Podcasts by Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas

Bonus: Season 2 Epilogue from 2021-09-15T12:47:24

Longtime gaming executive and consultant Ed Nigro was in the middle of the battle between Wayne Newton and Johnny Carson to buy the Aladdin Hotel after the mob was kicked out. 

Aladdin‘s curse | S2E8 from 2021-08-02T00:01

On the evening of April 27, 1998, there was an almost festive atmosphere on the Las Vegas Strip. Television news helicopters were hovering and an estimated 20,000 onlookers gathered on the streets....

Aladdin‘s curse | S2E8 from 2021-08-02T00:01

Mobbed Up chronicles the rise and fall of organized crime in Las Vegas through the eyes of those who lived it: mobsters, law enforcement officials, politicians, journalists, and Las Vegas Strip ico...

A judge falls from grace | S2E7 from 2021-07-26T00:01

Federal judge Harry Claiborne frustrated federal prosecutors hunting the mob in Las Vegas - he was not afraid to block efforts if he thought they were being unfair. The judge also fought with gamin...

Wayne Newton’s ‘nightmare’ | S2E6 from 2021-07-19T00:01

It’s a moment of jubilation for Wayne Newton in September 1980 as he appears before the Nevada Gaming Commission. He has just been approved as the new co-owner of the Aladdin. But he and his attorn...

Threats, Bombs and Stings | S2E5 from 2021-07-12T00:01

Armed with a mass of FBI wiretap transcripts, newly sworn-in Nevada governor Robert List was embarking on one of the most critical tasks in the history of the state - breaking the mob’s grip on the...

Wayne Newton vs. Johnny Carson | S2E4 from 2021-07-05T00:01

Wayne Newton and Johnny Carson, two of the biggest stars in the entertainment world, both set their sights on buying the Aladdin after regulators stripped the resort’s owners of their gaming licens...

BONUS: Introducing Mafia from 2021-06-30T12:27:08

Mafia is an Audioboom Original that delves into the criminal underworld, exploring the lives and careers of America’s most infamous gangsters. This season will cover mafiosos from around the US;...

‘Close the Place Down‘ | S2E3 from 2021-06-28T00:05:56

The Nevada Gaming Commission voted unanimously to close the Aladdin’s mob-controlled gaming floor in August 1979, but colorful federal judge Harry Claiborne ordered it reopened. It was a big blo...

The Genie in the Lamp | S2E1 from 2021-06-21T00:01

It’s July 2, 1976. Music legend Neil Diamond is opening the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts, one of the finest stages ...

Hoffa: The Strip’s Kingmaker | S2E2 from 2021-06-21T00:01

Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance led to a big push against organized crime across the country, including Las Vegas, where Hoffa, the mob’s b...

Introducing Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas. Season 2 from 2021-06-13T21:00

Season 2 of “Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas,” an eight-part, true-crime series, takes you to the late 1970s and early 1980s, an unforgettable era in the battle against organized crime in Las...

BONUS: Mobbed Up (Almost) Live from 2020-08-07T02:00

This week, Mobbed Up host Reed Redmond and Mob Museum VP of Exhibits of Programs Geoff Schumacher hosted 'Mobbed Up Live,' which aired on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website and Facebook page. ...

Implosion | S1E11 from 2020-07-28T02:00

"I'm probably the only guy standing right now." 

Decades after it was at the center of a federal racketeering case, the aging Stardust hotel-casino is imploded to make way for a new resor...

Implosion | S1E11 from 2020-07-28T02:00

"I'm probably the only guy standing right now." 

Decades after it was at the center of a federal racketeering case, the aging Stardust hotel-casino is imploded to make way for a ...

BONUS: Stories from the Steer from 2020-07-23T02:00

"They didn't care if you were a mobster or a corporate executive or a politician or a federal agent." 

When Frank Cullotta arrived in Las Vegas in 1978, one of his first stops was The Gol...

Family Secrets | S1E10 from 2020-07-21T02:00

“He always said if you pull a gun on somebody, you finish it.” 

Tony Spilotro goes missing in June of 1986, last seen driving away from his brother's home in suburban Illinois. Over two d...

Family Secrets | S1E10 from 2020-07-21T02:00

“He always said if you pull a gun on somebody, you finish it.” 

Tony Spilotro goes missing in June of 1986, last seen driving away from his brother's home in suburban Illinois. O...

Dirty Laundry | S1E9 from 2020-07-14T02:00

"You never become a rat."

