FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
L to R: Shadows of Power Program’ The Mob Museum; The Bookie Public Program.
(Images courtesy of The Mob Museum)
THE MOB MUSEUM, THE UNDERGROUND SPEAKEASY AND DISTILLERY UNVEIL JUNE PROGRAMS AND SPECIALS SPOTLIGHTING NEW JERSEY CRIME BOSS JERRY CATENA, FUTURE OF SPORTS BETTING, NATIONAL MOONSHINE DAY, MORE
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LAS VEGAS (May 2026) – The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, announces its June events, including a compelling program about New Jersey crime boss Jerry Catena as well as a discussion on the future of sports betting led by premier expert and author Art Manteris and the official kick-off of its new Untapped Story: A Beer Tasting Experience. Meanwhile, The Underground speakeasy and distillery will offer a dynamic live entertainment calendar as well as beverage specials for National Moonshine Day and free beer for dads on Father’s Day.
Details on all programming and specials follow:
Shadows of Power: The Untold Story of Jersey Mafia Boss Jerry Catena
Date: Thursday, June 4
Time: 7 to 8 p.m. followed by a book signing
Location: Inside the historic courtroom on the second floor.
Cost: Free for Museum Members or with Museum admission. For more information or to RSVP, click here.
Description: Jerry Catena was one of the most influential Mafia bosses of the 20th century, but he was far from a household name. As the Genovese crime family’s New Jersey boss, he infiltrated unions and gambling companies, and his empire stretched to the Caribbean and Las Vegas. He amassed enormous illicit wealth while barely registering on law enforcement’s radar. Inspired by his new book, “Jersey Boss: The Rise of Mafia Power Jerry Catena,” organized crime historian Scott Deitche will reveal who Catena was, how he operated and how he stayed in the shadows for decades.
Speaker: Scott M. Deitche is the author of numerous books on organized crime, including “Garden State Gangland: The Rise of the Mob in New Jersey” and “The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jr.” He has also written dozens of articles on organized crime for local and national magazines and newspapers. Deitche has been featured on The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, A&E, C-SPAN, Oxygen as well as dozens of national and local news and radio shows. He is also a member of The Mob Museum’s Advisory Council.
The Bookie: Art Manteris on the Gritty Past and Uncertain Future of Sports Gambling in Las Vegas and Beyond
Date: Thursday, June 18
Time: 7 to 8 p.m. followed by a book signing
Location: Inside the historic courtroom on the second floor.
Cost: Free for Museum Members or with Museum admission. For more information or to RSVP, click here.
Description: For more than 40 years, Art Manteris had a front-row seat for the expansion and evolution of sports betting in Las Vegas and across the country. From the Mob era to the modern age of apps, prediction markets and prop bets, Manteris took wagers from crazed gangsters, industry icons, celebrities, sports legends and some of the most notorious criminal figures in sports gaming history. In his new memoir, “The Bookie: How I Bet It All on Sports Gambling and Watched an Industry Explode,” Manteris tells fascinating stories of how he recognized when the fix was in, his run-ins with the infamous gambler Billy Walters and the moment when his integrity was questioned by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Speaker: Art Manteris is considered a pre-eminent expert on sports betting throughout the world. He began his four-decade career at the Fremont and Stardust hotel-casinos and later rose to helm the sports books at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Hilton and Station Casinos, where he oversaw the company’s 18 sportsbooks. A policy contributor to several national and state gaming associations, he was inducted into the Sports Gaming Hall of Fame. He retired in 2021.
The Untapped Story: A Beer Tasting Experience
Date: Available for a limited time, Mondays through Thursdays between June 1 and August 31, 2026
Time: 7 p.m.
Cost: $69; $49 for Museum Members. To purchase tickets, click here.
Description: As Downtown Las Vegas’ most engaging beer tasting experience, this guided craft beer tour blends history, storytelling and tastings into one unforgettable activity. Discover how Prohibition fueled the early rise of organized crime and how beer helped influence the Mob’s power in America, all while enjoying craft beer tastings along the way.
Led by Museum educators, this immersive beer tour explores the connections between beer, the Mob, Las Vegas and American history. Perfect for beer fans, history buffs and anyone looking for unique things to do in Las Vegas, this interactive tasting experience lets you sip, learn and explore the legacy of beer and crime in America. The tour includes a 60-minute guided Museum tour, two 6-ounce beer tastings and one 12-ounce beer tasting, plus time in The Mob Museum’s distillery. Participating guests will receive a commemorative souvenir pint glass. Must be 21 or older.
