The Bombing of Harvey's Resort Hotel in Lake Tahoe
TLDR In 1980, a bomb was placed at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Lake Tahoe with a ransom note demanding $3 million. The bomb eventually detonated, leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals involved.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In 1980, two delivery men dropped off a piece of office equipment at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, but it soon became apparent that something was off when employees discovered a note attached to the machine.
04:41
A bomb was placed at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Lake Tahoe with a ransom note demanding $3 million and instructions on how to move the bomb to prevent it from exploding.
09:18
A bomb was placed at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Lake Tahoe with a ransom note demanding $3 million and instructions on how to move the bomb to prevent it from exploding, and there was a demand to keep the news media ignorant of the heist until the bomb was removed, which was impossible.
14:03
The bomb placed at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Lake Tahoe in 1980 was a personal vendetta against Harvey's casino.
19:30
The FBI sets up a fake ransom drop using Harvey Gross's own helicopter, but the drop never happens and they realize they have no idea how the perpetrators knew the exact flight time.
24:00
The money drop is botched because they don't know where the helicopter will end up, they eventually get a strobe light battery from a gas station attendant who didn't believe it would work, and when they finally make it to the drop point, the helicopter doesn't show up; meanwhile, at the bomb site, the bomb squad decides to blow up the box in an attempt to sever the relay switch and prevent the bomb from detonating, but the charge doesn't work as intended and the entire bomb goes off, causing a massive explosion in the casino.
28:34
Harvey's Casino quickly reopened after the bombing, showcasing the bomb hole and allowing customers to gamble while the FBI investigated; the bandits, unaware that the bomb had already detonated, called the sheriff's office to arrange another payment drop.
34:08
John Burgess, the mastermind behind the casino bombing, had a history of being a Nazi, burning down a restaurant for insurance money, and losing hundreds of thousands of dollars gambling, which motivated him to target Harvey's Casino; he enlisted the help of his girlfriend, Ella Williams, and two other individuals to deliver the bomb, but they were unaware of its true nature until after it was delivered.
38:56
John Burgess Jr. and his girlfriend's breakup led to the FBI being tipped off about the bomb plot, which eventually led to the arrest and conviction of everyone involved.
43:28
John Burgess Jr. received a seven-year sentence, which was later overturned, while John Sr. represented himself in court, cross-examined his own sons, and received 20 years in federal prison and life without parole in state prison.
48:03
The episode ends with some bonus content about traveling to Orlando for business and a promotion for American Express.
Categories:
Society & Culture