8 Found Guilty of Rigging Slot Machines, 1980-83
April 4th, 2026 at 3:58:58 PM
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8 Found Guilty of Rigging Slot Machines : Gang ‘Fixed’ Jackpots Worth $1.6 Million Between 1980 and 1983
RENO — Eight people accused of heading the nation’s biggest slot machine cheating gang were convicted Thursday of rigging jackpots worth $1.6 million at Nevada and Atlantic City gambling casinos.
The defendants, including a Las Vegas couple, were convicted by a federal jury of all charges in a 17-count indictment involving more than 70 individual charges.
The verdict came midway through the fourth day of deliberations. Testimony in the case took seven weeks.
The indictment accused the defendants of “fixing” $1.6 million in jackpots between 1980 and 1983 by jimmying the machines to pay off by using wires, keys and other gadgets.
But authorities said the ring collected only about $600,000 because the casinos refused to issue the other payoffs.
Biggest Haul
The biggest haul included in the indictment was $188,885 taken at the MGM Grand in Reno in September, 1982.
John Vaccaro, of Las Vegas, described as the ringleader, was convicted of 17 charges, while his wife, Sandra, was convicted of the four counts against her.
Others convicted were William Cushing, Norm Alvis, Michael Kevin Brennan and Dorothy Snider, all of Sacramento; Paul Bond of Reno, and Stephen LaBarbera of Las Vegas.
Included in the indictment were charges of interstate travel in aid of racketeering, interstate transportation of stolen money, aiding and abetting, conspiracy to obtain money by fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in collecting taxes.
The penalties range from 5 to 10 years in prison on each count.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Don Hill based his case largely on the testimony of Ross Durham, who had testified that he acted as the ring’s “mechanic” in opening slot machines and gently aligning their reels for pay outs. Durham claims he rigged as many as 1,500 jackpots worth as much as $10 million.
Agreed to Testify
Durham, who agreed to testify in exchange for a five-year prison sentence, said he and Vaccaro earned about $600,000 a year.
Other government witnesses included former “collectors,” who testified that they were recruited by the ring to collect jackpots.
On Monday U.S. District Judge Edward Reed denied the jurors’ requests for transcripts of testimony during the trial, telling them to rely on their memories. Much of the testimony has not yet been transcribed.
RENO — Eight people accused of heading the nation’s biggest slot machine cheating gang were convicted Thursday of rigging jackpots worth $1.6 million at Nevada and Atlantic City gambling casinos.
The defendants, including a Las Vegas couple, were convicted by a federal jury of all charges in a 17-count indictment involving more than 70 individual charges.
The verdict came midway through the fourth day of deliberations. Testimony in the case took seven weeks.
The indictment accused the defendants of “fixing” $1.6 million in jackpots between 1980 and 1983 by jimmying the machines to pay off by using wires, keys and other gadgets.
But authorities said the ring collected only about $600,000 because the casinos refused to issue the other payoffs.
Biggest Haul
The biggest haul included in the indictment was $188,885 taken at the MGM Grand in Reno in September, 1982.
John Vaccaro, of Las Vegas, described as the ringleader, was convicted of 17 charges, while his wife, Sandra, was convicted of the four counts against her.
Others convicted were William Cushing, Norm Alvis, Michael Kevin Brennan and Dorothy Snider, all of Sacramento; Paul Bond of Reno, and Stephen LaBarbera of Las Vegas.
Included in the indictment were charges of interstate travel in aid of racketeering, interstate transportation of stolen money, aiding and abetting, conspiracy to obtain money by fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in collecting taxes.
The penalties range from 5 to 10 years in prison on each count.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Don Hill based his case largely on the testimony of Ross Durham, who had testified that he acted as the ring’s “mechanic” in opening slot machines and gently aligning their reels for pay outs. Durham claims he rigged as many as 1,500 jackpots worth as much as $10 million.
Agreed to Testify
Durham, who agreed to testify in exchange for a five-year prison sentence, said he and Vaccaro earned about $600,000 a year.
Other government witnesses included former “collectors,” who testified that they were recruited by the ring to collect jackpots.
On Monday U.S. District Judge Edward Reed denied the jurors’ requests for transcripts of testimony during the trial, telling them to rely on their memories. Much of the testimony has not yet been transcribed.
April 4th, 2026 at 5:18:03 PM
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https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-03-29-mn-20417-story.html
This story appears to be from 1985
This story appears to be from 1985
May the cards fall in your favor.
April 4th, 2026 at 5:46:03 PM
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Quote: Dieterhttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-03-29-mn-20417-story.html
This story appears to be from 1985
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It's happened to me a few times.
For some reason Facebook and Google and a few other places present old news as new. And if it's compelling you rush here to discuss. Then discover your mistake later.
For Whom the bus tolls; The bus tolls for thee
April 4th, 2026 at 6:52:50 PM
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Am I *still* the only one here who checks the dateline and byline of a news story?
April 4th, 2026 at 6:53:32 PM
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Obviously decades old news the SOL on something like that would have also run decades ago. Hence any reference to “were convicted Thursday” on a 1980 - 1983 offense could not be contemporary.
Last edited by: MDawg on Apr 4, 2026
I tell you it’s wonderful to be here, man. I don’t give a damn who wins or loses. It’s just wonderful to be here with you people.
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/betting-systems/33908-the-adventures-of-mdawg/
April 4th, 2026 at 7:45:30 PM
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[Ben Kenobi voice]MGM Grand Reno—now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.[/Ben Kenobi voice]
April 5th, 2026 at 12:54:43 AM
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Quote: GenoDRPhAm I *still* the only one here who checks the dateline and byline of a news story?
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I know for me it's just because of my growing up with contemporary reporting.
When I opened up a copy of the Daily News I didn't have to double check if a news article was a reprint from two years ago. Or watching the 6 o'clock news wondering if the latest reporting of slot cheats was being rebroadcast from thirty years earlier.
For Whom the bus tolls; The bus tolls for thee
