by Doug Swanson
Henry Wade had been elected district attorney: Wade ultimately spent thirty-six years as Dallas County DA. In 1964, he prosecuted Jack Ruby, the killer of Lee Harvey Oswald. And his name was part of the landmark Supreme Court decision on abortion, Roe v. Wade.
“Get him”: Interview, William Alexander.
“rather slim and doubtful”: Potter memo to Office of the Attorney General, July 21, 1952.
“As you can readily see”: DMN, June 20, 1952.
“Oh, the heat just built up on me”: OH, Glass, 55.
“must be given preferred and continuous attention”: FBI, Hoover memo, Aug. 11, 1952.
“Well, I guess nobody will have any trouble”: DMN, Aug. 23, 1952.
“And there’s two little ol’ girls”: OH, Glass, 44.
“Now don’t that beat all”: DMN, Sept. 4, 1952.
“This is positively untrue”: FBI, Aug. 23, 1952.
“The whole outfit was stalking me”: OH, Glass, 56.
“The attorney general then commented on Nixon”: The account of these meetings is drawn from FBI memos written by Nichols—and, on one occasion, Hoover—from Aug. 25, 1952, to Oct. 13, 1952.
“get publicity to keep the smoke screen”: OH, Glass, 57.
“No one could hire me”: This scene—including quotations—is described in detail in an Aug. 16, 1952, office memorandum written by the FBI agent listening secretly from an adjacent room. That same agent, Arthur Cornelius Jr., would later encounter many problems as he attempted to monitor Binion’s movements in Las Vegas.
17. THE GREAT BONANZA STAKEOUT
“Never follow an empty wagon”: Brunson, The Godfather of Poker, 129.
“Greenbaum said, ‘We gonna bust him’”: OH, Glass, 85.
“Send copy to A.G.”: FBI, Oct. 21, 1952.
“I do not believe it is the policy”: Potter memo to Office of the Attorney General, July 21, 1952.
“blown to pieces at his mailbox”: U.S. Supreme Court, Case No. 623, October Term, 1952.
“I don’t see how they could have done it”: NSJ, Oct. 4, 1952.
“I don’t fear the federal government”: NSJ, Nov. 14, 1952.
“an abuse of federal process in aid of state court prosecution”: U.S. Supreme Court, Case No. 623, October Term, 1952.
“a private cemetary [sic] equipped with a lime pit”: DPD, Butler, as contained in an FBI memo to Hoover, Aug. 23, 1952.
“The attorney general . . . was most appreciative”: FBI, Hoover memo, Jan. 13, 1953.
“If we didn’t have anything to do”: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
Later that morning the phone rang: FBI, Jan. 17, 1953. The details of the catastrophic surveillance are taken from a series of contemporary bureau memos attempting to explain and justify the missteps.
As Brownell told his freshly hired staff: OHUC, Olney.
“The original request apparently came from the Attorney General”: FBI, April 7, 1953.
“While I would like to bring Binion to justice”: Hoover addendum to FBI memo, Feb. 11, 1953.
“A quote screwball end quote”: FBI, Feb. 4, 1953.
Binion was “very worried” about whether he had reported income: FBI, May 5, 1953.
“There was some aura of embarrassment”: FBI, June 4, 1953.
“I think we should do it”: Ibid.
“Arrangements were made . . . for a privately owned airplane”: FBI, agent’s report, June 12, 1953.
“Agents were driving at risk of their lives”: FBI, agent’s report, June 7, 1953. This story of Binion’s toying with agents, and the details of the chase, are taken from voluminous bureau reports filed as the pursuit unfolded. Hoover’s comments are from his handwritten notes in response to these memos. It should be noted that Agent Cornelius, despite his difficulties here, later went on to a brief but distinguished term as superintendent of the New York State Police.
“I ain’t talking”: DMN, June 7, 1953.
“They sure gave us a run, those government men”: DTH, June 7, 1953.
“nattily dressed in a coral green suit”: DMN, June 9, 1953.
18. “WHACKED AROUND PRETTY GOOD”
“The damn government’s been getting bad”: OH, Glass, 56.
Cash and real estate had a market value of $2.4 million: DMN, Sept. 5, 1953.
“He had $200 million”: OH, Glass, 57.
