Here's a look inside The Mob Museum, exploring history of organized crime in downtown Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (KGO) -- The Mob Museum in the historic downtown Las Vegas draws crowds of people each day and on Wednesday, ABC7 cameras were allowed in to take a look inside before opening for the day.
Las Vegas history can't be told without bringing up the impact of organized crime.
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The Mob Museum, a nonprofit housed in a transformed, historic post office does just that.
The site takes visitors on a tour showing the history of the mob and organized crime around the world.
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The museum is fast to point out that it doesn't intend to glorify the mob and organized crime, instead it highlights facts and history through decades-old artifacts, pictures and activities.
One of the artifacts highlighted is the actual wall from the St. Valentine's Day Massacre on Feb. 14, 1929.
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Though the museum showcases impressive, decades-old history, it also highlights more current stories including the escape and eventual capture of El Chapo Guzman and the story of Griselda Blanco.
Exhibits at the museum are also immersive, with a crime lab that lets visitors participate in fingerprint analysis and DNA profiling.
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After a trip through the multi-floor museum, guests then have an option to visit the basement which houses a Prohibition-era themed speakeasy known as The Underground.
That is where the museum shows off its Super Bowl specialty offered up for Super Bowl week only. It's a cocktail called the Bookmaker, a spin on an old-fashioned.
"With the Big Game here in town, we knew we wanted to celebrate a little bit of the history of the NFL," said Clint Thoman, Director of Food and Beverage at the museum, "In the 1920s, the NFL was actually the American Professional Football Association, and betting on football was quite popular.
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But back in those days, people just bet win or lose. And then a gentleman named Charles McNeil came up with the spread and the over under bet and so people were able to bet on not just who would win, but by how many points. So this cocktail pays homage to the bookmaker Charles McNeil."
The drink will be at the Underground in The Mob Museum throughout Super Bowl week, to find out more about the museum, click here.
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