Frank Rosenthal: the Most Controversial Las Vegas Legend

Beginning

Frank Lawrence Rosenthal was born on June 12, 1929 in Chicago. His mother was a housewife, and his father was engaged in the wholesale trade. Senior Rosenthal was well up in math and owned a couple of racehorses. He inculcated in his son a taste for horses. And it was the taste not only for horses but also for betting. The genius of Frank in statistics, probability theory, and game theory was brought up by his father who led him through life. Frank Rosenthal treated gambling as science. He always used to say: "You don't determine what team is going to win but what team offers the best value."

To be sure, Frank did not study the betting secrets in school. On the contrary, he often missed his classes to attend races and make bets. Underground bookmakers served as his school, and professional gamblers were his tutors. When he was 13 years old, he could process information: Frank bought and studied 30-40 newspapers daily. After all, he did not make bets randomly.

He always calculated chances that required information about all competing horses or teams. When he was young, Rosenthal honed his skills in sports betting in the stands of Wrigley Field and race track in Comiskey Park. A young man from Chicago's Westside quickly earned a good reputation thanks to his betting skills in football and basketball. This attracted the attention of the crowd, and in the 50s Frank Rosenthal was considered to be one of the top U.S. experts on sports betting and gambling.

Mafia

At the age of 26, Frank was introduced to the Chicago gangsters. The crime syndicate Chicago Outfit was interested in a gifted and successful gambler and helped him open an illegal bookmaker office. The office was located in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, and operated under the cover of the fictitious Cicero Home Improvement Company.

The Chicago Outfit was organized with Rosenthal match-fixing. There was the following division of labor: gangsters concluded contracts with representatives of sports clubs that influenced the outcome of matches, and Rosenthal selected the best versions of bets using insider information. Frank never lied to his bosses. He was a professional and knew what, when, and to whom he might say. When many of Rosenthal's "colleagues" were doing their time in prison or died of unnatural causes, he had his code of honor that helped him to move from Chicago to Miami and then to Las Vegas.

Frank Rosenthal was an ordinary man when he began to deal with sports betting, and he earned a reputation as one of the best handicappers in the country. Rosenthal was the best in his business, but fame and fortune had their own price, and by 1960, his name took the first line in the list compiled by the Chicago Crime Commission. Frank decided that it was time to get out of town. He moved to Miami in 1961, hoping to remain incognito, but rumors about Rosenthal's membership in the crime syndicate outpaced him. Soon this guru of calculations attracted the attention of the Senate Committee on Gambling and Organized Crime. Even in Miami, Frank failed to hide. He was seen with famous gangsters such as Jackie Cerone and Fiore Buccieri.

"Lefty"

Soon Rosenthal was subpoenaed as a witness of the trial concerning match-fixing and had to testify in front of the Senate Committee. However, he succeeded in beating the American legal machinery: he always referred to the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which stated that no one was obliged to testify against himself. Thirty-seven times, he refused to answer the judge's questions, including the question of whether he was right-handed or left-handed. That's why Frank Rosenthal was nicknamed "Lefty". That time the judges were forced to let him go, but he was not allowed to attend any horse races in Florida.

A little later, he was arrested along with other bookmakers by the FBI. This arrest was followed by other arrests, and in 1963, Frank was found guilty of bribing a basketball player from New York College. Despite his problems with the law, "Lefty" successfully coped with the police and still lived in Miami when his old Chicago friend Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilorno turned up in 1964. This visit was unfortunate because the FBI followed the "Lefty," and the presence of Tony Spilorno, who was suspected of several murders in Chicago, only increased the attention of the FBI to him. The FBI initiated a criminal investigation whose materials occupied 300 pages.

