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71-878: Roselli was born Filippo Sacco on July 4, 1905, in Esperia , Lazio , Italy. His father, Vincenzo Sacco, had moved to the United States first, followed by Filippo at the age of six, who had immigrated with his mother, Mariantonia Pascale Sacco, to Boston , Massachusetts. His father died in 1918. In September 14, 1922, Sacco was arrested on narcotics charges in Massachusetts . He first fled to New York for three months, before moving on to Chicago , where he changed his name from Filippo Sacco to John Roselli. Roselli moved to Los Angeles in 1924, pleading guilty to bootlegging that same year. Roselli began his California criminal career working for small-time bootleggers, becoming

142-597: A 2024 Paramount+ docuseries "Mafia Spies" based on the book by Thomas Maier. Esperia Esperia is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio , located about 110 kilometres (68 mi) southeast of Rome and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Frosinone . It is located within the Monti Aurunci Natural Park. According to some theories,

213-526: A casino. At a cost of $ 8.5 billion, it is the most expensive privately funded construction project in U.S. history. The Tropicana Hotel, opened in 1957, will be demolished in April 2025 in order to create a new baseball stadium. Bally's Corporation , the owner of the hotel, indicated that upon completion of the stadium it would further develop the site. Traditionally, housing consisted primarily of single-family detached homes . Slab-on-grade foundations are

284-589: A central, and large valley with an attached feeder valley northwest, and in this case the northwest source, and actual course of the Las Vegas Wash. The valley is a fault-bounded structural and hydrologic basin made of alluvial-fan deposits. There are several aquifers contained within the valley including the Las Vegas Aquifer. These heavily depleted water sources exist at about 660–980 feet (200–300 m) in depth. As of 1986, estimate show that

355-455: A corrupt administration where the city's underworld paid regular bribes directly to city hall. Roselli used his position in LA's mafia and deep knowledge of the city's underworld to make himself the liaison between the mayor's office and the various gangs and individuals who sent regular payoffs to city hall. This favored position with the city government helped to position Jack Dragna's organization as

426-530: A land building boom which is now leveling off. The Las Vegas area remains one of the world's top entertainment destinations. The valley is contained in the Las Vegas Valley landform. This includes the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson, and the unincorporated towns of Summerlin South , Paradise , Spring Valley , Sunrise Manor , Enterprise , Winchester , and Whitney . The valley

497-474: A magnitude 7 event, Whitney Mesa Fault, Cashman Fault, Valley View Fault, Decatur Fault, Eglington Fault and the West Charleston Fault. Having part of the region in a desert basin creates problems with air quality . From the dust the wind picks up, to the smog produced by vehicles, to the pollen in the air, the valley has several bad air days. Pollen can be a major problem several weeks

568-534: A rebound. In 2000, more than 21,000 new homes and 26,000 resale homes were purchased. In early 2005, there were 20 residential development projects of more than 300 acres (120 ha) each underway. During that same period, Las Vegas was regarded as the fastest-growing community in the United States . Other promising residential and office developments have begun construction around Downtown Las Vegas . New condominium and high-rise hotel projects have changed

639-840: A result. Johnny Roselli , infamous American mobster, was born in Esperia in 1905; his real name being Filippo Sacco. The church of Santa Maria Maggiore and San Filippo Neri in Esperia Superiore houses a painting by Taddeo Zuccari and a 1521 bas-relief. The Baroque Lauretana Chapel, in Esperia Inferiore dedicated to the Madonna di Loreto has a 16th-century wooden Madonna and several paintings by Luca Giordano . Other churches include San Pietro in Esperia Inferiore, San Donato on Monte D'Oro, Santa Maria di Montevetro on Monte Montevetro (with 15th-century frescoes) and

