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Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker
A rip-roaring saga of murder, money, and the making of Las Vegas
They say in Vegas you can’t understand the town unless you understand Benny Binion—mob boss, casino owner, and creator of the World Series of Poker. Beginning as a Texas horse trader, Binion built a gambling empire in Depression-era Dallas. When the law chased him out of town, he loaded up suitcases with cash and headed for Vegas. The place would never be the same. Dramatic as any gangster movie, Blood Aces draws readers into the colorful world of notorious mobsters like Clyde Barrow and Bugsy Siegel. Given access to previously classified government documents, biographer Doug J. Swanson provides the definitive account of a great American antihero, a man whose rise from thugdom to prominence and power is unmatched in the history of American criminal justice.
They say in Vegas you can’t understand the town unless you understand Benny Binion—mob boss, casino owner, and creator of the World Series of Poker. Beginning as a Texas horse trader, Binion built a gambling empire in Depression-era Dallas. When the law chased him out of town, he loaded up suitcases with cash and headed for Vegas. The place would never be the same. Dramatic as any gangster movie, Blood Aces draws readers into the colorful world of notorious mobsters like Clyde Barrow and Bugsy Siegel. Given access to previously classified government documents, biographer Doug J. Swanson provides the definitive account of a great American antihero, a man whose rise from thugdom to prominence and power is unmatched in the history of American criminal justice.
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
August 31, 2016
True. Dallas still feels unjustly identified primarily as the site of the Kennedy assassination. But the glare produced by that event in 1963 has had another unfortunate effect. It has obscured the rich history of criminality my hometown had for the earlier part of the century. Blood Aces does Dallas a great service by bringing this period of criminality and corruption to life, a time personified in our homegrown gangster, Binny Binion.
Binion (b. 1904) grew up poor in the North Texas town of Pilot Grove. (When townspeople found out they were about to be put on a map, they changed the name from Lick Skillet to something more respectable.) After a few years of school he started horse trading with his father. He went West to do some bootlegging in the early days of Prohibition, but headed back to Dallas to make his way as a gambler. He ran dice games from hotels and backrooms for the oil rich local trade and a numbers racket in poor black neighborhoods.
This was a time when a man could shoot another man on the street in broad daylight and never get indicted – even if the victim was white – so long has he had the right connections. Binion maintained those connections, and he got rich fast. When things started looking bad in the 1940’s he headed to the new gambler’s paradise of Las Vegas, where his way of making a living was legal. He became a city father, did some time in federal prison, and had a bronze statue erected in his honor after he died. Those who eulogized Binion as one of the finest men they ever knew probably should have expanded the circle of friends beyond career criminals.
Binion (b. 1904) grew up poor in the North Texas town of Pilot Grove. (When townspeople found out they were about to be put on a map, they changed the name from Lick Skillet to something more respectable.) After a few years of school he started horse trading with his father. He went West to do some bootlegging in the early days of Prohibition, but headed back to Dallas to make his way as a gambler. He ran dice games from hotels and backrooms for the oil rich local trade and a numbers racket in poor black neighborhoods.
This was a time when a man could shoot another man on the street in broad daylight and never get indicted – even if the victim was white – so long has he had the right connections. Binion maintained those connections, and he got rich fast. When things started looking bad in the 1940’s he headed to the new gambler’s paradise of Las Vegas, where his way of making a living was legal. He became a city father, did some time in federal prison, and had a bronze statue erected in his honor after he died. Those who eulogized Binion as one of the finest men they ever knew probably should have expanded the circle of friends beyond career criminals.
September 5, 2014
I had such a sour taste in my mouth after I read a recent book about poker, decided to read another book in that world. Come to find out, Blood Aces really wasn't about poker except toward the end of the book but about the life of Benny Binion, creator of the World Series of Poker. That event, and professional poker in general, has become a billion dollar industry for the gambling world and who knows how many more millions are wagered in home games.
I knew very little about Binion other than the fact he owned the old-school Horseshoe Casino in the seedier, non-strip part of downtown Las Vegas & the WSOP connection. Come to find out, Binion was quite the criminal in Dallas, making a fortune with numbers running, money laundering, racteteering, illegal gambling, tax evasion & the like in Dallas before he ever set foot in Las Vegas. We should also add murder as he not only personally killed a few people, he allegedly paid to have numerous people knocked off who were carving into his territory & profit.
Blood Aces [great title] is a lot of fun if you are into rural criminal behavior or early Vegas lawlessness. Las Vegas was a wild place in its early days with the mafia opening skimming huge amounts of money, over the top corruption & the lack of the police to make laws stick.
I knew very little about Binion other than the fact he owned the old-school Horseshoe Casino in the seedier, non-strip part of downtown Las Vegas & the WSOP connection. Come to find out, Binion was quite the criminal in Dallas, making a fortune with numbers running, money laundering, racteteering, illegal gambling, tax evasion & the like in Dallas before he ever set foot in Las Vegas. We should also add murder as he not only personally killed a few people, he allegedly paid to have numerous people knocked off who were carving into his territory & profit.
