But such was the dual life of Benny Binion—one of Las Vegas' founding fathers (owner of Binion's Casino in Las Vegas and founder of the World Series of Poker) and also one of Jordan, Montana's most colorful characters. But just about the time Binion got started in Vegas he also staked his claim in Jordan. 'Benny Binion's place was right across the street from where I spent five years at the Fremont Hotel,' Newton explained. 'And Benny Binion was a legend then.' Benny Binion was legendary enough to. The 1,369-acre Fincastle compound, near the city of Athens, Texas, is on the market for $11.95 million, and was once used by gangsters Ivy Miller and his notorious boss Benny Binion. Our story begins with Benny Binion, who is known almost as much for his background as a mob boss as he is for his gambling empire. Benny was born in Texas in 1909; he was very ill as a child, and as a result, his horse-trading parents decided to keep him out of school.
Brenda Michael
Brenda Binion in Harden, Montana - courtesy of the family
Written by: Siri Stevens
Benny Binion Death
Brenda Michael adored her dad, Benny Binion. She and her dad had a relationship like no other. Although he was a successful business man that made his fortune in the world of gambling, his passion was to be a cowboy. Eventually, after moving his family from Dallas to Las Vegas and getting them situated comfortably he amassed a ranch in Montana in 1943. Brenda was only two.
Brenda was born in Dallas, Texas, the middle child of five. Barbara was six years older, Jack was four years older, then Brenda, Ted was 16 months younger, and Becky was three years younger. 'We moved to Las Vegas, when I was five. It was a very small town, only 15,000, when we got there. But gambling was becoming a major force and it grew rapidly. Daddy ran crap games and a policy game in Dallas, but after World War II was over, the ‘powers that be' tried to shut down gambling. So we moved,' explained Brenda.
'My dad was always particular about his girls. He didn't want us around the casino,' Brenda remembers. 'We'd go eat and that was it.' Brenda remembers her mother staying at home with the children and driving them to Saint Joseph Catholic School growing up. She graduated from Catholic High School with 42 in her graduating class. 'Daddy bought our home because it had a place for horses. I don't think he even looked in the house. It was seven acres and we always had horses,' she laughed.
The ranch finally grew to 210 sections, including one pasture that was 98 sections. 'I looked forward to going back to Montana in the summer. I always liked the ranch. I'd cry when I had to come back to Las Vegas. I was the only one that cried,' she admitted.
Benny wanted everything done on the ranch the way it used to be done. 'He refused to use four-wheel-drive pickups because it tore up the land. We did everything with horse and wagon. Daddy bought fifty WWI wagons that had never been uncrated. They would fill them with cake, take them out in the pastures, feed, and come back,' remembers Brenda. She has a very vivid memory of everything that was done on the ranch.
When Benny Binion was sent to the penitentiary over income tax, when Brenda was 12, she was very sad because she didn't get to go to the ranch. She just knew no one would take care of the horses, and she couldn't see them. He didn't get released until 1957, on a technicality. Turned out Brenda was right. The hired hands that were left to tend to things on the ranch were told not to sell the horses, but they did sell the cattle. When the hired hands heard Benny was out they disappeared. There was only one filly left. 'We had no idea where they went, and those that were left had gotten down in the Missouri breaks, so Ted and I started riding the Missouri River breaks trying to find them. The horses knew the trails but we didn't. It took years and since none of the studs had been cut we ended up gathering nearly 1,200 horses. Two that we found were named ‘Happy' and ‘Sappy'. We took them to a rodeo and boy could they buck,' said Brenda with a big smile. 'We took nineteen horses, including Happy and Sappy, to Harry Knight at Great Falls and he bought them and they ended up in a rodeo in Belgium. Benny recognized Brenda's interest in the horses and although she was only seventeen he asked her to register all their horses with the American Quarter Horse Association. 'The inspector came from Amarillo to inspect them, they were all cataloged. Every summer they would upgrade until they got papers.
Brenda fell in love with Bert France, a cowboy from Las Vegas, who rode bareback and saddle broncs. She was just eighteen. He qualified for the first National Finals Rodeo in 1959 in the bareback event. Three months later he was killed, on July 4th, in an automobile accident. At the time he was leading for the All-Around in the Rodeo Cowboys Association. Brenda had traveled with him that summer, but was at the ranch at the time of his accident. She tried going back to school but she couldn't concentrate on her studies. She went to work at Bank of America, but spent summers at the ranch in Montana that she loved.
A bronc rider from South Dakota was coming to the ranch and starting horses for Benny. His name was Andy Michael and in 1963 he and Brenda were married. Their daughter, Mindy, was born the following year. They lived on the ranch until Mindy needed to start school. They moved to Amarillo in September, 1969. Brenda and Andy were married 27 years, and divorced in 1990.
