Part V: Regional & Cultural · Casino Slang & Historical Terms
7.4 Mob Era (Las Vegas)
Historical — Industry Period
The “Mob Era” refers to the period from the 1940s through the 1960s when organized crime families, primarily from the East Coast and Midwest, controlled or heavily influenced casino operations in Las Vegas. Mob figures including Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, Sam Giancana, and Tony “The Ant” Spilotro operated casinos through front men and skimmed profits before taxes. The mob era ended gradually through the 1970s with the rise of corporate gaming, the establishment of the Nevada Gaming Commission, Howard Hughes’s casino purchases, and federal prosecutions under the RICO Act.
In practice
Despite its criminal foundations, the mob era established many of Las Vegas’s iconic properties and entertainment traditions. The 1995 film “Casino” (directed by Martin Scorsese) dramatized this period, depicting Tony Spilotro’s operations in Las Vegas.
More in Historical — Industry Period
One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.