710-556: A single municipality, with the former as the municipal seat. During World War II Esperia was one of the towns suffering heavily from " Marocchinate " - the mass rape committed after the Battle of Monte Cassino by Goumiers , Moroccan colonial troops of the French Expeditionary Corps . Esperia's mayor at the time reported that in his town, 700 women out of 2,500 inhabitants were raped and that some had died as

781-595: A wet string of years, which overstated the available water in the entire watershed. As a result, precipitation that is below normal for a few years can significantly affect the Colorado River reservoirs. The Las Vegas area uses most of this allocation with Laughlin, Nevada using most of the remaining allocation. In June 2007, the price of a cubic meter was 57 cents in Las Vegas. Las Vegas gets around 90 percent of its water from Lake Mead. Early Vegas depended on

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852-438: A year, with counts occasionally in the 70,000-plus range. Local governments are trying to control this by banning plants that produce the most pollen. The dust problems usually happen on very windy days, so they tend to be short and seasonal. Full-fledged dust storms are rare. Smog, on the other hand, gets worse when there is no wind to move the air out of the valley. Also, in winter it is possible for an inversion to form in

923-591: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Las Vegas Valley The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada , and the second largest in the Southwestern United States . The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area is coextensive since 2003 with Clark County , Nevada. The Valley

994-470: Is around 1,600 square miles (4,100 km ). All perimeters, except the northwest, are foothills or mountain ranges, with all highway routes entering the foothills; this includes the Interstate 15 to the southwest, as it climbs to Jean Pass (north) , before traversing Ivanpah Valley . Only the U.S. Route 95 northwest follows an actual valley. The northwest section, thus describes the entire landform as

1065-566: Is based on an actual event involving the real Sheriff Lamb and Roselli. Roselli was portrayed by Chuck Shamata in the 2007 TNT miniseries The Company , which portrayed Roselli's role in the CIA 's unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro. Tony Lo Bianco played Roselli in Oliver Stone 's Nixon . Roselli and gangster Sam Giancana and their involvement with the CIA are the focus of

1136-534: Is credited on several early gangster movies as a producer. Roselli was also close friends with Columbia Pictures co-founder Harry Cohn . In 1931, LA Mafia boss Joseph Ardizzone survived two assassination attempts and declared he would retire. Instead, he disappeared in October 1931 and Jack Dragna took his place as Don. In July 1933, Frank L. Shaw began his term as the Los Angeles mayor. He established

1207-625: Is largely defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a 600 sq mi (1,600 km ) basin area surrounded by mountains to the north, south, east and west of the metropolitan area. The Valley is home to the three largest incorporated cities in Nevada: Las Vegas , Henderson and North Las Vegas . Eleven unincorporated towns governed by the Clark County government are part of the Las Vegas Township and constitute

1278-527: Is located within the larger metropolitan area, as the metropolitan area covers all of Clark County including parts that do not fall within the valley. The government of Clark County has an "Urban Planning Area" of Las Vegas. This definition is a roughly rectangular area, about 20 mi (32 km) from east to west and 30 miles (48 km) from north to south. Notable exclusions from the "Urban Planning Area" include Red Rock , Blue Diamond , and Mount Charleston . The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

1349-476: Is occurring closer to the core. The Chinatown of Las Vegas was constructed in the early 1990s on Spring Mountain Road. Chinatown initially consisted of only one large shopping center complex, but the area was expanded with shopping centers that contain various Asian businesses. Over the past few years, retirees have been moving to the metro area, driving businesses that support them from housing to health care. While

1420-515: Is the largest police department in the valley and the state and exercises jurisdiction in the entire county. There are approximately 3,000 police officers who cover the city of Las Vegas; unincorporated areas; the town of Laughlin, about 90 mi (140 km) from Downtown Las Vegas ; and desert, park, and mountain areas within Clark County. The department does not exercise primary jurisdiction in areas with separate police forces such as North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Nellis Air Force Base and

