For as long as Las Vegas has been home to casinos and gambling, it has also been home to organised crime. The characters from this shady past have been romanticised and immortalised in countless novels and films. The Mob Museum, also known as the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, uses interactive displays, memorabilia and original artefacts to provide insights into the lives of famous mafia figures like Al Capone, Whitey Bulger, Bugsy Siegel and John Gotti. The museum examines the roles of these historic Vegas figures in turning a small desert town into the gaming capital of the world. You’ll also get great insights into the wider impact of the Mob across the United States.
A recent addition to downtown Vegas, the 4000-square-metre museum opened on 14 February 2012. The date was no coincidence, as this was the 83rd anniversary of the infamous St Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago, when tensions between Al Capone and Bugs Moran’s rival gangs came to a bloody head. Although several thousand kilometres from the site of the massacre, the museum has salvaged and reassembled much of the bullet-riddled wall, which today is one of its signature exhibits.
The building that houses the museum is one of the few remaining historically significant places in Las Vegas. A former federal courthouse and US Post Office, this building is famous for being the courtroom where one of the 14 Kefauver Committee hearings (devoted to investigating organised crime in America) was held in 1950.
A visit to the museum shines a light on a fascinating history of police and citizen efforts to eliminate mob activity. Interactive displays give you the chance to learn about wiretaps and other technology used by investigators in the 1940s and ‘50s to record private conversations. Enter the world of FBI action and listen to original surveillance recordings, or take a crash course in weapons training.
The Mob Museum is located in downtown Las Vegas. Free parking is limited, so it’s best to take a bus or taxi if you aren’t staying within walking distance. The museum is open to all ages, but all children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Some exhibits include graphic imagery, including crime scene photos and a large collection of weapons.
