(Photo Courtesy of The Mob Museum)
THE MOB MUSEUM ANNOUNCES OCTOBER PROGRAMS, PROMOTIONS
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, announces its roster of public programs and promotions for October.
All Museum programs require registration. For more information on any of the public programs below and to register, visit www.themobmuseum.org/events/.
The Mob Museum to Turn Purple In Recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 5
Location: The Mob Museum building exterior
Description: The Mob Museum is partnering with Marsy’s Law for Nevada in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Creating awareness about the dangers of domestic violence, and efforts to support survivors, strongly aligns with the Museum’s mission of promoting community safety. On Wednesday, Oct. 5, the exterior of The Mob Museum building in Downtown Las Vegas will be illuminated purple in support.
Crypto Criminals: The Hunt for Virtual Currency Hackers, Sex Traffickers and Terrorists
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 11
Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
Location: In the historic courtroom on the second floor. A livestream of the presentation will be available on the Museum’s website. To RSVP to attend in-person or for the livestream link, click here.
Cost: Free for Museum Members or with Museum admission
Description: With cryptocurrency fraud on the rise, federal agencies and private firms have investigators and prosecutors dedicated to rooting out virtual crime. Chris Janczewski, one of the world’s most accomplished cryptocurrency investigators, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, a former federal prosecutor, will discuss some of the most important digital criminal investigations, including a worldwide takedown of the largest marketplace for child exploitation material and multiple cryptocurrency exchange hacks attributed to North Korea.
Speakers:
- Zia Faruqui was appointed as a United States magistrate judge in 2020. He previously served as a litigation associate in Washington, D.C., where he focused on government investigations and general commercial litigation. Faruqui then served for 12 years as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in St. Louis and Washington D.C. During this time, he prosecuted cases involving terrorists’ use of cryptocurrency, North Korean weapons proliferation, darknet sites dedicated to child exploitation and the theft of antiquities.
- Chris Janczewski has led some of the most important cryptocurrency-related criminal investigations in history, including “Welcome to Video,” a worldwide takedown of the largest marketplace for child exploitation material which resulted in the rescue of 25 children. He has also investigated multiple cryptocurrency exchange hacks attributed to North Korea.
Righting Wrongful Convictions: DNA and the Innocence Project
Date: Thursday, Oct. 20
Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
Location: In the historic courtroom on the second floor. A livestream of the presentation will be available on the Museum’s website. To RSVP to attend in-person or for the livestream link, click here.
Cost: Free for Museum Members or with Museum admission
Description: An innocent man and soon-to-be firefighter was convicted and sentenced to 210 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Guests are invited to learn more about Marvin Anderson’s story and the non-profit organization that helped to exonerate him and nearly 200 other people through DNA testing. The Innocence Project and Anderson will partake in a compelling discussion about what it takes to free the innocent.
Speakers:
- In 1982, Marvin Anderson was accused of a violent crime he never committed. After a long journey to prove his innocence through DNA testing, Anderson was finally granted a full pardon in 2002. Today, he works in Hannover, Virginia, as chief of the town’s fire department and serves on the board of directors for the Innocence Project.
- Anton Robinson is an attorney for the Innocence Project, focusing on mistaken identification cases. Before joining the Innocence Project, he was at the Vera Institute of Justice, where he launched and managed the New York City Bail Assessment Project to drive progressive bail reform in New York. He also teaches a wrongful convictions course at American University Washington College of Law.
The Role of a Lifetime: Gianni Russo’s Tales from the Set of “The Godfather”
Date: Friday, October 21
Time: 4 to 6 p.m.
Location: Rise of the Cartels exhibit, located on the first floor. Additional information can be found here.
Cost: Free for event attendees
Description: Gianni Russo, who played the ill-fated Carlo Rizzi in “The Godfather,” will share stories about the making of the classic Mob movie, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year. Russo will also answer questions, take pictures and sign copies of his memoir, “Hollywood Godfather: My Life in the Movies and the Mob.”
