Casino Lefty Rosenthal

From 1967 through 1982, Frank Rosenthal was a main player in the mob-controlled casinos of Las Vegas. He was the real power behind the Chicago Outfit’s front man Allen Glick, calling the shots from the Outfit’s headquarters at the Stardust Hotel & Casino. Rosenthal’s role in Sin City was dramatized in the 1995 movie Casino, in which actor Robert DeNiro played a character based on him. DeNiro’s co-star, Joe Pesci, portrayed Rosenthal’s buddy-turned-enemy, Chicago Outfit enforcer Tony Spilotro.

Although Lefty died of natural causes at his Florida home on October 13, his life had nearly been claimed by violence on at least two occasions during his Vegas heyday. He knew about one of those instances for sure, and may or may not have been aware of the other.

Frank Lawrence Rosenthal (June 12, 1929 – October 13, 2008), also known as 'Lefty' Rosenthal, was an American professional sports bettor, former Las Vegas casino executive, and organized crime associate. On the evening of Oct. 4, 1982, Lefty Rosenthal, the talented professional gambler and gangster-when-necessary who had brought sports betting to casinos in Las Vegas and illicitly run an empire of.

I’ll talk about those incidents shortly. But I’ll begin with a little background on Mr. Rosenthal.

Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal was born in Chicago in 1929, the son of a produce wholesaler. However, his father’s business didn’t appeal to young Frank, who, as he grew up, became more interested in what was going on at racetracks and ballparks than in the price of oranges. His innate talent for sports wagering caught the attention of professionals, and at the age of 19 Frank was offered a job as a clerk with Bill Kaplan of the Angel-Kaplan Sports Service in Chicago.

Lefty developed his oddsmaking skills with the help of Kaplan and some illegal bookmakers, and he did so quickly. He was a natural when it came to formulating betting lines on sporting events. As the years passed, Rosenthal gained a reputation as one of the premier handicappers in the country, and a top earner for the Chicago Outfit’s illegal gambling operations. Lefty was on top of his game, but fame and fortune had their price.

In 1960, Rosenthal’s name appeared on a series of lists of known gamblers produced by the Chicago Crime Commission, and he decided it was time to get out of town. The following year Frank moved to Miami, hoping to keep a lower profile.

But his reputation and known affiliation with organized-crime had preceded him to Florida.It wasn’t long before the numbers guru came to the attention of the Senate’s McClellan Committee on gambling and organized crime.

In 1961, Attorney General Robert Kennedy asked the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to look into illegal gambling activities. Lefty was called to testify before Senator McClellan’s committee. During his appearance, the bookmaker was less than candid, invoking the Fifth Amendment 37 times. A few months later, Rosenthal was among a large number of bookies and players arrested as part of an FBI crackdown on illegal gambling. The Miami police then got in on the act and were soon arresting the 32-year-old on a regular basis. The same cops who had initially turned a blind eye to his bookmaking activities were now putting on some big-time heat.

Things got worse for Rosenthal in 1962, when he was indicted for attempting to bribe a college basketball player. Although he maintained his innocence, he eventually pled no contest to the charges.

Despite his altercations with the law, Lefty persevered, and was still in Miami when his old buddy, Tony Spilotro, arrived in 1964. However, the FBI was keeping an eye on Rosenthal and the presence of Spilotro, a suspect in multiple murders in Chicago, only increased the gambler’s unwanted visibility and made his public life more difficult.

By 1966, Lefty had his fill of Miami and decided to move to a location where people in his line of work were treated with a little more respect. He settled on the booming gaming city in the desert, Las Vegas. Not long after his arrival in1967, he bought into the Rose Bowl Sports Book, later relocating on to the Strip and the mob-controlled Stardust. Lefty was moving up fast and his future looked bright. But in 1968, something happened that had a major impact on his life, and eventually the lives of several others. He fell in love.

Geri McGee moved from California to Las Vegas in the late 1950s. An attractive woman, she worked as a topless showgirl at the Tropicana and Dunes and as a cocktail waitress and hustler around the casinos. When Lefty met her it was love at first sight, at least on his part. He was in a hurry to tie the knot, but Geri had reservations about settling down. Her concerns faded when Lefty placed a hefty stash of cash and jewelry in a safe deposit box for her to keep if the marriage didn’t work out. The two were wed the following year.

