I received tickets in exchange for a review on the Museum. All opinions are my own.

Al Capone, John Gotti, Bugsy Siegel, Machine Gun Kelly, Don and Michael Corleone, Tony Soprano, all familiar names, all mobsters. Whether they be fictional characters, or real life mobsters, these are men who were involved in organized crime in some form or another.

The Mafia, or Mob first made its appearance in the United States shortly after Prohibition started in 1920. These men seized the opportunity to make money and control the underground world of alcohol thanks to this new law.  Another way of making money for these men, was gambling. Gambling had always been an important part of business in the Mob.  They operated many illegal gambling operations throughout the United States and because law enforcement agencies were on the Mobs payroll, they turned a blind eye to what was taking place.

In 1931, the state of Nevada legalized gambling, but it wasn’t until the 1940’s that the Mafia realized the potential for Las Vegas. Meyer Lansky, who didn’t want to be blamed if the first Vegas Casino didn’t do well, enlisted the help of Bugsy Siegel. Bugsy raised money and hype from Mafia families, and in December of 1946, the first gambling casino, The Flamingo, opened. However, due to the mafia pushing for an early opening, and not much interest from tourists, the Flamingo ended up losing money, and Bugsy ended up being shot.

Just off Fremont Street, in old Las Vegas, is one of Vegas’ newest attractions, The Mob Museum.  The museum is officially titled, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement and shows the history of the Mob not only in Las Vegas, but throughout the entire country.  The tour starts on the third floor and you work your way down from there. Throughout the entire museum, are interesting bits of Mob history, such as the blood stained wall from the Saint Valentine’s Massacre, exhibits, video clips, and actual photos and artifacts.

The museum is actually a piece of Mob history in and of itself.  In 1950, a Senate Committee called the Kefauver Committee, was formed to expose Organized Crime here in the United States.  There were 14  Kefauver hearings that took place throughout the United States, including one here in the Las Vegas Federal Courthouse that is now home to The Mob Museum. The courtroom is set up to look as it would have back then.

Thankfully, the Mob is not what it used to be.  After the Kefauver hearings, the state started to better regulate gambling and illegal activities. Large Corporations started buying casinos and resorts thus attracting tourists, and not as many mobsters.

If you’re in Las Vegas, be sure and take some time to tour The Mob Museum. It was very interesting to learn more about Organized Crime, how it came to be, as well as the downfall of the Mob.  We took our entire family with us (kids ages 12-17) and they found it to be of interest. I don’t think kids younger than 10 or 12 would enjoy this tour. It’s a lot of reading and history, and I just don’t see young kids finding it fun. We took about 2 hours exploring the exhibits. I’d say plan on allowing yourself at least an hour at the museum, but closer to 2 or 3 if you really want to get the full experience.

Mob Museum Details:

The Museum is located at 300 Stewart Avenue, just off Fremont Street. There is limited parking in the lot next to the museum for $7 for the first three hours. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online. Prices are $26.95 for adults, $20.95 for seniors, law enforcement, and military, $16.95 for teens (ages 11.17), and children 10 and younger are free.