1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you should Know, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 2: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh, and there's 3 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 2: Chuck and Jerry's here too, and we're just a trio 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 2: of root and tutin bandits on stuff you should know. 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: Let's just get better and better. 6 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 2: Well, I wanted to nod to Las Vegas's Old West 7 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 2: I guess history. So, yeah, you know there were bandits there. 8 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 2: They used words like root and tutin. I presume, of 9 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 2: course they did. So it was that propoem in my take. 10 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: I agree, thanks man, I appreciate the support. 11 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: So early history of Las Vegas, the earliest we're starting 12 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: out and uh, you know with indigenous tribes, and we're 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: gonna work our way forward to what like the eighties, sure, seventies, No, 14 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: maybe even. 15 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 2: The early nineties, oh, late eighties, early nineties, the nineteen 16 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 2: nineties even, oh wow, all right, so we are going 17 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 2: to start at the beginning. There seems to have been 18 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 2: evidence of habitation. I saw according to PBS that dates 19 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: to fifteen thousand years ago, not too shabby. That's even 20 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 2: pre Clovis. There's I've also seen like about ten thousand 21 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 2: years and then the thing that drew people to Las 22 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 2: Vegas a spring, if you can believe it, that actually 23 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 2: turned the area around Las Vegas as we know it 24 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 2: now into kind of a relatively verdant area in a 25 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 2: desert that didn't erupt until eight thousand years ago. So 26 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 2: there might have been people hanging out in like rock 27 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 2: dwellings and caves around there here or there, but it 28 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 2: wasn't like a place you wanted to stay until that 29 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: spring came up. 30 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like Tiktook was wandering around saying, does anyone know 31 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: where Carrot Top is playing? 32 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: That's right, man, that guy has had a residency for 33 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 2: ten years now? 34 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: Is he in Vegas? I was kind of kidding. 35 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 2: Oh no, he's had a residency for ten years now. 36 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: Oh wow, good for him. 37 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: As a matter of fact, it might be more than that. 38 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 2: It might be eight thousand years that he's been there. 39 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 1: So we did promise talk of and I guess that's 40 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: about where we're going to pick up in with our story. 41 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. 42 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: Sure, with the new Wuvi people, which are part of 43 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: the Southern Paiute Native American tribe who were kind of 44 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: all over the place down there southern California, southern Nevada, 45 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: southern Utah, northern Arizona kind of in that little strip, yes, 46 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: and that they were there in Las Vegas, like you said, 47 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: largely because there was a spring there. 48 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: Right, And they were hunters and gatherers, and they were 49 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 2: known for their really well crafted dice. 50 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: We're just going to have those all over the place 51 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: for sure. 52 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: For sure. So they lived there among other people too, 53 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 2: and again they were hunter gatherers, so they I don't 54 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: believe they were considered permanent inhabitants of the area, but 55 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,399 Speaker 2: they definitely lived around there, So I guess it wasn't 56 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:16,399 Speaker 2: until the eighteen twenties. No, even after that. It wasn't 57 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 2: until the eighteen fifties that the area we know of 58 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 2: as Las Vegas was actually first permanently settled, and even 59 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 2: then it was temporary. If that's not enough of a 60 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 2: mind boggler. 61 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: For you, well, are we gonna spoil who that is 62 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: by two minutes? 63 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 2: Yes? I think we should, because I don't want people 64 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 2: to have to wait for that. 65 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: All right, Well, who is it? 66 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 2: The Mormons? 67 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: That's right, but pre Mormon, when it was just a 68 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: little spring, it did become known. It was part of 69 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: Mexico at the time, of course, and it became known 70 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: as Las Vegas de Quintana the Meadows in Spanish. And 71 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: in eighteen twenty nine is when it first sort of 72 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: started just being a thing at all, because it was 73 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: a stop on what was called the Old Spanish Trail, 74 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: which was a trade route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, 75 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: with the stop in Utah on the way. 76 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and again, the reason why you would stop there 77 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 2: is because there's running water there. That's a rarity in 78 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 2: the area. So that alone drew people from time immemorial. 79 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 2: And I think around the eighteen forty is a guy 80 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 2: named John C. Fremont showed up or Fremont, and he 81 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,799 Speaker 2: was a surveyor, but he was like a shadester surveyor. 82 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 2: He was sent by the United States to go see 83 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 2: what the land looked like out there and maybe survey 84 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: for the United States. But do it surreptitiously, because again, 85 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 2: all of this area belongs to Mexico. We've just been 86 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 2: thinking about maybe taking it over. 87 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I want to correct myself real quick. It 88 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: does the Old Spanish Trail to connect Vegas to La 89 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: but it started in Santa Fe. So we want to 90 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:53,799 Speaker 1: sell them short. 91 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 2: Oh no, not at all. 92 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: We love our Santa. 93 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 2: Fans, Santa fe Inian nights in. 94 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: The night ganders right. So the US of Mexico went 95 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: to war. This is something that I think we should 96 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: cover at some point on an episode. From eighteen forty 97 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: six to eighteen forty eight, Mexico lost and under the 98 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo everything north of the Rio Grand 99 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: basically about half of its territory at the time, was 100 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: given up, and Las Vegas Decantana was in there. So 101 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: now the US government officially is control, is controlling of 102 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: what would end up being the Las Vegas we know, 103 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: and some of us love, some of us maybe don't 104 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: so much. And this was the year eighteen forty eight, 105 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: so that was right before the Gold Rush of forty nine, 106 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: so it was already a stopover because of that old 107 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: Spanish trail, and it was just more firmly entrenched as 108 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: these forty nine ers would head west looking to catch 109 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: a show and play little Blackjack, I guess, and spend the. 110 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 2: Night for sure. And that gold Rush of forty nine 111 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 2: is what really disrupted the pious, kind of generally peaceful 112 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,559 Speaker 2: occupation of the area because a lot of people came 113 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 2: westward and passed through Vegas, and some even stayed and 114 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 2: decided to stick a claim there. And in eighteen fifty five, 115 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 2: like I said, the Mormons showed up. Brigham Young said 116 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 2: to William Bringhurst, get thee with thirty of thoused people 117 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 2: to thine Las Vegas area and set up a mission. Basically, 118 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 2: he's like, don't kid yourself. Let's build a fort because 119 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 2: we're not exactly sure how this is going to be received. Now, well, 120 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 2: once you've built a fort, maybe, you know, make friendly 121 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 2: contact with the Piute people, teach them how to farm, 122 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 2: and then baptize them when they're not paying attention. 