Initially, everything went well for the newlyweds. Geri liked to spend money and her husband made plenty of it. But in 1970, Lefty was indicted again for bookmaking. This was the kind of thing that could jeopardize his eligibility to be licensed as a casino manager. His links to organized-crime figures posed a similar threat, since the Nevada Gaming Control Board was likely to deny licensing upon learning of such relationships.

Consequently, in 1971, as Lefty ascended to a manager’s position at the Stardust and struggled to keep his nose clean, it came as an unwelcome shock when his lifelong pal, the increasingly notorious Chicago gangster Tony Spilotro, moved into town.

Spilotro’s function in Vegas was to serve as Rosenthal’s muscle should anyone threaten the mob’s casino interests, including the lucrative cash-skimming operations that provided millions of dollars to the crime bosses. However, Tony was an ambitious guy and wasn’t satisfied to just hang around until Lefty needed his help. In short order he became involved in street crimes ranging from loansharking, robbery, burglary, and arson for hire, to murder.

As Tony’s power grew, he brought in other heavies to give him a hand. One of those was Frank Cullotta, an accomplished thief, arsonist and killer, from Chicago. Cullotta assembled a crew of crooks and murderers that became known as the Hole in the Wall Gang. Tony and his boys ruled the Las Vegas underworld.

As Tony’s influence expanded, so did his ego. He wanted even more power and sought Rosenthal’s support; but the bookie refused. That was a sure way to get on Spilotro’s bad side. And a rift developed between the two men. The situation became even more complicated when Tony began having an affair with Lefty’s wife, Geri. As time passed, Tony came to despise Lefty.

And Rosenthal was having other problems as well. He was locked in a battle with the Nevada Gaming Control Board over obtaining a gaming license. The Board was aware of his associations with organized crime figures—including Spilotro—and didn’t want to grant him a license. Lefty tried to bypass the licensing requirements by using various job titles, such as the Director of Food & Beverage and Entertainment Director. Those moves bought him some time, but would eventually be unsuccessful and end his career as one of the most powerful casino men in Las Vegas.

While this was going on, the relationship between Tony and Lefty deteriorated to a critical point. Tony told Cullotta that if not for Rosenthal’s standing with the mob bosses he’d “whack the Jew bastard.” However, as Lefty’s problems with the gaming regulators increased, his value to the Outfit decreased. Tony became more serious about getting rid of Lefty and began preparations.

Frank Cullotta recalls the conversation in which Tony informed him that he might want Rosenthal hit:

“I’ve got a job I might need to have done,” Tony said. “I want you to prepare for it. Make sure Larry [gang member Larry Neumann] is ready to go and get one other guy. Who else can you get?”

“What’s the job?”

“I might want to get rid of the Jew [Rosenthal].”

“For something like that, I can have Wayne [gang associate and killer Wayne Matecki] come in from Chicago.”

“I’m not sure right now I want to do this, so don’t do anything until I tell you. I’m going to bring in a couple of other guys, one from California and the other from Arizona. They’re going to dig a big hole in the desert. They’ll cover it with plywood and dirt. You’ll know where the hole is, because I’ll take you there and show you. When I’m ready to get rid of the Jew, I’ll tell you. Then you scoop him up from the street. Don’t kill him on the street, Frankie. Kill him when you get to the grave we’re going to dig. Then dump him in and cover him up. That will be the end of that.”

For reasons unknown to Cullotta, Tony never gave the final order. Lefty knew Spilotro detested him and was capable of killing him. But it is doubtful that he knew his erstwhile friend had actually set a plan in motion.

