Frank Cullotta

September 7, 2:15 PMOrganized Crime History ExaminerDennis Griffin

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In early 1979, Tony Spilotro added a new player to his team. Frank Cullotta, a 41-year-old Chicago native and boyhood pal of the Spilotro’s arrived in Las Vegas to provide muscle for Tony. His duties were to assemble and run a gang of thieves, arsonists and killers that would do Tony’s bidding. When they weren’t so engaged they could carry out crimes independently. However, they would be expected to cut Tony in for a share of any major scores.

Cullotta didn’t disappoint. Within a few days he had recruited his first gang member. Leo Guardino, a burglar originally from Chicago, liked Cullotta’s pitch. Especially the part that gang members would have carte blanche in the Mob-controlled casinos. That meant they’d be living the good life with money, power and women competing for their attention.