*Patreon Content Preview
Unlike the Flamingo and Billy Wilkerson, the Desert Inn was a
dream come to fruition for Wilbur Clark.
Years of development, planning and construction made into a reality,
even if everything didn’t go exactly to plan.
As with many big dreamers, ambition can sometimes outlast finances,
which was the case for Wilbur Clark and his Desert Inn.
Moe Dalitz was a man with a dream as well, legitimacy. Las Vegas offered the opportunity to apply
his gambling business acumen legally and in public. When his friend Meyer Lansky informed him of
the financial problems the Desert Inn had encountered preventing the project
from being completed, he jumped at the opportunity to invest.
The deal between Wilbur and Moe gave majority ownership to
Dalitz but kept Wilbur in place as a partner as well as the legitimate face of
the property. It may be the first and
only true partnership between organized crime owners and the legit front
man. In most cases, the guy out front
was little more than a bullied puppet with little to no input on
operations. In the case of Wilbur and
Moe, the Desert Inn partnership would go on to make them both very rich
men.
If you are interested in more information regarding Wilbur Clark, Moe Dalitz of the Desert, recommended reading would be
Las Vegas Chronicles, When the Mob Ran Vegas & the Green Felt Jungle
Battle Born Pins
Vintage Vegas Shirts
Battle Born Pins
Vintage Vegas Shirts