However, Lefty had a near death experience that he was painfully aware of on October 4, 1982, when he left Tony Roma’s restaurant on East Sahara. He got into his Cadillac and turned the key in the ignition. In the past, this action had always resulted in the Caddy’s engine coming to life and settling into a smooth purr. Things were a bit different this time, though. A charge of C-4 explosive had been placed under the trunk next to the gas tank and wired to the ignition. When Lefty turned the key the bomb ignited. Had he been in any other car, the gambler would no doubt have been killed instantly. But the Caddy was built with a steel plate under the driver’s seat as standard equipment. The steel barrier diverted the blast toward the passenger side of the vehicle and gave Lefty a chance to jump out of the car before the interior became fully engulfed. The gas tank exploded seconds later, sending the car’s roof 60 feet into the air. The lucky Lefty escaped the inferno with only some singed clothes and minor injuries. He was alive, but someone had sent a strong message.

Who was responsible for the attempt on Lefty’s life? The theories vary. Those who believe Tony Spilotro was behind the incident admit that the Tony wasn’t known for using explosives. But they argue that he had motive and could have brought in an outside expert to handle the bombing. Others think the Chicago bosses, with pressure from their Kansas City colleagues, ordered the hit because they felt Lefty might turn on them and begin cooperating with the authorities. Those who support this idea point out that car bombings were common in assassinations by mob families throughout the Midwest.

Others attribute the bombing to Geri Rosenthal’s biker-gang and drug friends in California. Their rationale is that Geri—who had fled to California after cleaning out the safety deposit boxes loaded with cash and jewelry—was rapidly going through the loot she’d left Las Vegas with. Her new associates no doubt believed she stood to gain a windfall from Lefty’s estate should he suffer a premature demise. In that case, the free-spending Geri would be able to support their bad habits for the foreseeable future. Therefore, it made sense that these unsavory characters would attempt to knock Lefty off.

Not long after the bombing, the gambler departed Las Vegas for California, and eventually Florida. Like so many of the killings and attempted killings in the realm of the mobsters, no one was ever charged in the attack.

The late Lefty Rosenthal has been described by many who dealt with him as having been extremely egotistical with an abrasive personality. He was not a very nice guy, according to them. With his passing, another chapter of Vegas history comes to a close.

Tags: casino, chicago outfit, frank cullotta, las vegas, lefty rosenthal, tonyspilotro

Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal was a mob associate who operated Las Vegas casinos on behalf of the Chicago Outfit bosses in the 1970s. Rosenthal was made famous through actor Robert De Niro's character, Sam 'Ace' Rothstein, in the 1995 movie Casino. The movie told the story of Rosenthal’s close association with Outfit member Anthony 'Ant' Spilotro (represented by Joe Pesci's character Nicholas 'Nicky' Santoro) and their rise together in the Chicago underworld.

Rosenthal and Spilotro both were born in Chicago and grew up around local mobsters. Rosenthal gradually made a name for himself as a sports handicapper and gambling expert. Spilotro came to the attention of Outfit leaders by handling the rough stuff as an enforcer. Both men eventually were assigned to oversee Outfit financial interests in Las Vegas casinos. Rosenthal used his gambling expertise to increase casino revenues and maximize the illegal skim - the siphoning off of a portion of casino revenues before they could be counted and taxed. And Spilotro was the mob heavy in the shadows who kept everyone in line.

The arrangement worked well at first. The casinos operated by Rosenthal became the talk of the town. And Spilotro was able to dominate organized crime in the city. But, over time, friction developed between the two men. Spilotro grew resentful of Rosenthal’s success and high profile in Las Vegas. And Rosenthal became angry with Spilotro for sleeping with Rosenthal's wife and for attracting unnecessary law enforcement scrutiny to their criminal activities. A dispute with the Nevada Gaming Commission eventually forced Rosenthal out of Las Vegas and the casino business.

Nevada exclusion list
entry for Rosenthal

The house of cards would all come down in the 1980s when Outfit leaders were convicted of skimming profits from casinos and sentenced to long prison terms. They dealt with Spilotro by killing him and his brother.

After Rosenthal died in 2008, it was reported that he had been a confidential informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation going back decades. Operating under the codename 'Achilles,' Rosenthal fed the FBI information that was used to make 'a lot of organized crime and skimming cases.' [1]

The full extent of Rosenthal’s cooperation has remained a mystery, but newly released FBI documents show for the first time some of the information he shared with federal agents.

According to the FBI, Rosenthal supplied Intel about many high-profile mob murders, including those of former Outfit boss Samuel Giancana and legendary mobster Johnny Roselli. And he helped law enforcement crack the murder of seven burglars tied to the robbery of Outfit boss Anthony Accardo’s residence.

