Poolside Vacation

Mob involvement in holiday resorts, golf clubs, casinos, and poolside entertainment spaces turned these settings into cash-generating fronts. These destinations became critical to mob finances, serving as sites of money laundering, gambling, and influence peddling, ultimately blending crime, celebrity culture, and American vacation dreams.

Organized crime used resorts, pools, and holiday destinations to launder money, primarily through gambling operations. Casinos were natural hubs for cash transactions, making it easy to "clean" illegally earned money by cycling it through gambling winnings. For example, a guest at a mob-run casino might win a jackpot or spend large amounts at the poolside bars, creating a trail of cash that could be easily obscured and passed off as legitimate income.

In Miami, Lansky and other mob figures invested in oceanfront hotels and poolside bars where holiday-goers could drink, gamble, and party. These spots not only generated income but also provided fronts for money laundering through cash-heavy businesses.

Organized crime also found opportunities in controlling the services and businesses tied to vacation hotspots. In some cases, mob-controlled unions regulated services at hotels, pools, and beach resorts, allowing them to skim profits off the top and control a range of lucrative hospitality jobs.