142: Bugsy Siegel (Fake News: Fact Checking H...

Over two episodes, we will explore Hollywood Babylon’s coverage of Confidential Magazine and the two celebrities who testified against the scandal rag in the 1957 trial that helped end what Anger rightfully refers to as its “reign of terror.” We’ll begin with Dorothy Dandridge, t ...  Show more

In part two of our two-parter on the demise of the biggest and most pernicious tabloid of the 1950s, we’ll explore what happened after the magazine’s claim that redheaded star Maureen O’Hara was caught having sex at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. O’Hara positioned herself the “Joan o ...  Show more

From the poor streets of downtown New York, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel worked his way up through the mafia and through Hollywood. And then he set his sights on Las Vegas. Siegel bought what is now the Strip, determined to make a luxurious casino resort where people would have fun as ...  Show more

When Charles Luciano organized the mob and decided that money didn't care what your ethnicity was, it was the chance for Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel to prove his worth. With ambition as big as Las Vegas and a temper to boot, Siegel made his way to the top through charm, hustle, and m ...  Show more

Backing from a legitimate Mormon banker creates major funding for the Vegas mob infrastructure. The underworld is coming out on top in Sin City. But there’s a challenger out for blood: the United States government.A U.S. senator launches an attack on mob-run gaming, and brings hi ...  Show more

Vegas is getting a bad rap in the press, thanks to the increasing spotlight on the mob’s control. The legitimate powers in the halls of Nevada government need something—or someone--to spread a veneer of respectability over Sin City.That someone arrives. He’s one of the most wealt ...  Show more