After 50 years on the Las Vegas Strip, Circus Circus still going strong

Fifty years ago this month, Circus Circus opened its doors at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. It’s…


When the Mafia ruled Times Square

The latest television series featuring Mob figures continues this fall with the second season of HBO’s The Deuce, focusing on…


Leave no trace

In 1934, John Dillinger was one of America’s most wanted. He was in hiding in Chicago and looking for a…


The Don of Silicon Valley

Joe Cerrito died on September 7, 1978, from a heart attack at age 67. He was a successful businessman in…


Joe Gallo’s ‘Crazy’ celebrity status

Though Joseph Gallo was only in his early 40s when he was gunned down, his status in American popular culture…


The first mobster in Las Vegas: Part 3

Last of three parts On June 20, 1929, Jim Ferguson, the king of the Las Vegas bootleggers, took the stand…


The first mobster in Las Vegas: Part 2

Second of three parts The year 1928 initially looked good from Jim Ferguson’s standpoint. The “King of the Tenderloin” in…


The first mobster in Las Vegas: Part 1

First of three parts In the 1920s and ’30s, the U.S. government considered him a “menace to society.” Nevada law…


Mexican cartels prey on migrants from Central America

Each year, hundreds of thousands of migrants who enter Mexico from three Central American countries are at risk of rape,…


‘A shiny mark of incorruptibility’

Good stories usually have five key elements: a likable protagonist who selflessly rises to the occasion; a malevolent antagonist seeking…