Blood Aces [great title] is a lot of fun if you are into rural criminal behavior or early Vegas lawlessness. Las Vegas was a wild place in its early days with the mafia opening skimming huge amounts of money, over the top corruption & the lack of the police to make laws stick.
November 14, 2016
3 1/2 stars. This is a short biography type book of Benny Binion. Binion comes from a poor Texas family who is fending for himself and providing for his family at the age of 12. Binion goes from horsehand to the small time gambling syndicates in Texas to building his somewhat large scale gambling empire in Texas to include running rigged number games to his personal favorite dice games. After being somewhat forced out of Texas he settles in Las Vegas, Nevada with the big boys. In Vegas Binion builds his legacy with the Horseshoe on Glitter Gulch. This story centers around Binion's personal war with fellow gambler Herbert Noble during Binion's early years in Texas. This book gives the reader a small sampling of corruption in the infancy of Vegas.
June 26, 2014
Received through first reads...
I found this book to be very entertaining, and that's coming from someone who has absolutely no interest in gambling/casinos/Las Vegas. A page turner, well written, with a bit of background on the more minor figures in the book, which I really like. As a biography it was a good mix of the personal and professional aspects of Binions' life. Certainly worth reading.
I found this book to be very entertaining, and that's coming from someone who has absolutely no interest in gambling/casinos/Las Vegas. A page turner, well written, with a bit of background on the more minor figures in the book, which I really like. As a biography it was a good mix of the personal and professional aspects of Binions' life. Certainly worth reading.
September 26, 2015
Cat Noble was my uncle. Amazing that someone has not made a movie about his life - an incredible story - sad but true.
August 22, 2024
I had never heard these stories about Binion and the beginning of Las Vegas.
August 10, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
I found this to be an interesting read and really respect the challenges the author faced in writing a biography of Benny Binion. He's a character who didn't leave any letters/papers and certainly worked hard to reinvent himself constantly and whitewash the past. Most of what author Swanson had to work with were hearsay, interviews, and sources that often were biased (newspaper, police blotters, etc.).The book tracks Binion's life chronologically - from humble origins in Texas, his crime sprees in Dallas, and then fleeing to reinvent himself in Las Vegas. Along the way a lot of lawmen would try to bring him down; they ended up bribed, intimidated, stalemated, or dead. The parts of Binion's life are broken down into three sections: Texas, Las Vegas, and then reinventing himself yet again in Vegas after jailtime.
At the same time, we learn a lot about the circumstances in which Benny Binion operated and the people he befriended or fought. As an example, I had no idea that Texas and Fort Worth were lawless out of control towns even well into the 1950s. I think most of us grew up with the glamor of Dallas, the TV series. Also, one of Binion's supposedly vicious hitmen was the father of actor Woody Harrellson. It's tidbits like those that make the read interesting.
Other aspects made me wince, though. That McCarran (for whom the Las Vegas airport is named), looks to have been firmly in Binion's pocket - as well as many others who also clearly benefited from illegal activities. The book is more of a frightening statement about America and American corruption. We all knew the mobsters ran the casinos until the 1970s but somehow Benny Binion managed through donations to create a sterling public reputation in his later years - despite a history of viciousness and unsolved murders. As well, the sheer number of policemen, judges, and more who twisted or broke the law to protect him is especially sad.
Perhaps the irony for me is that Benny Binion was a family man and not known for lady chasing like so many in his position. Sadly, as the book notes, that wasn't the same for his sons. But he remained married to one woman and steadfastly protected his family.
In all, a fascinating read for those who have been to Vegas enough to have heard of Binion or for those curious about an American mobster. Note that the book is not really about the history of Las Vegas or Vegas Poker - it's about Benny Binion's life story.
Reviewed from an ARC.
April 1, 2014
Disclaimer: I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway in the expectation that I would review it. This was an Advance Uncorrected Proof copy, and there will be changes to the final product.
As the subtitle indicates, this is a biography of Benny Binion, who was born in a tiny town in Texas in 1904 to a horse trader’s family, and rose through moxie, violence and crime to be a beloved fixture of Las Vegas. Like many gangsters, Mr. Binion’s life makes for colorful reading, full of narrow escapes, famous names and death.
The picture painted of Dallas in the 1930-40s is not a flattering one. Mr. Binion started in the numbers racket, and eventually managed to break into the lucrative and more “respectable” dice gambling world. He was perhaps a victim of his own success. That and somebody kept trying to kill one of his major rivals, Herbert Noble, and everyone was pretty sure Mr. Binion was behind it.
So Benny Binion had to light out for Las Vegas, where gambling was legal and eventually became the owner of the Horseshoe casino, best known for its “no-limit” dice games. Later he also became the founder of the World Series of Poker.
Like many gangsters, Benny Binion was a good friend to those he liked, and generous to the disadvantaged. But get on his wrong side, and he did not stint on the anger. As he got older, the people of Las Vegas preferred to remember his good side.
