Vegas crime figure John Spilotro, brother of Tony "The Ant," succumbs at 83 years old
In the tumultuous world of organized crime during the 1970s and early 1980s, one name that often surfaced was that of the Spilotro brothers. Among them, John Spilotro, the quietest of the lot, held a significant place in the Chicago Outfit's activities, particularly in Las Vegas.
John, unlike his more publicly prominent brother Tony, was not as notorious. However, he was still implicated in criminal dealings such as the infamous "Hole in the Wall Gang" burglary operation. This group, specializing in breaking into casinos and other establishments, would drill or create holes in walls to access valuables undetected.
Tony Spilotro, the infamous face of the mob activities in Las Vegas, was the more widely recognized figure tied to the Hole in the Wall Gang. He oversaw their operations during the 1970s and 1980s as part of the Chicago Outfit’s efforts to control Las Vegas rackets. John, despite his lower profile, was also involved in these thefts and other mob activities.
The Hole in the Wall Gang operated out of the Gold Rush Ltd. jewelry store in the Meadows Mall, co-managed by John Spilotro. The news of John's death was reported by The Gangster Report in 2018, at the age of 83.
John's brother Pat, on the other hand, made an honest living as a dentist. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for John's other brother, Michael, who met a violent end in the 1980s. Tony, too, suffered a tragic fate, as he and Michael were strangled to death and left in an Indiana cornfield in June 1986, allegedly for drawing too much attention to the Outfit's operations.
John's criminal career was intertwined with his brother Tony's. They were both involved in the casino skim at Mob-linked venues in Las Vegas. Tony's criminal career even inspired the Joe Pesci character in Martin Scorsese's Casino.
John lived quietly in Las Vegas for his remaining years after his brother's death. It was a stark contrast to Tony's vicious enforcer methods that caught the eye of the Outfit's top brass. John was one of six Spilotro brothers, all but one of whom were involved in criminal activity.
Despite his quiet demeanour, John Spilotro played a role in the criminal underworld. His involvement, though lesser-known compared to his brother Tony, was a significant part of the Spilotro family's broader criminal network that operated in Las Vegas during the 1970s and early 1980s.
- Tony "the ant" Spilotro, John Spilotro's more publicly prominent brother, was a notorious figure tied to the Las Vegas mob and was implicated in criminal activities like sports-betting and gambling-trends.
- The Hole in the Wall Gang, a group specializing in casino-and-gambling burglaries, had operations in Las Vegas under Tony Spilotro's supervision during the 1970s and 1980s, as part of the Chicago Outfit's control over Las Vegas rackets.
- John Spilotro, along with his brother Tony, was involved in the casino skim at Mob-linked venues in Las Vegas, even though his criminal activities were not as widely recognized as his brother's.
- In the tumultuous world of crime and justice, John Spilotro's name, like his brothers, was a part of the general-news stories revolving around organized crime in Chicago and Las Vegas during the 1970s and early 1980s.
- Despite John Spilotro's low profile, his involvement in crime was a significant part of the broader Spilotro family's criminal network that operated in both Chicago and Las Vegas.
- John Spilotro's criminal activities, while lesser-known compared to his brother Tony's, were a reflection of the larger trends in organized crime during that era, including sports-betting and racketeering in casino establishments.
- Even though John Spilotro lived quietly in Las Vegas for his remaining years after his brother's death, his criminal career and connections to the mob will continue to be a part of crime-and-justice and general-news stories for years to come.
