In July 1981 an event took place that represented a major turning point in the law’s battle against the Las Vegas Mob. Following is the first part of that story. It was the Fourth of July and it was hot. It was always hot in Las Vegas in July, but to many of the 40 or so FBI agents and Metro officers working a special assignment it seemed even hotter than normal. And that was only the temperature. If things worked out as planned, the heat would get even more intense for Spilotro’s Hole in the Wall Gang.
The center of the law’s focus that day was Bertha’s Gifts &...
While Metro was engaging in verbal battles with Tony Spilotro and his attorney Oscar goodman, they continued their efforts to put pressure on Tony Spilotro and his boys. Ernest Davino, one of the Hole in the Wall Gang regulars, was arrested on January 22, 1981. During a search of his residence at 2:45 that morning, a lock pick and a vial containing 26 black and orange pills were discovered and determined to be illegal drugs. Davino was charged with possession of burglary tools and possession of a controlled substance. Out on bail, he was arrested again on October 15,...
Kent Clifford returned from Chicago believing the war against Tony Spilotro would again be fought within the acceptable guidelines. A sense of normalcy did return, but only for a few weeks. At around 10 p.m. on April 9, someone launched a shotgun attack on the home and vehicle of Tony Spilotro, and the nearby house of his brother John. Fortunately, no one was hurt during the shooting, but both houses and their parked vehicles were damaged. At 10:47 p.m., John Spilotro reported the incident to the police. The subsequent investigation failed to identify the assailants.
In August, John...
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