“Ya better keep your mouth shut, seeee … or they’ll find ya
at the bottom of the ocean, seeee … dis ain’t no toy gun I’m holding, seeee?”
Okay, I know, that’s a pretty bad imitation of Edward G.
Robinson. But that’s exactly the way I felt like talking as I walked through
the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. The place just puts you in that kind of mood. It’s
a dark experience, and if you haven’t seen an optometrist lately and had your
vision checked, you’re going to be bleary-eyed when you get back outside.
First thing is, you have to park. And it’ll cost you. That’s
the first place the mob puts the touch on you – at the parking lot adjacent to
the museum on Stewart Street on the north edge of downtown. Or, if you don’t
mind walking a couple of blocks, there’s plenty of free parking at the downtown
casinos (Binion’s is the closest).
Then, you pay admission: $18 for adults 18+; $12 for kids 5-17
and students 18-23 with ID; $14 for seniors 65+, military, law enforcement, and
teachers with ID; and $10 if you’re a Nevada resident. You can also get them
online at themobmuseum.org.
Like I said, make sure your eyes are in good working order …
there’s a lot of reading to be done as a large number of exhibits are
wall-posted, chockfull of information and interesting tidbits. Hey, it’s a
historical museum. What’d you expect? Illiterates can still enjoy it if someone
will read the captions of the plethora of pictures on the walls.
The first thing you do is stand behind a one-way glass as
though you’re in a lineup. I guess if you’re with someone, they can take a
picture of you doing that, acting like a fool. Me, I stood there and stood
there and stood there, waiting for an automatic camera to take my picture. See,
I thought it was the ol’ “let us take your picture for free and you can decide
if you want it in the gift shop” ploy.
Nope, the nice young lady guide came back and told me I didn’t have to
stand there. Boy, was THAT embarrassing.
I could hear the other tourists tittering softly.
They have some good video experiences – my favorite is the
recreation of the 1950-1951 Estes Kefauver Committee hearings in the very courtroom
in which they took place. The Mob Museum building is a former federal
courthouse and U.S. Post Office. The courtroom darkens and you can hear the
participants as video shows on the screens in front of you. In effect, you
become part of the hearings themselves, as witnesses of the proceedings.
The exhibits themselves present a number of stories: The
mob, the law, and notable personalities both in law enforcement and crime. The
mob had a hand in making Las Vegas what it is today – the gambling capital of
the nation – and gangsters have influenced society is more ways than one,
including movie-making. After doing the tour, I feel like watching more
gangster movies.
Then, maybe I can improve my Edward G. Robinson dialogue.
Whatcha think?
Here … some pictures of exhibits in The Mob Museum:
 |
| Description of What Constitutes a "Racket" |
 |
| Rules for Prostitutes |
 |
| The Electric Chair |
 |
| Howard Hughes Arrives |
 |
| The Famous "Park Sheraton" Barber Chair |
 |
| 100 Years of "Made Men" (That's Al Capone on the left) |
 |
| Al Capone and His Nephew Ralph "Risky" Capone |
 |
| Legendary Movie Stars Play Legendary Historical Figures |
 |
| A Portion of the Mob Museum Gift Shop |
No comments:
Post a Comment