurrence as competing gangs vied for control of lucrative rackets. Chief among those rackets was bolita, a gambling game like the lottery in which balls (usually made of wood or ivory) numbered 1–100 were placed in a cloth sack. The bag was tossed into the crowd, and the winning ball was picked. This simple game generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue for gambling operators in neighborhoods throughout Tampa, especially in West Tampa and Ybor City, a bustling, close-knit neighborhood where many Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants lived.

One of the Tampa crime groups fighting for domination was led by Charlie Wall, the “Dean of the Underworld.” A tall man who often sported a white suit and hat (and nicknamed “The White Shadow”), Wall controlled narcotics, political corruption and some of the biggest bolita houses, including the famed El Dorado. https://themobmuseum.org/blog/good-man-bad-business/

10/12/2020

The Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 gave federal prosecutors the right to charge criminal conspirators – acting on or threatening murder, bribery, extortion, embezzlement and other lawbreaking – under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) provision. President Richard Nixon worked with Senator John McClellan, D-Arkansas, center with pen and paper, to champion the bipartisan crime bill that included the RICO law. Years later, in the 1980s, RICO laws were used to severely cripple organized crime syndicates across America.

10/10/2020

For decades, IRS criminal investigators have built an impressive track record in defeating organized crime, sometimes serving as a last resort for bringing racketeers to justice. When Chicago Mob boss Al Capone managed to escape prosecution for years in the 1920s, an investigation headed by IRS agent Frank Wilson led to Capone’s indictment, conviction and imprisonment for tax evasion in October 1931. He served his time in the Cook County Jail and the Atlanta and Alcatraz federal prisons. The prison time was severe – a longer term than most tax evasion cases yielded.