Non Hotel Press Releases

CELEBRATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DAY AT THE MOB MUSEUM SAT., MAY 11

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Full day of activities, educational programming planned in recognition of those who work tirelessly to maintain peace in our community

LAS VEGAS (May 2013) – The Mob Museum, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, invites the public to participate in a celebration of the brave men and women who protect our communities during a special Law Enforcement Day on Saturday, May 11. Continuing its ongoing educational programming, The Museum has activities planned throughout the day that will appeal to visitors of all ages.

Beginning at 11 a.m., guests can venture to the parking lot where Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s (LVMPD) K-9 Unit will present a skills demonstration with officers and canines, followed by a Q&A session. When the K-9s are done showing off their skills, everyone’s favorite crime dog, McGruff, will arrive at noon to take photos with fans of all ages and hand out patches on the second floor.

Paul Camacho, IRS Special Agent in Charge, Las Vegas Field Office, will give a special presentation at 2 p.m. on Elmer Irey, former director of the IRS’s lead investigative unit. Irey’s work led to the federal tax evasion prosecution of notorious mobster Al Capone. Camacho, who also serves on The Mob Museum’s Advisory Council, is responsible for planning, directing and evaluating activities of criminal investigation and travels the world educating the public on the history of the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division.

LVMPD’s ARMOR Section will have a display of trucks and gear in the parking lot from 1 – 4 p.m., with officers present to answer questions and describe the equipment. At 3:30 p.m., the officers will give a demonstration of the T3 survey and detection robot. This robot, loaded with sensors, is sent in ahead of officers to survey the environment and determine if it’s safe for police and agents to enter.

Also on display on the second floor of the Museum from noon – 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12, will be an assortment of badges used by various IRS officials. The badges, or shields, are part of a collection by Ray Sherrard, retired special agent with the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division. Sherrard’s extensive collection, believed to be the largest of its kind, includes shields worn by IRS special agents, Alcohol Tax agents and officers, Prohibition agents and more. Also on display will be various raid jackets, IRS-marked firearms, obsolete credentials, binders of press clippings and screen-used badges and credentials from the TV show “The Untouchables” and the movie “Bugsy.”

In addition, the public will be able to make donations to the Injured Police Officers Fund all day on May 11.

All activities taking place in the Museum are included in the price of regular admission. For more information about The Mob Museum or to purchase tickets, please call (702) 229-2734 or visit http://themobmuseum.org.

NEON MUSEUM TO CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY OF MOULIN ROUGE WITH SPECIAL PROGRAM, THURSDAY, MAY 23

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LAS VEGAS (April 2013) – On Thursday, May 23, the Neon Museum will host a special program commemorating the 58th anniversary of the opening of Las Vegas’ famed Moulin Rouge casino. The Moulin Rouge sign, designed by Betty Willis, is one of more than 150 neon signs preserved and viewed by thousands of visitors each year in the Neon Museum’s Neon Boneyard exhibition area.

On the evening of May 23, noted Las Vegas filmmaker Stan Armstrong will screen portions his latest project, the documentary titled “The Misunderstood Legend of the Las Vegas Moulin Rouge,” at the Neon Museum. Also on hand will be Claytee White, director, Oral History Research Center at UNLV Libraries. Dr. Michael Green, professor of history, College of Southern Nevada, will serve as the panel moderator.

The evening will begin with a meet-and-greet with the panelists for Neon Museum members only at 5 p.m. Doors will open to the public at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin promptly at 6 p.m.

What follows is an excerpt from the book, “Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon,” authored by Melissa Johnson, Carrie Schomig and Dorothy Wright and published by the Neon Museum, about the Moulin Rouge:

At a time when all of the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip were racially segregated, the Moulin Rouge Casino opened in West Las Vegas in May 1955. In the Las Vegas Review-Journal, advertisements billed the Rouge as “the nation’s first major inter-racial hotel.”