Brown’s true stake fell closer to 25 percent: FBI, Nevada Gambling Industry, Nov. 16, 1964.
“Don’t ever tell a lie, unless you have to”: Brunson, The Godfather of Poker, 129.
“Just me, Mrs. Brown and Christ”: NSJ, Dec. 12, 1953.
“He was a very, very straightforward man”: OH, Glass (Cahill), 903.
“I’m getting the rest together”: DMN, Dec. 3, 1953.
Meyer Lansky bought in: FBI, Nevada Gambling Industry.
“I gambled and I lost”: SAE, Dec. 14, 1953.
“I’m kinda ignorant”: DMN, Dec. 15, 1953.
“Investigation has disclosed that defendant kept”: U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Binion file.
“He thought he was going to get out of it”: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
“Get a good one, boys”: SAE, Dec. 15, 1953.
“I don’t intend to go back”: DMN, Dec. 18, 1953.
“some type of minor heart attack”: U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Binion file.
“He will find prison life far different”: NSJ, Dec. 22, 1953.
U.S. Attorney General Brownell had ordered that he go to Leavenworth: U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Binion file.
“I got whacked around pretty good”: OH, Glass, 55.
“I don’t know,” Braggins said: DPD, Butler.
“I could’ve beat this damn case”: OH, Glass, 55.
“There ain’t no such thing as luck”: HC, March 13, 1989.
Part Three: The Ride Back Home
19. THE FIREMAN GETS RELIGION
“When you quit learning”: OH, Glass, 52.
“A giant mausoleum . . . adrift in a great sea”: Earley, The Hot House, 30.
“Leavenworth is hell”: LaMaster, U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth, 27.
The prison doctor reported that he had flat feet: U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Personal information, medical reports, related correspondence, official memos, and other records from Binion’s prison time are taken from his Leavenworth inmate file.
“This is a fabulous, extraordinary madhouse”: Payn, The Noël Coward Diaries, 246.
operating a power mower while wearing a large diamond ring: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
“They’d frisk him in front of us”: Ibid.
“Dear Brenda . . . my favorte [sic] cowgirl”: Files of Brenda Binion Michael.
he sometimes used an empty fire extinguisher: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
“My family’s all religious”: HC, March 13, 1989.
“A book wrote by a monk in 1500”: OH, Glass, 85.
When Teddy Jane visited Leavenworth: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
“Were I in a position to make a decision”: U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Binion file. Other letters pleading Binion’s case come from this same file.
Next, they had planned a string of holdups: LVRJ, Nov. 16, 1957.
he liked to douse himself in White Shoulders: Odessky, Fly on the Wall, 151.
“that is too much to ask of any grandmother”: NSJ, May 30, 1957.
“I’ll tell you the reason why”: OH, Glass, 57.
20. STRIPPERS AND STOOGES
“It’s not your enemies you have to worry about”: Interview, R. D. Matthews.
“If this were a less well-known prisoner”: U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Binion file.
“Binion has suff
ered fully”: Ibid.
“This ‘moonlight’ employment is not condemned”: Ibid.
“He can recall the necessary details”: Ibid.
In Glitter Gulch, he served as a front man: FBI, Nevada Gambling Industry.
Brown had almost no shares to sell: Ibid.
“backed Levinson into a corner”: FBI, Jan. 29, 1960.
“You might consider developing Binion’s front”: FBI, memo from Hoover, May 22, 1959.
“felt that such a type of entertainment”: FBI, Dec. 3, 1959.
Levinson and his crew bragged that they were raking $700,000: FBI, Nevada Gambling Industry.
Some of the stash was shipped in the sleeves: Ibid.
“That’s an absolute lie”: Interview, Oscar Goodman.
“I don’t think Benny would tell them anything”: Interview, Eddie LaRue.
“I’d no more believe that . . . than I’d believe Martians”: Interview, Bill Bob Barnett.
21. CHARLIE, ELVIS, AND THE REVOLUTION
“Hell, all I want’s four walls”: OH, Glass, 54.
“In Vegas for 20 minutes”: Ferrari, Las Vegas, 169.
“Benny Binion being the strong man”: OH, King.
“They said Ruby had my phone number”: Interview, R. D. Matthews.
