The Vegas Top Ten: The Most Notorious Criminal Acts of All Time

Have you ever imagined how Vegas would have looked in the 1960s? Believe you me, there was a time when the Las Vegas of yesteryear was a far cry from what we now know as Las Vegas, but one thing is for sure: it was really a city filled with glitz and glamour, even way back when. In fact, when it was first carving out a name for itself, the Mafia were also trying to get their hooks into it, and boy, did they take a big chunk of the pie. And that didn’t stop the celebrities from trying to achieve notoriety in Vegas, either. But now, as you very well know, Vegas is a lot different – some would even venture out and say that the Las Vegas of today is too sterile. Be that as it may, Las Vegas was also home to some of the most infamous crimes in history. Ready for an adult bedtime story that will send shivers down your spine? Here’s your selection of the Vegas Top Ten from GambleSpot once again: The Most Notorious Criminal Acts of All Time.

A little bit of background…

Las Vegas, the glitzy desert oasis known for its casinos, entertainment, and (all sorts of) excess, has a dark side that often gets overshadowed by the neon lights. Behind the glamour and the glitzy parade of the brightest stars, Vegas has been the backdrop for some of the most notorious crimes in history. From high-profile heists to chilling murders, these ten crimes have left an indelible mark on the city’s legacy. So if you find yourself in a dark alley in Vegas with the neon lights seemingly miles away, just close your eyes and be thankful that these heinous acts are a part of history - and not part of the present day.

1. The Stardust Heist

The Stardust Heist remains one of the most infamous cases of organized crime in Las Vegas history - ever. For over a decade, millions of dollars were skimmed from the Stardust Casino and several other mob-controlled casinos (did we mention that the mob made Vegas its second home?). The operation was run by Frank Rosenthal and Tony Spilotro, two notorious figures in the mob’s Chicago Outfit. The skim involved diverting casino profits before they were counted, with the money going directly into – where else? - mob coffers. The scale and longevity of the scheme were staggering, to say the least, and it was eventually exposed in the 1980s, leading to multiple convictions and the end of an era of mob domination in Vegas.

2. The Murder of Tupac Shakur

The murder of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur remains one of the most talked-about (and unresolved!) crimes in Las Vegas history. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas Strip after attending a Mike Tyson boxing match. He succumbed to his injuries six days later. The case is shrouded in mystery and conspiracy theories, with numerous suspects and motives proposed over the years, even having its own movie or three. Despite various leads, no one has ever been charged with Shakur’s murder, leaving it one of the most notorious unsolved cases in the city’s long and colorful history.

3. The Bellagio Casino Heist

The Bellagio Casino Heist, also known as the Biker Bandit heist, was a bold and brazen robbery that took place in December of 2010. A Las Vegas judge’s son, Anthony Carleo, strode into the Bellagio with just a motorcycle helmet and proceeded to steal $1.5 million worth of casino chips from a craps table. The heist was executed in less than three minutes, and Carleo fled the scene on a motorcycle. However, his plan unraveled when he tried to sell the stolen chips online, leading to his arrest in February 2011. Carleo was sentenced to 9 to 27 years in prison, and the heist became a modern legend in Vegas criminal history.

4. The Mandalay Bay Mass Shooting

The Mandalay Bay Mass Shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, watched by millions online as it unfolded. On October 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock, 64 years old, opened fire from his own suite on the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s 32nd floor onto a crowd of concertgoers attending the Route 91 music festival. Paddock fired over a thousand rounds, killing 60 people and injuring hundreds more before taking his own life. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and the event has left a lasting impact on the city and the nation, even awakening widespread discussions on gun control and public safety until today.

