Mob Museum: Difference between revisions

| name = The Mob Museum<br /><small>National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement</small>

| native_name =

| caption = Museum logo

| coordinates = {{coord|36.172823|-115.141252|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| established = February{{start 14,date and age|2012|02|14|df=y}}

| location = 300 E Stewart Avenue<br />[[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada|NV]] 89101, USA

| director president = Jonathan Ullman

| president chairperson = Jeffrey A.Steve SilverMartinez

'''The Mob Museum''', officially the '''National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement''', is a [[history museum]] located in [[Downtown Las Vegas|Downtown]] [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]. Opened on February 14th, 2012, the Mob Museum is dedicated to featuring the artifacts, stories, and history of [[organized crimeNevada]], in the [[United States]], as well as the actions and initiatives by law enforcement to prevent such crimes. The museum is housed in the former [[Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse]], which was built in 1933 and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The museum is located on Stewart Avenue, two blocks north of [[Fremont Street]], the main artery of the downtown casino district.

In 2000, the federal government sold the former post office and federal courthouse to the city for $1, with stipulations that the building be restored to its original look and be used for a cultural purpose.<ref name="friess">{{cite news|last=Friess|first=Steve|title=Stimulus Money for a Mob Museum. Got a Problem?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/us/10mob.html|accessdateaccess-date=22 September 2011|newspaper=New York Times|date=9 January 2009}}</ref>

The project budget was estimated at $50 million, including $26 million for restoring the building.<ref name="friess" /> Funding included federal, state, and local grants.<ref name="friess" /> Goodman generated controversy by suggesting that federal [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|stimulus money]] could be used for the museum.<ref name="friess" /><ref>{{cite news|last=AyresFriess |first=ChrisSteve |title=MayorLawyers, ofGuns Las… Vegasand OscarMoney: GoodmanWhy plansa museumMob toMuseum thein Las Vegas Would Be Criminally Successful Mob|url=httphttps://wwwlasvegasweekly.timesonline.co.ukcom/tolae/news2009/worldjan/us_and_americas22/article5533170.ecelawyers-guns-and-money/ |accessdateaccess-date=2211 May September2023 2011|newspaper=The[[Las Vegas Weekly]] Times|date=1722 January 2009}}</ref>

The museum opened February 14, 2012 to the public at 2:00 PM. (The morning and day before were reserved for press and dignitary ceremonies.) AdmissionAs forof adultsJanuary starting2024, atprices were $1934.95; startingfor atadults ($1319.95 for Nevada residents.), Aswith of March 2016,varying prices arefor $23.95other forcategories adults,such $17.95as for seniorsstudents and $13groups.95<ref>{{Cite forweb|title=Mob childrenMuseum withTicketing varying|work=The pricesMob forMuseum other|url=https://admission.themobmuseum.org specific|access-date=September categories14, groups and packages. 2023}}</ref>

The centerpiece of the Mob Museum is the second floor courtroom, which was the location of one of fourteen national [[Kefauver Committee]] hearings to expose organized crime held in 1950 and 1951. The museum also acquired the brick wall where the [[Saint Valentine's Day Massacre]] took place.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rackl |first=Lori |title=Vegas mayor bets new museum will be a hit |url=http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/travel/3735909-502/vegas-mayor-bets-new-museum-will-be-a-hit.html |accessdatearchive-url=22 Septemberhttps://web.archive.org/web/20110306170950/http://www.suntimes.com:80/lifestyles/travel/3735909-502/vegas-mayor-bets-new-museum-will-be-a-hit.html |archive-date=2011-03-06 |access-date=11 May 2023 |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=2 March 2011}}</ref> Other exhibits focus on Mob violence, casino money skimming operations, and wiretapping by law enforcement.<ref>{{cite news| last=Morrison |first=Jane Ann |title=What will be on Mob Museum's cutting room floor? |url=http://www.lvrj.com/news/what-will-be-on-mob-museum-s-cutting-room-floor_-89319867.html |accessdatearchive-url=22https://web.archive.org/web/20100331152238/http://www.lvrj.com/news/what-will-be-on-mob-museum-s-cutting-room-floor_-89319867.html September|archive-date=2010-03-31 |access-date=11 May 2023 2011|newspaper=[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]] |date=27 March 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2018, a new exhibit called Organized Crime Today was added to the first floor following a major renovation.<ref>{{cite web| title=Where Mobsters Start Fresh with The Mob Museum's Ashley Miller| url=https://trending.virginholidays.co.uk/las-vegas/interview-the-mob-museum-las-vegas| publisher=Virgin Holidays| access-date=2018-11-08}}</ref>

The self-guided tour commences on the third floor where the actual wall of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre is on display, accessible by elevator or stairs, and winds its way down to the second and first floors. Visitors can watch a film about the history of Organized Crime (beginning around the time of the passing of [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]]). The main part of the exhibition consists of Mob-related photos with captions explaining the significance of the particular images, but also what individuals/events to which they were connected to.

The museum offers a wide array of thematically oriented sections addressing the Mob’sMob's involvement in illegal activities such as gambling, drugs, prostitution or bootlegging and the efforts of the law enforcement to counteract and eliminate those criminal operations. Additionally the visitor is able to view some uniquely disturbing, otherwise rarely accessible material, for example the photographs of victims of the most famous murders credited to the Mafia (appropriately named “Mob’s"Mob's Greatest Hits”Hits"; these are quite graphic in nature, because they show the actual corpses of the deceased), as well as pictures and short biographies of the most popular and notorious gangster personalities. A special Wall located near the exit depicts images of all the actors, who portrayed well-known Mobsters in movies or series. A significant number of exhibits are interactive; there are also several stations situated throughout the museum, where relevant film footage is played on a loop.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deesultimatereviews.com/the%20mob%20museum.htm |title=The Mob Museum |website=Dees Ultimate Reviews |access-date=22 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122015411/http://www.deesultimatereviews.com/the%20mob%20museum.htm |archive-date=22 November 2019 |url-status=usurped}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

There is a gift shop on the first floor. Using photos, text, displays, interactive techniques, hands-on exhibits, and other first-class museum methods, the visitor learns about the history of organized crime, Prohibition and the business opportunity it provided. Visitors learn about Las Vegas' first casinos, [[Howard Hughes]], [[J. Edgar Hoover]], the origins of the FBI, [[Al Capone]], [[Eliot Ness]], and much more. A visitor can sit in a replica electric chair, listen to actual wire taps, train in a use of force training simulator and explore an interactive crime lab exhibit related to forensic science.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Mob Museum |url=https://themobmuseum.org/case-files/the-exhibits/|website=The Mob Museum: the Exhibits|publisher=The Mob Museum|accessdateaccess-date=18 April 2018}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"

| [[Frank Cullotta]] || Chicago Outfit || SoldierAssociate || [[Stardust Resort and Casino|Stardust]]

| [[Michael Spilotro]] || Chicago Outfit || SoldierAssociate || [[Stardust Resort and Casino|Stardust]]

| [[Anthony Joseph Zerilli]] || [[Detroit Partnership]] || [[Underboss]] || [[New Frontier Hotel and Casino|New Frontier]]

==NotesReferences==

[[Category:DowntownMuseums Lasestablished Vegasin 2012]]

[[Category:MuseumsNational establishedmuseums inof 2012the United States]]