1491-531: The 30th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. The Las Vegas Valley lies in the Mojave Desert . The valley in the northwest section is a northwest-by-southeast trending area, and trending parallel to Las Vegas Wash, lies at the northeast of the Spring Mountains massif . U.S. Route 95 leaves Las Vegas's northwest and goes northwesterly through

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1562-678: The Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. In 1928, Capone invited Roselli to Chicago, offering him a role in his organization. Roselli was tasked with working with the Los Angeles crime family , to monitor Capone's investments and facilitate cooperation between the LA and Chicago organizations. The LA branch of the mafia was at the time under the leadership of Joseph Ardizzone , and Roselli worked closely with Ardizonne's underboss Jack Dragna . During this time, Roselli

1633-430: The CIA recruited Robert Maheu , an ex-FBI agent and aide to Howard Hughes in Las Vegas, to approach Roselli under the pretense of representing international corporations that wanted Castro dead due to lost gambling interests. Roselli introduced Maheu to mobster leaders Sam Giancana and Santo Trafficante Jr. Supplied with six poison pills from the CIA, Giancana and Trafficante tried unsuccessfully to have people place

1704-668: The Gulf of California soak much of the Southwestern United States . While not only raising humidity levels, these winds develop into dramatic desert thunderstorms that can sometimes cause flash flooding . Winter days in metropolitan Las Vegas range from mild to quite chilly, and sunny most days; while winter itself is of short duration. Winter highs in December and January usually range from 52 °F (11 °C) to 60 °F (16 °C), while nighttime lows range from 34 °F (1 °C) to 42 °F (6 °C). The mountains surrounding

1775-475: The Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the 19th century, areas of the valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas, or meadows , hence the name Las Vegas ( vegas being Spanish for "meadows"). The area was previously settled by Mormon farmers in 1854 and later became the site of a United States Army fort in 1864, beginning a long relationship between southern Nevada and

1846-532: The United States Army , where he served for three years before receiving an undesirable discharge. It was while in the service that Roselli was convicted of the extortion scheme to extort money from Hollywood figures, in 1943, serving a prison sentence until his release in 1947. In the mid-1950s, Roselli shifted his focus away from Hollywood and toward the fast-growing and highly profitable gambling mecca, Las Vegas , Nevada . By 1956, Roselli had become

1917-416: The aquifer which fed the flowing springs supporting the meadows that gave the area its name, but the pumping of water from these caused a large drop in the water levels and ground subsidence over wide areas of the valley. Today, the aquifers are basically used to store water that is pumped from the lake during periods of low demand and pumped out during periods of high demand. The population doubling time in

1988-682: The 16th-century Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie , located near the remains of the castle, Santa Maria Maggiore in Monticelli, San Francesco adjoined to the Casa di Riposo in Esperia Superiore, Santa Rosa located in Badia di Esperia. The ancient monastery of San Pietro in Foresta located in Monticelli, now only a tower remains today. Dinosaur footprints were discovered in 2006 in the locality of San Martino. This Lazio location article

2059-445: The 1990s, the Las Vegas Valley has seen rapid growth, tripling its population from 741,459 in 1990 to 2,227,053 estimated in 2018. The Las Vegas Valley remains one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. In its relatively short history, it has established a diverse presence in international business, commerce, urban development, and entertainment, as well as one of the most visited tourist attractions destinations in

2130-595: The CBS television drama Vegas , the character from the Chicago Mob Johnny Rizzo, portrayed by Michael Wiseman , is loosely based on Johnny Roselli, as when Rizzo is introduced. Rizzo is in the Vegas black book and is not allowed to be in any casino. When Sheriff Ralph Lamb catches Rizzo in one, he demands that Rizzo leave. Rizzo, known for his temper, gets into a fight, and is easily subdued by Lamb. This

2201-633: The Chicago and Los Angeles mob's chief representative in Las Vegas. His job was to ensure that the Chicago mob bosses received their share of the burgeoning casino revenues through " skimming ". However, according to the Los Angeles office of the FBI, Roselli was employed as a movie producer at Monogram Studios . After the Cuban Revolution in January 1959, Fidel Castro closed down the casinos that

