I had heard of the Mob Museum many years ago from the original series CSI TV show that took place in Vegas. It is a history of the Mob and the FBI in the United States. It was very interesting. The worst part was driving to and from Vegas and trying to find parking.
The first two pictures are of the first casino in Las Vegas in about 1905. Las Vegas means "meadows" in Spanish. When it was first settled, it covered only a few square miles. Now, including the outlying suburbs, it covers 100 square miles. Las Vegas certainly looks different in the first pictures to what it looks like now.
Bathing beauties in 1910 at the many "watering holes" around the meadows
Waxy Gordon, during prohibition, piped beer through the hoses placed in the Newark, NJ sewer system. For this he got 10 years. Can you imagine, just getting beer out of the kitchen faucet!
Bootleggers had all sorts of tricks to hide carrying booze from place to place. This was a truck camouflaged to look like a logging truck
People became very ingenious in ways to hide the booze. Bloomers had special pockets to carry metal flasks.
This is Eunice Carter, who first connected prostitution and the mob. She was the first female black prosecutor on Thomas Dewey's staff. Before, it was all white and male. She connected 2000 prostitutes to 300 brothels, laying the groundwork for Dewey's prosecution of Lucky Lucino, the biggest mobster of his time.
GO EUNICE!!!!!
They wanted us for a lineup, we were each accusing the other of the crimes! Do you think we look like criminals? My boa is made out of money, wish it was real!
This is the first bullet proof vest made in 1926 by Elliott Wishbod. He said he was the most shot at man in America because to sell it, he had to go around to all the police stations to show how it would save lives. His wife shot at him, but he was never really hurt. It is made of 22 gauge steel, covered in wool fabric. Of course, all the criminals also used it to protect themselves.
In the 1800's gangs dominate the Lower east Side of New York.
In 1890, the police chief in New Orleans, was the first person to die from fighting the Mob.
By the 1900's, the "Black Hand" extortion rackets started.
In 1902, "Big Jim" Colosimo married a Chicago Madam. They started a white slave ring that brings the Mob and prostitution together.
In 1908, the FBI was formed.
In 1921, Al Capone moves to Chicago for bootlegging opportunities during the start of prohibition
In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover becomes the head of the FBI. He pursued "Public Enemies" such as John Dillinger, "Pretty Boy Floyd", "Machine Gun Kelly", "Ma" Baker and Bonnie and Clyde. he at first didn't believe there was a mob, only individual gangs.
In 1927, the St Valentines massacre occurred. It was ordered by Lucky Lucino to take over the mob.
The "Mob" now isn't what it used to be with all the violence, but it is still around, just doing things in very subtle ways. There are gangs in every country, most still very violent.
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