Vintage Slot Machines Highlight Mob Museum Anniversary

• Brian Jeacoma
• March 2, 2021

These is much more to Las Vegas than glitzy casino resorts on the famed Strip. The entire downtown area has been revived with exciting attractions. The brand new Circa Resort & Casino downtown offers the world’s biggest sportsbook.

One local attraction that pays homage to the town’s humble beginnings is the Mob Museum. Las Vegas can trace its roots to some of the most notorious gangsters of that era.

The Mob Museum Adds Vintage Slot Machines For Their Anniversary

The mob museum is planning a special March exhibit in conjunction with its anniversary. The two-part presentation is entitled, “Wide Open: 90 Years of Legal Gambling in Nevada.

The first presentation will make its debut on March 11. The title of this exhibit is “Part One: Becoming America’s Playground, 1931-1960. This is a joint effort between Geoff Schumacher and Michael Green. Mr. Schumacher is the museum’s vice president of exhibits and programs. Mr. Green is an associate history professor at UNLV.

This first presentation explores the rise of Nevada as the original state in the country offering casino gambling. The highlight of this exhibit is sure to be the decade of the 1950’s. This when the Mob controlled the casino industry.

As part of this exhibit, a pair of vintage slot machines will be on display. They are called figural slot machines that are designed to look like cowboys.

These were the type of slots found in both Las Vegas and Reno in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Other figural slot machines resembled:

1. Native Indians
2. Cocktail Waitresses
3. Gold Miners
4. Gangsters

The two cowboy slot machines will be on permanent display starting March 1. They can be viewed during regular museum from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Open City exhibition.

The second presentation makes its debut on March 25. Gaming industry expert David G. Schwartz is a professor and associate vice provost for faculty affairs at UNLV. He will be joined by Alan Feldman. He is a distinguished fellow in responsible gaming for UNLV’s International Gaming Institute.

These two gentlemen will present “Part Two: Becoming a Global Destination, 1961-2021.”

This covers the rise of themed resorts in the 1960’s. It will also cover the evolution of Las Vegas to megaresorts throughout the decade of the 1990’s.

Each of these unique sessions will take place inside the Historic Courtroom on the museum’s second floor. All the presentations will be livestreamed for free. Reservations are required to attend this event in person.

The Mob Museum is located on 300 Stewart Ave. Its regular hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. As stated on the Mob Museum’s website, the mission is:

“To advance the public’s understanding of organized crime’s history and impact on American society. The Museum offers a provocative, complementary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive exhibits.”

This latest presentation has been designed to capture the true essence of Las Vegas. This covers its pioneer days in the desert to the town’s ascension to a prominent place on the global stage.