He was officially forced out of Las Vegas in 1987, when he was placed in the Black Book, making him persona non grata (unable to work, or even enter) all . While the Stardust was thriving, Frank Rosenthal was having trouble with the authorities. Subscribe HERE. Along with uncertainty over who killed Benjamin Bugsy Siegel in 1947 and the 1975 disappearance of labor leader Jimmy Hoffa, the Rosenthal car bombing remains one of the top unsolved organized crime mysteries in the country. The two-story home features a courtyard entry, steel framing, soundproof insulation, bulletproof windows and doors, smoked mirrors believed to be from the Stardust, a floating staircase and a gold leaf ceiling in the dining room, the listing said. Universal Pictures/Getty ImagesTony Spilotro also inspired a character in Casino played by Joe Pesci. We have set your language to In their world, people who talked had to be dealt with. I ditched them at first and then I told them who I was and that I had my Departments permission to make the meeting. Try again later. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Much of the episode capitalizes on the disco-dance fervor of that period. The discussion can be viewed here. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Geri McGee loved money obtaining it, spending it, flaunting it. These days, the property is part of the Marriott Vacation Club Grand Chateau. Other celebrity guests included Bob Hope, Wayne Newton, Liberace and multiple murderer O.J. Lem won the bet, but the bookie refused to pay him. Year should not be greater than current year. Lem had contacts that supplied him with insider info re sporting events, which Lem paid for by placing a bet for the tipper. She and her sister, Barbara, often took on odd jobs as kids to help make ends meet; all of their clothing was handed down by neighbors. The young gambler learned, as he later said, that Every pitch. It was unusual because usually they got pieces of action for free, or laid out cash on "juice" or "vig". Follow @eli_segall on Twitter. A moment later, at Kutashs invitation, she stands up, towering over the choreographer. (L.E. Spilotro's character, who was portrayed in the film Casino by Joe Pesci, was alleged to be involved in numerous murders from Chicago to Las Vegas. Details of his death were sketchy, but a variety of sources said Rosenthal died of an apparent heart attack and was found at home by his daughter, Stephanie. Oops, something didn't work. She and I are the only two people in the whole casino who arent on the floor. (L.E. sometimes referred to as the golden Jew, but always with respect and admiration for being such an earner. Yes, Lefty was the ultimate multi-tasker. And everyone who met her liked her in five minutes. As Rosenthal told one of his nominal bosses in 1974: It is about time you become informed of what is going on here and where I am coming from and where you should be I have been instructed not to tolerate any nonsense from you, nor do I have to listen to what you say, because you are not my boss When I say you dont have a choice, I am just not talking of an administrative basis, but I am talking about one involving health. Most people who might have known probably are dead, he said. This also goes for anyone else who reads this & has a tale to tell of old LV. Rosenthal, who was once called "the greatest living expert on sports gambling" by Sports Illustrated, is credited with bringing increased exposure to sports betting to Las Vegas in the 1970s. Furthermore, Rosenthal learned that Spilotro had been having an affair with McGee. She died three days later at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. Unverified and perhaps apocryphal reports still claim that Las Vegas murder rate went up by 70 percent after Spilotro arrived in town. Don't miss the big stories. In September 1980, his wife, Geri Rosenthal (the inspiration for Ginger McKenna in Casino, played by Sharon Stone) called police to their home and falsely reported a burglary was in progress, the Review-Journal reported. Though the years, federal, state and local gaming officials in Nevada confirmed that these Argent Corporation casinos were controlled by organized crime families. Get the latest gaming industry news. He reportedly moved to Las Vegas in 1968. Are Californians and East Coasters moving in? [1][pageneeded]. It's an area that is distasteful and brings back bad memories. Wyatt Redd is a freelance writer from Nashville, Tennessee. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Shes only trying to save your marriage, he said. Weve updated the security on the site. Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal sports handicapper extraordinaire, Las Vegas gaming executive and the inspiration for the blockbuster movie "Casino" died Monday. The house at 972 Vegas. As for the Rosenthals, they split up several years before the Spilotro brothers were murdered and, separately, faced bleak moments of their own before dying on different coasts. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Frank Rosenthal (32565520)? He was. There was a problem getting your location. What she doesnt say is that she had been a showgirl years earlier at the Tropicana hotel-casino. Great posture. He hosted a local television show featuring celebrity guests and even counted the blueberries in the kitchens muffins to make sure that there were always 10 in each. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. She was 46 years old. Cullotta and a burglary crew called the Hole in the Wall Gang were captured in 1981 breaking into what was then Berthas Gifts and Home Furnishings on East Sahara, not far from where Rosenthals car would be firebombed the next year. Washington, D.C. Sept. 7, 1961. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images, Casino executive Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, left, sits next to his wife Geri Rosenthal in their Las Vegas home in this photograph from the 1970s. [12] Other likely suspects include Kansas City mob bosses, who were recorded on an FBI wiretap tape calling Rosenthal "crazy"; Spilotro, either acting with others or on behalf of the Outfit; and outlaw bikers who were friends of Rosenthal's ex-wife, Geri McGee. Jenkins noted that Kansas City during its Mob wars in the 1970s was known as a town where car bombings took place. Today, authorities still do not know who planted the bomb that blew up Rosenthals car on October 4, 1982. A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Austin Harvey has also had work published with Discover Magazine, Giddy, and Lucid covering topics on mental health, sexual health, history, and sociology. He told me Lefty wanted to talk to me to get my Okay to open a sports book in LA. When the Mob finally learns that about someone, arrangements are made to silence the person. So he operated much like his friend Lefty. He served as press secretary for Nevada Governor Bob Miller, and was political editor at the Las Vegas Sun and managing editor at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Northwest Arkansas. Frank Rosenthal adjusts his tie while refusing to answer questions before a Senate subcommittee on gambling and racketeering. Rosenthal left a local restaurant and got into his car. It features wall-mounted lanterns and planter boxes, a fountain, and storefront windows for eateries named after the owners kids. Courtesy of, Tony Spilotro, who worked side by side with Rosenthal for years as associates of the Chicago Outfit, has long been suspected of orchestrating the car bombing but evidence linking him to it is lacking. There might be some aging, former federal agent who knows something, Pileggi said, but so far, nothing definitive has emerged, and each passing day closes the door a little more. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Despite his frequent arrests for illegal gambling and bookmaking, Rosenthal was convicted only once, after pleading no contest in 1963 to allegedly bribing a New York University player to shave points for a college basketball game in North Carolina. Rosenthal, a Chicago Mob associate, ran the now-demolished Stardust hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip for Midwestern crime families that received untaxed gambling revenue skimmed from there and other resorts. Thats when I knew somebody put a bomb in my car.. Wikimedia CommonsThe Stardusts sign in 1973. [11] The marriage ended in divorce in 1981, with Rosenthal attributing the failure primarily to McGee's inability to escape her dependence on alcohol and drugs. 12. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. She says is five-feet-nine-and-a-half-inches tall. Mexican cartels deliver care packages to citizens amid pandemic. Rosenthal left Las Vegas not long after the bombing, ultimately moving to Florida, where he died of a heart attack in 2008 at age 79. In the movie Casino, Rosenthal survives an attempt on his life when his car exploded. In the movie, Sharon Stone plays the Geri Rosenthal character, while Joe Pesci portrays the character based on Spilotro. On April 5, 1979, only three days after the publication date on the Newsweek disco cover that Frank Rosenthal displays for the camera, Geri Rosenthal wrote to her daughter that he came home drunk the previous night, April 4, and choked her into unconsciousness. The plot was inspired by the life of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal who managed the Fremont, Hacienda, and Stardust casinos in Las Vegas for the Chicago mob back in the 1970s and 1980s. Rosenthal asked himself, Why is my car on fire?. We've also been known give out vintage Las Vegas relics & swag to all story contributors. Who is Nicky Santoro based off of? For the Rosenthals, extramarital affairs and alcohol-fueled fights were a part of life. And now this violent killer was in Las Vegas to help the Chicago Outfit keep an eye on their gambling interests, which meant hed be right by Rosenthals side. A judge said portions of the Clark County ordinance were vague and subjected homeowners to intrusive inspections. Las Vegas housing market is heating up as cheap money fuels record prices and fast sales despite the coronavirus pandemics crushing effect on the economy. In 1962, he was convicted of bribing a college basketball player to shave points during a game in North Carolina. She died three days later in a nearby hospital, only 46 years old. [5] In order to once again escape police attention, Rosenthal moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1968. Rosenthals nickname came from the fact he was left-handed. She also happened to marry one of Vegas most notorious and controversial figures: Frank Lefty Rosenthal, the casino king who built an empire and then lost it all. @JudyPete A former Fox employee says they are telling their audience what they want to hear not what they need to know. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our (L.E. 8. There was an error deleting this problem. Henry taught journalism at Haas Hall Academy in Bentonville, Arkansas, and now is the headmaster at the schools campus in Rogers, Arkansas. Geraldine also had a daughter from a previous relationship with her high school love, Lenny Marmor (James Woods' character in the movie). Nationwide, the pace of resales waned for the 12th consecutive month in January. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, Lefty Rosenthal initially ran a betting parlor alongside a boyhood friend from Chicago who acted as his enforcer: Anthony Tony the Ant Spilotro (called Nicky Santoro and played by Joe Pesci in Casino). He died on October 13, 2008 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. Speculation about her death revolved around her ex-husband, two separate groups of outlaws, and Lenny Marmor. each to be partners with him in betting. 