Unlike the other casinos, black entertainers and guests could stay at Moulin Rouge. Heavyweight champion Joe Louis greeted visitors, and from the start, the club had sold-out shows that attracted A-list entertainers such as Pearl Bailey, Harry Belafonte, Tallulah Bankhead, Nat King Cole, and Sammy Davis, Jr. The Moulin Rouge’s sign featured stylized, cursive script and was designed by Western Neon’s Betty Willis. Despite the casino’s success, the Moulin Rouge shut down after only five months of operation under uncertain circumstances. After remaining shuttered for nearly fifty years, the building burned in 2003. The Moulin Rouge’s characteristically stylish neon signage, however, survived the blaze and is in the Neon Museum’s Boneyard.

Moulin Rouge sign designer Willis is best known for her iconic 1959 design for the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” sign in the median of South Las Vegas Boulevard. The sign has become the symbol of Las Vegas ever since its installation at the south end of the Strip, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information about this special event at the Neon Museum, go to www.neonmuseum.org or call (702) 387-6366.

SIN CITY GALLERY’S MAY EXHIBIT IS ‘SINGULARITY’ - SOLO EXHIBIT OF NEW PAINTINGS ON CANVAS AND CONCRETE SCULPTURES

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The Presenting Artist Will Be Mark Mellon From Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS - Artist Mark Mellon will present "Singularity" - Solo Exhibit of New Paintings on Canvas and Concrete Sculptures at Sin City Gallery May 2-27. On Thursday, May 2, there will be an artist's preview from 7-10 p.m.

Mellon's description of his work is poetic. "We all are but wanderers existing within the universe searching for the one that makes each individual whole. It is in that moment two lives converge into one singular entity, fated to exist together now and in every spectrum of time.

Mellon's work explores the condition of man exploring our past, present, future looking for the connections between harmony and the universe. His distinctive style is a mash up of surrealism, abstraction and primitive art. By merging the three into an unlikely harmony, Mellon demands the audience's attention and creates imaginative conversation.

Mellon is a self-made artist who works out of his home studio in Las Vegas. He was accepted early on into the School of Visual Arts in New York but opted out. He believes that the disciplines of being an artist are something you experience and not something that can be taught. With an unyielding vigilance, he has spent the last 15 years independently studying art, mythology, sociology and history, among other things. He has made his success accountable only to himself.

"Mark Mellon creates in varied mediums with his exploration of man's condition," said the gallery's curator, Dr. Laura Henkel. "It is his quest that intrigues the onlooker and moves the pendulum of creativity once again for Las Vegas."

Sin City Gallery is located off the Strip in the famous Arts Factory, situated in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas' thriving 18b Arts District, at 107 E. Charleston Boulevard, Suite 100. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 1 to 7 p.m., and by appointment during the day. The gallery's TV exposure includes the Travel Channel's "The Ethical Hedonist" episode featuring Las Vegas. The gallery was recently named one of the best 25 galleries in America by the American Art Awards.

THE MOB MUSEUM TO HOST “PROTECTORS OF THE STATE – A CONVERSATION WITH THREE FORMER GOVERNORS,” THURSDAY, APRIL 25

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Evening to Feature Nevada Governors Bob List, Senator Richard Bryan and Bob Miller, Book Signing of Gov. Miller’s Newly Released “Son of a Gambling Man”

LAS VEGAS (April 2013) – On Thursday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m., The Mob Museum, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, will host “Protectors of the State – A Conversation with Three Former Governors,” in its historic courtroom. Featuring a panel discussion with former Nevada Governors Bob List, Senator Richard Bryan and Bob Miller, the event will be moderated by journalist and author Jack Sheehan. This Courtroom Conversation’s discussion is part of the Museum’s ongoing commitment to presenting informative and thought-provoking programming to the community. The event is brought to the Museum through generous contributions from Mike Sloan, Rogich Communications Group and Robin and Danny Greenspun.

Beyond its borders, perceptions of Nevada have been challenged because of its libertarian social norms, times of economic hardship, and the presence of organized crime. “Protectors of the State” will feature three of Nevada’s great leaders who navigated tumultuous waters while continuing to modernize the State and defend its image to the outside. In addition, the discussion will include stories from Gov. Miller’s recently released book, “Son of a Gambling Man.” A book signing with Gov. Miller will follow the discussion.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. with a reception including light fare and refreshments. The program will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. in The Mob Museum’s historic courtroom. Following the moderator-led discussion among the panel, audience members will have a chance to ask questions. The program will conclude by 8 p.m. and will be followed by Gov. Miller’s book signing.

