The Mob Museum – Las Vegas

“This is truly the underworld uncovered. No embellishments. No glorification. We present the facts, and let you become the jury.”  - Mob Museum

Less than one month ago a new museum was opened in Las Vegas.  It was the Mob Museum.  We hadn’t heard about it but Sandie had.  She asked us to check it out for her.  That I did.  After going through it the first time, we’re already planning a repeat visit next week.  There is so much in this museum.  It’s not like some we visit and just skim through.  I wanted to read everything and view all the pictures but that takes time.  I had left Terry back at the motorhome with Duchess but I knew he’d want to see this one too.  That’s the plan for next week -  a return trip.

The mob was everywhere.  It was in everything where money could be had.  If you can think it, they were there doing it.  They also left a trail of dead behind them.  This museum was nothing short of fantastic and educational.  Many artifacts had been collected both belonging to the mobsters and those that brought them down.  One of the most popular was the brick wall from the bloody St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.  

Photos, stories and memorabilia are on display.  There are guns, pictures, personal items, videos and numerous stories and details.

Meyer Lansky - “We’re bigger than U.S. Steel.”

 

Mobsters were targets of each other.

Lucky Luciano - “There’s no such thing as good money or bad money. There’s just money.”

There have been many Mob bosses, but Lucky Luciano is considered the true father of modern organized crime

 

The mob had it’s hand in prostitution.  Money was there. The mob had it’s hand everywhere that money was.

Sam Giancana -“I own Chicago. I own Miami. I own Las Vegas.”

 

Many true-life displays were at the museum.

John Gotti - “I never lie because I don’t fear anyone. You only lie when you’re afraid.”

 

Al Capone – “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”

Deaths were common  Competition between families and power made targets of each other.

Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel - “We only kill each other.”

 

Even John Kennedy had his own little corner and video at the museum.  For about three years JFK was having an affair with Judith Campbell or was it really just for convenient meetings to pass information?  Frank Sinatra had introduced JFK to her as well as introduced her to Sam Giancana.  Check out this blog titled Scandalous Women for more information about JFK,  Judith Campbell and Giancana.

Rudy knew members of the mob as did Oswald.   Draw your own conclusions after listening to the tape as to Kennedy’s connection.  Was it there?  Or, wasn’t it?

Las Vegas brought big money to the mob.  Howard Hughes with his vast fortune helped clean up Las Vegas by buying up hotels.  He bought his first one when his reservation ran out and he wasn’t ready to go.

 

The mob was into just about everything.

The Mob Museum is definitely worth the trip.  Matter of fact, I enjoyed it so much that I’m looking forward to going back again with Terry.  There was so much to see and I didn’t get to see it all.

‘Tis life on the road.