In 1931, the massive Hoover Dam project brings thousands of workers to Nevada. They have paychecks and nowhere to spend them. The state legalizes gambling, setting a small, dusty town called Las Vegas on its way to becoming an unsurpassed phenomenon.
The mob realizes there are untold riches to be made in gaming, and by the late 1940s, gangsters Meyer Lansky and Benjamin Siegel are opening casinos on the fledgling Strip.
For the mob, the situation is a dream come true. Gambling is legal, prostitution is ignored, and local politicians are either for sale or agreeable. And best of all, there’s virtually no competition.
But that won’t last.
Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars.
Support us by supporting our sponsors!
ZipRecruiter - Go to ziprecruiter.com/BW, to try ZipRecruiter for free.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Best of Business Wars Daily | Electric Vehicles Shock the System | 5
Airbnb vs NYC | Pulling Back the Curtain | 4
Airbnb vs NYC | The Gathering Storm | 3
Airbnb vs NYC | Operation Firestarter | 2
Airbnb vs NYC | No Reservations | 1
Best of Business Wars Daily | Big Tech's Next Frontier Is Home Buying | 7
ESPN vs Fox Sports | The Wide World of Sports Broadcasting | 6
ESPN vs Fox Sports | Undisputed | 5
ESPN vs Fox Sports | Fox Strikes Back | 4
ESPN vs Fox Sports | Best in Show | 3
ESPN vs Fox Sports | Aussie Rules Football | 2
ESPN vs Fox Sports | First Down | 1
Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Global Chocolate Domination | 6
Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | A Chocolate Rolls Royce | 5
Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Mars Attacks! | 4
Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | A Candy-Coated Prayer | 3
Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Blast Off | 2
Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Chocolate Town | 1
Christmas Movie Wars | An Iconic Holiday Tradition | 6
Christmas Movie Wars | A Season Like No Other | 5
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Consider This from NPR
The Indicator from Planet Money
Planet Money
The Vanished Podcast
American Scandal