Las Vegas

Because of all these problems with the law, "Lefty" was fed up with Miami and decided to move to a place where people would treat him with more tremendous respect. In 1968, Frank Rosenthal moved to the fast-growing "Sin City" in the desert and settled at the Tropicana Hotel. As soon as he settled in Las Vegas, Rosenthal bought the shares of the Rose Bowl betting office and later took a job as an ordinary dealer at Stardust Casino. After six years, Frank "Lefty" rose to the manager of Stardust Casino, and after a while, he became the first manager in the history of Las Vegas who managed four casinos: Stardust, Fremont, Hacienda, and Marina.

It is necessary to explain one thing. Now Las Vegas is controlled by gambling corporations, whereas in times of Rosenthal, Vegas was dominated by criminal syndicates, which were headed by Frank Balistreri, the Milwaukee Mafia boss, and Nick Civella, the Kansas City boss. They have invested over $127 million in the purchase and renovation of the casino. Allen Glick, a developer from San Diego, was responsible for that. Glick did not realize that he was dealing with the mafia. He also had no idea that he would work under the supervision of one of his employees, but once Rosenthal said to him:

It is time to clarify the situation. I'm going to tell you what is happening here, where I came from, and where you should be. I got this job neither for your prosperity nor for the prosperity of others. I do not want to endure the nonsense that you are talking, and I will not listen to what you are saying, because you're not my boss. And if I say that you have no choice but to obey me, I mean not only the management of the casino, I mean also your health. If you interfere with any transactions of the casino or my operations, I guarantee you that you will not survive.

The Gifted Manager

Frank secretly managed four casinos Stardust, Fremont, Marina, and Hacienda. He managed them with a firm hand, introduced many innovations, and made them the most profitable casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. "Lefty's" thirst for sports betting made him a pioneer in this field of gambling. Casinos did not pay much attention to sports betting at that time. Betting offices were operating separately and were not considered to be something serious. Frank Rosenthal was a pioneer in creating a betting office that was operating in the casino. A prototype of the future betting office was created at Stardust Casino: a hall with plush armchairs and various screens, where it was possible to make bets in comfortable conditions, enjoying all the advantages of the casino service. Stardust Casino is still one of the leading bookmakers in the world thanks to Rosenthal.

The permission for women to work as dealers was another "Lefty's" innovation. Only men had worked as croupiers earlier. This innovation doubled Stardust's revenue during the year. Rosenthal also found little-known magicians and made a duet called Siegfried&Roy of them. Their performances became the most visited in Las Vegas. In general, Frank succeeded in creating such an atmosphere in casinos that every player, regardless of whether he or she lost cents playing slots, or lost thousands at the baccarat tables, was treated as a member of the royal family thanks to the well-trained staff. So, players enjoyed royal services, and Rosenthal did not intend to let them go with winnings. Specially trained beauties, who "accidentally" appeared where the customer with serious winnings was about to exit the game, served as his next innovation. They did their best to "help" the lucky player to stay at the table, and the rest was the dealer's task.

He also discovered the Frank Rosenthal Show, which occurred directly at Casino Stardust. These talk shows, in which Rosenthal interviewed pop, sports, and gambling stars such as Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Muhammed Ali, were excellent advertisements for the casino. He also used his air time to make fun of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

In addition, Rosenthal hired professional criminals whose aim was to fight against fraudsters. If a player was caught cheating during the game, he could receive an invisible hit with a rubber mallet and get a broken wrist. If any visitor behaved inappropriately (for example, he put his feet on the table), he was thrown out of the casino directly through the window instead of the door. And if, God forbid, a customer made a mistake and insulted Mr. Rosenthal, he would be beaten to death. Rosenthal was calmly looking at it, smoking a cigar and sipping his favorite drink - soda.

