Moe Dalitz
Encyclopedia
Morris Barney "Moe" Dalitz (December 25, 1899 – August 31, 1989) was a Jewish American bootlegger
, racketeer, casino
owner and philanthropist
who was one of the major figures who helped shape Las Vegas, Nevada
in the 20th century. He was often referred to as Mr. Las Vegas for his tireless work to mould Las Vegas into a modern city.
and raised in Michigan
, Dalitz worked in his family's laundry business early on, but began his career in bootlegging
when Prohibition
began in 1919, and capitalized on his access to the laundry trucks in the family business. He ran a leading criminal organization of Jewish American gangsters called the Cleveland Syndicate known for their violence and criminal ways, with partners Louis "Lou Roddy" Rothkopf, Leo "Charles Polizzi" Berkowitz, Morris Kleinman and Sam Tucker
all of whom operated primarily between Cleveland
, Ohio
, Detroit
and Ann Arbor, Michigan
during the Prohibition era. Additionally he developed a partnership with the Maceo syndicate which ran Galveston
and supplied liquor from Canada and Mexico. Dalitz formed strong ties within Cleveland's Eastside, Little Italy community. He later merged his group with top underworld leaders from the Murray Hill and Mayfield Road area, such as brothers Fred "Freddy King" and John "Johnny King" Angersola, Alfred "The Owl" Polizzi
and brothers Frank and Anthony Milano
of the "Mayfield Road Mob" to form the leading underworld organization in Cleveland. While converting his profits into legitimate businesses, he also owned several illegal casinos in Cleveland.
when the original builder of the resort, Wilbur Clark, ran out of money, and Dalitz took over the construction. When it opened in 1950, Clark remained the public face and frontman of the resort, while Dalitz quietly remained in the background as the real owner. He also ran the Stardust Resort & Casino
for a time after the death of Tony Cornero. Dalitz owned the Desert Inn until 1967, when he sold it to businessman Howard Hughes
. Since he had been under constant pressure from law enforcement for many years, selling the resort was seen as an opportunity to get the authorities off his back. Dalitz had ties to both Jimmy Hoffa
and Lew Wasserman
of MCA, both of whom were subject to extensive criminal and anti-trust investigations in the 1960s. Hoffa had testified to his longtime relationship with Dalitz through union representation of his dry cleaners. Wasserman had first worked at a Cleveland club owned by Dalitz and his associates.
Moe Dalitz was also a longtime friend of Meyer Lansky
, one of the main architects of modern organized crime. To the FBI, Dalitz played a vital role inside Lansky's powerful organization which many believed stretched as far as Israel. Aisde from Dalitz, The Lansky Group, as they were called included several other big names. Among those were Sam Cohen, Vincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo
, Harry "Nig Rosen" Stromberg, Doc Stacher, Eddie Levinson and actor, George Raft
. In 1982, Dalitz received the "Torch of Liberty" award from the Anti-Defamation League
.
In the 1970s Dalitz filed a massive defamation suit against Penthouse magazine over an article written by Lowell Bergman about Rancho La Costa, a resort funded by the Teamsters.
Dalitz was an associate of Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt
, and contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his campaigns.
The last casino that Dalitz owned was the Sundance Hotel Casino, later renamed the Fitzgerald which currently belongs to Don Barden.
Dalitz built the Las Vegas Country Club, Sunrise Hospital, and many other important Las Vegas institutions. He was a frequent donor to the Las Vegas Public Library system along with other community organizations in Las Vegas.
He counted among his frequent visitors in his later years such well known personalities as Barbara Walters
, Harry Reid
, Suzanne Somers
, Wayne Newton
, Buddy Hackett
, and Frank Sinatra
. Dalitz was proud of helping performers like Frank Sinatra get their first big breaks in show business.
Dalitz continued to be active in the Las Vegas community, but except for trips to visit friends in the Las Vegas area or occasional trips in his Rolls Royce to Mt Charleston, he stayed in his Regency Towers penthouse apartment. When he died in 1989 many organizations received substantial donations he left in his will.
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
, racketeer, casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
owner and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who was one of the major figures who helped shape Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in the 20th century. He was often referred to as Mr. Las Vegas for his tireless work to mould Las Vegas into a modern city.
Early criminal career
Born in Boston, MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and raised in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Dalitz worked in his family's laundry business early on, but began his career in bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
when Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
began in 1919, and capitalized on his access to the laundry trucks in the family business. He ran a leading criminal organization of Jewish American gangsters called the Cleveland Syndicate known for their violence and criminal ways, with partners Louis "Lou Roddy" Rothkopf, Leo "Charles Polizzi" Berkowitz, Morris Kleinman and Sam Tucker
Sam Tucker
Sam Tucker was a rugby union international who represented England from 1922 to 1931. He also captained his country.-Rugby union career:Tucker made his international debut on 21 January 1922 at Cardiff Arms Park in the Wales vs England match....
all of whom operated primarily between Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
during the Prohibition era. Additionally he developed a partnership with the Maceo syndicate which ran Galveston
Free State of Galveston
The Free State of Galveston was a whimsical name given to the island city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas during the early-to-mid-20th century. Today, the term is sometimes used to describe the culture and history of that era...