123 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: That's right. He kind of buried the lead, didn't he. Yeah, 124 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: So while they were there, they did put up a fort, 125 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,479 Speaker 1: they did baptize I think the number was fifty nine 126 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 1: people of you know, Piute people. And then they did 127 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: so thing or they found something that ended up being 128 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: really kind of key to why Las Vegas continued to 129 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: be a thing, which was or they found lead or 130 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: and set up a mine nearby. And as you will see, 131 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: mining and finding deposits of all kinds of valuable things 132 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: ended up being a very you know, key reason Vegas 133 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: became Vegas. 134 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 2: For sure. And let's imagine like having the knowledge of 135 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 2: just how to set up a mind, could you start 136 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 2: a mind today? How to scratch? I couldn't know. I'd 137 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 2: be like, I don't I don't know what I'm doing. 138 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 2: But that's what they did, and like you said, it 139 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 2: kind of created this this legacy discovery. But they they 140 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 2: ran into a problem that would be a problem for 141 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 2: much for a while longer, and that was that the 142 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 2: intensive agriculture they were trying to create was not sustainable 143 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 2: by the spring that had burst forth eight thousand years before. Yeah, yeah, 144 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 2: it was good. You could raise a little bit of crops. 145 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 2: You could definitely do some hunter gathering. You could get 146 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 2: a nice cool drink and bathe in it. But you 147 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 2: really couldn't do anything major with it. And so Brigham 148 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 2: Young said, get Thoust back to Thine Salt Lake area 149 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 2: and just bring it in. But they left that fort, 150 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,239 Speaker 2: and that fort actually is still there today, in part 151 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 2: because a succession of people kind of came along and said, 152 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 2: this is a really handy thing to have. 153 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, I mean, you know, there was some other 154 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: stuff there. There were some cabins and you know, remnants 155 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: of life. So, like you said, when people would pass 156 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: through there because it was still a stop on that 157 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: trade trail, people would be like, oh great, we can 158 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 1: you know, we can kind of use this stuff. And 159 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 1: that happened with a gentleman named Octavius decatur Gas who 160 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: was from that's two s's by the way, and he 161 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 1: was from Ohio and went to California in eighteen fifty 162 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: selling prefab homes, which was great timing, yeah, because you 163 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: know that that forty nine er gold rush boom. It 164 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: was just on the heels of that, and people needed 165 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: places to live. They're kind of getting tired of those 166 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: canvas tents, I guess. So he had these little prefab 167 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: kit houses he was selling, and I think was doing 168 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: pretty well for himself doing that. But then he kind 169 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: of noticed everything that was going on around him as 170 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: far as people getting rich, staking claims and mining, and 171 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: he was like, I want to get in on that, 172 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: and he staked a claim, well several even, but one 173 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: at Eldorado Canyon, about fifty miles away from that original 174 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:29,199 Speaker 1: Mormon fort. 175 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I saw The Las Vegas Review Journal described 176 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: od Gas as the kind of guy where opportunity frequently knocked, 177 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 2: but he was always in the bathtub, And I think 178 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 2: that really kind of gets it across. This guy tried 179 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 2: a lot of stuff, but was I mean, he was 180 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 2: modestly successful, but his ambitions were never were never reached. 181 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 2: But he kind of found his way into, you know, 182 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 2: just enough success, but it would always be relatively short lived. 183 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 2: And that came as far as Las Vegas is con 184 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 2: and when he happened upon that old Mormon fort with 185 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 2: a couple of buddies that he'd made in the mining trade, 186 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 2: and they decided to give up mining for a little 187 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 2: while and take that fort and convert it into a 188 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 2: ranch to make a rest stop for travelers on their 189 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 2: way west. And this was actually a pretty smart move 190 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,199 Speaker 2: because again there's water there. But more to the point, 191 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 2: they used some of that water to grow grape vines, 192 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 2: which they turned into wine, which is even harder to 193 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,079 Speaker 2: find in the desert than water at this time. And 194 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 2: that made that place a must stop pit stop on 195 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:38,319 Speaker 2: the way out to Los Angeles. 196 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean you could stop there and get a drink. 197 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: It was like the seeds of early Las Vegas already planted. 198 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. The thing is is it was probably red wine 199 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 2: and red wine and like the hot dry desert is 200 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 2: not a good mix. 201 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: No, it certainly as we know, you know how American 202 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: wine has grown. Now, it's not an ideal place to 203 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: grow wine. But back then I think it was like, okay, 204 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: we can grow some grapes that will get you. 205 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 2: Drunk, right. I think that was the point, which is 206 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 2: very vegacy. 207 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: It's very vegacy. So things start to accumulate there, as 208 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: in people and just you know, minors, people kind of 209 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: growing the town around him. He obviously is the I 210 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: guess sort of founder. Sorry bring him young. Was enjoying power. 211 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: You know, he was the first guy there to set 212 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: up stakes for real, and so he ended up having 213 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: like influence and power. And when the US government said, 214 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: you know what we want to do here is we 215 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: want to actually redraw these lines and these territory lines, 216 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: and we want to actually scoot Nevada over to where 217 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: this weird Vegas ranches encompass within Nevada, he was like, no, 218 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: like this is Arizona. I'm really upset by this, to 219 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: the point where he e he even tried to like 220 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: clip off the point of Lincoln count to make a 221 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: Las Vegas County, and he wasn't able to because he 222 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,439 Speaker 1: had all of a sudden, a bunch of Nevadens, well 223 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 1: they weren't state Nevadens yet, but Nevada territorians removed from 224 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: his constituency. So he was sort of left with no sway. No. 225 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 2: I mean, it's tough to be a politician when you're 226 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 2: not actually representing anybody, because they all moved because they 227 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 2: didn't want to pay the new Nevada taxes. So his 228 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,680 Speaker 2: political life kind of petered out. Apparently he was slapped 229 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 2: with a two year tax bill too, and I couldn't 230 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 2: find whether he actually paid it or not. From what 231 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 2: I can tell about him, he probably didn't. But he 232 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 2: set about reinvesting himself into the ranch. He got married, 233 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 2: had a couple of kids, raised them on the ranch too, 234 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 2: and his wife Mary, by the way, the Paiute people 235 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 2: who worked for them called her long Eye because apparently 236 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 2: she was a crack rifle shot. So they're kind of 237 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,200 Speaker 2: farming doing the ranch thing, making their way. And I 238 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 2: guess he had borrowed about five thousand dollars from a 239 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 2: guy named Archibald Stuart. He basically mortgaged his ranch for 240 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 2: five grand and he's planning on paying it back with 241 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 2: a bumper crop that he was expecting of pink beans, 242 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: which are delicacy in the area. I can't remember what 243 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 2: else he grew, making wine, all that stuff, And apparently 244 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 2: it was a freak weather. There's this terrible weather that 245 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 2: year and his crop got wiped out, and so he 246 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 2: was forced to basically hand over the ranch to Archibald Stuart, 247 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 2: and he and his wife and kids moved to Pomona. 