The Mafia has long been interested in casinos to launder money. It has been known in the past that some casinos around the world have rolled out the red carpet for several members of organized crime, even offering hotel nights or dining out. However, this special relationship between the mafia and the casino world has changed profoundly in recent years, thanks to the introduction of online casinos such as Mohegan sun online casino, one of the largest land-based casinos, with its main location in Connecticut. To learn all about the past relationship between the mafia and the casino, here are some examples of the presence of the mafia around casinos and the fears it aroused from the 1950s to the present day.
The Ace of Spades Project Dismantled a Network of Lenders
In Canada, for example, in the early 2000s, the Ace of Spades project targeted a network of lenders linked to the late sponsor Vito Rizzuto. Documents from the police operation Colisée revealed what police officers from the Montreal Police Department discovered at the Casino’s high stakes lounge, then called the Platinum section. With the participation of a double agent, the police were able to approach two Italian moneylenders. They had been identified thanks to the camera system by the investigators of the Casino. According to the summary of the conversations held, one of the two lenders reportedly indicated that he worked for Vito Rizzuto. The lender mentions that he is lending at 10% interest. The double agent and the lender speak to each other in Italian. He introduces him to another lender with whom he works. In the weeks that followed, a series of searches and arrests linked to these lenders and other network members took place. Obviously surprised by the police operation, famous mafia names like Francesco Del Balso make calls to one of the Casino’s lenders. He then asks to meet Nicolo Rizzuto, Vito Rizzuto’s father, in a bar. In the following days, Italian lenders learned that they had been banned from the Casino for three years. Soon after, once said that “The Tall One”, Vito Rizzuto’s nickname, called him. He wanted to know who had been kicked out and for how long. At that point, the eavesdropping summaries hint at the panic of the lenders who say they are screwed and wonder how they will collect all the debts owed to them. This infiltration into the Casino de Montreal was also mentioned, given Vito Rizzuto’s extradition to the United States in 2004. Three years later, he was found guilty of having participated in the murder of three prominent members of the Bonanno mafia clan in New York.
Las Vegas, the Story of a City Built Largely by the Mafia!
Another story is just as surprising because we all already have the impression of knowing everything about Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world. Las Vegas is a dream factory loved by all those who hope to hit the jackpot in a casino. or a small role in one of the city’s countless shows. But it’s also a dollar factory. Thus, the city receives no less than 45 million tourists per year. Suddenly in southern Nevada, tourism brings in around 50 billion euros per year and gives jobs to thousands of people. Las Vegas has an amazing history: that of a city built in large part by the Mafia! So to know everything about this sulphurous past, you have to leave the boulevard des casinos to go to the “Mob Museum”, a museum located in the old courthouse of the city and which traces the astonishing past of Vegas and the clans that s’ are confronted there with machine guns or automatic pistols. You can learn all about history, from the construction of the first casinos by Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky to the most recent gang wars. You can watch a virtual trial in a real courtroom. This is a must-visit when staying in Las Vegas!