and supplied liquor from Canada and Mexico. Dalitz formed strong ties within Cleveland's Eastside, Little Italy community. He later merged his group with top underworld leaders from the Murray Hill and Mayfield Road area, such as brothers Fred "Freddy King" and John "Johnny King" Angersola, Alfred "The Owl" Polizzi
Alfred Polizzi
Alfred "The Owl" Polizzi was a Cleveland, Ohio mobster who helped establish criminal syndicate operations in Northeast Ohio....
and brothers Frank and Anthony Milano
Anthony Milano
Anthony "Tony" Milano was an Italian mobster who rose to power in America working for the Cleveland crime family in the American Mafia. He served as the long time Underboss in the Cleveland crime family from 1930 until his retirement in 1976...
of the "Mayfield Road Mob" to form the leading underworld organization in Cleveland. While converting his profits into legitimate businesses, he also owned several illegal casinos in Cleveland.
Las Vegas casinos
His investments in Las Vegas began in the late 1940s with the Desert InnDesert Inn
The Desert Inn was a Paradise, Nevada, hotel/casino that operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by noted New York architect Jac Lessman, it was the fifth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The property included an 18-hole golf course. Locals nicknamed the resort "The D.I."...
when the original builder of the resort, Wilbur Clark, ran out of money, and Dalitz took over the construction. When it opened in 1950, Clark remained the public face and frontman of the resort, while Dalitz quietly remained in the background as the real owner. He also ran the Stardust Resort & Casino
Stardust Resort & Casino
The Stardust Resort & Casino was a casino resort located on along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada.The Stardust opened in 1958, although most of the modern casino complex was built in 1991. At its March 13, 2007 demolition it was the youngest undamaged high-rise building to ever be...
for a time after the death of Tony Cornero. Dalitz owned the Desert Inn until 1967, when he sold it to businessman Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
. Since he had been under constant pressure from law enforcement for many years, selling the resort was seen as an opportunity to get the authorities off his back. Dalitz had ties to both Jimmy Hoffa
Jimmy Hoffa
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
and Lew Wasserman
Lew Wasserman
Lewis Robert "Lew" Wasserman was an American talent agent and studio executive, sometimes credited with creating and later taking apart the studio system in a career spanning more than six decades...
of MCA, both of whom were subject to extensive criminal and anti-trust investigations in the 1960s. Hoffa had testified to his longtime relationship with Dalitz through union representation of his dry cleaners. Wasserman had first worked at a Cleveland club owned by Dalitz and his associates.
Moe Dalitz was also a longtime friend of Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky , known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Polish-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States...
, one of the main architects of modern organized crime. To the FBI, Dalitz played a vital role inside Lansky's powerful organization which many believed stretched as far as Israel. Aisde from Dalitz, The Lansky Group, as they were called included several other big names. Among those were Sam Cohen, Vincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo
Vincent Alo
Vincent "Jimmy Blue Eyes" Alo was a New York mobster and member of the Genovese crime family who set up casino operations with mob associate Meyer Lansky in Florida and Cuba.-Early years:...
, Harry "Nig Rosen" Stromberg, Doc Stacher, Eddie Levinson and actor, George Raft
George Raft
George Raft was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s...
. In 1982, Dalitz received the "Torch of Liberty" award from the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
.
In the 1970s Dalitz filed a massive defamation suit against Penthouse magazine over an article written by Lowell Bergman about Rancho La Costa, a resort funded by the Teamsters.
Dalitz was an associate of Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt
Paul Laxalt
Paul Dominique Laxalt of Nevada was a former Republican District Attorney, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and U.S. Senator. In the media, the words "son of a Basque sheepherder" often accompanied his name. He was one of Ronald Reagan's closest friends in politics...
, and contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his campaigns.
The last casino that Dalitz owned was the Sundance Hotel Casino, later renamed the Fitzgerald which currently belongs to Don Barden.
Dalitz built the Las Vegas Country Club, Sunrise Hospital, and many other important Las Vegas institutions. He was a frequent donor to the Las Vegas Public Library system along with other community organizations in Las Vegas.
He counted among his frequent visitors in his later years such well known personalities as Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
, Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
, Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers is an American actress, author, singer and businesswoman, known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on Three's Company and as Carol Lambert on Step by Step....
, Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
, Buddy Hackett
Buddy Hackett
Buddy Hackett was an American comedian and actor.-Early life:Hackett was born in Brooklyn, New York, New York, the son of a Jewish upholsterer. He grew up on 54th and 14th Ave in Borough Park, Brooklyn, across from Public School 103...
, and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. Dalitz was proud of helping performers like Frank Sinatra get their first big breaks in show business.
Dalitz continued to be active in the Las Vegas community, but except for trips to visit friends in the Las Vegas area or occasional trips in his Rolls Royce to Mt Charleston, he stayed in his Regency Towers penthouse apartment. When he died in 1989 many organizations received substantial donations he left in his will.
External links
- Nevada Online Encyclopedia entry on Moe Dalitz
- Entry in "The First 100 Persons who shaped Southern Nevada"