20 T he mob had a hand in building Las Vegas into one of the biggest tourist locations in the world. There’s an entire museum dedicated to acknowledging and preserving this bit of history – The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement (aka The Mob Museum). The mob generally has a negative reputation; it has been associated with organized crime, robbery, racketeering, murder and more. Could something associated with things so negative have done any good for Las Vegas? AccordingtolongtimeNevadaStatearchivistGuyRocha,“WeoweadebtofgratitudetotheMafiafordeveloping Las Vegas, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It was the mob that moved Las Vegas forward, with the good, the bad and the ugly.” A Brief History The Mob, also known as Cosa Nostra and the Mafia, emerged in impoverished Italian immigrant neighborhoods in New York during the late 19th and early 20th century. There are five main New York City Mafia families, known as the Five Families: Gambino, Lucchese, Genovese, Bonanno and Colombo. As the nation grew, the Mob grew with it, expanding its territory and influence up and down the East Coast, and eventually throughout the country. In 1931, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, head of the Genovese crime family, formed the National Crime Syndicate, or “Commission” to replace the old Sicilian Mafia regime of “boss of all bosses” and establish a rule of consensus among the crime families. At the Mafia’s peak, there were at least 26 cities around the United States with Cosa Nostra families, with many more offshoots and associates in other cities.  The mob moved out West, including to Las Vegas in the 1930s after gambling became legal, noticing the potential for substantial monetary gain. Las Vegas was an “open city” for over two dozen Mafia families across the country. Many had representatives in Las Vegas for decades, with Chicago being the most dominant. Mafia families had interests in Las Vegas casinos securing loans from the Teamsters’ pension fund, a union they effectively controlled, and used legitimate front men to build casinos. Key Players Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel Bugsy Siegel is one of the most well-known mobsters, and one of the first to set up operations in Las Vegas. Siegel obtained ownership of The Flamingo Hotel, where he would supply the gambling, the best liquor and food and the biggest entertainers at reasonable prices. He believed these attractions would lure not only the high rollers, but thousands of vacationers willing to gamble $50 or $100. The Flamingo opened in late-1946, but quickly performed poorly and was forced to close after just a month. Siegel led the renovation of the hotel, determined to make the hotel and casino operation a success. The Flamingo reopened on March 1, 1947, a new and successful casino; however, Siegel wouldn’t live long enough to see just how successful his casino would become. He was murdered months later. Meyer Lansky Known as the Mob’s Accountant, Lansky played a major role in the establishment of gambling organizations across the globe, including Las Vegas. A close cohort of Bugsy Siegel, Lansky was also an early participant in the growth of Las Vegas. Lansky helped to have Siegel appointed to lead Las Vegas Mob operations, and was a huge investor in The Flamingo, working closely with Siegel and other Mob bosses to ensure completion of the project. Lansky is responsible for much of the financial security of the Mob and is said to have helped to protect Mob money from seizure by the United States government. 46