248 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, what a great place to end up. Sure, I 249 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: love Pomona. 250 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:39,559 Speaker 2: I've never been. 251 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: I've just been once. I one saw the Shins play 252 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: a show in Pomona. Oh wow, what a story. Yeah. 253 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:49,679 Speaker 1: The only thing I remember about that show is Emily 254 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: and I were really bugged because the crowd was young 255 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: and they weren't like getting into it. You're like, what's 256 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: going on here? This is like a great show. 257 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, how would you end up at that show if 258 00:13:58,559 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: you weren't into the Shins? 259 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. Or maybe they were just just trying 260 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:03,680 Speaker 1: to play cool. 261 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 2: They were like, play that song from gardens toat Oh God. 262 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: So in the meantime, things are really booming just in 263 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: that area of Eldorado Canyon as far as mining goes, 264 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: Like copper and lead and gold and silver and everything. 265 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: Like people are getting rich out there, it gets a 266 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: little rowdy, of course, whenever you know miners are sticking 267 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: claims and making a whole lot of money, there's going 268 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: to be some lawlessness. But it was a good place 269 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: to be if you wanted to mine, if you didn't 270 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: mind the heat so much. The one problem was they 271 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: didn't have a railroad yeah to get that stuff places. 272 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: So their only really route was to use these armed 273 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: freight wagons, which were slow and expensive. And they were like, 274 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: we need a. 275 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 2: Railroad, yeah, And the railroad had already been established by 276 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 2: eighteen sixty nine, it just wasn't in Las Vegas because 277 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 2: it was still just kind of a dusty wagon trail town. 278 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 2: Now it was rich and it needed help getting those 279 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 2: riches out of Las Vegas. So the railroads were like, oh, okay, 280 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,239 Speaker 2: we'll come over there, and so they started building a railroad. 281 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 2: There was a reason why Las Vegas got a railroad, 282 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 2: and it was actually two dudes, two very wealthy dudes, 283 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 2: butting heads, trying to get control over the railroad in 284 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 2: that area. And I say, we tell their story when 285 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 2: we come back from a break. 286 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 1: Let's do it learn and stuff with Joshua John stuff. 287 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: You shut up, all right. So this is the story 288 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: of a sort of a brief little railroad war. That's 289 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: hard to say, so I'm not going to say it again. 290 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: One guy was William Clark. He was a copper tycoon 291 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: from Montana, was also in northern politics. And the other 292 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: guy was a guy named E. H. Harriman, and he 293 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: was the head of the Union Pacific Railroad. He was 294 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: looking for a connection to California. He was shut out 295 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: of San Francisco, so he looked south toward Los Angeles. 296 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: Clark wanted to get in on this mining boom, and 297 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 1: he said, well, I think we should have a train 298 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: there as well, so we can connect this Salt Lake 299 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: city to Los Angeles. It can go sort of that 300 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: old Spanish trade route actually, and it can go right 301 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: here through Las Vegas and I can use it and 302 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 1: it'll be great. He bought a small railroad that ended 303 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: in la and started to build a connection. When he 304 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: and Harriman started butting. 305 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 2: Heads, right turned out they finally managed to come to 306 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 2: terms with one another. Because William Clark was really interested 307 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 2: in Vegas and building a town out of Vegas. Whereas 308 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 2: Harriman was more interested in the actual railroad. So I 309 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 2: guess Clark sold his interest to Harriman and started focusing 310 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 2: on building a town around this new railroad line through Vegas. 311 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 2: And what's interesting is William Clark, he was extraordinarily rich, 312 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 2: but his competition in staking and laying out a town 313 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 2: in Las Vegas was an African American land surveyor named J. T. 314 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:41,479 Speaker 2: McWilliams who had heard that William Clark was going to 315 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 2: build this railroad through Las Vegas and started buying up 316 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 2: land around I think the west side of the railroad, 317 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 2: and he started building a town there. And there were 318 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 2: two towns on Vegas on the west side of the tracks, 319 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 2: on the east side of the tracks. The east side 320 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 2: was Clark's and the west side was McWilliams, And those 321 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 2: were like the rival towns when Vegas was first established, 322 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 2: I believe, starting around nineteen oh five. 323 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:11,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, super interesting little side story there, I love it. 324 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: Thanks much forgotten to history, I think. So in nineteen 325 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: oh three, he Clark, that is, purchased that ranch Las 326 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: Vegas Rancho and that spring from Helen Stewart, who was 327 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: the widow of the gentleman who had foreclosed on what's 328 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: his name, Bass cas or Gods Gots, so he owned 329 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: all this land. Now he subdivided it up into about 330 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:43,120 Speaker 1: twelve hundred lots, started auctioning them off in May nineteen 331 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: or sort of late nineteen oh four, and then in 332 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: spring nineteen oh five people started building there. And it 333 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: was like people were paying pretty good money for these 334 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:55,120 Speaker 1: lots back then, considering you know where it was. And 335 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 1: because all of this, Clark County is named after William Clark. 336 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:03,199 Speaker 2: To day, that's really funny because Mark Twain called William 337 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 2: Clark like basically the worst human being alive. He had 338 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 2: bribed the Montana legislature to make him a senator. And 339 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 2: we actually have the seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution, which 340 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 2: says that senators are directly elected rather than appointed by 341 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 2: state legislators like they used to because of William Clark. 342 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 2: And I didn't realize that they named the county after him. 343 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: That's interesting, right, So I'm sure everyone's like, when are 344 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 1: you guys going to start talking about gambling and casinos? 345 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 2: Just give us like twenty minutes. 