Susan Berman on Vegas and the mob | Forensic Files

my father Davey Burman who worked for Myer Lansky and and uh Frank Costello in Murder Incorporated he came out of sing
Singh I believe it was the end of the 30s Lansky and Costello gave him a choice what city do you want to run and
we'll give you a million dollars and he said I just want train fair to Minneapolis and I want to run the
rackets in the Twin Cities this of course is before gambling was legal my father's only skill was gambling so he
went to the Twin Cities and that time it was wide open even though the police police were paid off this was the end of
the 30s the early 40s and he ran Minneapolis for many years and he was very very good about it and good at it
and then he went to the war he volunteered for service he came back a war hero in
1945 and Ben seagull said to him um I have this fabulous idea I've talked Myer Lansky into putting our money into Las
Vegas taking some money out of Cuba so in 1945 when I was two months old we came to join my father at that time he
was partner in three downtown clubs in downtown Las Vegas the Las Vegas club the Eldorado and the Apache and Ben SEO
wanted him to go into Partners they were all part of Lansky's group but there were many competing divisions because of
Ben seagull's temper my father always said Beware of a man with a terrible temper he was his best friend but he
didn't want to be partners with him but in 1946 U my Lansky talked my father into taking a partnership in the
flamingo um I grew up in the center of the world in in my opinion of course as a child it seemed glamorous and it
seemed like we were very important in our town was because everyone came to Las Vegas the end of the 40s the early
50s Las Vegas was like Monte Carlo in the United States and my father was always saying oh look there's a king it
was from Thailand or something or there's a count um I thought it was the most glamorous city in the world and all
things seem possible celebrities of course came to our house since my father owned the hotel and my father was kind
of they said the Henry Kissinger of Vegas he was very diplomatic and he was the one that worked out all the you know
arguments between every everyone else um he was silent partner in all seven hotels when he died in 1957 so we were
in the hotels constantly my father was the boss

Susan Berman and Robert Durst were friends for over 30 years when she was shot in the back of the head in her Los Angeles home on Dec. 24, 2000. Durst now faces a murder charge in her death. In this exclusive video, Berman reminisces about her mobster father Davie Berman and their life in Las Vegas.

Brief Summary

Davey Burman's life in organized crime and Las Vegas gambling is detailed, highlighting his connections and influence in the industry.

Key points

A Million Dollar Choice. Davey Burman chooses to run the rackets in Minneapolis over a million dollars.
The Glamour of Las Vegas. Growing up in Las Vegas felt glamorous and important to the narrator.

Episode highlights

The Glamour of Las VegasGrowing up in Las Vegas felt glamorous and important to the narrator.“Las Vegas was like Monte Carlo in the United States.”1:34Jan 29, 2016

Episode quotes

I just want train fare to Minneapolis.

A father's humble ambition amidst a world of crime.

0:13WatchJan 29, 2016

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