LOST VEGAS: “Tony The Ant” Spilotro’s Circus Circus Gift Shop
When people verbalize nearly the rout running Las Vegas, they’re non referring to the gift shop at Circus Circus. But that’s exactly what Susan Anthony Spilotro — the high-ranking Chicago Outfit member who inspired Joe Pesci’s grapheme inward the 1995 flick “Casino” — ran inward 1975.
The shop, placed next to the circus-themed casino’s midway, was called Susan Anthony Stuart’s — after his wife Nancy’s maiden name. While it may seem unwise to term of a contract out place inward your gambling casino to a known mobster, it was section of a trade that genus Circus Circus’ owner, John Jay Sarno, was forced to slashed with the Teamsters Union.
The brotherhood — mobbed upwardly through and through its then-imprisoned leader, Jimmy Hoffa — loaned Sarno $7.6 one thousand thousand from its pension off fund to help him build a 15-story hotel tower inwards 1971.
No theory has ever been proven as to why Spilotro — a adult male supposedly earning millions from the mafia’s skitter surgery at the Stardust, Fremont, Hacienda and Marina casinos — would need to possess a gambling casino gift shop. However, in 1976, Spilotro opened a pawn store next to the Golden Steer steakhouse, called Gold Rush, which fenced goods stolen by his notorious Hole in the Wall Gang.
Offer He Couldn’t Refuse
Spilotro paid $70-large for the Circus genus Circus gift browse to its owner, Willie Cohen. When Spilotro brought the take to an attorney recommended past Cohen, it was the mobster’s for the first time meeting with the man who would famously correspond him inwards courtroom for the quietus of his little lifespan and who, 25 years later, would get the mayor of Las Vegas.
“Tony showed upwardly at my office staff dressed very professionally inward a jacket and tie,” Goodman wrote in his 2013 autobiography, “Being Oscar.” “I looked over his paperwork. It was a logical byplay as far as i could tell, and the get was stringently on the up-and-up.”
The meeting lasted only if 15 minutes.
“To me it was non a bighearted deal, but people inwards practice of law enforcement were watching Tony’s every move,” Goodman wrote. “This was simply the bulge out of a ten-year running play where it seemed the like every day i was fighting some fight on his behalf.”
When the police informed gaming regulators, they threatened Sarno with revoking his gaming license. Sarno was forced to force out the only if casino retail tenant in Las Vegas chronicle ever so suspected past the FBI of being mired in ii dozen murders.
Of course, Sarno didn’t have forth scot-free. To buy rearward the shop, he had to pay Spilotro 10 times what he paid ($700K).
“Not a speculative benefit for Tony,” Goodman wrote. “For me, it was the bug out of a fascinating relationship.”
“Lost Vegas” is an occasional Casino.org series spotlighting Las Vegas’ forgotten history. Click here to record other entries inwards the series. Think you know a goodness Vegas story missed to history? Email corey@casino.org.
This incredible content is proudly presented by Pussy888 online casino, one of the most trusted and popular platforms in Malaysia. Join now and get ready to win big with Pussy888! With its state-of-the-art software, secure transactions, and a vast selection of games, Pussy888 provides a premium online casino experience that caters to all players' preferences.