AGENCY : RECORD NUMBER : RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : FROM: TO: TITLE: DATE: PAGES: SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : | CURRENT STATUS : | DATE OF LAST REVIEW : OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : v9.1 NW 45727 DocId:32329860 JFK Assassination System Identification Form Agency Information FBI 124-90088-10040 HQ CR 62-75147-44-593 Document Information FBI HQ 07/14/1955 7 BENJAMIN BINION PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT Unclassified 4 Redact 07/14/1998 INDEFINITE MEMO Page i 4/23/201
: f R a Wh SU 941-137 “HAVE ROOM FOR TWO AT DESERT INN UNDER NAME OF J. (er '. “BAKER. HAVE ROOMS FOR FOUR CHARLIE B, HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PH THROUGH, SEND} WIRE WHEN YOU é WILL ARRIVE TO SAPNMANNARINO, ROOM 115, DESERT INN. BRING LOUIS IMPORTANT, ~~ as / L obay ° Ge be pes a s/ JACK DRAGNA" / Informant stated that MANNARINO was reportedly well known at Miami, Florida. os uf | ross mis Mich. Mey: 1X aan SU 340-C advised that JOE MASSI of Detroit and Miami was in Las Vegas during the week of May 2, 1955, and was ‘there for the purpose of ‘being present for the opening operation of the new Riviera Hotelw It has beén reported that : LEF LARK, true name WILLIAM GUSTO//BESCHOFF, was reportedly to protect JOE MASSI's interest. Undersheriff LLOYD BELL of the Clark County Sheriff's Office refused to issue a permit for CLARK to be employed in Clark County and there was a rumor that an attempt was made to buy the Sheriff's Office off, which was unsuccessful, and LEFTY CLARK announced he was leav- ing Las Vegas and returning to Miami, Florida. a in Las Vegas to take over the casino management of the Riviera Z\e! Me, hg, BENNY/'BENION, wa. \ . FBI_Number.206216. Kc, N ev “Vekes: Saas eS LY BINION is presently serving time in the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth for income tax evasion, having received a five-year sentence in December, 1953. ROBERT H. . a> "DOBY DOG*XEAUDILL, a part owner of the Horseshoe Club and Ye close associate of BINION, advised Agents that BINION was up for parole in August, 1955, and there was a good possibility he would be released from the penitentiary on parole. CAUDILL advised SU 283-C that money had been placed in the right spots in Texas so BINION would not have to return to Texas on the. five-year sentence which he received in State Court, and that information had been received from a reliable source that BINION would be allowed to receive federal probation and would not have to do his time in Texas. . -3- NW 45727 Docid:32329860 Page 2
wan . ER CRAGIN, former Mayor of Las Vegas; GUS GREENBAUM, former SU 94-137 ‘SU 283- C advised that he had recéived infor-_ mation from GREENSPUN, owner of the "Las Vegas Sun", that GREENSPUN was soliciting letters in behalf of BENNY BINION, who is to go before the Parole Board at Leavenworth. GREENSFUN. advised informant that letters had been received from part/owner of the Flamingo “Hotel, Las Vegas; BE ATLEMAN, owmer of the ElRancho Vegas: WILBUR C K of the Desert Inn: District Judge LEOAMcNAMEE, and Mayor C, “BAKER at Las Vegas. A letter was also obtained from ROBE VKALTENBORN , who has large real estate holdings in Las Vegas and was formerly convicted of income tax evasion, but KALTENBORN's letter would not be used because of his previous convictions. sf, ro t ~e REE 3 was, — Pp VBrady , Pete Genchi PETE | BRADY, according to LLOYD BELL, is a steer man for stolen merchandise..and. Jewelry to be fenced in “the le Las"Vigas area. He is also known to have asso¢iated with GENE ‘Hotel, and BRADY returned to the Desert Inn as a pit boss. WARNER, previously mentioned, in fencing furs taken in a California robbery, all of which were returned to California authorities when it was learned that BRADY and GENE WARNER had disposed of these furs to dealers, pit bosses and part owners of resort hotels in Las Vegas. BRADY for a while was the Casino Manager of the Showboat Hotel for the "Cleveland Mob". This casino was a, apparently not paying those interested in this operation ey os sufficiently and the casino was released to BILBYMOORE, who is~*” the builder and operator of the hotel section of ‘e Showboat . OTHER 4 PCI, has previously advised | | that BRADY is known to have made num tions for girls coming in from Los Angeles andl ras of the OTHER 4 opinion these were call girls. 7 WIEBORICLARK WILBUR CLARK, according to SU 283-C,-has a very small interest in the Desert Inn and on April 15, 1955," CLARK informed SU 283-C that he had been having trouble with his - ue. NW 45727 Docid:32329860 Page 3