346 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: No, we're there. So gambling in Vegas, just like much 347 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: of the United States was a thing like people have 348 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: gambled off and on in the United States since there's 349 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: been a thing. They weren't necessarily casinos, but people would 350 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: play cards, they would play dice, they would play poker, 351 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: all the kind of like good old fashioned, you know, 352 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 1: person to person gambling games. In eighteen sixty one, this 353 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: is a few years before statehood, so this is in 354 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty one, the governor said, gambling is a felony. 355 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: You can't do it here. You can't do it. Apparently 356 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,439 Speaker 1: there was what they call the progressive movement at the 357 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,959 Speaker 1: time that wanted to get rid of all kinds of 358 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: vices like that. And then eighteen sixty nine, after they 359 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:20,959 Speaker 1: got their statehood about five years later, they legalized it 360 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: for geeze about forty years, but then reverse that made 361 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: it illegal again in nineteen oh nine. Sure, but in 362 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: that time after nineteen oh nine that it was illegal, 363 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 1: they said like, hey, listen, you can have your poker games, 364 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 1: you can have your dice games, you can gamble against 365 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: other people and stuff like that, but what you can't 366 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,680 Speaker 1: do is what's called wide open gambling, which is gambling 367 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: against the house as the bank. Right. 368 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 2: Then they reversed that too in nineteen thirty one, thanks 369 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 2: to the depression and the local minds kind of falling 370 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 2: on hard times, they Las Vegas or I guess Nevada 371 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 2: passed what's called the Eide Open Gambling Bill, that's what 372 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 2: they called it, and they said, yeah, you can have 373 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 2: a you can become a licensed gambling establishment, and we're 374 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 2: going to regulate you and tax the heck out of you. 375 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 2: But you can gamble. Now, what's funny is the Nevada 376 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 2: still doesn't have a lottery. Like they said, yes you 377 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 2: can gamble, No, you can't have a lottery. And I 378 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 2: think at first it was to protect locals. They started 379 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:26,440 Speaker 2: they legalized gambling to pull tourists in even from the outset. 380 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 2: And then now I think the gaming companies that run 381 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 2: the casinos in Vegas or they just opposed a lottery 382 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 2: anytime it comes up because they don't want to even 383 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 2: have that as competition. 384 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: Like that five dollars that you spend on a scratch off, 385 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: we want you to put that into our slot machine. 386 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, you could be doing that. You can put it 387 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 2: on roulette, whatever you want to do, as long as 388 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:52,440 Speaker 2: you're betting it with us. 389 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, I could totally see that. So they're fighting the 390 00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:00,119 Speaker 1: depression in nineteen thirty one by legalizing gambling. Construction the 391 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 1: Hoover Dam started that same year, and all of a 392 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: sudden you had people nearby that had a little money 393 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: in their pocket, which was they were, I guess happy 394 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 1: to go over to what was you know, sort of 395 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 1: the first area of Vegas to feature casinos was Fremont 396 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 1: Street and things started happening there was there's actually one 397 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 1: of those casinos that opened in nineteen oh six called 398 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 1: the Golden Gate is still in Las Vegas. Yeah, that 399 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: I'd looked up pictures. I've never been inside it, but 400 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 1: I'm gonna check it out next time im in Vegas. 401 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: It looks super cool in old school. 402 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,360 Speaker 2: It's on the Fremont Street experience. 403 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 1: Right, I have no idea I think it is. So. 404 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,160 Speaker 2: I don't know if anyone has been to Vegas recently, 405 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:47,120 Speaker 2: but in the nineties they closed off a six block 406 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 2: stretch of Fremont Street that has a lot of these 407 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:53,199 Speaker 2: original casinos and hotels on them and made it just 408 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 2: pedestrian only, and then they covered it with a light 409 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 2: show roof that has forty nine million led lights across it. 410 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: Wow. 411 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: And so it's it's it's whatever that weird non time 412 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 2: of day is that they always is indoors in Vegas. 413 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 2: They managed to do that on a six block stretch 414 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 2: of street. So it's really something that's called the Fremont 415 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 2: Street experience. And these first casinos and resorts that's what that's. 416 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 2: That was them and some of them are still there. 417 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 2: Like you said, the Golden Gate or the Yeah, the 418 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:28,159 Speaker 2: Golden Gate is it? 419 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,640 Speaker 1: Uh? Is it awesome to like walk under that thing? 420 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 2: It's pretty cool. It's cool. It's got a lot of 421 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 2: street performers like Man's Chinese Theater, Times Square, but then 422 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 2: it has a lot of history that Neon Museums there, 423 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 2: the mob museums there. Like it's it's pretty well done, 424 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 2: to tell you the truth. Vegas vic that like fifty 425 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 2: foot tall cowboy that is so iconic from Vegas from 426 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 2: the Pioneer Club. Oh he's there. Yeah, it's pretty neat. 427 00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: All right, I'll check it out, but just. 428 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 2: Be where you could. I'm going to make a case 429 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 2: it's a bit of a tourist trap. 430 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 1: So we recommend are we recommending it officially? 431 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 2: Yes? 432 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,199 Speaker 1: All right, go to meol Well first and then go 433 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 1: to that. 434 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:12,200 Speaker 2: Okay, all right. 435 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: So this was again the nineteen thirties, so there was 436 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: illegal gambling going on all over Los Angeles at the time, 437 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,880 Speaker 1: and they were like, hey, Vegas is not that far. 438 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: Pretty soon there'll be a very cheap and quick Southwest 439 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,640 Speaker 1: Airlines flight that goes there four hundred times a day. 440 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: But now we can make that drive at least through 441 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 1: the desert, just like Vince Vaughn did, and swingers and 442 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,679 Speaker 1: gamble our little hearts away. And one of those guys 443 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: was well, he was a guy. His name was Guy. 444 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: His name was Guy McAfee, and he was the commander 445 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,479 Speaker 1: of the LAPD Vice Squad, which is to say, at 446 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: the time he was probably dirty and crooked because he 447 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: was swept out along with a lot of the corruption 448 00:24:57,760 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: in the early nineteen thirties and the LAPD one of 449 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 1: their one of the first runs at making the LAPD 450 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: straight and narrow. I guess, like, I'm not banging on them. 451 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: I think they have a rich history of corruption, right. 452 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: I just didn't want to sound too harsh, but we 453 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: all know that we've seen the movies. Sure, But he 454 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:20,119 Speaker 1: was known as the Captain and he was at the 455 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: time in La married to a madam, a Hollywood madam 456 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: who ran a string of gambling houses. They were all 457 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: connected to the Mob, of course, and the riding was 458 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: on the wall that he needed to get the heck 459 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: out of Dodge, which was La and he said, Vegas 460 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: seems like kind of the perfect landing spot for me. 461 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, And so he showed up and bought the Golden Nugget. 