ABC News – Las Vegas Opens New Mob Museum
Las Vegas Opens New Mob Museum
At first glance, it may seem strange to open a museum dedicated to organized crime on a day intended for expressions of love, but the opening of The Mob Museum of Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day is no coincidence: Today is the 83rd anniversary of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, when seven mobsters were murdered in Chicago. In fact, among the museum’s artifacts is the brick wall where the shootout took place.
Las Vegas has a deep history, as well as a love-hate relationship, with organized crime. One of the museum’s exhibits details the illegal skimming of profits of a casino’s earnings, which was commonplace in Las Vegas for decades.
The creators of the museum, however, are quick to deny that the museum glorifies mob culture. Instead, they say the exhibits focus on the real story of the mob and how law enforcement battled organized crime.