1980 Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing in Nevada...
Item # 725949
August 28, 1980
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Aug. 28, 1980
* Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing - dynamite
* Booby tapped bomb - Stateline, Nevada
* Casino extortion scheme - John Birges Sr.
The front page has a two column heading: "Bomb Explodes in Nevada Casino; Early Evacuation Prevents Injuries" with related photo. Coverage continues inside with another related photo. (see images)
Complete with all 80 pages, light toning along the central fold, address label within the masthead, generally in very nice condition.
background: The Harvey’s Resort bombing stands as the most sophisticated act of domestic extortion in American history, featuring a 1,000-pound "genius bomb" so diabolical that it remains the gold standard for FBI training decades later. Built by a disgruntled high-roller with the precision of a master clockmaker, the device utilized a labyrinth of eight separate triggering mechanisms—including mercury switches and trembler sensors—rendering it scientifically "undefeatable" by the world's top explosives experts. When the shaped-charge disarming attempt failed, the resulting blast didn't just shatter windows; it carved a five-story canyon through a luxury resort, yet resulted in zero casualties due to a flawless, high-stakes evacuation. This event forever changed the landscape of corporate security and federal crisis management, proving that sometimes, the house doesn't just lose—it's leveled by a masterpiece of destructive engineering that still haunts the annals of forensic science.
* Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing - dynamite
* Booby tapped bomb - Stateline, Nevada
* Casino extortion scheme - John Birges Sr.
The front page has a two column heading: "Bomb Explodes in Nevada Casino; Early Evacuation Prevents Injuries" with related photo. Coverage continues inside with another related photo. (see images)
Complete with all 80 pages, light toning along the central fold, address label within the masthead, generally in very nice condition.
background: The Harvey’s Resort bombing stands as the most sophisticated act of domestic extortion in American history, featuring a 1,000-pound "genius bomb" so diabolical that it remains the gold standard for FBI training decades later. Built by a disgruntled high-roller with the precision of a master clockmaker, the device utilized a labyrinth of eight separate triggering mechanisms—including mercury switches and trembler sensors—rendering it scientifically "undefeatable" by the world's top explosives experts. When the shaped-charge disarming attempt failed, the resulting blast didn't just shatter windows; it carved a five-story canyon through a luxury resort, yet resulted in zero casualties due to a flawless, high-stakes evacuation. This event forever changed the landscape of corporate security and federal crisis management, proving that sometimes, the house doesn't just lose—it's leveled by a masterpiece of destructive engineering that still haunts the annals of forensic science.
Category: The 20th Century