Murder of Roselli

Johnny Roselli was a longtime La Cosa Nostra member with connections to the Los Angeles Crime Family and the Chicago Outfit going back to the 1930s. He led the mob’s infiltration of Hollywood studios in the 1940s, and he supervised the mob’s interests in Las Vegas in the 1950s. His life took an unexpected turn in the 1960s, when he conspired with the Central Intelligence Agency to kill Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

The available FBI reports don’t indicate if Rosenthal knew Roselli personally, but it seems likely their paths would have crossed in Las Vegas, Chicago or Florida at some point over the years.

By the 1970s, Roselli had fallen on hard times and was borrowing money from his criminal associates to get by. His loose lips were also making his mob superiors uneasy. Testimony he had given before a grand jury investigating mob influence in Las Vegas was used to haul Outfit bosses Paul Ricca and Anthony Accardo into court. [2] And he testified for two hours before the United States Congress about the Mafia’s role in the CIA-backed plots against Castro.

Roselli was found murdered on August 9, 1976, floating in a barrel in Dumfoundling Bay near Miami. He had been stabbed multiple times and strangled with a rope.

Detroit Free Press, March 1977.

According to Rosenthal, Roselli was killed on orders of Outfit top boss Anthony Accardo. [3]

Rosenthal said Roselli had become a 'public source of embarrassment to the LCN,' The murder was allegedly committed by Outfit hitman Frank Schweihs and LCN member Vincent Inserro and two other unidentified individuals. Inserro was Anthony Spilotro’s old mentor in the Outfit.

Two days before the murder, Rosenthal said that Outfit boss Joseph Aiuppa called Schweihs from a public telephone booth in the Chicago-area 'to discuss the Roselli murder.' Rosenthal wasn’t able to provide additional information about the murder.

Schweihs was considered a prime suspect in Roselli’s murder from the start. Originally from Chicago, he had a long criminal record and had acquired a reputation as an Outfit hitman. He was a resident of Florida for some time and had been arrested there a year before Roselli’s murder for attempting to rob a bank. At the time of his arrest in the bank heist, Schweihs was driving a paint truck. This corresponded to 'physical evidence' left later at Roselli’s murder scene. According to the FBI, Roselli’s killers 'may have had access to automotive related business.'

Over the years, the FBI received numerous tips from underworld informants about Roselli’s murder but none of them led to an arrest. The murder has never been officially solved.

The Blazers

In the 1970s, the Outfit compartmentalized their enforcement arm under a group called the 'Blazers.' The hit squad was headed up by Charles Nicoletti and included hitmen Frank Schweihs, Joseph Lombardo and the Spilotro brothers. [17] These men were responsible for a good percentage of the murders committed by the Outfit during that period.

Other mob murders

Frank Rosenthal identified alleged killers (and the motives in some cases) in the following mob murders:

Edward Buccieri

Killed May 12, 1975, in Las Vegas, Nevada, shot five times in the head in the parking lot of Caesar’s Palace casino.

Buccieri was pressuring casino owner Allen Glick for money. According to Rosenthal, the killing was carried out by Anthony Spilotro, Joey Hansen and Paul Schiro. While Rosenthal told the FBI that Buccieri was targeted at the request of Glick, Glick was never charged with the crime. [4] Hansen from California and Schiro from Arizona were members of Spilotro’s crew. They grew up together in Chicago.

August Maniaci

Killed September 11, 1975, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shot next to his automobile outside his residence.

Maniaci was a member of the Milwaukee Crime Family. Rosenthal said the hit was ordered by Milwaukee boss Frank Balistrieri, although he didn’t give a motive. Another FBI witness said Maniaci had argued with Balistrieri and his underboss Steve DiSalvo in the days prior to the shooting. Maniaci had been a longtime FBI informant, but there is no evidence that played a part in his death. He was killed by a gun purchased from the same gun store at the same time as the gun used to kill former Outfit boss Samuel Giancana. [5] [6]

Tamara Rand

Killed November 9, 1975, in San Diego, California, shot five times in the head at home.

