Very Rare Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Signed Photo. An entrepreneur of the more questionable type, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel is p...

Description

Very Rare Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Signed Photo. An entrepreneur of the more questionable type, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel is popularly thought to be the impetus behind large-scale development of Las Vegas. According to legend, Bugsy envisioned building a large casino and hotel to which gamblers would flock by the hundreds, fueled by the fact that Nevada had legalized gambling in 1931. Back in the East, Siegel captivated his fellow mobsters with the idea of building a gambling mecca in the middle of the desert, complete with a casino, hotel, and live entertainment. Siegel returned to the West Coast and began working on his dream to construct a hotel-casino complex on what later would become known as the Las Vegas Strip, an establishment called the "Flamingo." The fact is the Mafia had had a presence in Las Vegas casinos dating back to at least 1941, and the swank Flamingo was actually conceived and started by Los Angeles businessman and Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson, who turned the project over to Siegel after running short of funds. Siegel subsequently mismanaged the project and earned the ire of his mob cohorts. They in turn had Siegel killed. This handsome 8" x 10" b&w portrait of Siegel has an added touch -- the inscription "To my pal Julius" and the gangsters signature in black fountain pen. Items signed by Siegel are very rare, especially items in condition this good; the photo is in Excellent condition, marred only by the tiniest of creases to the lower left corner and very, very faint tanning. An exceptional item. With COA from PSA/DNA.

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