Relationships? I’ve Had a Few: A Brief Look at Benjamin Siegel’s Reputation in Las Vegas
Department
History and Political Science
Major
History
Research Advisor
Gragg, Larry Dale, 1950-
Advisor's Department
History and Political Science
Abstract
Images of car chases, code words, and cold-hearted killers quickly spring to mind when discussing the mobsters of the 1930s and ‘40s. But, in looking at one particularly ruthless killer, Benjamin Siegel, the evidence suggests that perhaps these mobsters are mythologized into darker men then they really were. Focusing on the latter half of Siegel’s life, when he spent his time in Las Vegas, one can evaluate his relationships with the community, and discern that perhaps the gambling town served as a respite, a place for once evil-men to start over. Legitimacy was, no doubt, difficult to obtain after a life of breaking the law, but in the case of Siegel, Las Vegas became a safe haven, where men could be judged for their actions while in the town, not their past.
Biography
Amanda Kamps is currently a senior and is completing her B.A. in History. She graduated from Waynesville High School in 2005 as Valedictorian. Her research at Missouri S&T has included primary source reviews of Moe Dalitz and Bugsy Siegel and their involvement in Las Vegas, as well as George Mivart’s role in Darwinian Evolution. In the future she hopes to pursue a career in the military museums as a Collections Manager.
Research Category
Arts and Humanities
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Document Type
Presentation
Award
Arts and humanities oral presentation, First place
Location
Carver Room
Presentation Date
08 Apr 2009, 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Relationships? I’ve Had a Few: A Brief Look at Benjamin Siegel’s Reputation in Las Vegas
Carver Room
Images of car chases, code words, and cold-hearted killers quickly spring to mind when discussing the mobsters of the 1930s and ‘40s. But, in looking at one particularly ruthless killer, Benjamin Siegel, the evidence suggests that perhaps these mobsters are mythologized into darker men then they really were. Focusing on the latter half of Siegel’s life, when he spent his time in Las Vegas, one can evaluate his relationships with the community, and discern that perhaps the gambling town served as a respite, a place for once evil-men to start over. Legitimacy was, no doubt, difficult to obtain after a life of breaking the law, but in the case of Siegel, Las Vegas became a safe haven, where men could be judged for their actions while in the town, not their past.
