Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

The Mob Museum

  • Geoff Schumacher, vice president of exhibits and programs at the Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, looks over a section of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre wall the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas Friday, Feb. 10, 2023.

    Mob Museum marking 11 years with artifacts from St. Valentine’s Day massacre

    February 14, 2023

    While couples celebrate Valentine’s Day today in Las Vegas, the downtown Mob Museum will be marking the 94th anniversary of one of the most notorious gangland murders in organized crime history. The holiday is also the anniversary of one of the most ...

  • A look at the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas, Wed. Jan. 26, 2022.

    After 10 years, there are still many stories for Mob Museum in Vegas to tell

    February 14, 2022

    From a detailed history of how organized crime in the U.S. took root within impoverished immigrant communities in the late 19th century and early 20th century to numerous interactive exhibits, the museum can keep patrons busy for hours.

  • Nissa Tzun, co-founder of the Forced Trajectory Project, holds up a photo of Rafael Olivas during a panel on police de-escalation and the use of force November 12 at the Mob Museum. Olivas was fatally shot by Metro Police 
officers in July 2011.

    Tourism driver or community hub? Mob Museum is both

    December 13, 2019

    Although Downtown Las Vegas has no shortage of entertainment options, community-oriented educational spaces are harder to come by. An unlikely player is quietly filling that void ...

  • A view of the dining and living room in the Jackie Gaughan Suite during a El Cortez-Mob Museum event at the El Cortez in downtown Las Vegas Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The El Cortez and the Mob Museum are pursuing a package that will include a stay in the suite. Casino owner Jackie Gaughan built the hotel tower in 1980 and lived in the suite until his death in 2014.

    El Cortez, Mob Museum offer Jackie Gaughan suite package

    July 16, 2019

    The days of gangsters running around downtown Las Vegas might be over, but mob history enthusiasts can now take advantage of a new VIP package. The Mob Museum has partnered with ...

  • ‘The Godfather’ actor to sign books at Mob Museum

    April 12, 2019

    After spending five of his childhood years in a polio ward, Gianni Russo figured he needed to live his life to the fullest to make up for lost time. It would be hard to argue that Russo — a colorful holdover from ...

  • An infamous mobster's home was up for sale. Buyers made an offer. Who could refuse?

    Spilotro’s home was up for sale. Buyers made an offer. Who could refuse?

    January 25, 2019

    Shannon Smith knew this would be unlike any home he'd ever sold. Prospective buyers peppered him with questions: Did anyone get murdered here? Are there diamonds and cash hidden in the walls? Are there bodies buried in the yard? "I don't know. Buy the house and see," he'd tell them. "Get some metal detectors. Knock down the walls." Smith, a 39-year-old real estate agent and broker, said ...

  • The Mob Museum, Friday Feb. 10, 2017.

    Mob Museum gains accreditation from national group

    March 10, 2017

    The Mob Museum in Las Vegas has turned a 1-in-35 chance into a sure thing, by gaining accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. Museum executive Jonathan Ullman on Thursday credited ...

  • Various artifacts have been added to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre exhibit at the Mob Museum, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. The artifacts are associated with the notorious 1929 gang slayings in Chicago.

    Mob Museum marks 5 years with chilling new artifacts, free admission for locals

    February 11, 2017

    The Mob Museum started its fifth anniversary celebration with an appropriate bang, unveiling new artifacts from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, including bullets removed from the bodies of the victims and the original coroner’s documents. They connect to one of ...

  • Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman drinks a toast with Billy Tveitnes at the celebration of the one millionth guest at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015.

    Mob Museum greets millionth visitor with confetti, champagne

    December 16, 2015

    The Mob Museum in Las Vegas has welcomed its millionth visitor. The museum celebrated the milestone Tuesday by greeting visitor Billy Tveitnes with confetti and champagne as he ...

  • Frank Cullotta, former leader of the “Hole in the Wall” gang and a friend of Tony Spilotro’s, stands in the Mob Museum.

    Old Las Vegas mobster is at peace with his past

    November 23, 2015

    Frank Cullotta was a famous hit man for the Chicago Outfit, a self-described former “gangster, burglar, murderer, extortionist, arsonist” who admitted to the 1979 killing of con man Sherwin “Jerry” Lisner in Las Vegas. Today, the 76-year-old Cullotta earns a legal living as an expert in the culture that led him underground ...

  • Beth Wilson of Houston and Mark Perino of Modesto, Calif. look over a display at "The Beautiful Game Turns Ugly," a new exhibit on the FIFA scandal at the The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement in downtown Las Vegas Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015.

    FIFA scandal becomes exhibit at Mob Museum in Las Vegas

    September 1, 2015

    Al Capone, with raised eyebrows, appeared to be taking a curious sideways glance at the two-minute video of soccer playing and talk about corruption and crooks. The same Las Vegas museum that has chronicled Sin City's mob beginnings led by ...

  • A view of the Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, in downtown Las Vegas Wednesday, Feb.13, 2013.

    Mob Museum in Las Vegas to open soccer scandal exhibit

    July 28, 2015

    The Mob Museum in Las Vegas is setting up an exhibit dedicated to the FIFA corruption scandal. The permanent display entitled "The 'Beautiful Game' Turns Ugly" will open at ...

  • Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, left, tells a story about Jay Sarno during a discussion at UNLV Sunday, March 2, 2014. Mel Larson, right, former Circus Circus vice president, listens at right.  Sarno is the founder of Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, and is credited for creating the mold for modern Las Vegas.

    Mob stories never get old for Goodman — or audiences

    May 24, 2015

    Up next for Goodman on his mini-tour of Vegas speaking engagements is a discussion about Chagra’s fanciful life as a high-stakes gambler and his highly theatrical legal battles. “Oscar’s Case of the Century: The Life and Crimes of Jimmy Chagra,” which also might be the case of this century, is set for May 28 at the Mob Museum ...

  • Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman talks about the barber chair on which Albert Anastasia was sitting when he was murdered. The chair can be seen at the Mob Museum, which is partnering with “CSI: The Experience” at MGM Grand to offer one $45 ticket purchase that provides access to both crime- and crimefighting-themed attractions.

    Handcuff can boost Mob Museum, CSI attraction

    May 10, 2015

    Five years ago, there was a question of whether the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas would agree to enter into a cross-promotional partnership with the in-development Mob Experience being planned at the Tropicana. The concept was that a single ticket might be offered to both attractions, given they were exhibiting such similar subject matter ...