Brenda had always wanted to get in to the cutting horse competition, but was always too busy. The year after Benny died she bought a mare, ‘Lena Leo War Lady' and the first cutting competition to which she took her, in Reno; the horse won the open. Brenda went home with more than $25,000! Brenda admitted, 'she was a lop-eared mare, that was pretty plain looking, but she could cut.' She spent the next four years in the cutting circle and did quite well.
When Brenda's mother passed away, in 1994, Brenda was named the executrix of the estate. It was a full time job and she had to give up her cutting competition. 'Everything had to be appraised and taxed, and finally we had to sell the ranch.' All of the stress had contributed to Brenda's poor health. She broke her femur due to an infection and spent 20 days in the hospital battling osteomyelitis. It look Brenda three years to recover from this debilitating health issue.
Brenda continues to live in Amarillo. She bought Lighthouse Ranch which is next to Palo Duro Canyon and runs cattle on it. She has watched her two grandchildren, from Mindy and Clint Johnson, past Saddle Bronc World Champion 1980, 1987, '88,'89, grow to adults. Ben, winner of the Texas High School Cutting Horse title in 2009, now owns restaurants, and he and wife, Kaitlin, have two children, Porter and Emory, and are expecting twins in February. Janie is a WPRA barrel racer, works for Ride TV with the PBR Velocity Tour and is presently a sideline reporter.
Brenda continues to be heavily involved in the bucking horse business through the Benny Binion World Famous Bucking Horse Sale which is held during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, and watches son-in-law Clint work with Dr. Gregg Veneklasen with Timber Creek Veterinary Clinic in creating clones and taking embryos of proven bucking stock. She supports many projects held in Amarillo involved with rodeo and the western way of life. Brenda received the Ken Stemler Pioneer Award in 2015 at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for her commitment to professional rodeo through the Binion Bucking Horse Sale that benefits the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and is used for youth educational scholarships.
Brenda proudly continues to do the things her dad taught her that were important. 'He was part of the vanishing breed of westerner that saw that the western way was not lost. He thought a handshake was better than a bond. His word was better than any written agreement. He taught me a lot of great things. I met a lot of nice, interesting people. I've always been proud to continue my dad's work,' said the red-headed, quiet spoken woman, who has always been there to support her community, the rodeo world and the people in it with their western way of life.
Lester Ben 'Benny' Binion (November 20, 1904 – December 25, 1989) was an American gambling icon and mob boss.
Early history
Binion was born and raised in Pilot Grove, Texas in Grayson County, north of Dallas. His parents initially kept him out of school due to poor health. His father, a horse trader, let him accompany him on trips. While the outdoor life restored his health, Binion never had any formal education. As he traveled with his father, the young man learned to gamble, a favorite pastime when horse traders met up with farmers and merchants during county fair trade days
Criminal history
Binion's FBI file reveals a criminal history dating back to 1924, listing offenses such as theft, carrying concealed weapons, and two murder convictions.
Binion moved to El Paso when he was 18.There, he began moonshining.A year later, at the age of 19, Binion moved to Dallas where he set up moonshining operations, for which he was twice convicted. In addition to his moonshining, in 1928, Binion opened up an even more lucrative numbers game.
In 1931, Binion was convicted of shooting and killing an African American rum-runner, Frank Bolding, 'cowboy style.' This was the origin of Binion's 'Cowboy' nickname. Binion received a two-year suspended sentence.
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Benny Binion Find A Grave
Slot 777 casino. In 1936, Binion established a network of private dice games at several Dallas hotels, including the Southland Hotel in downtown Dallas. This came to be known as the Southland Syndicate. By the end of 1936, Binion had gained control of most gambling operations in Dallas, with protection from a powerful local politician.
In 1936, Binion and a henchman killed a numbers operator and competitor, Ben Frieden, emptying their pistols into him. Binion then apparently shot himself in the shoulder and turned himself in to police, claiming that Frieden had shot him first. Binion was indicted, but the indictment was later dismissed on the grounds that Binion had acted in self-defense.[12] In 1938, Binion and another henchmen allegedly killed Sam Murray, another of Binion's competitors in the gambling rackets. Binion was never indicted for this murder, and charges were dropped against his henchmen.
By the early 1940s, Binion had become the reigning mob boss of Dallas. He then sought to take over the gambling rackets in Fort Worth. The local mob boss of that city, Lewis Tindell, was murdered shortly afterwards.
The Chicago Outfit made a successful move into Dallas after World War II. With the 1946 election of a Dallas County Sheriff Steve Gutherie, Binion lost his fix with the local government and fled to Las Vegas.
While in Dallas, Binion had begun a long-running feud with Herbert Noble, a small-time gambler in Dallas, which continued after Binion moved to Las Vegas. Binion demanded that Noble increase his payoff to Binion from 25 to 40 percent, which Noble refused to do.Binion posted a reward on Noble's scalp that eventually reached $25,000 and control of a Dallas crap game. Noble survived numerous attempts on his life, sometimes narrowly escaping with gunshot wounds. In November 1949, Noble's wife was killed in a car bombing intended for him. In retaliation, Noble planned to fly his private plane to Las Vegas to bomb Binion's house, but was restrained by local law enforcement before he could execute his plan.[8] In August 1951, as Herbert Noble drove up to his mailbox, a bomb exploded nearby, killing him instantly.
