Cal Neva: Half California, half Nevada, all Sinatra
Long before the invention of lower-class gambling houses aimed at members of society who earn minimum wages and survive on food stamps, and before online casinos gave people the opportunity to gamble reclusely in their undergarments, gambling in the United States was exclusively reserved for the blue-bloods: politicians, Hollywood's stars and the Mafia. And nothing symbolizes this cross section in gambling history more than Lake Tahoe's Cal Neva Resort where Frank Sinatra, together with the Rat Pack, entertained America's most influential stratum.
Cal Neva was opened in 1926, but only came to be in Sinatra's possession in 1960 when he and well known Chicago Outfit mobster and silent partner Sam Giancana acquired the resort and transformed it into one of America's most talked about gambling destinations.
The resort is spread over two States and divided by a State line that can be seen clearly on the walls and floor of the main dining room. When the establishment opened under the famous singer's ownership, the slots machines would roll on castors so that they could be swiftly relocated from the then gambling-prohibited Californian side to the Nevadan whenever the police made their rounds.
The Nevadan side of the Cal Neva Resort also boasted Frank Sinatra's famous showroom where he and the Rat Pack performed frequently for his guests. In later years the showroom was turned into the set for the Godfather Part 2 film due to the location's almost mythical mob connections and of course character John Fontane's likeness to Sinatra.
But perhaps the most interesting bit about Cal Neva is its underground tunnels. Burrowed during the prohibition to hide booze and later utilized by mobsters to hide from the police, the location was near perfect to elude any foe. With two trap doors located in Sinatra's office, mafia members disappeared from the eyes of the law as if into thin air. And when Marylyn Monroe stayed at her private Cabin (famously known as cabin no. 3), it is said that yet another tunnel connected her extended wardrobe directly to a certain Kennedy's private cabin. It is certainly unknown as to what any Kennedy would be doing in Monroe's quarters, especially late at night ¦
The tunnel system was exposed in 1963 when silent partner Giancana bawled out at Phyllis McGuire over his then singer girlfriend. Someone made a call and when the police arrived to calm things down the secret was out and the tunnels could never be used for ominous purposes ever again.
Patrons at Cal Neva could play casino games, taste the best cuisine available, made by some of the world's greatest chefs, drink distant-tasting cocktails and take pleasure in being a part of America's highlife.
Today people can still visit the famous Casino and revisit the days of the American Dream when bad-boy attitude was the order of the day and 'classy' was an understatement. Unfortunately after its closure the resort became a pale imitation of what once was and now can only be described as a museum of sorts.
Even if directly connected to some of the worst gangsters known in American history, experiencing a day at the Cal Neva Resort sometime during the 60's has become only a distant memory and a largely wistful one at that; and those who once graced its parquets and mahogany tables are long, long gone.
tags:cal neva,frank sinatra,gambling history
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