“Filmed in Las Vegas: America’s Playground on the Silver Screen”
Date: Open daily
Time: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Inside the Oscar B. Goodman Room on the third floor.
Cost: Included with Museum admission. To purchase tickets, click here.
Description: The Mob Museum’s latest temporary exhibit, “Filmed in Las Vegas: America’s Playground on the Silver Screen,” features movie posters from 11 films shot in Las Vegas during the city’s “Golden Age.” These films, ranging from 1941 to 1969, include “Ocean’s 11” and “Viva Las Vegas.” Lobby cards and a montage video also show the evolution of Las Vegas films and the city itself from the 1940s to the present. The movie posters have been generously loaned from the collection of Las Vegas businessman Dan Tuntland.
National Moonshine Day
Holiday: Friday, June 5
Promotional Dates: Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 7
Time: Friday from 11 a.m. to midnight; Saturday from 11 a.m to 6:30 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Location: The Underground Speakeasy
Cost: 15% off all moonshine and moonshine flights.
Description: In honor of National Moonshine Day, The Underground speakeasy and distillery is celebrating with 15% off all bottles of its house-distilled moonshine and moonshine flights. Crafted in the basement of the Museum, this award-winning spirit comes in its signature original recipe as well as Huckleberry Hideout, The Goodfella’s Vanilla, Ginger Jake and The Fuzz peach flavor. Available at The Underground speakeasy and distillery and concessions. Cannot be combined with any other discount, promotion or offer. Must be 21 or older.
Free Beer for Dads this Father’s Day
Holiday: Sunday, June 21
Time: 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Museum’s second-floor concessions
Cost: Free beer for dads with the purchase of Museum admission.
Description: In honor of Father’s Day, dads can enjoy one complimentary beer with the purchase of Museum admission. Must be 21 or older.
The Underground Live Entertainment Calendar
Dates and Times: Friday and Saturday 8 p.m. to midnight; Sunday 7 to 11 p.m.
- Friday, June 5 | Coco & The Sidecars
- Sunday, June 7 | Amanda King and her Prohibition Three
- Friday, June 12 | Michael Ross Nugent
- Saturday, June 13 | The Ramblers
- Sunday, June 14 | Mr. Nobody with Michael Grimm
- Friday, June 19 | Red Penny Arcade
- Saturday, June 20 | Cheyenne Adams & The Dirty Business
- Sunday. June 21 | The Syn-Phonics
- Friday, June 26 | The Volsteads
- Saturday, June 27 | Katrina Bree’s Blue Note Trio
- Sunday, June 28 | Sandy & The Knightcaps
Location: The Underground speakeasy and distillery
Cost: Free entry is available through the secret side door for visitors who know the daily password, published on Instagram Stories @MobMuseum_Underground.
Description: Revel in the sounds of the Jazz Age with live music inside Las Vegas’ most authentic speakeasy while enjoying expertly crafted cocktails, zero-proof libations and bar bites. Featuring a rotating roster of talented performers surrounded by Prohibition-era artifacts, The Underground delivers Las Vegas’ only immersive 1920s-inspired nightlife experience.
The Mob Museum consistently ranks as one of the top museums in Las Vegas, while The Underground routinely appears on “best speakeasies in Las Vegas” lists, and every month they host unique programs, cocktail specials and a rotating showcase of live entertainment featuring the city’s most talented jazz performers. As a result, a visit to The Mob Museum and The Underground is always a must for visitors and locals seeking memorable things to do in Las Vegas.
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” and a 2025, 2024 and 2023 “Travelers’ Choice” Award recipient; one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Museums in the U.S.;” one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and “Best Museum” of 2021, 2023 and 2024; Vegas Magazine’s “Best Historical Museum” of 2024; 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 and 2022, “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 or visit themobmuseum.org.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
www.Facebook.com/themobmuseum
www.Twitter.com/themobmuseum
www.Instagram.com/themobmuseum
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 tastings 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 numerous accolades, including “Best Moonshine” at the 2020 International Whiskey Competition, “Best in Class” and “Gold” and “Silver Medals” at the 2024 American Distilling Institute’s International Spirits Competition and “Gold” and “Silver Medals” at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 California Craft Spirits 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
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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