The vast amount of money invested in the gambling industry has made destinations such as Las Vegas the scene of frequent crime. Though Nevada’s iconic casino hub sees almost 40 million visitors each year (and is considered a safe tourist destination), cheaters and mobsters remain at large in the neon-blazed, buzzing city.
Yet we keep going back for more. In fact, even major crime dramas such as CSI reflect the fascination we have with the murky world of gambling … and the deadly crimes committed there.
From Al Bramlet’s murder to Richard Marcus’ famous distraction-based cheats, these casino-set crimes are uniquely connected to the occasionally dicey nature of gambling. Besides the usual gang-related murders and casino robberies, some of the crimes we hear about are so strange and mysterious, we can’t help but hope that everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Here are five of those such incidents.
The Legal Casino Robbery
One of the most incredible of all casino robberies was in fact not a robbery at all. No heist, no blood, and no crime with which to charge the perpetrators. Around the end of the 70s, a group of ex-students from the Michigan Institute of Technology used a series of sophisticated card-counting techniques to beat casinos at blackjack. Nicknamed the MIT Blackjack Team, these maths mavericks taught themselves shuffle tracking and hole carding. Fortunately for the team’s sly members, card counting has never officially been deemed a crime. Though casinos reserve the right to ban individual members, it would be impossible to criminalize card counting techniques, as they require only observation and mathematical skills.
During their years of operation, the MIT Blackjack Team acquired millions in winnings from casinos all across America. A semi-biographical book about the group garnered some attention and was later adapted into the movie 21, featuring Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne. Though not as acclaimed as Ocean’s Eleven (a movie with a more traditional casino heist), 21 gives an insight into the infamously impressive achievements of the MIT Blackjack Team.
The Deadly Hilton Fire
In 1981, a fire spread across Vegas’ popular Hilton Casino. Within hours, the fire had destroyed most of the building, killing 8 people and injuring hundreds more. Seven died from smoke inhalation, whilst the eighth victim either fell or jumped to his death from the 16th floor. It was a tragic scene that sent shock waves across America.
One employee – the casino’s new busboy – had acted considerably brave during the ordeal, alerting guests to the fire and throwing water at the flames which had broken out in a nearby elevator lobby. The boy, Philip Cline, was praised for his actions. It wasn’t long, however, until his nervous behavior raised suspicion with investigators, who were still confused as to the cause of fire.
Experts traced the fire’s point of origin to the eighth floor, near the elevator lobby where the busboy had been seen trying to extinguish the fire. Further questioning of the boy, who had worked at the casino for only two days before the incident, pressured him into admitting the truth: He’d caused the deadly fire.
Cline revealed that he’d been given a PCP-laced joint by his friend on the night of the fire and, in a stoned stupor, ignited some curtains with his cigarette lighter. In jail to this day, Cline maintains that it was never his intention to hurt anyone, and he deeply regrets his actions on that fatal night.
The ‘Invisible Ink’ Mystery
Home to Europe’s most glamorous film festival, breathtaking natural beauty, and countless luxury resorts, Cannes is a place of style and sophistication. The town’s Mediterranean coast is lined with prestigious casinos – many of which are regularly visited by high-profile figures.
In 2011, one of these casinos became famous for something other than its reputation of opulence and VIP guests. Two men walked into the Cannes Princes Casino and proceeded to play stud poker, winning €44,000. There was nothing about this win which gave the casino’s staff a reason to suspect foul play. Things got weird, however, when the same men returned just a few weeks later, taking home an additional €20,000.
Upon investigation, it was found that the card deck used in the men’s game was marked with ink that is invisible to the human eye. The ink spelled out symbols in the form of lines and crosses, indicating which cards were Aces or Kings. But a mystery remained – how had the men managed to detect the symbols written in invisible ink? And how had they managed to go unnoticed whilst marking the cards?