3. Starring De Niro, Pesci and Sharon Stone, Casino is a fictionalized account of Las Vegas casino executive Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal's rocky relationship with his wife, Geri (De Niro and Stone), and her romance with the Pesci character, based on Tony Spilotro, the Chicago Outfit's overseer in Southern Nevada during the 1970s and early '80s. He seems to have had as many admirers as critics, and helped shape Las Vegas casinos as we know them today. What two? she asked. Rosenthal hired private investigators to keep tabs on his wife, and eventually threatened to divorce her unless she stayed home and had a second child. No further attempts were made. Geri Rosenthal ended up with a cracked rib, two black eyes and bruises all over her body, she told her daughter in the letter. He got back in his car, ready to take some food home to his kids, but as soon as he started the engine, the car blew up. Yes, I think you could say that, she replies. Senator) Harry Reid. Her death was ruled accidental, from a combination of Valium, cocaine and alcohol. This was an evil man. In the episode, Frank Rosenthal interviews his wife moments before she dances with Jeff Kutash, a casino showroom choreographer who was a guest on Rosenthals television show that night in 1979. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. We'd love to share & preserve your story of meeting Lefty in Florida. 4. Frank Lawrence Rosenthal (June 12, 1929 October 13, 2008), also known as "Lefty" Rosenthal, was an American professional sports bettor, former Las Vegas casino executive, and organized crime associate. Rosenthals attention to detail included making sure all muffins served in his hotel had at least 10 blueberries each. Frank Lefty Rosenthal died of a heart attack at age 79 in Miami Beach in 2008. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The southwest Las Vegas Valley home, which used to belong to the Mtley Cre lead singer, is available for $2.7 million. Sorry! There is a problem with your email/password. The not-so-happy couple argued frequently, with McGee accusing her husband of having affairs and Rosenthal accusing her of drinking too much and taking too many pills. They were killed for bringing too much attention to the mobs lucrative but illegal operations in Nevada. Stacker compiled statistics about people in cities looking to buy homes in Las Vegas. At that point, Rosenthal said, I cant take my eyes off her. Though she and Rosenthal had two children together, this infidelity and her drug abuse contributed to their marriage failing in 1980. Around this same time, Frank Rosenthal moved to Miami, where he and other Chicago Outfit members continued to participate in illegal gambling operations and even engage in violent assaults on their rivals. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? In the midst of that craze, Geri Rosenthals husband, underworld figure Frank Lefty Rosenthal (Robert De Niro in the movie), filmed the episode of his local variety show that now is on YouTube. You just listen to bad agents in politics and the media that want you to think that term means something it doesnt. Unfortunately, it seemed the domestic life Rosenthal wanted for his wife didnt suit her nature. Search above to list available cemeteries. In one college basketball season, Lefty ran that $15,000. After all, how many people could have their life story turned into a hit movie with few, if any, embellishments needed? A/T Some romantically claim he got the nickname when, in 1961, he appeared before a Senate hearing on organized crime and invoked the Fifth Amendment 37 times, keeping his left hand in the air while doing so. When we were driving back to the funeral home, I was notified who he was. Of course, he truly did make his mark in revolutionizing the casinos gambling operation by moving heavily into sports betting and hiring female dealers. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Once you are a Top Echelon informant, you are a target, Pileggi said, adding that mobsters from somewhere in the Midwest Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City probably were responsible for trying to kill Rosenthal with the car bomb. He manipulated the odds just enough to entice gamblers to bet while also keeping the odds just where they needed to be so that the bookies could be sure that theyd come out ahead no matter what happened. Rosenthal agreed, but it also got the FBI breathing down his neck. He holds a bachelor's degree in screenwriting (widely considered to be a bad move) from Point Park University. Not long after, McGee quit her job at the Tropicana, and the couple welcomed their son Steven into the world. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, who has died of a heart attack aged 79, was a Las Vegas legend, a pioneer who brought sports bookmaking into US casinos as a legitimate business, at least by Vegas. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. sfn error: no target: CITEREFPileggi2001 (, 2425, 65, 6970, 97100, 175, 195197, 348, "Jane Anne Morrison: Spilotro was merely a killer; Lefty mastered the more frightening Glare", "Lefty Rosenthal, Kingpin in Las Vegas, Dies at 79", "Roberto Santiago: Player Interview: Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal", "Las Vegas' first female FBI agent was master of disguise", "Interview with Frank Rosenthal, a Casino Legend in Vegas", "Nevada Gaming Commission's List of Excluded Persons now-defunct listing", List of Italian-American mobsters by organization, Collaborations between the United States government and Italian Mafia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Rosenthal&oldid=1099211277, Federal Bureau of Investigation informants, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with incomplete citations from May 2016, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from May 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 July 2022, at 15:24. 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