Did you know that a Tennessean tried to end gambling in Las Vegas? Estes Kefauver was born in Madisonville, Tennessee and practiced law in Chattanooga. Interested in politics, he won a seat in the House of Representatives in 1939 and became a Senator in 1949. Kefauver’s trademark was wearing a coonskin hat.
During his time in the Senate, Kefauver became chairman of the Special Committee on Organized Crime and used this seat as a platform to gain national exposure. He attacked the influence of organized crime in the casinos of Las Vegas and urged the federal government to put a stop to legalized gambling in Nevada.
In 1952, Kefauver attempted to take advantage of his nationwide fame by running for president. His campaign failed, as did a run for the vice presidency in 1956. If Estes Kefauver had succeeded in his fight against legalized gambling, then what happens in Vegas would…not be all that much.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 
Thanks for teaching me something today!
You’re welcome. I throw some history out there every now and again.
Thanks! I’ll remember his name and story so I can surprise my American friends from Tennessee. Lol.
You’re welcome. There’s a building in Nashville named in his honor. Other than that, he is a forgotten person from the past.
I never knew this about ol’ Estes. Vegas would be quite un-Vegaslike if he had his way.
It might be like Davy Crockett, though.