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2272-670: The Committee wanted to recall Roselli. However, at this point, he had been missing since July 28. On August 3, Senator Howard Baker , a member of the new SSCIA, requested that the FBI investigate Roselli's disappearance. On August 7, 1976, ten days after his disappearance, Roselli's decomposing body was found by a fisherman in a 55-gallon steel fuel drum floating in Dumfoundling Bay near Miami, Florida . He died of asphyxiation . Federal investigators suggested he may have been killed by Chicago mobsters for keeping an unfair share of

2343-482: The Las Vegas Wash into tunnels which run under Lake Las Vegas and into Lake Mead . Nevada receives an allocation 300,000 acre-feet (370,000,000 m ) of water each year from Lake Mead, with credits for water it returns to the lake. The allocations were made with the Colorado River Compact when Nevada had a much smaller population and very little agriculture. The allocations were also made during

2414-507: The Las Vegas area. In the first decade of the 21st century, shopping and dining have become attractions of their own. Tourism marketing and promotion are handled by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority , a county-wide agency. Its annual Visitors Survey provides detailed information on visitor numbers, spending patterns, and resulting revenues. While Las Vegas has historically attracted high-stake gamblers from around

2485-478: The Las Vegas skyline dramatically in recent years. Many large high-rise projects are planned for Downtown Las Vegas, as well as the Las Vegas Strip. Construction in Las Vegas is a major industry and quickly growing with the population. In March 2011, construction employed 40,700 people and is expected to grow with the recovering economy. Since the mega resorts that define Las Vegas today began going up in

2556-508: The Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 31st most populous metropolitan statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. The Office of Management and Budget has further designated the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area as a component of the more extensive Las Vegas–Henderson, NV–AZ CSA , the 27th most populous combined statistical area and

2627-701: The Mob operated in Cuba, and attempted to drive the mobsters out of the country. This made Roselli, Chicago Outfit boss Sam Giancana and Tampa boss Santo Trafficante amenable to the idea of killing Castro. According to the Family Jewels documents released in 2007, members of the American mafia were involved in CIA's attempts to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro . The documents showed that, in September 1960,

2698-508: The Paiute reservation. The metropolitan area was created for the 1970 census when it only included Clark County. In 2000, the metropolitan area was changed to include Nye County, Nevada , and Mohave County, Arizona , but it later returned to only being Clark County. The Office of Management and Budget has designated Clark County as the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau ranked

2769-486: The U.S. military. Since the 1930s, Las Vegas has generally been identified as a gaming center as well as a resort destination , primarily targeting adults. Nellis Air Force Base is located in the northeast corner of the valley. The ranges that the Nellis pilots use and various other land areas used by various federal agencies, limit growth of the valley in terms of geographic area. Businessman Howard Hughes arrived in

2840-477: The basement of his Illinois home. This happened just days before Giancana was to testify before the committee. Giancana's murder supposedly prompted Roselli to permanently leave Los Angeles and Las Vegas for Miami, Florida . On April 23, 1976, Roselli was called before the committee to testify about a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy. Three months after his first round of testimony on the Kennedy assassination,

2911-581: The book Ultimate Sacrifice by Lamar Waldron , the program asserted that Roselli was responsible for framing Abraham Bolden who was arrested the day before he was to appear before the Warren Commission . In 2010, Playboy magazine published an article by Hillel Levin in which Roselli was also implicated in the assassination by Robert "Tosh" Plumlee and James Files , an inmate within the Illinois Department of Corrections . In

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2982-438: The common base for residential buildings in the valley. Apartments generally were two-story buildings. Until the 1990s, there were exceptions, but they were few and far between. In the 1990s, Turnberry Associates constructed the first high rise condominium towers. Prior to this, there were only a handful of mid-rise multi-family buildings. By the mid-2000s, there was a major move into high rise condominiums towers, which affected