Since Mr. Binion tended to lie a lot, and quite a few allegations were never proved, the author has had to rely on secondary and unreliable sources for much of the story. After lighting out for Las Vegas, the only thing Mr. Binion was ever convicted on was tax evasion. But there sure were a lot of people he didn’t like that wound up dead under suspicious circumstances.
There’s also asides on various people who also affected circumstances in Dallas or Las Vegas, such as Howard Hughes, who almost inadvertently changed the way casinos were owned just so he could hole up in his room in peace.
There are black and white photos at the beginning of the chapters, end notes sourcing the quotations, and a selected bibliography. The index is not in the uncorrected proof, but should be in place for the final product (scheduled for August 2014.)
I did not know about most of the information in this book, particularly the bits set in Texas. It’s a good book for true crime fans, and will have local interest for people in Las Vegas and Dallas. it certainly makes a change from Chicago gangsters!
As the subtitle indicates, this is a biography of Benny Binion, who was born in a tiny town in Texas in 1904 to a horse trader’s family, and rose through moxie, violence and crime to be a beloved fixture of Las Vegas. Like many gangsters, Mr. Binion’s life makes for colorful reading, full of narrow escapes, famous names and death.
The picture painted of Dallas in the 1930-40s is not a flattering one. Mr. Binion started in the numbers racket, and eventually managed to break into the lucrative and more “respectable” dice gambling world. He was perhaps a victim of his own success. That and somebody kept trying to kill one of his major rivals, Herbert Noble, and everyone was pretty sure Mr. Binion was behind it.
So Benny Binion had to light out for Las Vegas, where gambling was legal and eventually became the owner of the Horseshoe casino, best known for its “no-limit” dice games. Later he also became the founder of the World Series of Poker.
Like many gangsters, Benny Binion was a good friend to those he liked, and generous to the disadvantaged. But get on his wrong side, and he did not stint on the anger. As he got older, the people of Las Vegas preferred to remember his good side.
Since Mr. Binion tended to lie a lot, and quite a few allegations were never proved, the author has had to rely on secondary and unreliable sources for much of the story. After lighting out for Las Vegas, the only thing Mr. Binion was ever convicted on was tax evasion. But there sure were a lot of people he didn’t like that wound up dead under suspicious circumstances.
There’s also asides on various people who also affected circumstances in Dallas or Las Vegas, such as Howard Hughes, who almost inadvertently changed the way casinos were owned just so he could hole up in his room in peace.
There are black and white photos at the beginning of the chapters, end notes sourcing the quotations, and a selected bibliography. The index is not in the uncorrected proof, but should be in place for the final product (scheduled for August 2014.)
I did not know about most of the information in this book, particularly the bits set in Texas. It’s a good book for true crime fans, and will have local interest for people in Las Vegas and Dallas. it certainly makes a change from Chicago gangsters!
August 1, 2015
“Trust everyone. But always cut the cards.” Benny Binion
This is the story of Benny Binion, a Texas gangster who never met a mobster he didn’t like, until he killed him. He also helped to found Las Vegas, Nevada and brought poker to the forefront at his Binion’s Horseshoe Casino now Binions on Fremont Ave. in the old downtown of Las Vegas.
I enjoyed reading this biography of a Texan who decided money was all he wanted and would do anything to get enough after living in poverty in his youth. He was a good family man, which seems to be standard for a mobster, not afraid to kill an enemy but cherishes family when at home.
Benny Binion killed at least four men but went to jail for tax evasion. By the time he left Leavenworth, he had turned informant for the FBI. Whether that was to get parole and his gambling license back and he just strung them along, or if he did get religion in prison I don’t think it’s clear in the book. He was baptized Catholic and never missed the sacraments during his incarceration.
This book is a fun read and I did not know anything about Mr. Binion until this book. I only knew about the Mafia connections in Vegas, but Benny was a Texan, that when it got too hot for him in Dallas made the move to Las Vegas and saw the potential that Bugsy Siegel also saw.
There are plenty of funny quotes from Benny’s mouth as he was never anyone that knew how to keep his mouth shut. It makes for a very entertaining read or listen. The narrator is John McLain and he does a fine job. I understand this is going to be made into a movie and it should be fun to watch also.
This is the story of Benny Binion, a Texas gangster who never met a mobster he didn’t like, until he killed him. He also helped to found Las Vegas, Nevada and brought poker to the forefront at his Binion’s Horseshoe Casino now Binions on Fremont Ave. in the old downtown of Las Vegas.
I enjoyed reading this biography of a Texan who decided money was all he wanted and would do anything to get enough after living in poverty in his youth. He was a good family man, which seems to be standard for a mobster, not afraid to kill an enemy but cherishes family when at home.
Benny Binion killed at least four men but went to jail for tax evasion. By the time he left Leavenworth, he had turned informant for the FBI. Whether that was to get parole and his gambling license back and he just strung them along, or if he did get religion in prison I don’t think it’s clear in the book. He was baptized Catholic and never missed the sacraments during his incarceration.
This book is a fun read and I did not know anything about Mr. Binion until this book. I only knew about the Mafia connections in Vegas, but Benny was a Texan, that when it got too hot for him in Dallas made the move to Las Vegas and saw the potential that Bugsy Siegel also saw.
