I was asked about an old incident the other day, happened at the Palace Club in Reno in the forties sometime during the war. A busy New Years Eve, a big crowd, many service personnel along with many from California up for the holidays.
Someone had the brilliant idea of sneaking under one of the crap tables, cutting a big hole in the money "drop box," and catching the money as is was dropped down into the table before it hit the floor, and that is what someone did. Crowded table, people jammed all around it, and this guy sits under the table catching all the money as it came to him.
He climbed out from under the table and walked away with a pocketful of cash. Eventually someone noticed money laying on the floor and the boxman realized what had happened. They had no idea how much money he got, but he did well.
Another incident happened at Harrah's Tahoe shortly after it opened in the fifties. At that time, it was reportedly the longest "pit" in Nevada. I forget how long it was, but long. Shortly after it opened, a "big" crap game was going on at one end of the pit. At sometime, a "floor boss" approached a table at the opposite end of the pit, all suited up, had a chip "rack" and told the dealers, "Quick, give me all the 100 dollar chips, need a fill on table 2." The dealers were all new, looked at each other and gave him all the big chips.
Hours later, someone noticed they were gone and not accounted for. By that time they had made it down the mountain to Reno and cashed the chips in a various places. Wrong, stealing, I guess, but I admire people who possess those "gutty" qualities. Thus the term, "If you're gonna be a sucker, be a silent one."
