Published on: November 20, 2025, 12:21h.
Updated on: November 20, 2025, 12:20h.
Those who argue that Las Vegas thrived under mob governance have likely never found themselves brought into a casino security office for an “interview” between the 1940s and 1980s.
Martin Scorsese’s iconic film “Casino,” celebrating its 30th anniversary this Saturday, portrayed a dramatized account of mobster Anthony “Tony the Ant” Spilotro (portrayed by Joe Pesci) and his associate Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal (played by Robert De Niro). Much of the film’s intense violence was based on real events.
One infamous scene features a cheater receiving punishment with a mallet at the Tangiers (Stardust). According to Rosenthal, this was based on a true incident involving two men caught using an electronic device to cheat at blackjack.
The men were subdued with a cattle prod before being taken into the infamous “woodshed.”
Rosenthal noted that mallets were favored because they left fewer bruises than metal objects.
The era of mob justice at the Stardust ended when Boyd Gaming acquired the property in 1985, cutting ties with the Chicago Outfit. A year later, Spilotro was murdered.
However, the violence didn’t disappear entirely with the mob’s exit.
Hidden Tortures
Over at Binion’s Horseshoe, individuals suspected of cheating were still escorted into a concealed office located in its Fremont Street parking garage, often referred to as the “back garage” or the “Horseshoe back lot,” for purported “rehabilitation.”
This practice, believed to have begun in the 1950s, was uncovered in 1986 when engineer Alan Brown and airline pilot Barry Finn courageously testified before a Nevada grand jury. Brown recounted that he endured such severe beatings that he lost control of his bowels.
“They labeled us as cheaters,” he reported to investigators. “They insisted, ‘You’ll never return here. You will inform your friends not to come back.’”
Both men ultimately received $675,000 in civil settlements.
Journalist Doug J. Swanson’s book “Blood Aces” offers a vivid depiction of the situation: a cramped ten-by-ten windowless cell, built with cinderblock walls and a steel door, located in the back of Nevada’s first multilevel parking garage, constructed in 1962.
Cheaters were funneled through service corridors leading from the casino floor to the hidden room.
The room eventually became obsolete, likely during renovations in the 1990s when Binion’s merged with the Mint and Apache Hotel, or in 2004 after Harrah’s — now Caesars Entertainment — took ownership.
Currently, the garage features only a guard station with windows, which do not match the original layout.
One of the most alarming aspects of this history relates to regulation.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board did not officially address this loophole in enforcement until October 2023, when it revised Regulation 5.160 to mandate surveillance coverage for all casino security offices and service corridors.
“Lost Vegas” is an ongoing Casino.org series that dives into Las Vegas’ overlooked history. Click here to explore other entries in the series. If you know of a compelling Vegas story that has faded from memory, email [email protected].