There are plenty of funny quotes from Benny’s mouth as he was never anyone that knew how to keep his mouth shut. It makes for a very entertaining read or listen. The narrator is John McLain and he does a fine job. I understand this is going to be made into a movie and it should be fun to watch also.
August 12, 2015
I made a special effort to finish this book before heading to Las Vegas for a week's vacation. (The book will be available later this year. I read a pre-production copy that was a prize in a Goodreads contest.)
The book is very readable, interesting, and informative. I cannot imagine a more interesting and enigmatic character about which to write a book than Benny Binion. From his early time as a traditional (but local and lone) "gangster" in the lawless west that Dallas was in the early 1900s to his departure and (to some extent) more traditional role as a casino owner in Las Vegas, there are no shortage of stories, rumors, and allegations to make an easy read.
I learned much about Binion and even some about Las Vegas. His form of promotion and community spirit was unique, and his ability to be both ruthless/murderous and kind/friendly is difficult for me to identify with; but it certainly made for a picturesque story.
While I would have thought there was not much more to be told about Las Vegas this book shows how many characters formed the city and gambling industry.
I heartily recommend this to anyone interested in gangsters, crime, gambling, or Las Vegas.
The book is very readable, interesting, and informative. I cannot imagine a more interesting and enigmatic character about which to write a book than Benny Binion. From his early time as a traditional (but local and lone) "gangster" in the lawless west that Dallas was in the early 1900s to his departure and (to some extent) more traditional role as a casino owner in Las Vegas, there are no shortage of stories, rumors, and allegations to make an easy read.
I learned much about Binion and even some about Las Vegas. His form of promotion and community spirit was unique, and his ability to be both ruthless/murderous and kind/friendly is difficult for me to identify with; but it certainly made for a picturesque story.
While I would have thought there was not much more to be told about Las Vegas this book shows how many characters formed the city and gambling industry.
I heartily recommend this to anyone interested in gangsters, crime, gambling, or Las Vegas.
March 29, 2014
I received this book through a Goodreads "First Reads" give-away. Enjoyable book about Benny Binion and organized crime in Dallas and Las Vegas. Binion, much less known than his gangster contemporaries Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, and Mickey Cohen, rose to top of the Dallas underworld and eventually made his way to Las Vegas just as the city was turning into the gambling capital of the United States. Swanson tells his story - as well as the rise of Dallas and Las Vegas in the 20th Century - in a breezy and entertaining narrative. Filled with corrupt cops, oily politicians, colorful gamblers, and violent hoodlums, Blood Aces is a fun read for anyone interested in the history of organized crime and the American southwest.
September 13, 2014
I like to read history. This was one of the most entertaining history books I've read. Doug Swanson tells the really interesting tale of Benny Binion and his times with a keen sense of humor and irony. He never lets his humor take precedence over relating the story, which is good, but I often found myself chuckling at Swanson's observations and at the quotes of the people in the story. Not being familiar with Las Vegas or poker, all of this information was new to me. I hope Mr. Swanson continues to write histories.
August 22, 2014
I received a free copy of this book through the "Good Reads, First Read's" Giveaway.
This is a well researched and enjoyable popular history of a likable, larger than life, talented, character. Although it presents a violent world of gambling, money and organized crime, it is non-the-less an interesting read. A really great achievement!
Anyone who has been to Las Vegas would love to know more about its un-sanitized story.
This is a well researched and enjoyable popular history of a likable, larger than life, talented, character. Although it presents a violent world of gambling, money and organized crime, it is non-the-less an interesting read. A really great achievement!
Anyone who has been to Las Vegas would love to know more about its un-sanitized story.
September 9, 2016
Won this book in the Goodreads giveaway. The book is very well written and researched. The author clearly has done his homework as this book takes you life to death with Benny Binion. Binion had his ups and downs but ultimately made it to be one of the kings of Vegas. Highly recommend to anyone remotely familiar with Texas or Vegas history.
August 3, 2016
Loved the story! Very clearly written and great pics as well!I received this book for free from goodreads and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this kind of stuff. It was delivered quickly and overall a great read.
September 3, 2014
A fantastic story about a legend who helped make Las Vegas. Yes he was a thug, yes he was a criminal, and yes he was violent, but there was so etching about him that made me root for him throughout the book.
June 10, 2014
Awesome book, very informative. Kept me into the book from page one and look forward to more books by Swanson!
December 25, 2014
Was not disappointed. Knew I was pre disposed to like it based on what I already knew of Binion from reading, "Positively Fifth Street", by James McManus a few years back.
May 7, 2018
This book is an interesting account of a self-made man/mobster and provides a historical glimpse of early Vegas(and Texas) that I found interesting.
October 2, 2017
Benny Binion does not receive the recognition he deserves in Las Vegas lore. This biography goes into great detail about the incredible life of a man who defied the law and the odds. He is one of the few people - perhaps only person - to have gone toe to toe with the mafia and had the mafia back down.
