Mar.04.16. The Frank Cullotta interview
Yesterday, we sat down with former Las Vegas mobster Frank Cullotta for a big interview. Frank was a key player in the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang that committed rampant criminal acts here in Las Vegas during the late 70s and early 80s for the Chicago mob. Eventually, the gang members were all caught and jailed. Frank turned state witness in 1982 and was admitted into the federal witness protection program.
For the interview, Frank recounted how the mob managed the bookmaking operations in town during that time. He recalled how he and Tony Spilotro worked closely to keep the Chicago bosses happy while trying to stay out of trouble. He also shared anecdotes on the cat and mouse games he and his Gang played with the FBI which kept them under constant surveillance.
Mr. Cullotta’s account sheds light on a critical period in sports betting history when the mob was a major force in Las Vegas and helped finance the first modern casino sports book at the Stardust with Frank ‘Lefty’ Rosenthal at the helm.
Truly, it was a great interview and we thank Frank for his support.
Sep. 22.14. Mob Museum
I visited the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas to take notes on the history of mob activities in Las Vegas, including their foray into sports gambling. I took note of the tons of photos and displays inside the museum
Jan.14.16. Follow up with Mr. Tobler
Last night, I sat down for a follow-up interview with Mr. Dennis Tobler, a 30+ year veteran of the sports betting industry here in Las Vegas. It was a heartwarming moment as Dennis waxed nostalgic of his first trips to this
Nov.22.16. How sports information services came about
Today’s tout services and sports picks shows online and social media owe their existence to the early show creators and producers who pioneered the genre back in the 1980s. And no one is better at telling how it all started than executive producer
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