3053-408: The cost of housing spiked up over 40% in 2004, the lack of business and income taxes still makes Nevada an attractive place for many companies to relocate to or expand existing operations. Being a true twenty-four-hour city, call centers have always seemed to find Las Vegas a good place to hire workers who are accustomed to working at all hours. The construction industry accounts for a share of

3124-524: The defense attorney's table. Cooper eventually pleaded guilty to contempt for possessing the documents. In the 1960s, Immigration and Naturalization Service had also tried to deport Roselli, although were unsuccessful. On June 24 and September 22, 1975, Roselli testified before the 1975 U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCIA) led by Idaho Senator Frank Church about the CIA plan to kill Castro, Operation Mongoose . Shortly before Roselli testified, an unknown person shot and killed Giancana in

3195-602: The distorted surface, bottom land turns north, a 6 miles (9.7 km) area in length and about 3 miles (4.8 km) wide. It lies at the south drainage section of the Three Lakes Valley , where a water divide separates Dog Bone Lake in the valley's center from the southwest washes that drain into the Las Vegas Valley (upland Las Vegas Wash). The Corn Creek Dunes lie about 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Route 156's intersection with U.S. 95, and they are slightly northeast of Las Vegas Wash. The Las Vegas Valley

3266-710: The early 1970s, construction has played a vital role in both commercial and non commercial developments. Cranes are a constant part of the Las Vegas Skyline. At any given time there are 300 new homes being constructed in Las Vegas. Downtown and The Strip always have at least one hospitality project under construction. In addition, in recent years Las Vegas has seen a spike in high-rise housing units. Luxurious condos and penthouse suites are always being built. New suburban master planned communities are also becoming common in Las Vegas ever since The Howard Hughes Corporation began work on Summerlin, an upper-class community on

3337-527: The economy in Las Vegas. Hotel casinos planned for the Strip can take years to build and employ thousands of workers. Developers discovered that there was demand for high-end condominiums . By 2005, more than 100 condominium buildings were in various stages of development, however, in 2008, the construction industry went into a downturn due to the Great Recession , though the industry has since seen

3408-418: The effect of these temperatures, though dehydration , heat exhaustion , and sun stroke can occur after even a limited time outdoors in the summer. The interiors of automobiles often prove deadly to small children and pets during the summer and surfaces exposed to the sun can cause first- and second-degree burns to unprotected skin. July and August can also be marked by monsoon season , when moist winds from

3479-505: The foundation of the town would be linked to the destruction of the Roman colony of Interamna Lirenas , although the first historically documented human presence dates to the foundation of several monasteries, with the annexed boroughs, by the Abbey of Montecassino (10th century). The name "Esperia" was chosen in 1867 when the current frazioni of Roccaguglielma and San Pietro merged into

3550-597: The gang's dissolution, Roselli went independent. He became further involved in several LA area vice rackets, especially prostitution and gambling. Roselli first met Al Capone in 1927, on a trip to Chicago to attend the Jack Dempsey-Gene Tunney Boxing match . Capone was holding a party that night at his headquarters, Metropole Hotel, where Johnny could briefly meet him and the Chicago Outfit's inner circle. Roselli next met with Capone at

3621-428: The greater metropolitan area was under ten years, since the early 1970s and the Las Vegas metropolitan area now has a population approaching two million people. This rapid population growth led to a significant urbanization of desert lands into industrial and commercial areas (see suburbia ). The driving force in Las Vegas is the tourism industry and the area has about 150,000 hotel rooms, more than any other city in

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3692-587: The largest community in the state of Nevada. The names Las Vegas and Vegas are interchangeably used to indicate the Valley, the Strip , and the city, and as a brand by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to denominate the region. The Valley is affectionately known as the Ninth Island by Hawaii natives and Las Vegans alike, in part due to the large number of people originally from Hawaii who live in and regularly travel to Las Vegas. Since

