The Battle for Las Vegas: The Law vs. The Mob by Dennis Griffin
Authors: Dennis Griffin
Tags: #genre
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informed Lefty Rosenthal—the behind-the-scenes power of the operation—of the incident.
A few days later, Buccieri was found shot to death. The law immediately suspected that Tony Spilotro was involved. Others in the know disagreed, citing the use of a 25-caliber weapon, rather than the .22 that was supposedly a Spilotro trademark. Regardless of the identity of the perpetrator, though, it’s logical to conclude that Glick was a dangerous man to argue with or threaten.
Tamara Rand
Tamara Rand was an erstwhile friend and business partner of Allen Glick. She invested heavily in his Vegas casinos and, in spite of having no gaming experience, had signed a contract as a consultant at the Hacienda for $100,000 per year. Rand believed that through investments she had purchased five percent of Glick’s casinos, so when Glick denied such a deal, she filed suit against him for breach of contract and fraud. A court trial could have blown the lid off the mob’s hidden interests in the Las Vegas casinos. Consequently, on November 9, 1975, just days after a bitter argument between her and Glick, Tamara Rand was murdered at her home in San Diego.
Unlike the gun that killed Buccieri, the murder weapon in Rand’s case was a .22, the reputed weapon of choice of Spilotro and his associates. Although Tony was a prime suspect in the Rand killing, there was insufficient evidence to charge him with the murder. One report even circulated that Tony had a solid alibi for the day in question. According to that story, while Rand was being rubbed out in San Diego, Tony was in Las Vegas chatting with an FBI agent who, for unknown reasons, had flown in from Chicago for a visit.
But former law-enforcement officers familiar with the Rand case and the Spilotro investigations don’t recall Tony being cleared because of any such visit. They consider the report to be “dubious,” and maintain that Spilotro was never taken off the table as a suspect.
At any rate, Tony gradually faded from the headlines in the Rand murder. That wasn’t the case for Allen Glick, however. The relationship that had existed between Glick and the victim created a firestorm of speculation and media interest. By Thanksgiving, Glick was forced to issue a statement. He not only denied any involvement in the Rand murder, but also proclaimed that Argent had no connection to organized crime. Many in Las Vegas and law-enforcement circles found the latter contention to be absurd. Spilotro even got back in on the act by stating through his lawyer that he had absolutely no connection to Argent. Those in a position to know also greeted this declaration with great skepticism.
Around the time of the Buccieri and Rand murders, additional information about Allen Glick’s activities began to surface from an unexpected source.
Newport Beach
In the 1970s, Bob Gatewood was a sergeant working with the police department in Newport Beach, California. He was assigned to the Organized Crime Unit. One day in 1973, he received a phone call from a friend, a Marine he’d met while undergoing SWAT training at Camp Pendleton. They’d become close and socialized together with their families.
Gatewood’s friend told him he’d retired from the Marine Corps and taken a new job as a bodyguard for Allen Glick, who had a residence in an exclusive area south of Newport Beach. The ex-Marine had come to the conclusion that his new employer had some very shady associates and was probably involved in something illegal. He felt morally obligated to do something about it, but wasn’t sure exactly what.
Due to his work in intelligence, Gatewood was familiar with Glick and his reported ties to organized crime and the Teamsters Pension Fund. During the discussion, Glick’s bodyguard revealed that his position required that he accompany Glick on trips and at social gatherings, as well as receive a copy of the guest list to every event hosted by his boss. The former Marine agreed to provide information
A few days later, Buccieri was found shot to death. The law immediately suspected that Tony Spilotro was involved. Others in the know disagreed, citing the use of a 25-caliber weapon, rather than the .22 that was supposedly a Spilotro trademark. Regardless of the identity of the perpetrator, though, it’s logical to conclude that Glick was a dangerous man to argue with or threaten.
Tamara Rand
Tamara Rand was an erstwhile friend and business partner of Allen Glick. She invested heavily in his Vegas casinos and, in spite of having no gaming experience, had signed a contract as a consultant at the Hacienda for $100,000 per year. Rand believed that through investments she had purchased five percent of Glick’s casinos, so when Glick denied such a deal, she filed suit against him for breach of contract and fraud. A court trial could have blown the lid off the mob’s hidden interests in the Las Vegas casinos. Consequently, on November 9, 1975, just days after a bitter argument between her and Glick, Tamara Rand was murdered at her home in San Diego.
Unlike the gun that killed Buccieri, the murder weapon in Rand’s case was a .22, the reputed weapon of choice of Spilotro and his associates. Although Tony was a prime suspect in the Rand killing, there was insufficient evidence to charge him with the murder. One report even circulated that Tony had a solid alibi for the day in question. According to that story, while Rand was being rubbed out in San Diego, Tony was in Las Vegas chatting with an FBI agent who, for unknown reasons, had flown in from Chicago for a visit.
But former law-enforcement officers familiar with the Rand case and the Spilotro investigations don’t recall Tony being cleared because of any such visit. They consider the report to be “dubious,” and maintain that Spilotro was never taken off the table as a suspect.
At any rate, Tony gradually faded from the headlines in the Rand murder. That wasn’t the case for Allen Glick, however. The relationship that had existed between Glick and the victim created a firestorm of speculation and media interest. By Thanksgiving, Glick was forced to issue a statement. He not only denied any involvement in the Rand murder, but also proclaimed that Argent had no connection to organized crime. Many in Las Vegas and law-enforcement circles found the latter contention to be absurd. Spilotro even got back in on the act by stating through his lawyer that he had absolutely no connection to Argent. Those in a position to know also greeted this declaration with great skepticism.
Around the time of the Buccieri and Rand murders, additional information about Allen Glick’s activities began to surface from an unexpected source.
Newport Beach
In the 1970s, Bob Gatewood was a sergeant working with the police department in Newport Beach, California. He was assigned to the Organized Crime Unit. One day in 1973, he received a phone call from a friend, a Marine he’d met while undergoing SWAT training at Camp Pendleton. They’d become close and socialized together with their families.
Gatewood’s friend told him he’d retired from the Marine Corps and taken a new job as a bodyguard for Allen Glick, who had a residence in an exclusive area south of Newport Beach. The ex-Marine had come to the conclusion that his new employer had some very shady associates and was probably involved in something illegal. He felt morally obligated to do something about it, but wasn’t sure exactly what.
Due to his work in intelligence, Gatewood was familiar with Glick and his reported ties to organized crime and the Teamsters Pension Fund. During the discussion, Glick’s bodyguard revealed that his position required that he accompany Glick on trips and at social gatherings, as well as receive a copy of the guest list to every event hosted by his boss. The former Marine agreed to provide information
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