Mike Laub recently bought Bill’s casino in Lake Tahoe and was in the process of renovating the building. But when he started tearing down walls, Laub found a 1.2m tall, black locked safe that was hidden underneath a staircase and sealed off behind a wall.
What the hell? How did no one know about this? What could be so important to seal the safe off completely? To not even let it be accessible, even. That’s the question that’ll be answered in the next few days.
Laub thinks the safe belongs to a previous owner of the casino, Richard Chartrand. Chartrand was killed in 1968 when a bomb exploded underneath his car as he backed out of his driveway. Hm. Casino owner + money + bomb death + the ’60s = Mafia anybody? That’s what the speculation has always been at least. So if Chartrand was killed by the Mafia and the safe belongs to Chartrand, it doesn’t take a wise guy to know that the Mafia would take a keen interest as to what’s inside. And though the mafia might not be as powerful as they once were, things could get mighty interesting once that safe pops off.
But while Mike Laub was talking to the press about how bizarre the safe was, his son, Jordan Laub has promised Reddit that he’ll open the safe live online. In his words, he’ll be there before the newspapers with a blowtorch and in charming teenage ignorance, says he’s not worried about the mafia. The way I see it, the contents of the safe can go one of two ways: 1) whatever’s inside is big enough that the mafia is going to kill someone over it or 2) it’s going to be very disappointing. I’m hoping there’s a third scenario. [Tahoe Daily Tribune via Reddit via @kn0thing, Image Credit: Adam Jensen/Tahoe Daily Tribune]
Jackson Bison
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 7:52 AMOMG, I can’t believe they opened it and found it was full of dorks!
…or am I getting the 2nd picture a little confused.
olearymo
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 4:16 PMhaaaaaaahaha you win the innernets.
EckyThump
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 8:16 AMMy bet is it’s the body of ‘Jimmy Hoffa’..! #]
Martin
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 8:44 AMhmmm…safe contents and blow torches….i dont think that the contents of the safe will still be in good condition after they have finished getting into it.
I’d be drilling holes big enough to get a heavy duty reciprocating saw and cut a huge whole in the side. yeah there might be damage but not catestrophic damage to the contents of the entire safe.
tom
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 8:52 AMFind safe in old casino. Post it on the internet to everyone knows. Idiot.
Maniacal
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 4:22 PMand who posts a picture of themselves in front of it, on the internet for all the world too see (including the Mafia).
it’s like stealing a crop of cannabis and using the cannabis growers camera to record the event, then leaving it behind!!
Penmonicus
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 11:36 AMCongrats, you’ve got 12 kilos of cocaine!
And now everyone gets to see it get taken away from you.
Jim
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 11:45 AMAnyone ever heard of a lock smith?
They can open safe’s!
Mike
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 12:19 PMLocksmith = $$$$ an hour
Safe = many hours
thus, locksmith = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
blowtorch = $20
Trace
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 12:05 PMI bet its empty, they couldn’t be bothered moving it so they left it there.
Peggy Sue
Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 10:29 AMdid you compare the two safes? The one in the top pic looks way taller than the one in the bottom pic with the guys in it.
Steve
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 1:12 PMThere was nothing in Al Capone’s vault /
But it wasn’t Geraldo’s fault
cflow
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 4:16 PMIf they keep the safe whole they could sell it to American Pickers or something and probably make some cash!
Matt L
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 1:28 PMPost it on eBay. Watch as gamblers throw away their cash on a safe. Will sell pretty well I’d say. Given it’s history and location.