3763-494: The late 1960s and purchased many casino hotels, as well as television and radio stations in the area. Legitimate corporations began to purchase casino hotels as well, and the mob was run out by the federal government over the next several years. The constant stream of tourist dollars from the hotels and casinos was augmented by a new source of federal money from the establishment of what is now Nellis Air Force Base . The influx of military personnel and casino job-hunters helped start

3834-503: The mob's gambling interests in Las Vegas. At the behest of some members of the United States Senate , United States Attorney General Edward H. Levi instructed the FBI to find out if Roselli's earlier testimony regarding the CIA plot to assassinate Castro may have led to his murder. The FBI investigation summarized that Roselli was killed by Frank "The German" Schweihs , Vincent Incerro and two other suspects. The contract

3905-462: The northwest valley section, with Las Vegas Wash about 2 miles (3 km) northeast. U.S. 95 lies on the southwest perimeter of the valley bottomlands, and small alluvial fan areas from the northeast Spring Mountains border southwest. A "distorted surface", a playa -like region, occurs at the farthest northwest area, for about 15 to 18 miles (24 to 29 km), starting from Nevada Route 157 . At Nevada Route 156 , 10 miles (16 km) northwest,

3976-516: The poison in Castro's food. Further attempts were canceled soon thereafter due to the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961. In 1963, singer Frank Sinatra sponsored Roselli for membership in the exclusive Los Angeles Friar's Club . Soon after his acceptance, Roselli discovered an elaborate card-cheating operation run by one of his Las Vegas friends, Maurice Friedman, and asked for his cut. The card cheating

4047-636: The preeminent criminal organization in Los Angeles under the Shaw administration. During this period, Roselli's lawyer was Frank DeSimone ; secretly a mob member, DeSimone became the L.A. mob boss when Jack Dragna died in 1956. In 1942, Roselli was indicted on federal labor racketeering charges, along with George Brown , former president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union, and Willie Bioff , labor racketeer and former pimp . Later in 1942, Roselli enlisted in

4118-635: The region's skyline around the Strip. The Las Vegas Valley is home to various suburban master planned communities that include extensive recreational amenities such as lakes, golf courses, parks, bike paths and jogging trails. Planned communities in the valley include Aliante , Anthem , Cadence, Centennial Hills, Green Valley , Inspirada, Lake Las Vegas , The Lakes , Mountain's Edge , Peccole Ranch, Providence, Rhodes Ranch , Seven Hills , Skye Canyon, Southern Highlands , and Summerlin . Some technology companies have either relocated to Las Vegas or were created there. For various reasons, Las Vegas has had

4189-546: The son of Cosa Nostra mafia boss Joseph Bonanno , claimed in his 1999 memoir, Bound by Honor: A Mafioso's Story , that he had discussed the assassination of Kennedy with Roselli and implicated him as the primary hitman in a conspiracy instigated by the mob . According to Bonanno, Roselli fired at Kennedy from a storm drain on Elm Street. In 2006, the Discovery Channel aired an hour-long television documentary entitled Conspiracy Files:JFK . Based on information in

4260-456: The top truck driver for Tony Cornero . Eventually, Roselli was promoted to working closely with the Cornero brothers to secure liquor imports into Southern California. He was especially important in bribing and securing the loyalty of Orange County officials, opening up their ports for the gang's use. In 1926, Tony Cornero fled to Canada, escaping a two-year bootlegging sentence. As a result of

4331-496: The valley are snow-covered during the winter season, but snow accumulation in the metropolitan area itself is uncommon. Every few years apart, however, Las Vegas does get a small measurable snowfall. Spring and fall are generally dry and with hot, sunny days and cool nights. The valley is an active earthquake zone crossed by multiple fault and thrust lines. These include the 20-mile (32 km) long Frenchman Mountain Fault capable of