“I had a deal to get it back”: HC, March 13, 1989.
“Levinson and Edward Torres were in the office”: Levinson pleaded no contest to skimming in 1968 and was fined $5,000. He had sued the FBI for bugging his offices at the Fremont, but dropped the suit.
“Through hook or crook, I got it back”: OH, Glass, 54.
“That million-dollar display”: OH, Glass, 79.
“My wife works here, and my daughter”: OH, Glass, 88.
“Hell, no, we don’t want them anywhere”: FBI, Feb. 14, 1966.
“Oh, I knew him a long time before”: OH, Glass, 83.
“Now, I’ve damaged a lot of people”: OH, Glass, 31.
“If anybody goes to talking about doing me bodily harm”: OH, Glass, 30.
“There’s thousands of people comes on the Strip”: OH, Glass, 78.
“I knew him pretty well”: Sheehan, The Players, 58.
“We would have sold it to him for $8 million”: VT, Oct. 8, 1975.
“I’d heard about Benny all my life”: Interview, Doyle Brunson.
“I’ve seen a lot of poker games”: OH, Glass, 81.
22. ANOTHER ONE BLOWS UP
“Anybody had done anything to me”: HC, March 12, 1989.
“You had to worry about winning the money”: The account of Brunson’s life on the poker circuit is drawn from my interview with Brunson, from his book The Godfather of Poker (written with the great journalist Mike Cochran), and from an interview Brunson gave to Nolan Dalla that is posted at www.pokerpages.com/articles/interviews/interviews-brunson01.htm.
“The first time he comes into the Horseshoe”: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
“You’re makin’ a lot of my customers uneasy”: Brunson, 133.
“He didn’t charge us anything”: OH, Glass, 82.
“This poker game here gets us a lot of advertisement”: OH, Glass, 81.
“He understood gamblers”: Interview, Doyle Brunson.
“He was the wisest man I’ve ever known”: Ibid.
“Oh, he was tough”: HC, March 12, 1989.
“If I felt that Benny Binion had done it”: LVS, April 3, 2001.
He was known as Doc: Information on Dolan comes from Coulthard’s FBI file and from an interview with the suspect’s son, Jim Dolan.
“It was . . . believed by law enforcement”: FBI, Ted Binion file, May 7, 1987.
“Do I think Benny would kill Coulthard?”: Interview, Eddie LaRue.
“I didn’t keep no records”: Ibid.
“Many fringe benefits come to a public official”: LVRJ, Sept. 12, 1999.
“That was silly for them to imply Benny was a liar”: NSJ, Aug. 5, 1977.
“Oh, yeah, always give ol’ Ralph a little money”: HC, March 14, 1989.
“Me and him puts on a party every December”: OH, Glass, 66.
“Hello, Meyer. How you feeling?”: Odessky, Fly on the Wall, 158.
“Colonel” Tom Parker . . . often had dinner with Binion: Interview, Ken Lambert Jr.
“You ought to do a movie on Titanic”: Interview, Bob Hinkle.
“Limit poker is a science”: Grotenstein, All In, 20.
“Texas Hold’em takes a minute to learn”: House Concurrent Resolution 109, 80th Legislature of the State of Texas.
rumors swirled that Binion had fixed the ’72 series: Greg Dinkin, “Remembering Amarillo Slim Whichever Way We Wish,” Grantland, May 1, 2012.” Preston died in 2012.
23. HEROIN AND THE HIT MAN
“My other son Ted, he’s sorta like I am”: OH, Glass, 74.
a recently crowned mob lawyer walked six blocks: Interview, Oscar Goodman.
The squirrel’s black glassy eyes: Ibid.
kept a $100,000 stash in the casino’s vault: Vernetti, Lies Within Lies, 127.
“It was like two great personalities got together”: Ibid., 29.
two men in suits watched from the casino floor: Interviews, multiple sources.
“Everything’s in there like they’d gone on a trip”: HC, March 13, 1989.
“She don’t think they hurt you”: Ibid.
Teddy Jane accumulated clutter: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
“He’d pick up this check”: Interview, R. D. Matthews.
she would . . . grab a bag of silver dollars: Interview, Eddie LaRue.