The title of the book is misleading. While it does cover Binion's role in bringing big-time poker to Vegas, that act was only a sliver of his life, and one that occurred very late in it. Binion lived in an unusual space- a confluence of mostly friendly state authorities, zealous federal authorities, civic organizations, cowboys, gambling degenerates, high rollers and mafia. As different as these constituencies and adversaries were, he kept them all in line and in check through a combination of native intelligence, charm, bribes and, when necessary, ruthless violence.
It's astonishing that as late as the 1980's Binion was actively involved in murders in Las Vegas, getting away with them as if it were still the old west. There really are holes in the desert with bodies in them, and many of those holes exist because of Binion.
Many of the concepts and institutions that define Vegas to this day can trace their origins to Benny Binion- the National Finals Rodeo (which Binion successfully lobbied to move to Vegas), the World Series of Poker, free drinks for gamblers, no-limit hold 'em poker, high limit or no limit gambling, and the broader, general ethos that Vegas is a place not bounded by the conventions of normal, polite society. For better or worse, all of this goes back to Benny Binion, a figure that too many tourists and locals alike know very little or nothing about.
For anyone interested in real Las Vegas history, this book is essential reading.
The title of the book is misleading. While it does cover Binion's role in bringing big-time poker to Vegas, that act was only a sliver of his life, and one that occurred very late in it. Binion lived in an unusual space- a confluence of mostly friendly state authorities, zealous federal authorities, civic organizations, cowboys, gambling degenerates, high rollers and mafia. As different as these constituencies and adversaries were, he kept them all in line and in check through a combination of native intelligence, charm, bribes and, when necessary, ruthless violence.
It's astonishing that as late as the 1980's Binion was actively involved in murders in Las Vegas, getting away with them as if it were still the old west. There really are holes in the desert with bodies in them, and many of those holes exist because of Binion.
Many of the concepts and institutions that define Vegas to this day can trace their origins to Benny Binion- the National Finals Rodeo (which Binion successfully lobbied to move to Vegas), the World Series of Poker, free drinks for gamblers, no-limit hold 'em poker, high limit or no limit gambling, and the broader, general ethos that Vegas is a place not bounded by the conventions of normal, polite society. For better or worse, all of this goes back to Benny Binion, a figure that too many tourists and locals alike know very little or nothing about.
For anyone interested in real Las Vegas history, this book is essential reading.
November 24, 2017
I loved this book because of its humor and also because I grew up in Garfield County, Montana where Binion had his ranch, so I had heard tales of Binion during those years and this story just filled in the gaps. Doug Swanson did a tremendous amount of research to put the biography together and he has his references listed along with notes and acknowledgements, but it doesn't read like a research paper. I especially like the index, which I use to look up names and keep them straight. He sees the humor among all the deadly things that happened along the way. For instance, he described the on going battle between Herbert Noble and Bennie while they were running their "business" around Dallas. The feud continued after Binion moved out of Texas and went to Las Vegas. Noble finally became so desperate to kill Binion that he armed his private plane with napalm bombs, so he could drop them on the Binion house in Vegas. The authorities squelched his plot, and disposed of the napalm but didn't charge Noble with anything, because as Swanson put it, "after all, this was Texas". I think just about everyone who reads this tale will be enlightened about the corruption in Dallas, Texas during Binion's early career in crime. Doug had quite a few good photographs that just added to the story, and each chapter started out with a quote from Benny. Swanson presents the life of Benny Binion with honesty and humor. I think everyone who sits down with the book will enjoy it as much as I did.
July 17, 2020
Fascinating read. It seems that in the early 1940's Dallas was a wide open town which suited Benny Binion just fine. He had a numbers racket and also ran some dice games. If anyone crossed him they were dealt with rather harshly to say the least. But Binion was never brought to trial for any of this. On person who had at least 10 attempts on his life blamed them on Binion but none of them could be proven. But in the late 40's Dallas was trying to become respectable and one of the targets was Binion. Binion is portrayed as a lovable guy who gets along with everyone and he knows how to spread money around to keep him protected but as the authorities are closing in on him in Dallas he packs up and moves to Las Vegas, which at the time was a small town in the desert where gambling was legal. Before the Chicago and New York mobs come in to build casinos Benny has already set up a casino called "The Horseshoe". This was small time compared to what is in Las Vegas now but he made millions off the dice tables. Once other casinos started opening, the Horseshoe was the only one that had no limit betting. Hundreds of thousand dollar would change hands. I read this book because the author just released a new book about the Texas Rangers and I wanted to check out his writing. I suspect that some of his research for this book is what got him interested in the Texas Rangers who aren't always the good guys.
September 28, 2021
1. Benny Binion is satan, and
2. never was "Texas' Greatest Gangster" or "Las Vegas' Most Notorious Gangster" since that would imply he was in a "gang" or mobbed up; If Binion couldn't physically murder he'd bid out contract killings.
Binion was a hoodlum, boon rat, degen hooligan; A crumb grook that'd slit a baby's eyes while taking its candy ...notoriously lucky until he needn't be any longer.
