THE MOB MUSEUM, THE UNDERGROUND ANNOUNCE UPCOMING PROGRAMS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 L to R: Tequila Daisy; Exterior of The Mob Museum.
(Photos courtesy of The Mob Museum)

THE MOB MUSEUM, THE UNDERGROUND SPEAKEASY AND DISTILLERY
ANNOUNCE UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND PROMOTIONS

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LAS VEGAS (June 2023) – The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, announces its upcoming July and August programs, including “Fifty Years of Fighting Crime: The Story of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department” as well as “DEA Agents and Drug Lords: The 50-Year War on Illegal Drugs.” Additionally, The Underground speakeasy and distillery invites guests to enjoy weekly live music, cocktail specials and more.

THE MUSEUM’S JULY AND AUGUST PROGRAMS FOLLOW:

Fifty Years of Fighting Crime: The Story of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Date: Wednesday, July 12
Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
Location: Inside the historic courtroom. A livestream of the presentation will also be available on the Museum’s website. To RSVP to attend in-person or for the livestream link, click here.
Description: Mob hits, dangerous fugitives, casino robberies and the most horrific act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Over the past 50 years – since the merger of the Las Vegas Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department – the officers of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department have dealt with the darkest moments in the community’s history. A panel of current and retired Metro sheriffs and officers will share insights and stories reflecting on the triumphs and challenges the state’s largest law enforcement agency has faced over its 50-year history.
Speakers:

• LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill
• Retired LVMPD Sheriff Jerry Keller
• Retired LVMPD Sheriff Larry Ketzenberger
• Retired LVMPD Assist. Sheriff Greg McCurdy
• Retired LVMPD director of fingerprinting Francis Walker
• Retired LVMPD dispatcher Linda Vaden
• Retired LVMPD homicide detective David Groover

Moderators:

• Shakala Alvaranga, The Mob Museum’s director of public programs.
• Geoff Schumacher, The Mob Museum’s vice president of exhibits and programs.

DEA Agents and Drug Lords: The 50-Year War on Illegal Drugs
Date: Thursday, July 27
Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Inside the historic courtroom on the second floor. A livestream of the presentation will also be available on the Museum’s website. To RSVP to attend in-person or for the livestream link, click here.
Description: ​​Marking the 50th anniversary of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a diverse panel of current and former agents will share stories of undercover intrigue and dangerous operations from the agency’s tumultuous history. Former President Richard Nixon established the DEA on July 1, 1973, consolidating the drug-related work that was being done by several federal agencies. Over the past five decades, the DEA has engaged in a vast array of operations to stem the tide of drug trafficking in the United States and around the world.​
Speakers:

• ​William “Bill” Bodner is the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Office.
• Pete Charette spent 33 years as a police officer, undercover detective and DEA special agent throughout the United States and across the world.
• Craig Chretien, a DEA agent from 1973 to 1997, worked throughout South America, retiring as the agency’s chief of intelligence.
• Jim Conklin spent six years in Southeast Asia battling heroin traffickers during his 24-year DEA career.
• Patricia Naughton was the DEA’s first undercover female agent.
• ​Frank Panessa served as a DEA agent for 28 years and held numerous undercover roles, including infiltrating the Sicilian Mafia in the infamous “Pizza Connection” case.
• ​Javier Pena was the lead DEA investigator in the manhunt for Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.
• ​Anthony Ricevuto began his career with Chicago PD before joining the DEA in 1973, where he worked cases in Southern California and Latin America.
• Doug Wankel, a DEA agent from 1973 to 1996, was stationed in Detroit, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Washington, DC, where he was the agency’s chief of operations.

Moderator:

• Geoff Schumacher​, The Mob Museum’s vice president of exhibits and programs.

Organized Crime, Terrorism and Saddam Hussein: The FBI and Global Security
Date: Thursday, August 31
Time: 7 to 8 p.m.
Location: Inside the historic courtroom on the second floor.
Description: The brutal effects of organized crime are not limited to the crimes themselves. In some cases, the proceeds of organized crime are used to fund terrorist groups, intensifying threats to global peace and security. Ray Johnson, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Las Vegas, and retired special agent George Piro will discuss the growing nexus between organized crime and terrorism. Piro also will describe his experiences interrogating Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein after his capture by U.S. forces in 2003.
Speakers:

• George Piro, retired FBI special agent in charge of the Miami field office.
• Ray Johnson, assistant special agent in charge of the Las Vegas field office.

