Frank Rosenthal

Frank Lawrence Rosenthal (June 12, 1929 – October 13, 2008), also known as "Lefty" Rosenthal, was an American professional sports gambler, Las Vegas casino executive, and organized crime associate.

By the mid-1950s, Rosenthal was working with the Chicago Outfit.

Chosen for his expert odds-making ability, he ran the biggest illegal bookmaking office in the United States on behalf of the Mafia—specifically, the Outfit.

Based in Cicero, Illinois, under the guise of a home improvement company, Rosenthal and the Outfit bought "contracts" to fix sporting events.

After being indicted as a conspirator on multiple sports bribery charges, Rosenthal moved the operation to North Bay Village in Miami, Florida, to avoid attention.

He was also a suspect in multiple business and car bombings in the greater Miami area during the 1960s.

It was at this time the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened an ongoing case file on Rosenthal which amassed 300 pages.

By 1961, Rosenthal had acquired a national reputation as a sports bettor, oddsmaker, and handicapper, and in Miami he was frequently seen in the company of prominent Outfit members Jackie Cerone and Fiore Buccieri.

At this time Rosenthal was issued with a subpoena to appear before U.S. Senator John McClellan's subcommittee on Gambling and Organized Crime, accused of match-fixing.

He invoked the Fifth Amendment 37 times and was never charged.

Due to this, Rosenthal was barred from racing establishments in Florida.

Despite his frequent arrests for illegal gambling and bookmaking, Rosenthal was convicted only once, after pleading no contest in 1963 to allegedly bribing a New York University player to shave points for a college basketball game in North Carolina.

In order to once again escape police attention, Rosenthal moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1968.

A big promoter of sports gambling, Rosenthal secretly ran the Stardust, Fremont, Marina, and Hacienda casinos when they were controlled by the Chicago Outfit.

He also created the first sports book that operated from within a casino, making the Stardust one of the world's leading centers for sports gambling.

Another Rosenthal innovation was hiring more female blackjack dealers, which in one year helped double the Stardust's income.

Rosenthal married Geri McGee on May 4, 1969.

McGee already had a daughter, Robin L. Marmor, from a previous marriage with ex-husband Lenny Marmor.

Rosenthal and McGee later had two children together, Steven and Stephanie.

There were infidelities on both sides, with McGee secretly having an affair with Spilotro.

Rosenthal, who was once called "the greatest living expert on sports gambling" by Sports Illustrated, is credited with bringing increased exposure to sports betting to Las Vegas in the 1970s.

In 1976, the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) discovered that Rosenthal was secretly running four large casinos without obtaining a state gaming license, holding a hearing to determine his legal ability to obtain a license.

The hearing was headed by Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman (future U.S. Senator) Harry Reid.

Rosenthal was denied a license because of his arrest record and his documented reputation as an organized crime associate, particularly because of his boyhood friendship with Chicago mob enforcer Anthony Spilotro.

The marriage ended in divorce in 1981, with Rosenthal attributing the failure primarily to McGee's inability to escape her dependence on alcohol and drugs.

The 1981 Cadillac Eldorado was in the parking lot of Tony Roma's restaurant at 620 E. Sahara Avenue.

Rosenthal survived because of a metal plate under the driver's seat, installed by General Motors in the model to correct a balancing problem.

Myram Borders, who heard the explosion, said that after exiting the car Rosenthal shouted "They're trying to kill me, they're trying to kill me!".

When she asked who was trying to kill him, Rosenthal refused to say anything.

Although no one was ever charged for the bombing, Milwaukee mob boss Frank Balistrieri was possibly responsible.

Balistrieri, who was known as the "Mad Bomber" to law enforcement, was heard (via wiretap) blaming Rosenthal for the legal problems the mob-controlled casinos were suffering.

Similarly, just weeks before the bombing, Balistrieri told his sons he intended to get "full satisfaction" for Rosenthal's perceived wrongdoing.

Other likely suspects include Kansas City mob bosses, who were recorded on an FBI wiretap tape calling Rosenthal "crazy"; Spilotro, either acting with others or on behalf of the Outfit; and outlaw bikers who were friends of Rosenthal's ex-wife, Geri McGee.

After leaving Rosenthal and stealing a portion of his savings, McGee died at a motel in Los Angeles on November 9, 1982, at age 46, of an apparent drug overdose.

Her death was ruled accidental, from a combination of Valium, cocaine and alcohol.

On October 4, 1982, Rosenthal survived an assassination attempt in Las Vegas, in which a bomb attached to the gasoline tank was detonated when he started his car.

Rosenthal's life and career in Las Vegas served as the basis of Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino, where he was portrayed by Robert De Niro and re-named Sam "Ace" Rothstein.

Rosenthal was born in Chicago, Illinois, to a Jewish family and grew up on the city's West Side.

As a youth, he learned sports betting in the bleachers of Wrigley Field and would often skip classes to attend Chicago sporting events.

Rosenthal's father also owned racehorses, whereby he became familiar with betting odds and percentages at a young age.