Considering the bumpkin travesty still standing from his legacy ...it ought to be forefront:
Also this...
excerpt From: Doug Swanson. Blood Aces. Chapter 22: Another One Blows Up. epub
2. never was "Texas' Greatest Gangster" or "Las Vegas' Most Notorious Gangster" since that would imply he was in a "gang" or mobbed up; If Binion couldn't physically murder he'd bid out contract killings.
Binion was a hoodlum, boon rat, degen hooligan; A crumb grook that'd slit a baby's eyes while taking its candy ...notoriously lucky until he needn't be any longer.
Considering the bumpkin travesty still standing from his legacy ...it ought to be forefront:
Binion's narrative has nothing to do with sports, [strategic] gambling, or betting.
Also this...
“Anthony 'The Ant' Spilotro had a plan for a poker-room cheating scheme, and he tapped Doyle Brunson to work with him. If Brunson didn’t comply, a friend advised him, Spilotro would “stick twelve ice picks in that big fat belly of yours”
excerpt From: Doug Swanson. Blood Aces. Chapter 22: Another One Blows Up. epub
February 17, 2022
I initially chose/read this book as part of a reading challenge at my local library; a book about Las Vegas, and never in a million years did I think that a man from rural Texas who was born with nothing to his name; couldn't even call him dirt poor as he probably didn't even have that, nearly died during infancy, having never finished the 2nd grade and basically illiterate, to not only creating poker alongside shaping the gambling capital of the world, but also becoming one of the richest men in the world, with a reign of terror that'd make the mob blush and even the Teflon Don flake out.
Actually Benny Binion should have had that title, as he was pretty much invincible dodging numerous hits on his life; can't say the same to anyone that got on his bad side and thus in his crosshairs, and even the government only managed to snag him for 5 years in Leavenworth for taxes, which was a drop in the bucket considering his massive bucket list of crimes committed either personally or indirectly. It was pretty much amateur hour when it came to Benny vs the Feds.
If you're a fan of crime and a rags to riches story cheering on the underdog, give this a read it's well worth it!
Actually Benny Binion should have had that title, as he was pretty much invincible dodging numerous hits on his life; can't say the same to anyone that got on his bad side and thus in his crosshairs, and even the government only managed to snag him for 5 years in Leavenworth for taxes, which was a drop in the bucket considering his massive bucket list of crimes committed either personally or indirectly. It was pretty much amateur hour when it came to Benny vs the Feds.
If you're a fan of crime and a rags to riches story cheering on the underdog, give this a read it's well worth it!
February 28, 2018
Preface: I love Las Vegas, and everything that it represents. Not only is it the most exciting town in the world, but also, supremely underrated.
With all that said, yes, I enjoyed this book. Benny Binion built up Las Vegas, believing in the town before anyone else decided to. Though interesting, his time in Dallas did not nearly measure up to his time in Vegas, especially after the construction of the Horseshoe Casino. Clearly a backslapping guys’ guy, Binion‘s story seemed more notable by the company he kept, fraternizing with gangsters and Vegas royalty (which, in his time, were basically the same people.) Binion was the same as these men without the vowel-ending Italian last name. Ruthless and cunning, he knew when to lay on the charm and when to lay someone out. He was a character, but one that seemed like he’d be more fascinating and likable if you knew him personally.
With all that said, yes, I enjoyed this book. Benny Binion built up Las Vegas, believing in the town before anyone else decided to. Though interesting, his time in Dallas did not nearly measure up to his time in Vegas, especially after the construction of the Horseshoe Casino. Clearly a backslapping guys’ guy, Binion‘s story seemed more notable by the company he kept, fraternizing with gangsters and Vegas royalty (which, in his time, were basically the same people.) Binion was the same as these men without the vowel-ending Italian last name. Ruthless and cunning, he knew when to lay on the charm and when to lay someone out. He was a character, but one that seemed like he’d be more fascinating and likable if you knew him personally.
November 22, 2024
I first heard about Benny Binion when the president of the UFC Dana White mentioned Benny's wild life in an interview. I'm not a gambler and I have no interest in Vegas or poker. However; I found this book hard to put down and overall an entertaining read!
Benny Binion's tale is a true rag to riches story with the feel of an anti-hero like Tony Soprano or Tommy Shelby. I love the old western tales of this unique character.
This is definitely a fun read and doesn't read like a typical monotonous biography. Benny Binion is really a charming but terrifying character of history. I definitely recommend this if your into entertaining biographies, westerns, Vegas, poker, gangster genre, or just love a fun read.
Benny Binion's tale is a true rag to riches story with the feel of an anti-hero like Tony Soprano or Tommy Shelby. I love the old western tales of this unique character.
This is definitely a fun read and doesn't read like a typical monotonous biography. Benny Binion is really a charming but terrifying character of history. I definitely recommend this if your into entertaining biographies, westerns, Vegas, poker, gangster genre, or just love a fun read.
August 24, 2019
I first learned of this book in an article in the Dallas Morning News on a recent visit to the city. I knew of Benny Binion as the owner of the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas but was not aware of his Dallas connection. This was an interesting read about a colorful and dangerous character and the history of the early Dallas crime world. The story of Binion's move to Las Vegas and the early days of casinos, mob bosses and political corruption makes for another fascinating history in the life of this man who with little education became one of the most powerful figures in the world of gambling.
