Herbert "Fat Herbie" Blitzstein was an American mobster who was a loanshark, bookmaker, racketeer and lieutenant to Tony "The Ant" Spilotro and the Chicago Outfit in Las Vegas, Nevada.
18 Facts About Herbert Blitzstein
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2.
Herbert Blitzstein lived at 6720 North Damen Avenue in Rogers Park, Chicago, with his third wife, but spent a great deal of time at Phil Alderisio's bar, The Tradewinds in The Patch.
3.
Herbert Blitzstein had been a close associate of convicted mob bookmaker Henry Kushner.
4.
When Kushner was convicted of bookmaking by the FBI and sent to prison, Herbert Blitzstein took over his clientele along with mob bookmaker Boodie Cowan, who was later murdered, probably by Anthony Spilotro.
5.
Spilotro, his brother, John, and Herbert Blitzstein ran the Gold Rush Ltd.
6.
Herbert Blitzstein worked as a fence for stolen goods at the combination jewelry store and electronics factory.
7.
In 1967, according to FBI affidavits, Herbert Blitzstein ordered the murder of associate loan shark and bookmaker Arthur "Boodie" Cowan for holding back a street tax.
8.
In 1976, Herbert Blitzstein was convicted of running an illegal gambling operation.
9.
Herbert Blitzstein was one of the few Hole in the Wall Gang members who was not arrested after a botched July 4 burglary at Bertha's Home Furnishings in 1981.
10.
Herbert Blitzstein is described by FBI agent William Roemer in his book The Enforcer as one of the mobsters tested by the FBI in the early days of the Top Hoodlum Program.
11.
In 1987, Herbert Blitzstein was convicted on federal charges, including credit card fraud, conspiracy and receiving stolen property.
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Herbert Blitzstein's case was part of a 1991 congressional investigation into medical abuse in prisons.
13.
On December 10,1991, Herbert Blitzstein was unanimously nominated by the Nevada Gaming Control Board for inclusion in its official Black Book.
14.
Former police officer and board member Steve DuCharme said that Herbert Blitzstein's life "reads like a crime novel," and that Herbert Blitzstein was responsible for some of the most "embarrassing" crimes in Las Vegas city history.
15.
On January 6,1997, Herbert Blitzstein was found dead in his Las Vegas home from a small caliber gunshot to the base of his skull, and some suspected that his death was an organized crime hit.
16.
The job of robbing Herbert Blitzstein was given to Peter Caruso but Caruso changed the plan and decided to murder Herbert Blitzstein instead and take over his Las Vegas operations.
17.
Herbert Blitzstein, portrayed in the film Casino by Bret McCormick as Bernie Blue, was not murdered by the Las Vegas police during a bungled arrest as portrayed in the film.
18.
Details of Herbert Blitzstein's murder, written by Cathy Scott, were included in the 2012 book Masters of True Crime: Chilling Stories of Murder and the Macabre, an anthology of crime stories.