Las Vegas was growing. And by 1978, the population of the Vegas Valley had increased to more than 400,000. The tourist numbers were also up dramatically from 1970, nearly doubling to 11 million. Construction of new housing and commercial buildings flourished. With all the long and short-term arrivals, small-town Las Vegas was gradually but steadily disappearing. And along with the people came their money, improving the economy for the honest and dishonest alike.
The structure of local law enforcement had also undergone a major makeover since Tony Spilotro’s arrival in Las Vegas. On July 1, 1973, the Las Vegas Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department merged to form the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Metro, as it became known, was the largest police agency in Nevada. Its jurisdiction covered 8,000 square miles and included the city of Las Vegas and the rest of sprawling unincorporated Clark County. As a part of the initial organizational setup, Clark County Sheriff Ralph Lamb headed the new department. The Lamb family was a powerful political force in the state, and Ralph Lamb, known as “Mr. Metro,” had been the top lawman in Clark County since 1961. His second in command was Undersheriff John Moran, former Las Vegas Chief of Police.
The consolidation itself had been difficult to implement and was unpopular with many police officers, deputies, and politicians. Institutional and personal rivalries festered for the first several months after the merger. In addition to those problems, Metro was initially plagued by budget woes and a lack of equipment, resulting in officers wearing the uniforms and sidearms of their former departments and driving the old vehicles. These ingredients were contrary to a unified police agency.
Metro survived that rocky start and eventually obtained the financing and equipment it needed. In a short time morale began to improve and the animosities of the past were left behind, at least as far as the officers were concerned. Some politicians didn’t forget so quickly, however. Attempts to deconsolidate Metro continued from time to time for years to come.
The fledgling agency had other difficulties, too. Rumors circulated of corruption within the department, and that Sheriff Lamb himself was less than honest. In 1977, Lamb was indicted on charges of income-tax evasion. The IRS alleged that Lamb spent more money than he earned and had accepted “loans” from casino owner Benny Binion — loans that were never intended to be repaid.
The tarnished image of the department didn’t sit well with some, including Commander John McCarthy, head of the Vice, Narcotics and Juvenile Bureau. The New Jersey native and former Las Vegas Police Department cop decided to do something about it: challenge his boss ? the nearly legendary Ralph Lamb — in the 1978 election. It was a bold decision, to say the least. Had Lefty Rosenthal handicapped McCarthy’s chances of beating Lamb at that early point, he would likely have made him a substantial underdog. But, odds aside, McCarthy had made up his mind. There was no turning back.
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