November 12, 2019
I was looking to read a book about Benny Binion, the man, not so much the gangster. I wanted to know his likes/dislikes, his relationship with his wife, children and friends. Was he active in his community, a philanthropist or a tight wad. It hardly mentioned his family or his involvement in his community. This book was more about the law enforcement and justice agencies that were out to get him. Except for the last two chapters, this book sounded like FOIA documents printed in chapter form. If not for the last two chapters, this book would have been unbearable. Was very hard to get through for me. I would not recommend this book.
February 8, 2021
I'm almost positive that I read this book a couple of years ago but it may have been one very similar to this one. As burnt as my brain can be at times, I can't imagine that I could re-read an entire book over again and still not be sure if I read it or not. I'm a huge fan of Texas Holdem so I grew up watching the World Series of Poker on ESPN when it was still at the Horseshoe Casino so I was familiar with some of it and it's also sort of a history on Las Vegas, Texas Holdem and some of the old school, great gamblers.
July 15, 2016
Blood Aces – A Book Review
Throughout his life, Benny Binion portrayed himself as an uneducated Texas yokel, full of cornpone and clabber pie.
In reality, like other Las Vegas illusions, he was a calculating and cold-bloodied killer, capable of blowing up an opponent's car with enough explosives to shred a Sherman tank.
Doug J. Swanson's book, Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, The Texas Gambler Who Created Vegas Poker, is a thoroughly researched book on the life of one of America's top gangsters who forged Las Vegas into the gambling mecca of the world. So much has been written about the New York and Chicago mobsters that changed the Nevada dessert into their own private piggy banks and yet at the same time, Benny Binion has largely been forgotten in the swirl of short-term history. Swanson paints a portrait of a criminal mastermind that far out distanced Al Capone, "Lucky" Luciano, Bugsey Siegel, Sam Giancana, and the other gangsters that became the notorious icons of American criminals. He outlived them all and died of natural causes at 85.
Relying heavily on the very few interviews Binion gave during his later years, police records, court proceedings, FBI notes, and testimonies given at congressional hearings, Swanson does a masterful job of providing a detailed account of Binion life in a fast moving and engaging story that stacks one corpse on top of another throughout the book.
The book chronicles Binion's life that began as a sickly child in the hard scrabble farming country of North Texas. The year was 1904 and with still some lingering remnants of the Old West in play, Benny grew into a teenager riding with his father who was a roving horse trader. Along the way, he met a number of traveling gamblers that taught him his early craft. He quickly learned that the money was not in being a gambler but rather running the games and taking a cut of the action.
He ran bootleg whiskey in El Paso and Dallas while learning the ropes of operating illegal gambling joints. Part of his education involved paying off police, politicians, and judges—and he became a master at it. He learned that it was a necessary business expense to be doled out regularly. Those that he could not buy were usefully removed at the next election.
Binion killed his first man in 1931 when he murdered a fellow whiskey runner. As expected, the judge gave him a two-year suspended sentence. Then on regular basis, gambling competitors turned up riddled with bullets or blasted to pieces with dynamite. Several simply disappeared. By the early 1940's Binion was the top gambling boss of Dallas, operating out of the Southland Hotel; his gang was called the "Southland Syndicate."
Paramount among his gambling enemies was a man named Herbert Noble. Swanson does a superb job of giving a vivid account of their gun battles extending from 1946 until 1951. During that time, Binion was ambushed several times but managed to avoid being killed by assailants. Noble on the other hand, was shot up on multiple occasions and was severely wounded in several attacks on him while driving to or from his ranch outside of Dallas. One time, while being treated for gunshot wounds, a sniper tried to kill him in his hospital room.
Then in1946, Binion lost his control of the local law and had to make a quick exodus to Las Vegas with Noble's men hot on his trail. He piled over $1 million in cash into his Cadillac trunk and left at midnight. The driver was a black man called "Gold Dollar" and riding shotgun were two Tommy-gun toting bodyguards.
As Binion started his casino business, he switched tactics and started using explosives. He had Noble's private plane wired with a bomb but it was discovered and defused. Three months later Binion's men tried again and this time their bomb blew up the engine but Noble escaped uninjured. Later, his wife was blown to pieces by a bomb planted in her husband's car.
The event of his wife having been "smithereened" by Binion's henchmen sent Noble over the edge. He was caught fitting army-surplus napalm bombs to the wings of his private plane with the intent of flying to Las Vegas and bombing Binion's home. After that, he became a ranting recluse at his Denton County ranch.
Finally, on August 7, 1951 Noble took his daily drive out to his mailbox. As he reached for his mail from inside his car, a massive amount of explosives blew a four-foot crater in the dirt road and parts of Noble and his car landed hundreds of yards away. No one was ever arrested for his murder.
Surprisingly enough, for all the dead bodies that littered Binion's past he was never convicted for any of the killings. Instead, like Al Capone, he was sent to prison for tax evasion. Through it all he managed to continue building his gambling operations.
