Pay Up Or Blow Up — Reno/Sparks

California, Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Bombings, Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion, Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Washoe County Commission (NV), Harolds Club (Reno, NV), Harrah's (Reno, NV), It Really Happened, John Ascuaga, Nugget Motor Lodge / Dick Graves' Nugget / John Ascuaga's Nugget (Sparks, NV), Reno--Nevada, Sparks--Nevada, United States2 Comments

1970-1971 In the summer of 1970, a package and suitcase found in a Sparks Nugget motor lodge room in Nevada with a note affixed saying to please deliver the items to Nugget owner John Ascuaga’s office. A $20 bill was attached as a tip. A few days later, Nugget manager Gil Padroli opened the package.…

Scandal Hits Gambling Watchdogs

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing, Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion, Gambling License, Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack, Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission, Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Dudley Kline, Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill, It Really Happened, Leo Quilici, United States, Wells--NevadaLeave a comment

1953-1955 In fall 1953, John “Fat Jack” Galloway was playing the card game, 21, at Leo Quilici’s hotel-casino, the El Rancho Hotel, in Wells, Nevada. Fat Jack himself, in his early 40s, was the operator of a gambling saloon located 8 miles west of Fallon. Beforehand, he’d been employed as a dealer at Lake Tahoe…