Speaker: Gianni Russo Gianni Russo was a 25-year-old mobster with no acting experience when he walked onto the set of “The Godfather.” He played Carlo Rizzi, the husband of Connie Corleone, who set up her brother Sonny, played by James Caan, for a hit. Russo didn’t have to act – he knew the mob inside and out. Up-close experiences with the mob included his childhood in Little Italy, Mafia legend Frank Costello taking him under his wing and going on the lam after killing a member of a Colombian drug cartel before he was acquitted of murder by the court’s ruling of this incident as a justifiable homicide.
Gangsters on the Water: The Rise and Fall of California’s Floating Casinos
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 25
Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
Location: In the historic courtroom on the second floor. A livestream of the presentation will be available on the Museum’s website. To RSVP to attend in-person or for the livestream link, click here.
Cost: Free for Museum Members or with Museum admission
Description: From the late 1920s through the late 1940s, gambling racketeers operated a series of floating casinos three miles off the Southern California coast, just outside the state’s jurisdiction. Crime historian Dr. J. Michael Niotta will discuss the men who ushered in the floating casino era and how some of them found their way to Las Vegas. A book signing will take place following the program.
Speaker: Dr. J. Michael Niotta is the author of “It’s A Pleasure: The Men Who Ushered in the Era of the Floating Casinos,” the great grandson of Los Angeles Mafia boss Jack Dragna and a blood relative of Placido Rizzotto, a trade union labor leader kidnapped and murdered for opposing the Mafia.
Nevada Day at The Mob Museum
Date: Friday, Oct. 28
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: The Mob Museum’s outdoor events plaza
Cost: Free for attendees; Museum tickets are also buy-one-get-one for those with a Nevada I.D.
Description: Attendees are invited to celebrate Nevada Day on Friday, Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Mob Museum’s new outdoor event plaza during a free, family-friendly community event in partnership with first responders and public resource providers. Join the Museum to learn about Nevada’s rich history and the impact crucial organizations are having throughout our community. Enjoy live music, games, trick-or-treating at vendor booths (costumes are welcome), food and drinks and other interactive activities.
Guests can also hop into the front seat of a Las Vegas Fire & Rescue truck, explore a community ambulance and gain forensic investigation skills with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) CSI Explorers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will showcase new technologies, including the FBI Evidence Response Team drone and the FBI Bomb Tech robot designed to disarm explosive devices. Adults are encouraged to help community members in need by donating blood with Vitalant, while kids can enjoy an arts and crafts center with pumpkin painting and glow-in-the-dark slime, spearheaded by Future Makers. Explore valuable child safety resources courtesy of Nevada Child Seekers and discuss Halloween safety tips with LVMPD.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet other incredible organizations working on critical issues in the community. This event is free for all. To show appreciation for all locals, museum goers with a Nevada I.D. can also receive buy-one-get-one Museum admission that day and all children 10 and under are free.
For more information, please call (702) 229-2734 or visit themobmuseum.org.
ABOUT THE MOB MUSEUM
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a world-class journey through true stories—from the birth of the Mob to today’s headlines. The Mob Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive storylines. Numerous interactive exhibits include a Crime Lab, Firearm Training Simulator and Organized Crime Today exhibit. The Museum is also home to The Underground, a Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy and distillery. The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Museums;” one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and “Best Museum” by its 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards; one of National Geographic’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas;” USA Today’s “Best Museum in Nevada,” 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for “Best Las Vegas Attraction” in 2021, “Top Five Best History Museums in the United States” in 2021 and one of its “12 Can’t Miss U.S. Museum Exhibits;” named “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times and one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by FOX News. The Museum is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is open daily; visit the website for admission rates and operating hours. For more information, call (702) 229-2734, visit themobmuseum.org, or download the Museum’s free mobile app.
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