462 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 2: He bought another place called the Pair o Dice Club, 463 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 2: which I read that five times before I got it. 464 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 2: The Paradise Club. Oh, well, I got it, you got 465 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:51,199 Speaker 2: it now. 466 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 1: I didn't get it the first one. 467 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 2: Okay, good, I'm glad it wasn't just me. 468 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 1: I thought you were just confused by a pair of dice. 469 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, it was the point I didn't get. 470 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it now. 471 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 2: And the reason why I finally got it is because 472 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 2: he set up an area outside of Las Vegas city 473 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,679 Speaker 2: limits that he named Paradise Paradise, Nevada. It's technically not 474 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,719 Speaker 2: a town, it's unincorporated Clark County, but he named it 475 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:19,960 Speaker 2: after his club, Paro Dice. But he called this area Paradise. 476 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 2: And this is the strip, This is the Las Vegas 477 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 2: Strip still today, everything from the Bellaggio, the Venetian, the 478 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 2: Win the Cosmopolitan, the Staybridge Suites. All of them are 479 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 2: actually outside of Las Vegas city limits in this unincorporated 480 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 2: part of Clark County called Paradise that was set up 481 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 2: in the nineteen thirties by a corrupt LAPD Vice squad 482 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 2: commander named Guy McAfee. 483 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,479 Speaker 1: Nice subnation, thanks. So this is where I mean they 484 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:53,120 Speaker 1: called it the Strip then, and this is where things 485 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: really started to boom all this development began. Mind you, 486 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: this was still in the nineteen four so they were 487 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:05,159 Speaker 1: still sort of the ranch style, low lying, not you know, 488 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: these big high rises that would come later on. We'll 489 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: get to that. 490 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,879 Speaker 2: They were like s kicker casino resorts. 491 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: Oh totally. I think everyone knows what you mean, right, Yeah, I. 492 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:20,479 Speaker 2: Think so, you know, kicking what I said, what I 493 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 2: was gonna say, I'm just kidding. 494 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,120 Speaker 1: So there was a hotel here from California named Thomas Hall. 495 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: He opened the first sort of all self contained in 496 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: and of itself luxury casino resort in nineteen forty one 497 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:38,880 Speaker 1: called l Rancho Vegas, named after he had other properties 498 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: name named Rancho. As the story goes, his car broke 499 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: down outside of Vegas, and he was out there burning 500 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:49,199 Speaker 1: up in the heat, and he had like a vision 501 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 1: for to just be in a swimming pool, and so 502 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: he was like, that needs to happen out here. So 503 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:57,360 Speaker 1: that's what he did. He opened up the first big 504 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,880 Speaker 1: place that had swimming pools and. 505 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:02,120 Speaker 2: Restaurants, movie stars. 506 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: Movie stars and opera house, had places where you could shop. 507 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: It had the casino, of course, like the first what 508 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: we think of as a casino was that one. And 509 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: he did pretty well with it. They had show girls, 510 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:14,919 Speaker 1: they had the whole nine yards. 511 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, they were the first one to have Vegas showgirls. 512 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 2: And I wasn't joking when I said movie stars. Clark 513 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 2: Gable was very famously stationed at El Rancho, Vegas when 514 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 2: Carol Lombard, his wife, died in a plane crash nearby, 515 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 2: I think on Table Mountain on the way to Las Vegas. 516 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 2: And he wasn't the only one. Like this was a 517 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 2: place where stars from La came. And as people from 518 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 2: people in Vegas started building places that like the cream 519 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 2: of the crop of Hollywood stars wanted to hang out, 520 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 2: it gave Vegas like the veneer of glamour that it 521 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,720 Speaker 2: originally had. This is when it started the early forties. 522 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know things were booming throughout the forties 523 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: and then into the fifties is when things even kicked 524 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: into a higher gear, like Vegas are just ramping up 525 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: more and more through the decades. That's when the Desert 526 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: End was built, the El Dorado Club downtown, which would 527 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: become Beny Binyon's Horseshoe Club. I think it's now just Binyons. Actually, 528 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:25,959 Speaker 1: I think for a few years now it hasn't been 529 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: there at all, but it became Binions. It was famous 530 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: because the World Series of Poker was there every year. 531 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty five, the first high rise opened, which 532 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 1: was the Riviera. It was behind stories and get this, 533 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: they paid Liberachi fifty thousand dollars per week in nineteen 534 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: fifty five to play there. 535 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 2: In nineteen fifty five money. 536 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 1: That's six hundred and thirty one thousand dollars a week. Oh, 537 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: westake totally as is our tradition. Fifty eight Stardust opened 538 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: and we saw the debuts of a couple of gentlemen 539 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 1: who would be Vegas legends. Wayne Newton and Frank Sinatra 540 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: debuted there. And then also in the fifties is when 541 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 1: the first sort of boom and the wedding chapel business started. 542 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. And then I saw somewhere I cannot remember where 543 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 2: that no less than ten major casino resorts were built 544 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 2: in the fifties. That is an amazing building boom, Like 545 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 2: this is when Las Vegas became Vegas as we know it, 546 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 2: like it nostalgically, right. I also saw somewhere that I 547 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 2: think eleven were built and of those eleven, ten of 548 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 2: them were either financed by or outright owned by the mafia. 549 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 2: That was when the mafia really got its grip on 550 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 2: Las Vegas in the early fifties and throughout actually even 551 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 2: in the forties, the mid to late forties thanks to 552 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 2: a guy named Bugsy Seagull. But by the fifties, when 553 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 2: the fifties rolled around, like it was just it seemed 554 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 2: like it was reversible, the grip that the mob had 555 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 2: on Las Vegas. 556 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, totally. 557 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:05,120 Speaker 2: Uh. 558 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: And you said the words, Bugsy Siegel, and that feels 559 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: like a great place for a break, learn and stuff 560 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 1: with Joshua John stuff fu shine up. 561 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 2: Okay, So Chuck, I said, Bugsy Siegel, I'm actually talking 562 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 2: about one Benjamin Siegelbaum, who was born in nineteen oh six, 563 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 2: and by the time he reached his teenage years was 564 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:58,960 Speaker 2: already running protection rackets on poor street push cart pedlars, 565 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 2: because you know, a protection racket means like, I'm going 566 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 2: to protect you from me if you don't give me, 567 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 2: if you give me money. If you don't, then I'm 568 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 2: going to come after you. 569 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 1: Right yeah. 570 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 2: This guy was doing this as a teenager. He became 571 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 2: friends with a guy named Meyer Lanski, and the two 572 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:19,880 Speaker 2: of them together started bootlegging in during Prohibition, right. 