Carleo still had over a million dollars in $25,000 chips, but these were all but unusable. He fantasized about cutting a deal with a big name poker pro like Phil Ivey, someone the Bellagio could conceivably believe had access to a major bankroll. Carleo wasn't the only one trying to solve the puzzle. On the poker forum TwoPlusTwo.com, someone had started a thread devoted to the Bellagio heist and how the robber might unload the stolen chips. Carleo followed the discussion closely, even going so far as to create an account on the site, choosing for himself the screen name "Oceanspray25" and listing his location as "Cranada."
If your doing something even a little shady don't tell a dealer at the Bellagio or make new friends with people who are overly excited to be your new friend.
And don't post your illegal activities on the internet.
Then the detectives met the man they would eventually call "Leo." Leo was a poker dealer at the Bellagio, and he said that he knew who the robber was. "Leo was this guy from Jersey," Detective Smith says. "A really intense, really excited-type guy." He reminded the detectives of the Joe Pesci character – Leo – from the Lethal Weapon movies.
Leo said that in the days leading up to the robbery, he had spoken with a poker player who had fallen on hard times and had shared a fantasy he had of stealing casino chips.
"Man, I'd like to just run over to that table and grab a bunch of those cranberries," the poker player had said.
A week later, Leo saw the poker player again, only now he seemed to have come into a lot of money. He was sitting in games he never would have been able to afford before. Leo started playing detective, talking to other dealers and the cashiers to confirm his suspicion that the poker player was buying in with chips and not cash.
The man's name, Leo told the detectives, was Tony Carleo.
Fantastic article except for that ridiculous last line. As far-fetched as the whole heist was, there is zero point zero chance Carleo actually said that to the author as he was leaving. Why do writers queer up their otherwise fine work with such hackneyed bullshit?
What would it have cost the Bellagio to have a new batch of $25k chips manufactured on a rush basis?
I will wager less than the $50k they fronted the undercover cop for the sting.
That the same cranberries were still in use 7 weeks later is hard to fathom.
If I were the perp in a high roller suite I would have decided to identify and befriend another high roller who was losing. The high roller's motivation, his bankroll and his approved limits would seem the bandit's best out. The losing high roller would be tempted to fix his losses quickly.
A sad story.
Last edited by Sanlmar; 11-04-2016 at 08:15 AM.
Originally Posted by Sanlmar
They already had a backup batch of chips for such a purpose. I think they changed those chips out pronto and then gave the mandatory notice that they were required to before dishonoring them. If I recall it was a couple of months they gave the notice for. Doesn't really matter though as he would never be able to cash them nor would anyone else who isn't rated as having won them. They keep up with each and every one of them.
He also stole flags as I recall and could have done more with them in the poker room, but honestly, in the pits he couldn't even get rid of them. He'd of been better off stealing $500 and $1k chips.
Facebook video- https://www.facebook.com/RealStories.../?vh=e&extid=0
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Reply With Quote