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The Chip Board Archive 20

Cont. of Yesterday - Nevada club

This pin is circa 1960 could be a little earlier?

Seeking refuge from legal prosecution in Michigan, on March 22, 1946 Lincoln Fitzgerald, Danny Sullivan, Mert Wertheimer, and Ruby Mathis became partners with Harry and Ed Robbins in "Robbins Nevada Club" in Reno Nevada, shortening the name to simply The Nevada Club. The Robbins' had opened Robbins' Nevada Club in April of 1941 at 224 North Virginia Street. Lincoln Fitzgerald moved from Michigan to Northern Nevada in 1945 and bought into Reno's Nevada Club the following year. Reputedly an accountant for Detroit's Purple Gang, "Fitz," along with partner Danny Sullivan, was extradited to Michigan in 1948 where they were tried on charges of illegal gambling, fined and released. They returned to Reno shortly thereafter to tend to the club. Whether or not it was because Fitzgerald fell out with his old bosses in Detroit, as one source claims, there is no doubt that on the night of November 18, 1949, he was gunned down in his driveway as he opened his garage door. The gunman fled; some have speculated that the hit man was none other than the famous gangster "Baby Face" Nelson, who was living in Reno at the time [Nelson was killed by Federal Agents in the 1930’s]. (Tahoe Quarterly)


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