Binion lost his gambling license in 1951, and was sentenced to a five-year term in 1953 at Leavenworth federal penitentiary for tax evasion.
Casino years
In Las Vegas, Binion became a partner of the Las Vegas Club casino, but left after a year due to licensing problems after the casino relocated.In 1951, Benny purchased the building which had previously housed the Las Vegas Club, and opened it as the Westerner Gambling House and Saloon.
In 1951, he purchased the Eldorado Club and the Apache Hotel, opening them as Binion's Horseshoe casino, which immediately became popular because of the high limits on bets. He initially set a craps table limit of $500, ten times higher than the limit at his competitors of the time.[20] Because of the competition, Binion sometimes received death threats, although eventually casinos raised their limits to keep up with him. Additionally, the Horseshoe would honor a bet of any size as long as it was the first one made.
The Chicago Outfit made a successful move into Dallas after World War II. With the 1946 election of a Dallas County Sheriff Steve Gutherie, Binion lost his fix with the local government and fled to Las Vegas.
While in Dallas, Binion had begun a long-running feud with Herbert Noble, a small-time gambler in Dallas, which continued after Binion moved to Las Vegas. Binion demanded that Noble increase his payoff to Binion from 25 to 40 percent, which Noble refused to do.Binion posted a reward on Noble's scalp that eventually reached $25,000 and control of a Dallas crap game. Noble survived numerous attempts on his life, sometimes narrowly escaping with gunshot wounds. In November 1949, Noble's wife was killed in a car bombing intended for him. In retaliation, Noble planned to fly his private plane to Las Vegas to bomb Binion's house, but was restrained by local law enforcement before he could execute his plan.[8] In August 1951, as Herbert Noble drove up to his mailbox, a bomb exploded nearby, killing him instantly.
Binion lost his gambling license in 1951, and was sentenced to a five-year term in 1953 at Leavenworth federal penitentiary for tax evasion.
Casino years
In Las Vegas, Binion became a partner of the Las Vegas Club casino, but left after a year due to licensing problems after the casino relocated.In 1951, Benny purchased the building which had previously housed the Las Vegas Club, and opened it as the Westerner Gambling House and Saloon.
In 1951, he purchased the Eldorado Club and the Apache Hotel, opening them as Binion's Horseshoe casino, which immediately became popular because of the high limits on bets. He initially set a craps table limit of $500, ten times higher than the limit at his competitors of the time.[20] Because of the competition, Binion sometimes received death threats, although eventually casinos raised their limits to keep up with him. Additionally, the Horseshoe would honor a bet of any size as long as it was the first one made.
Binion was in the vanguard of Las Vegas casino innovation. He was the first in the downtown Glitter Gulch to replace sawdust-covered floors with carpeting, the first to dispatch limousines to transport customers to and from the casino, and the first to offer free drinks to players. Although comps were standard for high rollers, Binion gave them to all players. He also shied away from the gaudy performing acts typical of other Las Vegas casinos.
Benny Binion Murder
Binion said he followed a simple philosophy when serving his customers: 'Good food, good whiskey cheap, and a good gamble.'
Binion was known to be generous to patrons. For many years the Horseshoe had a late night $2 steak special, with most of the meat for the steaks coming from cattle on Binion's ranches in Montana. The Horseshoe is also believed to be the first major casino to offer 100-times-odds at craps (a patron with a bet on the pass or don't-pass lines could take or lay up to 100 times their bet in odds).The Horseshoe was one of the more profitable casinos in town.
One of the tourist attractions in Binion's was a large horseshoe with $1 million in $10,000 bills, embedded in plastic.
After his trial and conviction in 1953, to cover back taxes and legal costs, Binion sold a majority share in the Horseshoe to fellow gambler and New Orleans oilman Joe W. Brown. Binion's family regained controlling interest in the Horseshoe in 1957, but did not regain full control until 1964. Benny was never allowed to hold a gaming license afterwards. Instead, his son Jack became the licensee, with Benny assuming the title of Director of Public Relations.
Binion styled himself a cowboy throughout his life. He almost never wore a necktie, and used gold coins as buttons on his cowboy shirts. Despite being technically barred from owning guns, he carried at least one pistol all his life, and kept a sawed-off shotgun close by. His office was a booth in the downstairs restaurant, and he knew many of his customers by name.
Death
Binion died of heart failure at the age of 85 on December 25, 1989 in Las Vegas. Poker great 'Amarillo Slim' Preston suggested as an epitaph, 'He was either the gentlest bad guy or the baddest good guy you'd ever seen.' He was posthumously inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1990.