Investigators initially concluded the men must have somehow used cameras, but this didn’t make sense as the cameras would have been too difficult to hide. Security footage didn’t catch any of the men using infra-red glasses, either. The case was a complete mystery until it struck one of the investigators that the men must have used a less detectable method of reading the ink; infrared contact lenses.
As for who marked the cards? Two casino employees had drawn on the packs prior to the game. The four men involved were convicted with charges of fraud and theft, although it’s impossible to say how many times they may have used this cheat in the past.
The Kidnapping of Steve Wynn’s Daughter
Steve Wynn is one of the most accomplished and highly influential businessmen in the world. Much of his fortune can be attributed to his involvement in the founding of several popular gambling establishments, including The Mirage, Treasure Island, Golden Nugget, and Bellagio Casino. An avid collector of fine art, advocate of veganism and charismatic speaker, Wynn is as famed for his wealth as he is for people’s admiration of him … which is what makes the following story especially shocking.
On a sunny day in July 1993, Wynn was going about his usual business when he received a call from his 26 year-old daughter that sent chills down his spine.
His daughter, Kevyn, explained she’d been kidnapped. Abducted from her home in Vegas, Kevyn was being used as a hostage for two men who demanded $2.5 million in ransom money. Incredibly, Wynn was able to use his negotiation skills to bring the ransom down to $1.4 million, claiming this was the largest amount of cash he’d be able to get to them that night. After picking up the ransom, which had been placed in a plastic bag inside an empty car, the kidnappers called Wynn to tell them the location of his daughter. Wynn found Kevyn three hours later, tied up but safe, inside a car in an airport parking lot.
Just one day later, police were notified of some strange behavior at a car dealership in California. A man called Ray Cuddy had tried to buy a Ferrari with $200,000 in cash. As he returned to finalize the payment a few days later, Cuddy was arrested by the FBI. Shortly thereafter they arrested his accomplice, Jacob Sherwood. Both were charged with the kidnapping, but recently released on parole.
Ted Binion and the Missing Silver
Benny Binion was a down-right criminal but an icon in the world of gambling. Founder of the Horseshoe Casino, Binion raised standards for gambling establishments across Vegas, inspiring young entrepreneurs to go by his business model, and forcing competitors to step up their game.
His son, Ted Binion, became famous for a very different reason.
In 1998, soon after having his casino license revoked for involvement in criminal activity, Ted was found dead in his home. Traces of Xanax and heroin was found in his stomach, suggesting Binion died of an overdose. Those close to Binion, however, found the death highly suspicious. Binion had not shown signs of being suicidal, and examiners of the corpse agreed most drug addicts would inject, rather than ingest, heroin.
Investigators began looking at suspects. Binion’s girlfriend, Sandra Murphy, was believed to have motive to kill. She was having an affair with Rick Tabish, owner of a trucking company which just so happened to have transported silver to Binion’s home and therefore knew the code to his vault.
Upon unlocking the basement which contained Binion’s vault, it soon became clear that much of his silver was missing. Binion was said to have hidden millions of dollars around the home, yet there was an extortionate amount of wealth unaccounted for. Further examination of his body suggested Binion had been suffocated.
The evidence of murder was stacking up. Everything seemed to point at Sandra Murphy and Rick Tabish being the murderers and yet, during a retrial in 2004, both were acquitted of the crime.
Now, the luxury mansion in which Binion was found dead, is on the market, all refurbished and probably haunted. And yes, the basement is still there.
From Gothic literature to modern-day thrillers; Sophie has always had a fascination with the mysterious and morbid. She lives by the sea with her cat, Cosmic Creepers, and is currently working her way through the X-Files. When she’s not writing horror stories, Sophie’s writing about her other interests – travel and poker.
Photos (from top): Fox Photos / Getty Images; Christopher Furlong / Getty Images; Ethan Miller / Getty Images; Hulton Archive / Getty Images; Tracy O / Flickr; Sprott Money / Flickr
