[dynimagelv]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

One thing about mob-run Las Vegas that I don't think ANYONE touches on:

If a mobster ran a casino into the ground, he'd "go on vacation" and never be seen again. Thus there was a very real motivation with both positive and negative feedback for running things right. If things went well, an unparalleled lifestyle. If things went poorly, a Lake Mead cocktail -- two shots, splash of water.

If the stuffed suits who run the show today run a casino into the ground, what happens? They get a $14 million "golden parachute" severance package.

The mob way was better.

as LONG as they remembered to leave their car window down so they could reach in to start their car.....

Sometimes cars go boom in Las Vegas,

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by Trash Can

So, in other words, the corporations will fire you for stealing, while the mob would simply set you on fire.



Can you provide some examples of how things have changed over the years? My first visit here was in 1990 and I've only lived here for a little more than two years now, so my perspective is extremely limited.

It used to be, before Howard Hughes and Paul Laxalt teamed up to scr*w Las Vegas, that corporations could not be issued a gaming license, because the individuals on the license had to be vetted. You can't investigate everyone who owns stock in a corporation. So Hughes called Laxalt and got him to get the legislature to change the law so Hughes Tool Co. could own casinos. I won't get into how I think he got Laxalt to cooperate, but as soon as they made it legal, the corporations started buying up properties. That's what got rid of the mob. Not the FBeyes.

As soon as the corporation bean counters moved in, they demanded that every concession in the hotel make a profit. The way the mob ran things was that they'd lose money, or break even, on food, drinks, shows, and maybe even rooms, just to keep people in the casino playing. Their money came from not just winning, but skimming the profits. Just about every hotel had lounge shows that were either free or very cheap. The corporations killed much of the entertainment too. Most showrooms had these famous big bands; corporations went to recorded music and hundreds of musicians were out of work. Entertainment lounges closed and were turned into KENO parlors.

Prices in every part of the hotels went way up, and quality of service went way down. Servers used to fall all over themselves to make sure you were happy because even though your bar bill was maybe $5.00, you'd leave a large tip for the great service, and because you knew you'd be recognized the next time you came in. Besides everybody lived on tokes, so everyone left big tokes. That stopped and servers no longer gave a shi*, and great service became a thing of the past.

Anyway, the Mob had great lounge entertainment, and cheap food and drinks for everyone. Paul and Howard ruined that. And that's what us old timers miss. Great affordable entertainment where we would go and rub elbows with the rich and famous, and feel like high rollers. The Mob insisted on showing class, and it rubbed off on everyone else.

Another thing was that everyone knew somebody that had the power of the pen, and you could always show off by getting a comp when you had visitors from out of town. It was a small town, built around the exciting entertainment industry, and everybody knew everybody else. Now we're all just numbers in a computer data base.

The MOB also kept a lid on most of the crime you see now. In the old days it was unheard of for anyone to dare rob a casino. You'd rather rob a bank and have the Feds after you than the Mob. But the "boys" did whatever they could to keep from attracting too much attention from the Feds on themselves. Not that they were a bunch of Boy Scouts, but they were under enough scrutiny from Washington where they always wanted to close Las Vegas down

[dynimagelv]

and THAT boys n girls is LAS VEGAS in a nutshell....the most perfect explanation you could ever hear,

ALSO...by law, their could be NO, ZERO, ZILCH, ZIP foreign ownership ion any Gambling establishment anywhere in the state of Nevada

[dynimagelv]

and then came Whatzizname McCarthy....the head of the VICE Squad and his dirty politics to get rid of Ralph Lamb

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

and then came Whatzizname McCarthy....the head of the VICE Squad and his dirty politics to get rid of Ralph Lamb

That was another thing that changed Las Vegas. Get out of line and Ralph would have you dropped off at State Line (now Primm) and told never to come back.

I remember sitting at a bar back near the Aku Aku, with the Stardust Hotel manager, and there was a scuffle at the end of the bar between two tourists. It was just some pushing, but he said that was the first time in all his years in Las Vegas that he ever saw anyone get of of line like that. You had to be living under a rock to not know what might happen to you if you didn't behave in the casino.

I saw people cheating slot machines in about 1970, but it was years before anyone dared rob a cashier's cage.

[Buzz123]

When my friend worked at the Stardust he overheard Moe Dalitz tell a guy he'd break his arms if he didn't come back with the money he owed. Schools are named for this guy. People loved him. His life was like a Shakespeare play.

Former Nevada Governor, U.S. Senator, close friend of the Bush's, and potential Presidential Candidate, Paul Laxalt, was in the pocket of Moe Dalitz, who sold the DI to Howard Hughes, after Paul paved the way for corporations to own casinos.

Moe Dalitz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Stowa]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

YIKES he still makes me wanna go burn something

LOL great story, thanks.

[Trash Can]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

When my friend worked at the Stardust he overheard Moe Dalitz tell a guy he'd break his arms if he didn't come back with the money he owed. Schools are named for this guy. People loved him. His life was like a Shakespeare play.

Former Nevada Governor, U.S. Senator, close friend of the Bush's, and potential Presidential Candidate, Paul Laxalt, was in the pocket of Moe Dalitz, who sold the DI to Howard Hughes, after Paul paved the way for corporations to own casinos.

Do you know if he was pressured to sell the DI? Or was it too good of a deal to pass up?

[dynimagelv]

Laxalt [ptooieee] pressured him....

[dynimagelv]

I was here when the Hells Angels decided they were going to take Las Vegas over....

Theyand one Deputy started in San Bernardino and rode down the highway 3 abreast.....

Ralph [the ONLY Sherrif this town ever had] and one Deputy, drove out to Stateline....[now cleaned up n called PRIMM]They whjiled away the time in Whiskey Petes til someone say the line of bikes coming donw the hill towards the dry lake bed....

The Sheriff got up and mosyed [Ralph mosyed] out to the car and the headed to the lake bed [ACTUALLY in California so Ralph had only the Jursidiction that he chose to take.

They pulled the Cruiser across the highway and got out....

Stood there in the middle of the road with a shotgun cradled in his arm....his driver had one in his arm too.I have ALWAYS pictured Clint Eastwood playing the sheriff]

The bikes pulled up and stopped cause there was NO place to go .

The head Biker Dude got off his Chopper [Im picturin Peter Fonda here].


Ralph siad "We dpont want any trouble boys, turn around and go home"

Head Biker Dude says We're here to take this town Sheriff.

Sheriff jacked one into the chamber and blew the front fork off of Biker dudes chopper....

200 San Bernardino hells angels turned around and left.....Sheriff and his Deputy pushed the bike carcass off into the ditch and turned around and came home.....

Total time from leaving the office to coming back was about 2 hours.....

This fits the Mob thread because it was handled by Ralph at the DIRECT Request of Moe.