FRANK “LEFTY” ROSENTHAL
Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal was a well-known figure in the world of gambling and Las Vegas during the mid-20th century. He was born on June 12, 1929, and became notable for his involvement in sports betting and casino operations. Rosenthal was renowned for his expertise in sports handicapping and later became involved in managing casinos.
​
Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal was involved in several legal battles throughout his career, reflecting his controversial and often tumultuous relationship with the law and the casino industry. One of the most notable legal episodes involving Rosenthal occurred in 1981 when he was indicted on charges related to skimming profits from the Stardust Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The charges alleged that he, along with others, was involved in illegally diverting casino earnings to organized crime figures.
​​​Rosenthal's legal troubles were dramatized in the movie "Casino," where his character, Sam "Ace" Rothstein, faces similar legal challenges. In real life, Rosenthal avoided conviction in the skimming case due to lack of direct evidence linking him to the crimes. However, he was later placed in the Nevada Gaming Control Board's Black Book, effectively banning him from entering casinos in the state.
Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal’s Cadillac Eldorado blew up October 4, 1982, in the parking lot of the Tony Roma’s restaurant on East Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas.
​
Flames emerged from the defroster vent as he sat in his car with takeout food in the parking lot of Tony Roma’s restaurant on East Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas. That was the first thing Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal saw, according to what he told author Nicholas Pileggi. The flames were reflected on the interior windshield. Rosenthal asked himself, “Why is my car on fire?”
​
As Rosenthal struggled with the door to get out, the car filled with sheets of flame. Outside the car, with his clothes on fire, he rolled on the ground to snuff out the flames. Two men assisted him as the car’s gas tank ignited, causing an explosion “like an atom bomb.” Rosenthal saw the 4,000-pound Cadillac Eldorado jump a few feet, flames shooting through the roof two stories high.
Today, authorities still do not know who planted the bomb that blew up Rosenthal’s car on October 4, 1982. Investigators speculated his life was saved because the 1981 model of that car had a steel stabilizing plate beneath the driver’s seat, which deflected the blast.