Following their arrests for attempted robbery of a home furnishings store in Las Vegas, Frank Cullotta and five other members of the "Hole in the Wall Gang" face...

Dirty Laundry | S1E9 from 2020-07-14T02:00

"You never become a rat."

Following their arrests for attempted robbery of a home furnishings store in Las Vegas, Frank Cullotta and five other members of the "Hole in the Wall G...

Strawman | S1E8 from 2020-07-07T02:00

"Las Vegas was the last thing on our mind."

In the spring of 1978, the FBI’s Organized Crime Squad in Kansas City placed microphones in a restaurant, hoping to pick up information about ...

Strawman | S1E8 from 2020-07-07T02:00

"Las Vegas was the last thing on our mind."

In the spring of 1978, the FBI’s Organized Crime Squad in Kansas City placed microphones in a restaurant, hoping to pick up infor...

Hole in the Wall | S1E7 from 2020-06-30T02:00

“This was the end of organized crime in Las Vegas.”

In 1978, mob-connected thief Frank Cullotta moves from Chicago to Las Vegas to work alongside his childhood friend, reputed Las Vegas m...

Hole in the Wall | S1E7 from 2020-06-30T02:00

“This was the end of organized crime in Las Vegas.”

In 1978, mob-connected thief Frank Cullotta moves from Chicago to Las Vegas to work alongside his childhood friend, reputed La...

Cleanface | S1E6 from 2020-06-23T02:00

"Now I’m getting this directly from, you know, Cleanface. You follow me?"

In 1977, future Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was appointed chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. Before...

Cleanface | S1E6 from 2020-06-23T02:00

"Now I’m getting this directly from, you know, Cleanface. You follow me?"

In 1977, future Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was appointed chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commi...

The Argent Empire | S1E5 from 2020-06-16T02:00

"You don’t buy Mr. Spilotro drinks. He buys you drinks." In 1971, Tony Spilotro moves from Chicago to Las Vegas to look after the mob's interests, alongside a longtime oddsmaker named Frank "Le...

The Argent Empire | S1E5 from 2020-06-16T02:00

"You don’t buy Mr. Spilotro drinks. He buys you drinks."

In 1971, Tony Spilotro moves from Chicago to Las Vegas to look after the mob's interests, alongside a longtime oddsmaker named F...

Open City | S1E4 from 2020-06-09T02:00

“The mob had been, of course, heavily integrated in the casino industry here from day one.”

To understand the city of Las Vegas as it existed in the 1970s, we have to back up to Dec. 26, ...

Open City | S1E4 from 2020-06-09T02:00

“The mob had been, of course, heavily integrated in the casino industry here from day one.”

To understand the city of Las Vegas as it existed in the 1970s, we have to back up to ...

Claim to Fame | S1E3 from 2020-06-02T10:43

"It supersedes family." 

Tony Spilotro always dreamed of becoming a ‘made’ man—a full-fledged member of the Chicago Outfit—according to his childhood friend Frank Cullotta. In th...

Claim to Fame | S1E3 from 2020-06-02T10:43

"It supersedes family." 

Tony Spilotro always dreamed of becoming a ‘made’ man—a full-fledged member of the Chicago Outfit—according to his childhood friend Frank Cullotta. In the spring ...

The Family Business | S1E2 from 2020-05-26T02:01

"And I said, 'What's your name?' And he says, 'Tony Spilotro.'" 

As a kid, Frank Cullotta’s first job was stealing. His second job was shining shoes on Grand Avenue in Chicago. O...

The Family Business | S1E2 from 2020-05-26T02:01

"And I said, 'What's your name?' And he says, 'Tony Spilotro.'" 

As a kid, Frank Cullotta’s first job was stealing. His second job was shining shoes on Grand Avenue in Chicago. One day, a...

Our Religion | S1E1 from 2020-05-26T02:00

“You never become a rat. That’s against our religion, let’s say.” 

Thursday, October 11, 1979. Around 4:30 a.m., a woman returns to her home in Las Vegas to find her belongings tossed a...

Our Religion | S1E1 from 2020-05-26T02:00

“You never become a rat. That’s against our religion, let’s say.”  Thursday, October 11, 1979. Around 4:30 a.m., a woman returns to her home in Las Vegas to find her belongings tossed around, b...

Introducing Mobbed Up from 2020-05-05T13:47:55

'Mobbed Up' chronicles the rise and fall of organized crime in Las Vegas through the eyes of those who lived it: ex-mobsters, law enforcement officials, politicians and journalists. From back al...