Robert De Niro in the movie 'Casino'
Even in his youth, Rosenthal showed an interest in such a specific sport as horse racing. Which is quite understandable, because Frank's father had his own trotters. And the first money came to the guy at age 17 from winning at the races.
Rosenthal opened his first own (naturally, illegal) bookmaking office in the 1950s in a Chicago suburb with the help of local gangsters. His office accepted illegal bets and organized fixed matches. And when everything was exposed, the business was moved to Miami.
Just 10 years later, Rosenthal became one of the most successful bookmakers in America, while continuing to place bets. Around this time he got the nickname 'Lefty'. Frank's line of work meant a turbulent life, accompanied by accusations, subpoenas, and court appearances. In any situation involving attempts to hold him accountable, he remained silent, citing the Fifth Amendment to the country's basic law, which allows one not to testify against oneself. And when the judge, considering another case, asked him if he was 'Lefty', Frank simply remained silent.
There were indeed many reasons for Rosenthal's arrest, but he was convicted only once: in 1963, Frank was found guilty of bribing a basketball player. After Frank came under suspicion of organizing a series of explosions, he had to flee to Las Vegas, where police met him and made it clear that he was an unwelcome guest in that city. Despite this, Rosenthal stayed in Las Vegas and even started a family there.
In his new location, Rosenthal started working as a croupier at the legendary Stardust casino, rose to the position of manager, and soon became the manager of four large casinos: Stardust, Fremont, Hacienda, and Marina. Some might say that this man's hard work is enviable, but the US intelligence agencies had a different opinion. They believed that Rosenthal was helping his old Chicago acquaintances who were laundering illegally obtained money.
But Rosenthal was not a small pawn in the affairs of big players. After all, his passion was gambling. Bookmaking in the mid-20th century is not the same as today's hyped live sports betting at a modern bookmaker like http://bookmakerclub.com/. Clients had to be not only attracted but also retained, given the huge competition. Thanks to his innovation, the Stardust casino became one of the largest bookmaking offices in the world: for the first time, it became possible to bet on sporting events. He also started hiring attractive girls as croupiers, which doubled profits. These beauties were also placed at the casino exit to detain clients with large winnings and prevent them from leaving.
Rosenthal also had his own television show, aptly called 'The Frank Rosenthal Show'. On the show, filmed right in the casino, Lefty invited stars of pop, sports, and gambling, which served as excellent advertising for the establishment.
Only in 1976 did the authorities of the state of Nevada pay attention to the legal side of Frank's work. After checking all the necessary permits that a casino manager should have obtained, it was discovered that Frank's lawyers had been filing documents for a license for several years. And each time they didn't get it, they filed papers again and again. They took advantage of the fact that during the review period, Rosenthal had every right to engage in the gambling business. Eventually, Frank had to step down from his position.
In October 1982, the specifics of Rosenthal's former activities caught up with him. An unknown person placed a bomb under the chassis of his car; when Rosenthal started the engine, it detonated, but the main force of the blast was absorbed by a metal plate installed under the chassis for balance, and Frank survived with only burns. Most likely, Rosenthal knew or guessed who was behind the explosion, but he refused to cooperate with the investigation. Apparently, it also affected his interests.
Five years later, Frank Rosenthal was placed in the so-called 'black book' for money laundering, which meant a complete ban on organizing, opening, and conducting gambling business in the state of Nevada, and even on visiting casinos as a player. However, Rosenthal still visited gambling houses, going there incognito.
After moving to Florida, Rosenthal returned to his life's work – he opened an online sports betting pool, that is, an internet bookmaking office. His site is still running, but without updates. The site contains information about bookmakers, casinos, game and betting strategies, and various thematic articles. This is, of course, not the same as expert sports predictions, but the advice of the greatest casino manager cannot be useless.
Frank Rosenthal died of a heart attack in 2008 at the age of 79.