THE FULL ROSTER OF JULY PROGRAMS AND PROMOTIONS IN THE UNDERGROUND FOLLOWS:

Live Entertainment Calendar
Date and Time: 

• Saturday, July 1 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Red Penny Arcade
• Sunday, July 2 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.: The Syn-Phonics
• Friday, July 7 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: The Souvenairs
• Saturday, July 8 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Nieve Malandra
• Friday, July 14 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Dixie Flats
• Saturday, July 15 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Michael Ross Nugent
• Sunday, July 16 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.: The Volsteads
• Friday, July 21 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Flamingo
• Saturday, July 22 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Amanda King and The Prohibition Three
• Sunday, July 23 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Colte Julian and The Sidecars
• Friday, July 28 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Shaun DeGraff
• Saturday, July 29 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Dixie Flats
• Sunday, July 30 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Colte Julian and The Sidecars

Location: The Underground speakeasy and distillery
Cost: Free entry at the secret side door to visitors who know the password, published daily on Instagram Stories @MobMuseum_Underground.
Description: Revel in the sounds of the Jazz Age with music in The Underground speakeasy. Featuring a rotating roster of talented performing artists presented in an atmosphere surrounded by Prohibition-era artifacts, The Underground offers an immersive 1920s-inspired experience like none other.

For more information on the lineup or updates regarding live entertainment, please click here.

National Tequila Day – Tequila Daisy
Holiday Date: Monday, July 24
Promotion Availability: Friday, July 21 through Monday, July 24
Time: Available Friday through Sunday from noon to midnight and Monday noon to 10 p.m.
Location: The Underground speakeasy and distillery
Cost: $12
Description: It started with a daisy. After all, that is what margarita means in Spanish. Originally made with brandy, then tequila, many cocktail aficionados believe the citrusy Tequila Daisy is the precursor to the modern margarita. On National Tequila Day, guests are invited to savor a Tequila Daisy made with tequila reposado, lemon juice, house-made grenadine, simple syrup and egg whites.

Members Only Cocktail – Silver Fizz
Date: Throughout July
Time: Available Monday through Wednesday from noon to 10 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday from noon to midnight.
Location: The Underground speakeasy and distillery
Cost: $14
Description: Before the classic Gin Fizz, the Silver Fizz was crafted in New York City in the early 1880s. All the rage before the turn of the century, this cocktail mirrors the flavors of its now more famous counterpart. The libation combines gin, lemon and lime juice, cane sugar, egg whites and sparkling water. Become a Member to enjoy these fun monthly specials, too.

To become a member, please call (702) 229-2734 or visit themobmuseum.org.

ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND
The Underground is an immersive Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy, distillery and private VIP room in the basement of The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. Artifacts from the 1920s and 1930s tell the intriguing story of the Prohibition era, which not only saw a proliferation of bootlegged booze and the meteoric growth of organized crime outfits but also had a profound, lasting impact on society, specifically making way for modern cocktail culture. A seasonal cocktail menu gives guests the opportunity to try contemporary takes on classic Prohibition-era cocktails. The menu and atmosphere have landed the speakeasy on several “best cocktail bars in Las Vegas” lists. Distillery tours allow participants to learn about Prohibition and its impact on a variety of spirits and drinking habits while tasting a few of the Museum’s moonshines. The distilling program has received various accolades, including Best Moonshine at the 2020 International Whiskey Competition. Complimentary entrance to The Underground is granted at the secret side door to visitors who know the password, which is published daily on Instagram Stories @MobMuseum_Underground.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
www.Facebook.com/TheUndergroundAtTheMobMuseum
www.Instagram.com/mobmuseum_underground

ABOUT THE MOB MUSEUM
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a world-class journey through true stories—from the birth of the Mob to today’s headlines. The Mob Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive storylines. Numerous interactive exhibits include a Crime Lab, Firearm Training Simulator and Organized Crime Today exhibit. The Museum is also home to The Underground, a Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy and distillery. The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Museums;” one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and “Best Museum” by its 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards; one of National Geographic’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas;” USA Today’s “Best Museum in Nevada,” 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for “Best Las Vegas Attraction” in 2021, “Top Five Best History Museums in the United States” in 2021 and one of its “12 Can’t Miss U.S. Museum Exhibits;” named “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times and one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by FOX News. The Museum is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is open daily; visit the website for admission rates and operating hours. For more information, call (702) 229-2734, visit themobmuseum.org, or download the Museum’s free mobile app.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
www.Facebook.com/themobmuseum
www.Twitter.com/themobmuseum
www.Instagram.com/themobmuseum

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Erika Pope/Vanessa Thill
The Vox Agency
erika@thevoxagency.com, vanessa@thevoxagency.com
(702) 249-2977, (469) 226-4723

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