Flamingo Gambling
| Born | 1903 Odessa, Russian Empire |
|---|---|
| Died | June 16, 1957 (aged 53–54) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Organized crime figure |
| Spouse(s) | Gladys Ewald |
| Children | Susan (murdered) |
David Berman (1903–June 16, 1957) was an American organized crime figure in Iowa, New York City, Minneapolis, and Las Vegas. He was one of the pioneers of gambling in Las Vegas, where he was a partner with flamboyant mobsterBugsy Siegel at the Flamingo Hotel. Berman died a non-violent death in 1957 during surgery.
The Flamingo name has been applied to gambling operations elsewhere, such as this New Orleans riverboat, circa 1997 Kirk Kerkorian acquired the property in 1967, making it part of Kerkorian's International Leisure Company, but the Hilton Corporation bought the resort in 1972, renaming it the Flamingo Hilton in 1974. Flamingo Las Vegas (formerly The Fabulous Flamingo and Flamingo Hilton Las Vegas) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.
Early life[edit]
Berman was born into a Jewish family[1] in Odessa, Ukraine, at that time in the Russian Empire. His father was a former rabbinical student who played the violin. When he was a young child, his father departed for America and settled in Ashley, North Dakota,[2] on land provided by BaronMaurice de Hirsch's Jewish Colonization Association. Berman then sent for his wife and children. Davie's mother was reportedly horrified after getting off the train and realizing that they had exchanged the warmth of Odessa for the icy cold of the Great Plains.
Gangster[edit]
After failing on the land, the Bermans moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where David got his start as a mobster. At the age of 13, he ran a crew of teenaged thugs committing petty shakedowns and eventually a string of illegal distilleries. He then went on to run his own bank-robbing crew. After developing close ties to the Genovese crime family, he moved to Minneapolis, where he operated a major bookmaking operation in rivalry with local mob bosses Kid Cann and Tommy Banks. One of Berman's closest enforcers during those years was Israel 'Ice Pick Willie' Alderman, a homicidal Jewish gangster from North Minneapolis. His brother, 'Chickie' Berman, also worked for him. He was nicknamed 'Davie the Jew'.
Due to his close relationship with Minneapolis mayor Marvin L. Kline, Berman briefly eclipsed his rivals as boss of the Minneapolis gambling rackets.
According to his daughter, Susan, Berman also used his crew to intimidate and terrorize members of the pro-Nazi Silver Shirts, driving them out of Minneapolis.
World War II[edit]
Flamingo Gambling Club
Berman said that persecution of his fellow Jews enraged him so much that he enlisted in the Canadian Army. He had, in fact, previously been turned away by the U.S. military as a convicted felon. In addition, Pearl Harbor had not yet brought the U.S. into World War II. He saw combat in the European Theater with the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons), a reconnaissance outfit, along with Minnesota friend Nathan Gittlewich. Berman was well-liked, and fellow troopers did not know of his criminal background.
Flamingo Gambling Lessons
Las Vegas[edit]
After his return to Minneapolis, Davie's gambling operations were shattered during the first term of racket busting Mayor Hubert Humphrey. Berman moved his crew to Las Vegas and operated there in concert with Genovese Family associate Moe Sedway.
Almost immediately after the 1947 assassination of Bugsy Siegel, Sedway and Berman walked into the lobby of the Flamingo and announced that they were in charge. Berman died on the operating table during surgery to remove polyps from his colon on Father's Day, 1957.
Family[edit]
While he lived in Minneapolis, Berman met and married Gladys Ewald, a German-American dancer who later converted to Judaism. The couple's only child, daughter Susan Berman, wrote a memoir about growing up as Las Vegas mob royalty titled Easy Street (1981). In her memoir, Susan indicated she knew little of her father's past until an acquaintance brought to her attention the mentions of her father in the book The Green Felt Jungle. Gladys Berman died shortly after Davie Berman at age 39 of an overdose of barbiturates, although it is unclear whether it was suicide. Berman's daughter Susan Berman was murdered in her Southern California home — the suspected murderer, whose trial is set to begin September 3, 2019 is Robert Durst.
Flamingo Gambling Ug
References[edit]
- ^Marschall, John P. (February 1, 2008). Jews in Nevada: A History. University of Nevada Press. p. 173. ISBN9780874177374.
- ^'Las Vegas mob boss had ties to N.D.', Bismarck Tribune, January 2, 2011
Flamingo Gaming Setup
Further reading[edit]
- Berman, Susan. Easy Street: The True Story of a Gangster's Daughter. Bantam Books, 1983. ISBN0-553-22935-4.
- Scott, Cathy. Murder of a Mafia Daughter: The Life and Tragic Death of Susan Berman. Barricade Books, 2002. ISBN1-56980-238-6.
- Scott, Cathy. 'Who Killed Susan Berman?'Las Vegas CityLife. February 25, 2004.
- DePaulo, Lisa. 'Who Killed the Gangster's Daughter?'New York. March 12, 2001.
External links[edit]
- David Berman at Find a Grave
Poker Room Features
Poker Room Details
- Venue Type
- Hotel & Casino
- Comps & Promotions
- $1/hr. High Hands: Quads $100 ($500 on the flop), Straight Flush $200, Royal Flush $500. Weekly Player Appreciation Tournament ($10 fee) 12 hours/week to qualify Plays Sunday at 10AM $10K guarantee.
Flamingo Details
Flamingo has one of the most well-established poker rooms in Sin City. Now owned by Caesars Entertainment and located on Las Vegas Boulevard, this social venue offers more than 10 tables of poker. Hold’em is the main game here, as proven by at least five daily no-limit hold’em tournaments that run around the clock. On the cash-game front, limit hold’em and no-limit hold’em are both available at stakes as high as $2-$5 (NL) and $4-$8 (limit).
As the name suggests, The Flamingo poker room does not shy away from pink. Large pink posters advertise the current poker promotions and upcoming events, but the walls are more restrained in their beige and brown colors. The poker action is neatly segregated from the rest of the casino property. Perspex divides allow passing players to check in on the play from the nearby slot machines. At the center of the room is an information desk, where players can buy chips, ask questions, and register for upcoming cash games. A double-backed TV screen is mounted to this wooden structure and displays information about waiting lists and tournaments. Other TV screens around are dotted around the perimeter of the room and relay sports coverage.
Cocktail service, massages, table-side food service, free wireless Internet, and other typical poker-room services are readily available to patrons. Comps are earned at the rate of $1 per hour.
Upcoming Tournaments
Recent Action
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