The "Green Felt Jungle" era (1950s–1960s) was defined by a high-stakes jurisdictional war between the State of Nevada and the Federal Government. Following the Kefauver Committee hearings, which exposed the national syndicate's control over Las Vegas, the state was forced to professionalize its regulatory bodies.

The Kefauver Expose

The Kefauver Committee hearings of 1950-51 brought Las Vegas's mob connections to national television. Thirty million Americans watched as the links between organized crime and the casino industry were laid bare. Nevada faced an existential threat: clean up or face federal prohibition.

The State's Response

To prevent federal intervention, Nevada created the Gaming Control Board in 1955, shifting from passive tax collection to active law enforcement. The state was essentially forced to police itself to prevent Congress from doing it for them.

Kennedy's Justice Department

The conflict peaked under Robert F. Kennedy's Justice Department, which targeted the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund and utilized aggressive tactics like illegal wiretapping to uncover "The Skim." The feds were playing hardball.

The Book and the Black Book

The 1963 publication of the exposé "The Green Felt Jungle" and the Frank Sinatra/Sam Giancana scandal embarrassed the state into stricter enforcement, exemplified by the "Black Book" (List of Excluded Persons). This intense pressure ultimately destabilized mob ownership, creating the vacuum filled by Howard Hughes and the Corporate Gaming Act of 1969.