573 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and this was in New York. They eventually merged 574 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 1: with what was called the Syndicate, which was a nationwide 575 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: criminal enterprise, you know, it was the mob and Siegel 576 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: then formed a spinoff organization called Murder Inc. I totally 577 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: think we should do a whole episode on Murder Inc. 578 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: At some point. Sure, so we're not going to get 579 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 1: too into it, but Murder Inc. Was exactly like it sounds. 580 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: It was an organization that did contract killings. Apparently between 581 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: four hundred and one thousand contract killings took place at 582 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 1: the hand of Murder Inc. Including supposedly about thirty individuals 583 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: personally killed by Bugsy Siegull. 584 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, if you have a criminal gang called murder Inc. Yeah, 585 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 2: that's going to draw the attention of the authorities. And 586 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 2: that happened very much in New York, and all of 587 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 2: a sudden they tried to crack down on the Murder 588 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 2: Ink gang member. So Bugsy Siegel said, so long New York, 589 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 2: I'm heading out west, and he landed in Los Angeles. 590 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 2: He was staying at the mansion of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, 591 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 2: who herself was a mafioso. I guess mafiosa. She was 592 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 2: from Alabama but had somehow fallen into the mob. She 593 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 2: was a mafiosa as well. She wasn't just like a mall. 594 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 2: She was a gangster herself. 595 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 1: Yeah. And she was played by Annette Benning to her 596 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: Warren Beatty to her, Warren Baby her husband. And it's 597 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: a great movie. 598 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 2: I've never seen it. 599 00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:01,200 Speaker 1: Ooh, man, Bugsy was awesome. Really yeah, yeah, yeah, it 600 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: was really really good. I mean, Warren Beatty didn't make 601 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: a bad movie that he directed. 602 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 2: Oh he directed it, didn't he direct? dISHTAR uh uh? 603 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: I don't think so. 604 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 2: Oh, Okay, I've never seen his star. I haven't either, 605 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 2: but I was alive at the time. O Ye, enough 606 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:20,959 Speaker 2: that I know it was just a punchline even still 607 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:21,839 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty four. 608 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:24,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm pretty sure he directed Bugsy, but I'll have 609 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: to check that at any rate. Really really good movie. 610 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:30,200 Speaker 2: Right, Okay, So that's about those two, and really it's 611 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:34,320 Speaker 2: about Bugsy Siegel, and really it's about Bugsy Siegel building 612 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:39,759 Speaker 2: Las Vegas. That is true to an extent in that 613 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 2: he really was the one who brought the mob to Vegas, 614 00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:47,239 Speaker 2: and apparently it was through some sort of happenstance. He 615 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:50,799 Speaker 2: was living out in Hollywood and he met a guy 616 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:55,359 Speaker 2: named Billy Wilkerson who was a gambler, a hotelier who 617 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:58,279 Speaker 2: was trying to build like a really class joint out 618 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 2: in Vegas. And he said, Bugsy, why don't you come 619 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 2: in on this. Let me borrow some money from you. 620 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 2: You can have a stake in this hotel we're gonna build. 621 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 2: And Bugsy said, as long as it's not one of 622 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 2: those s kicker, you know, old Western hayseed themed resorts, 623 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,360 Speaker 2: I'm in. And she said, no, no, no, that's gonna be 624 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 2: a great place. I don't know what we're gonna call 625 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 2: it yet, and Bugsy said, well, let's call it the 626 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 2: Flamingo because that's my nickname for my girlfriend, Virginia Hill 627 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:26,800 Speaker 2: because she has really long legs. So we're going to 628 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:28,719 Speaker 2: call this place Flamingo is like, you know, a little 629 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 2: wink toward her. And Bugsy was suddenly in the casino 630 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:36,440 Speaker 2: resort building business. And he got in even further when 631 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:39,399 Speaker 2: Billy Wilkerson couldn't pay him back because Bugsy said, well, 632 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:40,960 Speaker 2: I'm going to kill you if you don't give me 633 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 2: this hotel. And that was the exit of Billy Wilkerson 634 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 2: and the real entree of Bugsy Siegel into Las Vegas, 635 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:52,560 Speaker 2: which established the Mafia, the Syndicate, the mob as we 636 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 2: know it, into Vegas. And this was about the mid 637 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 2: nineteen forties. 638 00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, he really And by the way, Barry Levison directed, 639 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,839 Speaker 1: So I was wrong on that, Okay, but it's still 640 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 1: really good. Barry Letts didn't direct many bad movies either. 641 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 2: Didn't he do Diner? 642 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:09,800 Speaker 1: Yeah? Great movie? Okay, you didn't like Diner? 643 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 2: I haven't seen it. I was just I was legitimately 644 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:14,320 Speaker 2: ask I wasn't throwing shaite on Diner. 645 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: No, no, no. But when you said okay, oh, I know that. 646 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 2: I could read between my own lines, but I didn't 647 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 2: mean to write anything. 648 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:25,959 Speaker 1: Then, Uh, well, that's a good quote. So he really 649 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 1: got involved in this casino, like the building, the design. 650 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 1: Like he wasn't just like all right, I'm gonna sort 651 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 1: of run this thing now and just let everyone do 652 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: their thing. He was involved in like the minutia of 653 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,719 Speaker 1: the detail of the design of like picking out the 654 00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: bedsheets and like you know, the artwork that hung in 655 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:49,040 Speaker 1: the rooms. Like he was really really I think he 656 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 1: kind of found himself, Like he went to La to 657 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: try to be an actor. He was no good at that, 658 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 1: Like he always felt like wanted to be something more 659 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: than like a two bit mobster, which is what he was. 660 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:02,319 Speaker 2: Well he no, he wasn't too big. He was like 661 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,960 Speaker 2: the wet narcotics importer in the west on the West coast. 662 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:08,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I didn't mean too bit. I just meant 663 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:10,800 Speaker 1: he didn't want to be looked at as the mobster. 664 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 1: That's why he tried to be an actor, gotcha, he tried. 665 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: He tried to be a hotel yer, right, hotel yer. Yeah, 666 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:19,479 Speaker 1: but you know, none of that stuff was working out, 667 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 1: including initially at least the Flamingo, because when they opened it, 668 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:27,399 Speaker 1: it was not a big hit right out of the gate. 669 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:29,880 Speaker 1: Much to the chagrin of the syndicate. 670 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:33,759 Speaker 2: He lost three hundred thousand dollars in one week the 671 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 2: first week it was open, and it was such a 672 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:39,279 Speaker 2: huge loss that he had to shut the place down 673 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:41,319 Speaker 2: so he didn't lose any more money, and he had 674 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 2: to get back to kind of reconfiguring things. Apparently they 675 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 2: didn't have rooms ready when they opened, so all the 676 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 2: gamblers came and then took their money elsewhere. All of 677 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:55,840 Speaker 2: those details that he had personally selected were really expensive. 678 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:58,520 Speaker 2: The original price tag was a million dollars. It ballooned 679 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,879 Speaker 2: up to past six million. So yeah, there's a very 680 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 2: widely held belief that Bugsy was in hot water with 681 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:12,080 Speaker 2: the mafia partners including Meyer, Lanski and Lucky Luciano, who 682 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:16,480 Speaker 2: were backing him and his venture into Las Vegas. The 683 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:21,040 Speaker 2: thing is, he supposedly when he reopened out of the 684 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:26,440 Speaker 2: Gate the Flamingo in nineteen forty seven, started to become profitable. 