The pinnacle of his casino enterprises was the Horseshoe on Fremont Street where he shunned the frills of the Strip casinos, offering instead fast and high-limits gambling. All of the big names in gambling flocked to Binion's Horseshoe as well as the low rollers who dreamed of being a high rollers like the super stars playing at Binion's tables. The Horseshoe was the first casino to offer high stakes poker tournaments, which later became known as "The World Series of Poker."
Swanson's Blood Aces is a true-crime tour de force masterpiece, told with just the right touch of gallows humor.
Throughout his life, Benny Binion portrayed himself as an uneducated Texas yokel, full of cornpone and clabber pie.
In reality, like other Las Vegas illusions, he was a calculating and cold-bloodied killer, capable of blowing up an opponent's car with enough explosives to shred a Sherman tank.
Doug J. Swanson's book, Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, The Texas Gambler Who Created Vegas Poker, is a thoroughly researched book on the life of one of America's top gangsters who forged Las Vegas into the gambling mecca of the world. So much has been written about the New York and Chicago mobsters that changed the Nevada dessert into their own private piggy banks and yet at the same time, Benny Binion has largely been forgotten in the swirl of short-term history. Swanson paints a portrait of a criminal mastermind that far out distanced Al Capone, "Lucky" Luciano, Bugsey Siegel, Sam Giancana, and the other gangsters that became the notorious icons of American criminals. He outlived them all and died of natural causes at 85.
Relying heavily on the very few interviews Binion gave during his later years, police records, court proceedings, FBI notes, and testimonies given at congressional hearings, Swanson does a masterful job of providing a detailed account of Binion life in a fast moving and engaging story that stacks one corpse on top of another throughout the book.
The book chronicles Binion's life that began as a sickly child in the hard scrabble farming country of North Texas. The year was 1904 and with still some lingering remnants of the Old West in play, Benny grew into a teenager riding with his father who was a roving horse trader. Along the way, he met a number of traveling gamblers that taught him his early craft. He quickly learned that the money was not in being a gambler but rather running the games and taking a cut of the action.
He ran bootleg whiskey in El Paso and Dallas while learning the ropes of operating illegal gambling joints. Part of his education involved paying off police, politicians, and judges—and he became a master at it. He learned that it was a necessary business expense to be doled out regularly. Those that he could not buy were usefully removed at the next election.
Binion killed his first man in 1931 when he murdered a fellow whiskey runner. As expected, the judge gave him a two-year suspended sentence. Then on regular basis, gambling competitors turned up riddled with bullets or blasted to pieces with dynamite. Several simply disappeared. By the early 1940's Binion was the top gambling boss of Dallas, operating out of the Southland Hotel; his gang was called the "Southland Syndicate."
Paramount among his gambling enemies was a man named Herbert Noble. Swanson does a superb job of giving a vivid account of their gun battles extending from 1946 until 1951. During that time, Binion was ambushed several times but managed to avoid being killed by assailants. Noble on the other hand, was shot up on multiple occasions and was severely wounded in several attacks on him while driving to or from his ranch outside of Dallas. One time, while being treated for gunshot wounds, a sniper tried to kill him in his hospital room.
Then in1946, Binion lost his control of the local law and had to make a quick exodus to Las Vegas with Noble's men hot on his trail. He piled over $1 million in cash into his Cadillac trunk and left at midnight. The driver was a black man called "Gold Dollar" and riding shotgun were two Tommy-gun toting bodyguards.
As Binion started his casino business, he switched tactics and started using explosives. He had Noble's private plane wired with a bomb but it was discovered and defused. Three months later Binion's men tried again and this time their bomb blew up the engine but Noble escaped uninjured. Later, his wife was blown to pieces by a bomb planted in her husband's car.
The event of his wife having been "smithereened" by Binion's henchmen sent Noble over the edge. He was caught fitting army-surplus napalm bombs to the wings of his private plane with the intent of flying to Las Vegas and bombing Binion's home. After that, he became a ranting recluse at his Denton County ranch.
Finally, on August 7, 1951 Noble took his daily drive out to his mailbox. As he reached for his mail from inside his car, a massive amount of explosives blew a four-foot crater in the dirt road and parts of Noble and his car landed hundreds of yards away. No one was ever arrested for his murder.
Surprisingly enough, for all the dead bodies that littered Binion's past he was never convicted for any of the killings. Instead, like Al Capone, he was sent to prison for tax evasion. Through it all he managed to continue building his gambling operations.
The pinnacle of his casino enterprises was the Horseshoe on Fremont Street where he shunned the frills of the Strip casinos, offering instead fast and high-limits gambling. All of the big names in gambling flocked to Binion's Horseshoe as well as the low rollers who dreamed of being a high rollers like the super stars playing at Binion's tables. The Horseshoe was the first casino to offer high stakes poker tournaments, which later became known as "The World Series of Poker."
Swanson's Blood Aces is a true-crime tour de force masterpiece, told with just the right touch of gallows humor.
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