5. The MGM Grand Fire

The MGM Grand Fire was one of the biggest – and deadliest - hotel fires in US history, resulting in the deaths of 85 people and injuries to 650 others. On November 21, 1980, a fire broke out in the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (now Bally’s Las Vegas), caused by an electrical fault in a deli located in the casino. The fire quickly spread, fueled by flammable interior decorations. Most of the fatalities were caused by smoke inhalation, as the hotel lacked adequate fire suppression systems and smoke detectors. The tragedy led to significant changes in fire safety regulations across the country.

6. The Ted Binion Murder Case

The death of Ted Binion, a member of the famous Binion family that founded Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, was initially ruled a drug overdose, but later investigations revealed it to be a murder. Binion was found dead in his Las Vegas home on September 17, 1998, under suspicious circumstances. His girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, and her lover, Rick Tabish, were charged with his murder, accused of attempting to steal Binion’s hoard of silver and cash. The trial became a media sensation, with allegations of greed, betrayal, and conspiracy. Murphy and Tabish were convicted in 2000, although the verdicts were later overturned, and they were acquitted in a 2004 retrial.

7. The Murder of Bugsy Siegel

Benjamin (Bugsy) Siegel, a notorious mobster, is often the one credited with transforming Las Vegas from a sleepy desert town into a gambling mecca. Siegel was instrumental in the development of the Flamingo Hotel, one of the first luxury resorts on the Strip. However, his extravagant spending and failure to turn a profit quickly enough angered his mob bosses. On June 20, 1947, Siegel was shot and killed while sitting on the couch of his girlfriend’s Beverly Hills home. The murder was never officially solved, but it is widely believed to have been a mob hit ordered in response to the financial losses incurred by the Flamingo.

8. The Harry Reid Car Bombing

Harry Reid, who would later become a powerful Senator, was targeted in a car bombing on October 26, 1981. At the time, Reid was the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, and he had made enemies by cracking down on organized crime’s influence in the state’s casinos. On the day of the attack, Reid discovered a bomb attached to his car, which was parked outside his home in Las Vegas. Fortunately, the bomb was discovered before it detonated. The incident was a grave reminder of the dangers faced by those who stood up against the mob in Vegas. The perpetrators were never caught, but the attempt on Reid’s life highlighted the city’s deep connections to organized crime – and that, boys and girls, is the story of the Las Vegas airport of the same name.

9. The Murder of Debbie Flores Narvaez

Debbie Flores Narvaez was a rising star in the Las Vegas entertainment scene, performing as a dancer in the hit show Fantasy at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. But on December 12, 2010, Flores Narvaez was reported missing after failing to show up for work. Her dismembered remains were found weeks later in a concrete-filled tub in a vacant home. Her ex-boyfriend, Jason Omar Griffith, was arrested and later convicted of her murder. The case shocked the Las Vegas community, and Griffith was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

10. The Murder of Kathy Augustine

Chaz Higgs, a nurse who worked in the critical care department, was convicted of murdering his wife, NV Controller Kathy Augustine, in what became one of the most sensational trials in Las Vegas history. Augustine, a controversial and powerful political figure, was found dead in her home on July 11, 2006. An autopsy revealed that she had been poisoned with a lethal dose of the muscle relaxant succinylcholine, which is typically used in medical settings. Higgs was arrested after investigators uncovered evidence that he had purchased the drug and administered it to his wife. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2007. The case drew national attention and raised questions about domestic violence and abuse of power.

Las Vegas, with its allure of indescribable wealth and untold excess, has attracted both the best - and the worst - of humanity. Sin City’s history is marked by crimes that range from high-stakes heists to cold-blooded murders, each contributing to the darker side of the Vegas legacy. While many of these cases have been solved (and for which we heave a big sigh of relief), there are those that remain shrouded in mystery, adding to the myth of Las Vegas as a place where fortunes are won and lost and where danger always lurks just underneath the shiny (and sunny) surface. These ten notorious criminal acts are a unique testament to the city’s complex and often shadowy past, which serves to remind us all that even in sunshiny Las Vegas, the stakes are always high - and the consequences can be ever deadly.