685 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,480 Speaker 2: So I've seen people say like, no, he actually wasn't 686 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:33,279 Speaker 2: in hot water with his mafia people. And the reason 687 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 2: why it matters is because six months after it reopened, 688 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:39,960 Speaker 2: or a few months after it reopened in June of 689 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 2: nineteen forty seven, Bugsy Seagull was assassinated hit in his 690 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:48,640 Speaker 2: own home in well, Virginia Hills home in Los Angeles. 691 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, hit through the window from behind, kind of sitting 692 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 1: on the couch. It's a great scene in the movie 693 00:38:56,400 --> 00:39:00,920 Speaker 1: His You know, the traditional thinking is that Lucky Luciano 694 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:04,200 Speaker 1: and the syndicate was behind it, right Mayer Lansky, who 695 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:07,719 Speaker 1: was his sort of oldest friend throughout this whole thing 696 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 1: because they were buddies back in New York in the 697 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:12,520 Speaker 1: early days. I think just it was sort of seeing 698 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:16,920 Speaker 1: the sad demise of his friend and what was going on. 699 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,520 Speaker 1: Ben Kingsley is so so good as Mayor Lansky in 700 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 1: the movie. But not everyone believes it was a mob hit. 701 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:28,680 Speaker 1: There's a guy named Bernie Sendler who was a emissary 702 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:31,759 Speaker 1: for Lansky back in the day, and back then he 703 00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:34,279 Speaker 1: was on the record of saying like, I don't like 704 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:35,920 Speaker 1: a lot of this deadn't add up as being a 705 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:39,280 Speaker 1: mob hit. I think it was one of Virginia Hill's brothers, 706 00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 1: one of her Marine Corps brothers, that was angry that 707 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:44,320 Speaker 1: she was like wrapped up in all this stuff. 708 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:46,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, he makes the point. And this guy was literally 709 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,280 Speaker 2: here at the time like he was working in Vegas 710 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,799 Speaker 2: with Siegull and others at the time, so he knows 711 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 2: what he's talking about. He was saying that Siegel was 712 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 2: legit enough that you would have had to have get 713 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:03,399 Speaker 2: gotten permi directly from Lucky Luciano, or the order would 714 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 2: have come directly from Lucky Luciano to kill Bugsy Seagull. 715 00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:11,479 Speaker 2: And then this guy's this guy's opinion, Maya Orlansky never 716 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:14,360 Speaker 2: would have allowed that. He wouldn't have just stepped aside 717 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:19,000 Speaker 2: and let his old friend be murdered hit and again 718 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 2: like he wasn't apparently in hock to the mob in 719 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:26,120 Speaker 2: any way that he couldn't repay. So yeah, this guy, 720 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 2: this guy said it was one of Virginia Hill's brothers. Also, 721 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:31,600 Speaker 2: he's got some pretty good points. One he said that 722 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 2: was not a mob hit. The mob doesn't use M 723 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,359 Speaker 2: one carbines and shoot through an open window, Like they 724 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,280 Speaker 2: take you on a car ride and the guy seated 725 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 2: behind you in the car shoot you in the head, 726 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 2: so they don't know, Yeah, that's how that's how the 727 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:47,840 Speaker 2: mafia hit you. Right, So he's like it just didn't 728 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,040 Speaker 2: add up to a mob hit. So that's a pretty 729 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:53,839 Speaker 2: pretty interesting surprising thing. But if you think about it, 730 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:56,319 Speaker 2: Bugsy was there for just a couple of years. But 731 00:40:56,360 --> 00:41:02,000 Speaker 2: the the the gains he made and the the ground 732 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:05,440 Speaker 2: where he laid for the mafia is what led directly 733 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:08,120 Speaker 2: to that huge boom in the control of the mafia 734 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:11,080 Speaker 2: of Las Vegas that just erupted in the fifties. 735 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and then you know, into the sixties it 736 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 1: was firmly entrenched as like a mob hangout, obviously, a 737 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:21,560 Speaker 1: place where you could gamble, where you could go and 738 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:24,480 Speaker 1: get married in two seconds or divorced in two seconds, 739 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 1: where sex work was legal. I think in sixty three, 740 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 1: these guys Dick Taylor and Pat Howell wrote a book 741 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 1: called Las Vegas not a colon but a Comma rare 742 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 1: city of sin question mark. And that's where supposedly the 743 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:45,319 Speaker 1: name sin City came around. Really kind of linked up 744 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 1: well with everything that was going on there at the time. 745 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:52,320 Speaker 2: Great movie too, Sin City. Remember it was like based 746 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:55,399 Speaker 2: on a graphic novel. It's got like Owen and. 747 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:58,120 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, man, it's so good. That's Sin City. 748 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:02,600 Speaker 1: That was good. Yeah, like the black and white Yeah, yeah, 749 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:04,960 Speaker 1: really good. And the other big thing that happened in 750 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 1: the early sixties was mccaren Airport opened up in nineteen 751 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 1: sixty two, which, all of a sudden, you know, that 752 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:14,560 Speaker 1: Southwest Airlines flight could start happening, although I don't know 753 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 1: if it happened back then, so don't google that. 754 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:21,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, so it wasn't just people from La and you know, 755 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:23,280 Speaker 2: Arizona coming to Las Vegas. Now, all of a sudden, 756 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 2: there was people around the world. And apparently by the 757 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:30,960 Speaker 2: seventies the largest population of tourists in Las Vegas were Midwesterners. 758 00:42:31,760 --> 00:42:32,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. 759 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:36,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty funny. Oh as residents, no, no, no, as tourists 760 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:41,680 Speaker 2: as visitors. Like the airport really really changed things. One 761 00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:44,560 Speaker 2: other really big thing that changed things in the sixties 762 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:48,440 Speaker 2: for Vegas was Howard Hughes. So I said before it 763 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:51,719 Speaker 2: looked like the Mob's grip on Las Vegas was irreversible, 764 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,040 Speaker 2: and it may have been, and if Howard Hughes hadn't 765 00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 2: have shown up. And he did a couple of things. 766 00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:02,160 Speaker 2: One he started buying casinos and hotels from the Mob directly. Yeah, 767 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,040 Speaker 2: so for I think a little period in the sixties 768 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:10,640 Speaker 2: maybe seventies, he was the single largest casino owner in 769 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:13,879 Speaker 2: the in town. So he just basically took over from 770 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:16,360 Speaker 2: the MOB by buying them out. And then also he 771 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 2: proposed that Las Vegas and Nevada the Gaming Commission changed 772 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:24,359 Speaker 2: their rules about corporate ownership because before, if you were 773 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:28,200 Speaker 2: a corporation and you wanted to own a casino, every 774 00:43:28,239 --> 00:43:32,560 Speaker 2: single shareholder had to pass a background check. You could 775 00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:36,080 Speaker 2: be talking about thousands of people. It was just untenable. 776 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,160 Speaker 2: You couldn't do it. And he said, why don't you 777 00:43:38,239 --> 00:43:40,600 Speaker 2: just make it so that the key players, like the 778 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:42,920 Speaker 2: real high up execs who are going to be running 779 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:46,120 Speaker 2: the place, just do backgrounds on them, forget the shareholders. 