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4402-641: The valley floor allows water to flow down from the mountains and converge in the Las Vegas Wash which runs through the Clark County Wetlands Park . The wash system used to form a large natural wetlands which then flowed into the Colorado River , until the construction of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River led to the creation of Lake Mead. Further development in the 1980s and 1990s made Lake Las Vegas , which required directing

4473-766: The valley floor in Downtown Las Vegas has subsided by about 6.2 feet (1.9 m) and about 2.9 feet (0.88 m) along The Strip as a result of pumping from these aquifers. The Las Vegas Valley lies in a relatively high-altitude portion of the Mojave Desert , with a subtropical hot-desert climate . The Valley generally averages less than 5 in (130 mm) of rain annually. Daily daytime summer temperatures in July and August typically range from 100 °F (38 °C) to 110 °F (43 °C), while nights generally range from 72 °F (22 °C) to 80 °F (27 °C). Very low humidity, however, tempers

4544-416: The valley. Since manufacturing is not a dominant industry of Las Vegas, and with Clark County working to control air quality problems, success has been shown over the years. The native flora does little to help the soil retain water. During the intense rains of monsoon season or (relatively) wet months of January and February, a network of dry natural channels, called washes or arroyos , carved into

4615-442: The west side of the valley. The massive CityCenter project, by MGM Mirage , broke ground on the Strip in 2006. It put a massive strain on the construction ability and workforce of the area due to number of laborers and amount of materials required. Because of this, prices of almost any construction project in Las Vegas doubled. The project was completed in 2009 and includes multiple hotels and condominiums, as well as shopping and

4686-525: The world, it is now facing tougher competition from the UK, Hong Kong and Macau (China), Eastern Europe and developing areas in the Middle East. Las Vegas has recently enjoyed a boom in population and tourism. The urban area has grown outward so quickly that it borders Bureau of Land Management holdings along its edges. This has led to an increase in land values such that medium- and high-density development

4757-457: The world. In the past, casinos and celebrity shows were the two major attractions for the area. Now shopping , conventions , fine dining , and outdoor beauty are also major forces in attracting tourist dollars. Las Vegas serves as world headquarters for the world's largest Fortune 500 gaming company, MGM Resorts International . Several companies involved in the manufacture of electronic gaming machines, such as slot machines , are located in

4828-544: The world. In 2014, a record-breaking 41 million people visited the Las Vegas area, producing a gross metropolitan product of more than $ 100 billion. The first reported non- Native American visitor to the Las Vegas Valley was the Mexican scout Rafael Rivera in 1829. Las Vegas was named by Mexicans in the Antonio Armijo party, including Rivera, who used the water in the area while heading north and west along

4899-433: Was finally discovered in July 1967 by FBI agents tailing Roselli. Scores of wealthy men, including millionaire Harry Karl, the husband of actress Debbie Reynolds , and actor Zeppo Marx , were bilked out of millions of dollars. Grant B. Cooper represented some of the defendants in the case, including Roselli. Roselli was eventually convicted and fined $ 55,000. During the trial, secret grand jury transcripts were discovered on

4970-435: Was involved with Los Angeles' offshore gambling racket. He led the mob's hostile takeover of the gambling ship Monfalcone . Roselli's underworld activities sometimes had to be put on hold while he dealt with long bouts of tuberculosis . Roselli became close friends with film producer Bryan Foy , who brought Roselli into the movie business as a producer with Foy's small production company, Eagle Lion Studios , where Roselli

5041-505: Was sanctioned by the Chicago Outfit's consigliere Anthony Accardo , because "Roselli was becoming a public source of embarrassment to La Cosa Nostra". After Roselli's death, journalists Jack Anderson and Les Whitten published an editorial stating that Roselli had told associates that individuals he had been recruited to kill Castro but had been turned by the Cuban leader to assassinate President John F. Kennedy instead. Bill Bonanno ,

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