O 3U 94-137 partners in the Desert Inn and that they insisted upon seeing nis tax return before he submitted it so that their reported income from the hotel would coincide. CLARK advised informant that other part owners of the Desert Inn who had operated the Showboat wanted to write their losses from the Showboat off their earnings at the Desert Inn. ~~ \ EDWARD JObEIPPINGER, was. CLIPPINGER, former owner and operator of Roxie's Four Mile, house of prostitution, was convicted in July, 1954, for conspiracy to violate the White Slave Traffic Act. Also convicted was ROXIE CLIPPINGER. Both received sentences of | three years in federal. institutions. DI LLOGG, Manager of Roxie's Four Mile, received a sentence of 4 ive years and WAS, po placed on probation. Viv hes.VA LOUIS WEINER, Attorney for CLIPPINGERs and KELLOG( » reported that ROXIBXCLIPPINGER has been released from (hen the Uni States Penitentiary~at Alderson, West Virginia, and that EDDIEXSLIPPINGER is due to be released ifthe very near Cfiwt! future from McNeil Island. WEINER stated that the provisions of their parole were extremely strict and he was doubtful that they would be able to leave the San Bernardino, California, area, which is their home, until the expiration of their sentences. -DICK KELLOGG is reported by U. S. :Probation officer HUBERT BOYD at Las Vegas to be under the supervision of the Probation Officer of the Southern District of California... where he Presently is residing. MOE B, ‘DALITZ | FBI Number.412h252. Veo e@ Ui . DALITZ, according t to SU 283-C, is the principal owner of Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn, Las Vegas, and is the owner i” of the Colonial House, which he purchased from WILBUR CLARK, \ fon CI, advised JOSEPH pmeen és OC" STACHER; AN and GEORGEASORDIN, a fil + iu leveland. gambler, Have” been observed at meetings with MOE tat DALITZ at DALTDZ"s residence in Las Vegas. Mey, NW 45727 Docid:32329860 Page 4
& . aa “Ss a. SU 94-137 [ The previously reported ownership of the Flamingo Hotel has nqgt changed, accordingcto Mrs. ANN MOORE, Civil Division, ° County Sheriff's Office. However, in recent months EDDIEXLEVENSON, formerly a part owner of the Sands Hotel and who is the head of the promotion of the Fremont Hotel located at 2nd and Fremont in downtown Las Vegas and who was Casino Manager of the Flamingo under the HULL ownership, left the Flamingo and went to the new Royal. Nevada. . OTHER 4 f SU 283-C advised on March 17, 1955, that CARL AYCERS, a pit boss at the Flamingo Hotel, had informed him that ALPPARVIN, of “of the principal owners of the Flamingo, and EDDIE LEVENSON, Casino Manager and a part owner, were having difficulty in agreeing on methods of operation of the casino. SU 283-C stated his source reported that LEVENSON was selling out his interest in the Flamingo Hotel but had agreed to stay at the Flamingo until June, 1955, or until he could be re- placed. On March 24, 1955, informant stated that his : same source at the Flamingo had told him the Chicago Syndicate ws was attempting to take over a controlling interest in the Flamingo and that they hopedxto have this control by June 1, 1955. Informant stated CaegTeRyeINs, a pit boss at the. Flamingo, will represent the Chicago Syndicate's money in this Hotel ts atari aa iin hind ) ' ™, | > Gionsustes CLUB - fee The Horseshoe Club is presently owned by JOE W. BROWN, “i is reported to own 972%, and 23% is owned by ROBERT . "DOBY DO SAUDILL. This club has been completely rebuilt Since it was obtained by JOE W. BROWN from BENNY BINION, BINION is presently in the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, having been convicted for income tax evasion and is due to appear before the Parole Board in August, 1955. The Horseshoe Club has $1,000,000.00 on display, which display is hung from a large golden horseshoe, the center area being enclosed in glass. . PC dvised on April 4, 1955, there had been some bi ts among the employees at the Horseshoe Club and Casino Manager ARR. BARR, according” -~ 22. NW 45727 DociId:32329860 Page 5
SU 94-137 to informant, was insisting on security guards at the clu» “manhandling"” and “"muscling" undesirable persons who came’ into the Horseshoe Club. Informant stated HIRAM POWELL had refused to enforce these rough tactics which we GQesired by BARR and probably would resign. It is noted HIR ROWELL did resign on approximately April 11, 1955, and is presently y, oe employed as a Deputy Sheriff in. Clark County. fee oe "*RIONEER CLUB New : UZihe Pioneer Club is located at First and Fremont, Las Vegas,“ and, according to Sergeant WAYNE McDORMAN, the ownership has not changed. However, it is contemplated there will be some changes, as some of the principal owners ar desirous of selling their interests and obtaining interests in some of the new resort hotels. SU 340-C advised on May 16, 1955, that BELDON KATLEMAN , present owner of the El Rancho Vegas Hotel on the Las Vegas "Strip", is interested in purchasing the Pioneer Club. - <XruuwerBirp HOTEL Te The ownership of the Thunderbird Hotel has not changed since the last revort, according to ANN MOORE, Civil Division of the Clark County Sheriff's Office. There has. been: considerable publicity relative.to undisclosed interests in the Thunderbird Hotei by. (GEOR SS3SA4DLOW, -MEYER and JAKE LANSKY, and principal owner M., BO¥HICKS and former Lieutenant Governor CLIFT JONES, aZso a number Of employees, had been before the Nevada State Tax Commission to testify as to the ownership of this hotel. \ The "Nevada State Journal" newspaper of Reno, Nevada, carried an article on June 23, 1955, which stated that District Judge MERWYN H. BROWN of Winnemucca, Nevada, was expected to rule at 2:00 PM on the above date as to whether the gambiing licensees of the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas will. be granted a temporary injunction preventing the State Tax Commission from proceeding with a revocation action. The Thunderbird licensees were ordered by the State Tax Commission on April 1, 1955, to see to it that MART on yeti \. (Vers ~ 23 - NW 45727 Docid:32329860 Page 6