VEGAS MYTHS: Outrageous Tales That Feel Like Urban Legends, Yet Are True |

Published on: December 29, 2025, 07:21h.

Updated on: December 23, 2025, 12:29h.

Over the past four years of our weekly “Vegas Myths Busted” series, we’ve encountered numerous astonishing tales that were widely considered mere legends.

Typically, we debunk these myths, including popular beliefs like the bodies entombed within Hoover Dam, the casino that Howard Hughes purchased just to turn off its lights for better sleep, and of course, the alleged extra oxygen pumped into casino floors to keep gamblers alert. (Though we made an attempt to disprove them, many continue to hold these beliefs.)

However, there are some myths we’ve investigated that turned out to be surprisingly accurate. Join us as we unveil our yearly “Vegas Near Myths” compilation.

Bobby Berosini and friends showcased in a 1988 Stardust postcard. (Image: Stardust)

Monkey Trial

In 1989, Las Vegas performer Bobby Berosini gained national attention, but for all the wrong reasons. Hidden camera footage revealed him abusing and shaking his orangutans prior to shows at the Stardust Hotel, which led to his dismissal and, in today’s terms, he was effectively “canceled.”

Shortly after, he filed a defamation lawsuit against PETA and another animal rights group, as well as Jeanne Roush, the Stardust dancer who recorded the video. Berosini argued that the footage was misrepresented and that being labeled an animal abuser ruined his career.

Remarkably, on the first day of the trial, his legal team brought three orangutans to the Clark County Courthouse to demonstrate their health and affection toward their trainer, serving as unconventional character witnesses.

As the orangutans interacted and performed tricks, jurors reportedly reacted with laughter and applause.

This strategy initially worked in his favor, as Berosini was awarded approximately $4.2 million in damages. Unfortunately for him, that verdict was overturned on appeal (pun intended!) in 1994 by the Nevada Supreme Court, which determined that the claims of animal abuse fell under protected opinions rather than defamation.

Lefty was a Snitch

Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal’s FBI codename, “Achilles,” highlighted his role as a critical point of vulnerability for the mob. (Image: The Mob Museum)

Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, famously portrayed by Robert De Niro in Casino, was more than just a casino operator with mob ties.

Despite his lawyer – future Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman – claiming to avoid representing “snitches,” it turns out he was indeed one.

Following his passing in 2008, the Las Vegas Review-Journal revealed that three former law enforcement officials, alongside over 300 pages of FBI documents, confirmed Rosenthal had consistently acted as an FBI informant, supplying valuable information on the Chicago Outfit and Las Vegas casino skimming activities.

That revelation would have added a thrilling twist to the “Casino” storyline!

Evidence of Lefty’s collaboration with authorities extends even prior to an assassination attempt he survived in 1982, where a bomb was detonated outside Tony Roma’s in Las Vegas. According to FBI records, he shared intel on mob-related murders, including those of Outfit leader Sam Giancana and fixer Johnny Roselli, and assisted in dismantling a burglary network associated with Anthony Accardo.

His insights played a crucial role in establishing federal cases that eventually unraveled Outfit’s grip on several Strip casinos.

Rosenthal’s identity as an informant remained clandestine during his lifetime to safeguard him from repercussions by the mob.

Cave Lady of Sunrise Mountain

Often regarded as a local legend, many from northeast Las Vegas in the 1960s recall the eerie cave dwelling, much like approaching an ominous house at the end of a road.

However, there truly existed a woman named Rox Morgan, who inhabited a cave located at the intersection of Bonanza Avenue and the northern part of Los Feliz Boulevard, at the foot of what is now referred to as Frenchman Mountain (a point of confusion, as locals often call it “Sunrise Mountain” because of stunning views at dawn).

According to a July 22, 1964 article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Morgan, then 47, had been living there for over a year when she was ultimately arrested for trespassing on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grounds.

Kind-hearted young locals, like Donn and Mary Blake, assisted in converting the cave into a more habitable home in 1963. According to Mary, the Cave Lady avoided having her picture taken, although she captured this photo of them. (Image: Donn Blake)

She asserted that her cave living situation was temporary while she worked on establishing a church at the summit to “remind Las Vegans of their spiritual roots.” This endeavor was co-financed by Stanley Clark and his wife from Richmond, Virginia, who supported Morgan’s mission.

Despite claiming her name was a pseudonym on recordings later discovered by KSNV-TV/Las Vegas, she managed to avoid a conviction for trespassing.

While a church was indeed erected near the summit, it was constructed by the LDS Church in 1989, unrelated to Morgan’s efforts.

The Cave Lady of Sunrise Mountain was last traced in the early ’70s through various documents uncovered by Clark’s daughter, including motels records.

In 2016, the site of the cave was sealed off by Clark County due to safety concerns.

For our previous “Vegas Near Myths” features, click here and here.

Catch “Vegas Myths Busted” every Monday on Casino.org. Visit VegasMythsBusted.com for previously debunked Vegas myths. Want to share a Vegas myth that needs to be examined? Email [email protected].

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