Almost everyone has a moment when they’re inspired by another’s leap of faith—whether it’s for a job, relationship, or even just a new outfit. For Tony Carleo, that moment came when watching a man win $50,000 off a $5 bet in Las Vegas. Carleo’s leap of faith, however, was robbing the biggest casino on the strip.
In 2010, Carleo walked into the Bellagio at 4 a.m. wearing overalls and a motorcycle helmet, held up the poker table, and then rode off into the night on his motorcycle with $1.5 million in casino chips. He might’ve gotten away with the robbery had he been able to cash in his chips without returning to the scene of the crime. Given the haul and the high-profile nature of the crime, Carleo had to exchange the loot for cash at the Belaggio—but not with a cashier.
To avoid suspicion, Carleo laundered his chips by playing them in rounds of poker before moving on to the exact craps pit he had robbed a few nights prior. Yet the casino was none the wiser. Boosting the 29 year old’s confidence further, he even discussed the robbery with people around the table as a news story about it ran on TV. From there, the story became even stranger.
Here’s Rolling Stone‘s Keith Romer on what happened next:
“Carleo did finally come to the attention of casino management, but not as a suspected criminal. Casinos like the Bellagio employ an army of professionals to lavish attention on high rollers, showering them with free meals and rooms and tickets to shows in hopes that they will stay longer and gamble more. Carleo was assigned his own casino host, who comped him steak dinners and a $600-a-night suite. He took to riding the elevator down from his room in a beige velour tracksuit, a golden Bellagio ‘B’ embroidered on the chest.”
Not to spoil the ending, but Carleo did eventually get caught. But, not before a wild, drug-fueled spending spree in Las Vegas. To learn how he got caught and why he did it, read the full story here.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