Here is the other example of his marketing gimmicks about which "Lefty" told reporters with pleasure:

When I was working at the casino, we used the following gimmick. We advertised the breakfast, which cost only 49 cents, on a huge neon billboard whose cost was several hundred thousand dollars. It consisted of 2 eggs (cooked according to your taste), bacon, sauce, ham, toasts, and coffee. Drivers couldn't help driving by our casino without noticing this billboard. We did everything to lure customers to our casino, so they got their breakfast for 49 cents and tried to gamble. And here's an example of how it worked. Once upon a time, a family came to Las Vegas for a short-term vacation. It included father, mother, and two children. They were lured by our billboard about the breakfast for 49 cents. While the wife with children took a meal, the father decided to play blackjack. He lost 18,000 dollars for half an hour. Then this man, a father of two children, was forced to ask the casino administrator to return money at least for driving home to Arizona. He did not have money for fuel! His family wanted to save money on breakfast, but in the end they lost all their savings for half an hour. Well, our casino gave them money for their way home. This is a very exciting story, but it happens in Las Vegas every day.

Character

Frank Rosenthal was a dandy, so it was known that his wardrobe had over 200 pairs of trousers, and his clothes were exclusively sewn to order. As the boss of casinos, "Lefty" was a perfectionist who would not tolerate the slightest flaws in servicing customers. While walking through Stardust, Rosenthal noticed a cigarette butt on the floor. He picked it up himself and then fired a man who was responsible for the cleanliness of this fragment of the hall. We can also recall the case with the chef (a real situation of Rosenthal's biography that is described in Casino). "Lefty" believed that each cake had to contain the same number of raisins. This number had to be equal to a dozen, no more and no less. When the chef of the casino tried to argue on this point, he was fired. The new chef began to add exactly 12 raisins to a cake.

In general, Frank led the business by the rules of the Mafia. He did not like to be second and undermine the confidence of his people. His skills in casino management were incredible, and the response to the misbehavior of employees was ruthless. Jane Morrison, a federal court reporter, characterized "Lefty" in a very impressive way:

The few times when I met with Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, he was looking at me as if I were a worm he'd like to step on, except the ensuing goo would dirty the sole of his shoe.

Yes, Frank Rosenthal was not a man with whom you would like to meet a second time, but he was a genius in the field of calculations and a demanding perfectionist in business. It was ascending the social ladder, and his future looked very bright. However, one event occurred that had a great influence on his life: he fell in love.

Love

Geraldine McGee moved to Las Vegas from California in the late 1950s. This beautiful woman worked as a topless dancer at the bar called Tropicana and Dunes. She also provided sexual services to politicians and celebrities, as well as foreigners who had come to Las Vegas to spend money. When "Lefty" met her, he fell in love at first sight. He feared losing her and insisted on marriage, but Geri always found excuses. Only when Frank opened a bank account for her, deposited several million dollars into it, and put a bunch of jewelry in the safe deposit box did Geri agree to marry him.

They married the next year. Initially, everything went to the newlyweds very well. Geri Rosenthal enjoyed spending money, and her husband supported her desire, providing her with his money in the required quantities. Frank and Jerry had two children: a son, Steven, and a daughter, Stephanie. However then their family life was ruined. Frank closed his eyes on the caprices of his wife, who had love affairs with the gangster Tony Spilorno and young John Hicks, but he worried about her addiction to alcohol and drugs. It became simply dangerous to leave children with Geri: she could let the servants go, take drugs, leave children locked in the bedroom, and drive to the lover. Scandals in the family often led to fights. Geri even pointed a gun at Frank twice. Only God knows what prevented her, being completely intoxicated, from pulling the trigger.

Anyway, they divorced in 1980. Two years later, 46-year-old Geri was found dead in a roadside motel. Death was caused by an overdose: she took too much Valium followed by snorting a line of cocaine and drinking whiskey. Rosenthal had to prove his innocence in the death of his good-for-nothing ex-wife. He had to pay 50 thousand dollars for numerous expert appraisals.

Difficult Time

In 1976 Frank Lawrence Rosenthal was on the crest of a wave. He was the most powerful manager of Las Vegas casinos. Rosenthal was rich and famous: he managed four casinos and three hotels and organized his own TV show. Yet, he faced troubles at that time. Initially, the authorities found out that Rosenthal did not have a license that allowed conducting gambling. It led to trials. Frank got out of this unfavorable situation. He remained the host of his show. Regardless, soon, his activities as a showman attracted the attention of the Mafia leaders for whom "Lefty" had worked, and they sent him an assistant - an old friend, Tony Spilotro.