Rand was seeking an ownership stake in Allen Glick’s casino holdings. According to Rosenthal, the hit was committed by Outfit hitman Harry Aleman and an unidentified individual known only as 'Corky'. [7] Rosenthal told the FBI the murder was carried out at the behest of Glick, but no charges related to this crime were ever filed against Glick. [8] Aleman was a suspect in many other murders in the 1970s. He was sentenced in 1997 to more than a hundred years in prison following conviction for a 1972 shotgun killing of a union official. He died in prison in 2010.

Samuel Giancana

Killed June 19, 1975, in Oak Park, Illinois, shot seven times in the head.

According to information provided to the FBI by Rosenthal, Joseph Aiuppa (mistakenly called 'Frank' in this report), James Torello, Joseph Lombardo and Joseph Amato were 'responsible' for the murder. Rosenthal didn’t say if the men were actually present at the murder, but that seems unlikely given Aiuppa’s age and prominence. It is probable that top boss Anthony Accardo would have had to sign off on the murder.

Charles Nicoletti

Killed March 29, 1977, in Northlake, Illinois, shot three times in the back of the head while sitting in his automobile.

Rosenthal didn’t have solid information about this hit but said he 'feels' it was likely committed by Harry Aleman. This suggests the hit was sanctioned by the Outfit. [9]

Raymond Ryan

Killed October 19, 1977, in Evansville Indiana, bomb detonated as he entered his automobile.

Ryan was a businessman who had testified against Outfit member Marshall Caifano in an extortion case. According to Rosenthal, the hit was carried out by Frank Schweihs on orders of Joseph Aiuppa. [10]

Burgmurs

Killed January, 1978, to April, 1978, in Chicago, Illinois, area.

In the Burgmurs case, the Outfit eliminated seven burglars connected to the robbery of Anthony Accardo’s residence. [11] Rosenthal said the killings were ordered by Accardo. He said the hits were 'organized' by Joseph Aiuppa’s former chauffeur, Gerry Carusiello. Rosenthal’s tip appears to have led investigators to zero in on Carusiello. Telephone records later established that Carusiello had called each murder victim multiple times in the days leading up to their deaths.

Significance of codename 'Achilles'?

In Greek mythology, Achilles was a great warrior who fought in the Trojan War. Achilles died after an arrow pierced his heel, the only vulnerable part of his godlike body. Was the codename a wordplay on Rosenthal’s potential ability to take down the invincible Chicago Outfit like Achilles took down Troy's greatest warrior, Hector?

Rosenthal’s information

The information supplied by Rosenthal about the murders generally corresponded with information law enforcement developed from other sources. Rosenthal told the FBI that his information about the murders was second hand. [12] According to the FBI, the information was 'made accessible to him' because of his close association with Outfit leaders. [13] That doesn’t mean Rosenthal’s information is accurate in all aspects, but it provides a high degree of credibility.

According to the FBI, Rosenthal's information was 'singular in nature and its disclosure outside the FBI would, therefore, seriously jeopardize the safety of [Rosenthal].' [14] There is no doubt he would have been killed had word leaked out about his cooperation.

The only significant claim made by Rosenthal that raises a red flag is pinning the murder of Giancana on Joseph Aiuppa, James Torello, Joseph Lombardo and Joseph Amato.

No one was ever charged in Giancana’s death but it has been generally accepted by law enforcement that the prime suspect was Dominic 'Butch' Blasi. He was Giancana’s closest companion and the last person to see him alive.

How does that square with what Rosenthal said?

A careful reading indicates Rosenthal only claimed that Aiuppa and the others were 'responsible' for Giancana’s death. That could be interpreted to mean they were the driving force behind the murder, but Blasi, or someone else, actually pulled the trigger.

It’s not clear exactly what pushed Rosenthal into the arms of the FBI, but by 1978 at least, Rosenthal was talking. [15] His contacting agent, at one point anyway, was Special Agent Zachary Shelton from the FBI’s Chicago office. [16] Rosenthal’s relationship with formerly close underworld associate Anthony Spilotro had soured bitterly by this point, so that likely had something to do with his actions. Rosenthal probably looked at the odds before him and decided it was his best play.

