Benny Binion
| Benny Binion | |
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Benny Binion at the 1979 World Series of Poker
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| Born |
Lester Ben Binion November 20, 1904 Pilot Grove, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 5, 1989 (aged 85) Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Cause of death | Heart failure |
| Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Nationality | United States |
| Spouse(s) | Teddy Jane |
| Children | 5 |
Lester Ben "Benny" Binion (November 20, 1904 – December 25, 1989) was an American gambling icon and mob boss.
Benny Binion was born and raised in Pilot Grove, Texas in Grayson County, north of Dallas. His parents initially kept him out of school due to poor health. His father, a horse trader, let him accompany him on trips. While the outdoor life restored his health, Benny Binion never had any formal education. As he traveled with his father, the young Benny learned to gamble, a favorite pastime when horse traders met up with farmers and merchants during county fair trade days.
Binion's FBI file reveals a criminal history dating back to 1924, listing offenses such as theft, carrying concealed weapons, and two murder convictions.
Binion moved to El Paso when he was 18. There, he began moonshining. A year later, at age 19, Binion moved to Dallas where he set up moonshining operations, for which he was twice convicted. In addition to his moonshining, in 1928, Binion opened up an even more lucrative numbers game.
In 1931, Binion was convicted of shooting and killing an African American rum-runner, Frank Bolding, "cowboy style." This was the origin of Binion's "Cowboy" nickname. Binion received a two-year suspended sentence.
In 1936, Binion established a network of private dice games at several Dallas hotels, including the Southland Hotel in downtown Dallas. This came to be known as the Southland Syndicate. By the end of 1936, Binion had gained control of most gambling operations in Dallas, with protection from a powerful local politician.
In 1936, Binion and a henchman killed a numbers operator and competitor, Ben Frieden, emptying their pistols into him. Binion then apparently shot himself in the shoulder and turned himself in to police, claiming that Frieden had shot him first. Binion was indicted, but the indictment was later dismissed on the grounds that Binion had acted in self-defense. In 1938, Binion and another henchmen allegedly killed Sam Murray, another of Binion's competitors in the gambling rackets. Binion was never indicted for this murder, and charges were dropped against his henchmen.
By the early 1940s, Binion had become the reigning mob boss of Dallas. He then sought to take over the gambling rackets in Fort Worth. The local mob boss of that city, Lewis Tindell, was murdered shortly afterwards.
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