Tony helped Frank to manage the casino and, at the same time, kept an eye on him, reporting all suspicious events to their owners. Spilotro was engaged in his own "business" in his free time: assassination, robberies, and theft. He opened his jewelry store and hotel. To be sure, these activities of Tony Spitlotro, attracted the attention of the authorities. They found out about his connection with "Lefty" Rosenthal, and as a result, they quickly revoked his license because of his alleged ties to organized crime, although he always denied them. Joseph Pawlikowski adjudicated upon his matter.

Frank Rosenthal could not continue to be the casino manager so he left all his positions at all casinos and hotels. Nevertheless, he succeeded in getting a job in one of the hotels in Las Vegas. He was appointed as Public Relations Director. And 2 years there was a series of strange coincidences:

• The judge Joseph Pawlikowski decided to marry off his daughter;
• The marriage ceremony occurred exactly at the hotel where Frank was working;
• At the end of the ceremony, it turned out that all the bills were paid by the anonymous well-wisher;
• The judicial decision on Frank Rosenthal's ban on gambling was reviewed.

Explosion

A metal plate installed by General Motors under the driver's seat to correct a balancing problem shielded him from the force of the explosion and saved Rosenthal's life. Another happy coincidence was the fact that he had not closed the door and had not put on his seatbelt before starting the engine. As a result, Frank escaped with insignificant burns, and the car was completely destroyed by the explosion.

Even though no one was accused of this assassination, Frank Balistreri, the Milwaukee Mafia boss, was most likely responsible for this explosion. Via wiretap it was found out by the police that he had blamed Rosenthal for legal problems at Mafia-controlled casinos. Only a few weeks before the assassination, Balistreri told his sons that he was going to fully revenge Rosenthal for his fault-finding and offenses. However, these facts were not enough to charge him for this crime. In addition, there were other versions: Tony Spilotro could revenge Frank acting alone or on the Chicago Outfit's behalf. Bikers who were friends of his ex-wife Geri Rosenthal also promised to revenge "Lefty." Well, the victim refused to answer all the police questions.

End

The attempted assassination of Frank, of which no one was accused, put an end to his career as one of the most powerful men in Las Vegas. In 1987, "Lefty" was still deprived of the right to conduct gambling activities, and the familiar to him, Joseph Pawlikowski, wrote his name in the Black Book, i.e., a list of persons who are not allowed even to visit casinos. Rosenthal moved from Las Vegas to Laguna Nigel, California, several months later. Later, he moved to Miami Beach, where he ran the sports betting website frank777.com and worked as a consultant for many offshore bookmakers. Rosenthal admitted that he visited casinos several times incognito, but it was of little interest to him.

Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal died at the age of 79 in his modest apartment in Miami Beach on October 13, 2008. The cause of death was a heart attack. In this way, the life of one of the most controversial Las Vegas legends ended.

The history of the rise and fall of Frank Rosenthal inspired Nicholas Pileggi to write the book Casino, which served as the basis for the script of the film of the same name, directed by Martin Scorsese. Exactly Frank Rosenthal became the prototype of Sam "Ace" Rothstein, played by Robert De Niro.

We can hardly find a person who would know more about gambling than Frank Rosenthal. Most of his colleagues did not even suspect he was connected with the Mafia, even though he was a significant part of that world. Sports Illustrated called Rosenthal "the greatest living expert on sports betting and gambling." No wonder many people worshiped him since he was the undisputed genius of calculations. And if we take into account everything that he did for gambling! Well, Frank answered this question best shortly before his death. Responding to a reporter's question about the things that will remain in the world after his death, "Lefty" said: "I was a good father and contributed a little to the development of gambling."