Notes

Thanks to Richard Warner for referring the writer to the Morrison article linking Frank Rosenthal and 'Achilles.'

1 Morrison, Jane Anne. 'Lefty' Rosenthal was an FBI snitch,'Las Vegas Review-Journal, Oct. 30, 2008. This was the first time Rosenthal’s cooperation was publicly exposed and his codename was revealed.

Lefty Rosenthal Daughter

2 FBI, John Roselli, Los Angeles Office, Nov. 27, 1970, NARA Record No. 124-10289-10008.

3 FBI, Roskil, Miami Office, June 17, 1978, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10272; FBI, Roskil, Miami Office, Dec. 15, 1979, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10216.

4 FBI, Roskil Gangmurs, Miami Office, Feb. 27, 1979, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10302; Nicholas Pileggi, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1985, 180-186. The information about Buccieri and Rand was backed up by a top FBI source in Milwaukee. According to this informant, Milwaukee Crime Family boss Frank Balistrieri, who had an interest in Glick’s casinos, ordered the deaths of Buccieri and Rand to protect the mob skim. The identity of this other source is unclear. Milwaukee Crime Family member informant August Maniaci might have provided information about Buccieri’s murder but he was dead by the time Rand was killed.; FBI, La Cosa Nostra (LCN) Gangland Slayings, E.J. Sharp to Mr. Fehl, Feb. 17, 1977, NARA Record No. 124-10202-10472. According to Los Angeles Crime Family member-informant Frank Bompensiero, Hansen and Schiro were travelling the country committing high-level 'hits' for the mob.

5 FBI, Roskil Gangmurs, Miami Office, Feb. 27, 1979, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10302. Witnesses linked Charles Nicoletti and Paul Schiro to the shooting. The gun was purchased at the Tamiami Gun Shop in Miami.

6 FBI, Roskil, Chicago Office, Oct. 28, 1978, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10285; FBI, Roskil, Miami Office, June 17, 1978, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10272. Erroneous information was later included in subsequent FBI reports that Rosenthal claimed Frank Schweihs killed Maniaci but in fact he never told the FBI that.

7 The name 'Corky' may refer to an Outfit associate nicknamed 'Porky,' who was investigated in connection with the Chicago Family Secrets case but not charged.

8 FBI, Roskil Gangmurs, Miami Office, Feb. 27, 1979, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10302.

9 FBI, Roskil Gangmurs, Miami Office, Feb. 27, 1979, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10302.

10 FBI, Roskil Gangmurs, Miami Office, Feb. 27, 1979, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10302.

11 'Burgmurs' was the designation given to the investigation by the FBI. It was an amalgam of 'burglary' and 'murders'.; William F. Roemer, Jr., Accardo: The Genuine Godfather, New York: Donald I. Fine, Inc., 1995. Roemer provides the full story on the murders connected to the burglary of Accardo’s residence. Carusiello was later murdered in attempt by Accardo to cut all ties to the murders.

12 FBI, Roskil, Miami Office, Dec. 15, 1979, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10216; FBI, Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal, Miami Office, July 12, 1967, NARA Record No. 124-10300-10077. Rosenthal was generally not personally associated with violent behavior but FBI reports indicate in the 1960s that he was the 'guiding force' behind a bombing campaign of rival bookmakers in the Miami-area. It raises some question about his actual involvement in some of the murders connected to his casinos.

13 FBI, Roskil, Chicago Office, Oct. 28, 1978, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10285; FBI, Roskil, Director’s Office, June 7, 1978, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10270.

Lefty Rosenthal Wife

14 FBI, Roskil, Director’s Office, June 7, 1978, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10270; FBI, Roskil, Miami Office, June 17, 1978, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10272.

15 FBI, Roskil, Director’s Office, June 7, 1978, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10270. It’s clear from this document that the FBI’s Miami Office was unfamiliar with this informant, suggesting he had just been developed.

Lefty Rosenthal Net Worth

16 FBI, Roskil, Miami Office, Jan. 11, 1979, NARA Record No. 124-10356-10290.

17 FBI, John Aiuppa, Chicago Office, April 20, 1973, NARA Record No. 124-10196-10353.