1980, a massive bomb exploded at Harvey’s Resort Hotel and Casino in Stateline, Nevada, right after authorities tried to disarm it near the casino’s opening. The blast happened because experts accidentally triggered one of the device’s complex safety systems during a failed disarming attempt.https://tahoequarterly.com/summer-2013/the-man-behind-the-bombhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78FLQuhvyO4
The trouble started on August 26, when three men from Reno planted the bomb in a second-floor hallway of the casino. They disguised it as a large IBM copy machine, weighing about 1,000 pounds and packed with enough dynamite to level part of the building. The leader of the group used toothpicks and glue to tamper with nearby doorways, hoping to keep people away until they could collect a $3 million ransom.https://tahoequarterly.com/summer-2013/the-man-behind-the-bombhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78FLQuhvyO4
A casino slot manager spotted the strange device and broken locks during a shift change. He called security, and soon police, FBI agents, and bomb experts rushed in. They found a typed ransom note with strict rules: no tricks, pay in specific bills, and deliver by small plane to a remote spot. The bomb had eight different fuses, making it nearly impossible to disarm safely.https://tahoequarterly.com/summer-2013/the-man-behind-the-bombhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78FLQuhvyO4
Casino owner Harvey Gross, who had built the place from a simple cabin starting in 1944, gave the okay for experts to try rendering it safe. They evacuated the 11-story building and surrounding area. At around 3:43 p.m. on August 27, bomb techs used a remote shape charge to cut into the device. That move set off one of the hidden triggers. The explosion ripped a five-story crater in the building’s side, sending debris flying and leaving toilets and TVs dangling from twisted metal.https://tahoequarterly.com/summer-2013/the-man-behind-the-bombhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78FLQuhvyO4
Crowds of tourists, journalists, and locals gathered outside, watching with TV cameras rolling. When the blast hit, the sound shook Lake Tahoe, and people cheered and toasted, relieved no one got hurt. The casino stayed standing, but the damage cost millions to fix.https://tahoequarterly.com/summer-2013/the-man-behind-the-bombhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78FLQuhvyO4
The bomb maker, John Birges Sr., a Hungarian immigrant and former casino gardener, wanted revenge after losing big at the tables. He built the bomb with help from his son and another man. FBI pilots even flew fake ransom money in a plane with a hidden agent to trap them, but the plot unraveled after the blast. Birges got convicted and died in prison.https://tahoequarterly.com/summer-2013/the-man-behind-the-bombhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78FLQuhvyO4
Experts later called it one of the most sophisticated bombs ever, with anti-tampering features that made disarming a huge risk. The event led to better training for bomb squads nationwide.
Sources
https://tahoequarterly.com/summer-2013/the-man-behind-the-bomb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78FLQuhvyO4