“There ain’t nobody works harder than Jack”: OH, Glass, 89.
“Binion’s Horseshoe has $15 million in the bank”: VT, Oct. 8, 1975.
“He was a cross between Larry Flynt and a bum”: Stephen Rodrick, “Snake Eyes,” GQ, Dec. 1999.
“Ted was brilliant”: Interview, Oscar Goodman.
“I’d find these little foil bowls”: Interview, confidential source.
“In five minutes . . . he might bet a million dollars”: Cartwright, Dirty Dealing, 70.
Benny and Ted Binion “allegedly assisted major drug trafficker Jimmy Chagra”: FBI, Oct. 13, 1989.
But without Wood, he said, “much, much better”: Cartwright, 187.
“That’s not so bad”: DMN, Aug. 12, 1973.
“Thank God for Oscar Goodman”: Smith, Of Rats and Men, 127.
It started with a man named Rance Blevins: Background on Rance Blevins comes from an interview with his brother, Jerry Blevins.
“Oh, they’re going to fuck this guy up”: Interview, John Koval.
“Let’s go in the casino”: Ibid.
“He told the cops that he represented all employees”: Interview, Dan Bowman.
“He said, ‘That’s not something we normally do’”: Ibid.
“Benny Binion had a lot of juice”: Ibid.
“I’m 58 years old now”: E-mail to me from Walt Rozanski.
24. U-TURN AT THE GATES OF HEAVEN
“Used to really live dangerously”: HC, March 12, 1989.
“Benny Binion is your brand”: Interview, Henri Bollinger.
“the humped, the bent, the skeleton thin”: Alvarez, The Biggest Game in Town, 14.
“I didn’t have a floor show”: Interview, R. D. Matthews.
“Five Puerto Ricans sideswiped me”: Interview, Joseph Yablonsky.
“We were working to turn it into a normal America”: Ibid.
“I don’t know of anything he’s done that was a violation”: LVS, May 10, 1983.
“a taste for strong whiskey, frisky women and trim horses”: LVRJ, Dec. 11, 1983.
/> “Claiborne doesn’t happen to look very judicial”: VT, Sept. 17, 1982.
Claiborne “socializes with women who happen to be attractive”: LAT, Jan. 15, 1984.
“The Nevada FBI chief came to Las Vegas”: LVS, Nov. 4, 1982, and June 26, 1983.
“He was run out of town”: Interview, Oscar Goodman.
“In most cities, if you were nailing crooked politicians”: Interview, Joseph Yablonsky.
“Teddy Binion is believed to be one of the main suppliers”: LVRJ, June 24, 2001.
“[Ted] Binion uses the casino cage . . . to launder the drug money”: Ibid.
“Ted broke Daddy’s heart”: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
“Used dope”: HC, March 13, 1989.
“She had a lot of Benny’s young blood”: Interview, Bob Hinkle.
“They did all sorts of reconstructive surgery”: Interview, confidential source.
“I’m going to waste”: FBI, Ted Binion file, May 7, 1987.
“Well, they come down here to meet”: HC, March 13, 1989.
“She got it accidentally, I’m sure”: Ibid.
“He took all the phone calls”: Interview, Doyle Brunson.
“spent months walking around with Barbara’s baby pictures”: Interview, Brenda Binion Michael.
A new heart drug called amiodarone worked well: According to Binion family lore, amiodarone was not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore was not available to Binion. Merle Haggard’s road manager—so the story goes—hired a member of the Hells Angels named Foo to break into a California doctor’s lab and steal the drug. Then, the story continues, one of Binion’s muscle men coerced a doctor into administering the treatment. Binion was so grateful that he gave a Rolls-Royce once owned by the British royal family to Haggard’s manager. It’s quite a tale, but Binion’s physician at the time said in a 2011 e-mail, in response to my query, that the reality was far more prosaic: “I used to see Benny Binion as a patient. He required amiodarone for ventricular arrhythmia,” Dr. Kanu Chatterjee wrote. “I gave him amiodarone with the permission of the FDA as it was still an investigative drug.”
“He said that . . . is the best gun”: Interview, Bob Hinkle.
“He had long hair, like you see in the pictures”: Sheehan, The Players, 66.
“Which is bullshit”: HC, March 15, 1989.