780 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 2: And the Gaming Commission said, that's a that's a really 781 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 2: good idea. And now all of a sudden, the Mob 782 00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:55,440 Speaker 2: had competition from Wall Street and huge corporations that were 783 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:57,719 Speaker 2: coming in and they ended up getting muscled out. 784 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that was that was it. That was 785 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: either the beginning of the beginning or the beginning of 786 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:05,879 Speaker 1: the end, depending on which way you want to look 787 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:09,399 Speaker 1: at it. Yeah, but once Wall Street corporations could kind 788 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:11,399 Speaker 1: of stroll in there and just start buying up these 789 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:13,960 Speaker 1: properties that you know, this is in the in the 790 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:17,440 Speaker 1: sixties and seventies, so this is this is still like 791 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:22,160 Speaker 1: a boom time for Vegas. It's a city that's seemingly 792 00:44:22,239 --> 00:44:26,839 Speaker 1: always expanding and under construction. Like I don't remember going 793 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:30,920 Speaker 1: to Vegas. I started going there in the I guess 794 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,640 Speaker 1: like nineteen ninety one or so was my first trip, 795 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:37,640 Speaker 1: And every time I've been has just struck me as like, 796 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:40,719 Speaker 1: are they ever going to stop developing and building in 797 00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:45,880 Speaker 1: this town? And probably not, because it continued all, you know, 798 00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:47,600 Speaker 1: all through them. They've had their lulls. I think there 799 00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:53,480 Speaker 1: was you know, some years here and there, within decades 800 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,799 Speaker 1: that things weren't aren't as robust and where they were, 801 00:44:57,360 --> 00:44:59,799 Speaker 1: you know, where the gambling industry and the whole sin 802 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:02,040 Speaker 1: industry sort of took a little bit of a hit, 803 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:03,240 Speaker 1: but not that much. 804 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 2: Well, it wasn't even necessarily that that it took a hit. 805 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:11,920 Speaker 2: It was that Vegas it just lost its glitz and glamour, 806 00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:14,800 Speaker 2: especially starting in the seventies and in through the eighties, 807 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,840 Speaker 2: where it just became tacky. That's what everybody thought of 808 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:21,680 Speaker 2: as a tacky. The entertainers who used to like draw 809 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:26,560 Speaker 2: crowds internationally, they weren't there. The people who were performing 810 00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:29,480 Speaker 2: in Vegas, their careers were washed up, right, So like 811 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:30,600 Speaker 2: that was great. 812 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:31,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, nope. 813 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:33,279 Speaker 2: The food was terrible, like all you can eat prime 814 00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:37,480 Speaker 2: rib for like five dollars kind of stuff. This idea 815 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:40,439 Speaker 2: of Vegas in the eighties. It was just decrepit and 816 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:43,359 Speaker 2: a place you went like as a lark or if 817 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:45,919 Speaker 2: you had like a serious gambling problem and liked five 818 00:45:45,960 --> 00:45:46,839 Speaker 2: dollars prime rib. 819 00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:48,280 Speaker 1: Right. Yeah. 820 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:51,759 Speaker 2: And in the same way that Howard Hughes kind of 821 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:54,640 Speaker 2: came along and was like, I'm going to save this town, 822 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:57,600 Speaker 2: Steve Wynn did the same thing at a time when 823 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:01,160 Speaker 2: Vegas was viewed as super tacky and backs and just lame. 824 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:06,640 Speaker 2: He invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the Mirage 825 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:09,600 Speaker 2: and he opened it, gave thirty million dollars to Sigfried 826 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:13,040 Speaker 2: and Roy and completely changed the face of Las Vegas, 827 00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:16,320 Speaker 2: completely changed the market who they were trying to attract. 828 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:18,640 Speaker 2: They were suddenly attracting families, like it was okay to 829 00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:21,720 Speaker 2: bring your kids to Vegas now, like there was something 830 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:25,120 Speaker 2: for everybody. And he completely saved Las Vegas. 831 00:46:25,400 --> 00:46:28,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. I think like a place like Caesar's 832 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 1: before that did a lot to sort of raise the 833 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:37,239 Speaker 1: you know, the perception of Vegas is it's but it 834 00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:40,120 Speaker 1: wasn't like in the family way, No, in like. 835 00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:43,520 Speaker 2: The fantasy way though, like like that. They definitely started that, 836 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:45,200 Speaker 2: I think, Yeah. 837 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:49,640 Speaker 1: I mean when they started building casinos with roller coasters 838 00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:53,560 Speaker 1: and playgrounds and more family friendly shows, because you know, 839 00:46:54,080 --> 00:46:56,319 Speaker 1: at one point Vegas like all those shows were like 840 00:46:56,560 --> 00:47:00,520 Speaker 1: topless basically, right, and then all of a sudden, if 841 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,520 Speaker 1: you had family friendly stuff going on, it was it 842 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:06,080 Speaker 1: was like, hey, you don't have to just you know, 843 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,480 Speaker 1: the gambling addict in your family isn't the only one 844 00:47:10,080 --> 00:47:11,800 Speaker 1: that's going to want to come here. Now you can. 845 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:14,880 Speaker 1: You can be that and drag your kids along and 846 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:16,640 Speaker 1: they can go see a kid friendly show. 847 00:47:16,680 --> 00:47:19,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're like, definitely, bring the gambling addict in your family, 848 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:22,640 Speaker 2: We want them there. But you guys can come too, right. 849 00:47:23,080 --> 00:47:25,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, And it got a lot more expensive, you mean, 850 00:47:25,239 --> 00:47:28,319 Speaker 1: the old Vegas days, even when I first started going there, 851 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:30,720 Speaker 1: you could get a pretty cheap room and a pretty 852 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:33,520 Speaker 1: cheap meal. But that that all changed. Vegas is not 853 00:47:33,800 --> 00:47:35,440 Speaker 1: a cheap town, to know it anymore. 854 00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 2: It changed thanks to Steeve whenn in that whole shift, 855 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:40,319 Speaker 2: and now it kind of shifted again to this kind 856 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:44,120 Speaker 2: of like ultra luxury destination and that's where we are 857 00:47:44,239 --> 00:47:49,160 Speaker 2: right now. Yeah, well, let's Las Vegas up to basically now. 858 00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:50,919 Speaker 2: I know we said we're going to go to late 859 00:47:50,920 --> 00:47:53,440 Speaker 2: eighties and nineties, but we took it even further. So 860 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:56,960 Speaker 2: if you didn't like that, sorry, If you want to 861 00:47:57,000 --> 00:47:59,520 Speaker 2: know more about Las Vegas, start reading about it, go 862 00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:02,719 Speaker 2: visit it. Whatever you want to do. And since I 863 00:48:02,719 --> 00:48:09,080 Speaker 2: said whatever you want to do is time for listener may. 864 00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:12,080 Speaker 1: This is gasoline cleaning mystery resolved. We had a few 865 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:15,719 Speaker 1: people write in about that. In the episode The Teleisian 866 00:48:15,800 --> 00:48:19,759 Speaker 1: Massacre from December twenty twenty, you discuss how the instigator 867 00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:21,360 Speaker 1: and murder at the scene of the crime was in 868 00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:24,920 Speaker 1: a state worker named Julian Carlton. While retrieving the gasoline 869 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:27,000 Speaker 1: that caused part of the fire incident and the property, 870 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:29,200 Speaker 1: he told his boss that he was getting the gasoline 871 00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:31,680 Speaker 1: to clean a rug. Why do I remember this tiny 872 00:48:31,680 --> 00:48:34,760 Speaker 1: detail because at the end of the episode, Josh says 873 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:38,000 Speaker 1: he found Carlton's grave on the website Find a Grave, 874 00:48:38,080 --> 00:48:41,200 Speaker 1: and rather innocuously, a pop up bubble on the site, 875 00:48:41,480 --> 00:48:43,960 Speaker 1: prompting the viewer to write a moving memory, said what 876 00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:47,240 Speaker 1: is one thing you'll always remember about Julian Chuck answered 877 00:48:47,360 --> 00:48:49,839 Speaker 1: that question by saying he could really get the stain 878 00:48:49,920 --> 00:48:54,040 Speaker 1: out of a rug. And I found that joke absolutely hilarious. 879 00:48:54,480 --> 00:48:56,040 Speaker 1: Love the show, guys, can't wait for you to come 880 00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:59,279 Speaker 1: back to Cleveland. I'm the manager of the largest site 881 00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:01,080 Speaker 1: seeing ship and clean Lynn on Lake Erie and the 882 00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:05,399 Speaker 1: Cyoga River, The Good Time three and Chuck. I'm also 883 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:08,839 Speaker 1: a graduate at the University of Akron go zips And 884 00:49:08,880 --> 00:49:13,720 Speaker 1: that is from Luke ucbo is how I'm gonna pronounce 885 00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:14,359 Speaker 1: that very long? 886 00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:16,399 Speaker 2: I got it right, Luke, Thanks a lot, Luke, eat 887 00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:19,839 Speaker 2: your heart out of Good Times one and two. If 888 00:49:19,880 --> 00:49:21,440 Speaker 2: you want to be like Luke and tell us how 889 00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:24,239 Speaker 2: much we cracked you up. We love hearing that kind 890 00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:26,680 Speaker 2: of thing. You can wrap it up, spank it on 891 00:49:26,719 --> 00:49:29,359 Speaker 2: the bottom, and send it off to Stuff podcast at 892 00:49:29,360 --> 00:49:35,560 Speaker 2: iHeartRadio dot com. Stuff you Should Know is a production 893 00:49:35,640 --> 00:49:36,439 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio. 894 00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:40,160 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 895 00:49:40,320 --> 00:49:43,240 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.