Mob Museum continues to grow, one exhibit at a time

The elevator door closes and the cop on the small screen in the corner begins to speak.

“You have the right to remain silent,” he says, reading the Miranda rights as the elevator moves floor to floor. “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

This is the start of the tour to The Mob Museum.

Since it opened in February 2012, The Mob Museum has offered a glimpse at the story of organized crime in America and the law enforcement agencies that have worked to stop them.

“I think it’s part of our popular culture to sell the idea of the action-packed mobster shootout that lead to them being taken down,” says Jonathan Ullman, the executive director and CEO of The Mob Museum. “But it was quite the contrary. A lot of these guys were taken down by tax evasion.”

The museum, he says, gives a bigger narrative on the history of organized crime, how it came to be, who were the major players and the ties between crime syndicates and corrupt political officials, as well as a look at prosecutors, judges and law enforcement agencies who worked to bring mobsters down.

Visitors can experience the history through a variety of video interviews from historians and experts, replicas of casinos and courtrooms, an array of photos, and a collection of items ranging from guns and equipment used by criminals and law enforcement to clothing worn by movie mobsters.

Walking through the section on G-Men, the slang term for government men who were special agents tasked with investigating the mob, people can even put their hands on a version of the Thompson submachine gun, nicknamed the Tommy gun and used by both law enforcement and criminals during the 1920s.

Though there are many items and facts people can discover, the museum is always looking to expand and add new offerings.

In 2014, Ullman says the museum added smaller exhibits.

He adds that as the museum’s name grows and acquires more resources, it is able to gain more artifacts and stories from history.

Three new exhibit items were added to the collection, two of which come from Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the Atlantic City crime boss and inspiration of the HBO show “Boardwalk Empire.”

The first addition — spoiler alert — is the “death suit,” which is worn by Johnson, who is played by Steve Buscemi, when he is killed in the series finale.

“The real-life Johnson wasn’t killed, but went to prison,” Ullman says. “(The Boardwalk Empire) writers took creative liberty with the show, which is fine.”

The second item, a culinary trophy, comes from the real-life Johnson. The trophy was part of a culinary contest in 1925.

From another HBO mob-centric drama “The Sopranos,” the last new item the museum added is a track suit worn in season six by character Paulie Walnuts, played by Tony Sirico.

But it’s not just new exhibits. The museum is working to change the way visitors experience the tour.

The museum is adding audio tours that will be available in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese.

To pull this off, the museum received a grant that provided it with the resources to incorporate the languages.

“We have always planned to add audio tours and a grant from the city of Las Vegas’ Centennial Commission made doing so possible,” says Geoff Schumacher, the director of content at The Mob Museum. “Being able to reach a growing number of non-English-speaking international visitors makes sense, especially given the fact all signs point to an increasing number of foreign travelers coming to Las Vegas each year.

Ullman says in 2014, the museum had visitors from more than 35 countries and continues to grow in the number of mentions it receives in international outlets.

“We have been mentioned in German and French publications,” he adds.

With a growing presence, Ullman says it only made sense to add the language tours.

“And we hope to do more (languages) down the road,” he adds.

Museum officials are always thinking of new ways to draw a crowd as a new year begins.

“2014 was such a great year, and I hate to see it go,” Ullman says. “But I’m excited for what we have in store for 2015.”

Ullman says the museum is looking to do something specifically honoring the women of law enforcement or the legal realm who helped bring down organized crime.

“The working title is called ‘First Ladies of the Law,’ ” Ullman says.

This exhibit would include people such as Eunice Carter, the first African-American woman to serve as an assistant district attorney in New York. She pieced together the mob’s connection to prostitution in New York.

The museum is also working on the talk about the IRS and its role in combating organized crime.

Ullman says the museum plans to bring in more events.

The Mob Museum is planning on hosting a panel on sports betting Jan. 21.

“Beating the Line: The Inside Story on Sports Betting in America” features experts on sports gambling and address the issues and history behind sports betting.

In August 2014, the museum put on an event to talk about the Cuban connection to the mob.

“We are hoping to bring that event back,” Ullman says.

With each new exhibit or event, the museum continues to shine a light on an often untold part of history.

“A lot of these stories went untold,” Ullman says. “Anytime you can illuminate these stories, it’s exciting.”

Contact reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5201. Follow @mjlyle on Twitter.