Judge Me By My Enemies

The Tropicana was sold to Ramada Inns Inc. in late '79 after Nevada gaming regulators concluded that organized crime had infiltrated the casino's operations through a skimming scheme. Although the Kansas City mob had profited from illegally skimming cash from the casino, it did not legally own the property. The sale proceeds therefore went to the casino's legitimate owners and investors. The principal recipients were Mitzi Stauffer Briggs, who owned roughly 80% of the operating company, along with Edward and Fred Doumani, who held a major interest in the real estate, and investor Deil Gustafson.

The sale itself proved contentious. Briggs later maintained that she suffered a substantial financial loss on her investment, while the Doumani interests and Gustafson became embroiled in litigation with Ramada over the purchase agreement. Although the sale ended the Tropicana's era of mob influence, it primarily represented a transfer of ownership from licensed private investors to a publicly traded hospitality company.

Postcards 1-2 circa summer 1980