Tickets for the April 25 event are $10 for members and $19.95 for non-members and include complimentary libation and light fare. To make reservations, please call (702) 229-2734 or visit http://themobmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/upcoming-events.

ABOUT BOB LIST

Bob List served as the 24th Governor of Nevada from 1979 to 1983. Previously, he served as the Carson City District Attorney and the Nevada Attorney General. Currently, List practices law in Las Vegas with the law firm Kolesar & Leatham, Chtd. He was the last Governor to serve from outside Clark County until Jim Gibbons' election.

ABOUT SENATOR RICHARD BRYAN

A native Nevadan, Senator Richard Bryan won his first statewide election as Nevada’s Attorney General where he played a major role in successfully defending Nevada’s gaming regulatory structure in the Federal Courts. In 1982, he was elected to the first of two terms as Governor. In 1988 he was elected to the first of two terms in the U.S. Senate. He was the only Senate member to simultaneously serve on these U.S. Senate Committees: Finance; Commerce, Science and Transportation; and Banks, Housing and Urban Affairs.

ABOUT BOB MILLER

When Bob Miller arrived in Las Vegas as a boy, it was a small, dusty city—a far cry from the glamorous, exciting place it is today. His father, Ross Miller, had operated on both sides of the law on some of the meaner streets of industrial Chicago, and brought his family to Las Vegas so he could create a legitimate career out of gaming.
As Bob grew up, so did Vegas; the city’s population doubled every decade during the 1900’s and Las Vegas was now a “town” of some two million. He went on to become Nevada’s longest serving governor, holding office from 1989 to 1999. Bob’s new book, “Son of a Gambling Man,” is a warm family memoir, with just a little bit of “The Godfather” and “Casino” thrown in for spice, making it a unique and memorable story.

FORMER TOP 50 MAFIA BOSS MICHAEL FRANZESE TO SPEAK AT THE MOB MUSEUM ON FRIDAY, APRIL 12

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Now an Author and Motivational Speaker, Franzese to Give Insight

into World’s Most Notorious Criminal Organization

LAS VEGAS (March 2013) – Once ranked No. 18 on Fortune magazine’s list of “The Fifty Biggest Mafia Bosses,” Colombo crime family Capo Michael Franzese ultimately decided to own up to racketeering charges, accept a 10-year prison sentence and do the nearly unthinkable—quit the mob. As part of its commitment to educating the public about both sides of the battle between organized crime and law enforcement, The Mob Museum, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, has invited Franzese to share his story in its historic courtroom on Friday, April 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees will hear firsthand about his transformation from mob leader to motivational speaker, author and topic of the upcoming History 2 Channel special, “The Definitive Guide to the Mob.”

Avoiding traditional mob domains, Franzese masterminded moneymaking scams on the edge of the legitimate business world. From auto dealerships and union kickbacks, to financial services and the sports and entertainment industries, to a multi-billion dollar gasoline tax scheme, he earned millions in cash every week at his peak. Not surprisingly, Franzese quickly became the target of Manhattan’s famed federal prosecutor, Rudy Giuliani. After promising Franzese 100 years behind bars after indicting him on racketeering charges, Giuliani proved unable to convict. Escaping four subsequent indictments, it seemed Franzese might be truly invincible.

Things changed, however, when Franzese met a dancer named Camille Garcia while producing a film in Florida. After the two fell in love and married, Garcia convinced him to take the rap on racketeering charges. Franzese pled guilty, accepted a 10-year prison sentence and vowed to walk away from the mob. Franzese is the only high ranking official of a major crime family to ever walk away, without protective custodies, and survive.

Tickets for Franzese’s presentation on Friday, April 12, are $15 for members and $20 for non-members. To make reservations, please call (702) 229-2734 or visit http://themobmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/upcoming-events.

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