The Mob,Vegas and the Law: Glenn Wichinsky's Untold Story

What happens when you discover your father was a footnote in mob history and it's your own name in the index? In this episode of From Underdog to Entrepreneur, Pat Miller sits down with Glenn Wichinsky , a distinguished gaming and business law attorney licensed in Florida and Nevada and author of Things Left Unsaid: My Dad, The Mob, and Growing Up in the Nevada Gaming Industry. His memoir, recently featured at the London Book Fair, traces his journey to understanding the truth about his father, a man whose life intersected with organized crime, the early Nevada casino world, and the formative years of a now-global industry. Glenn shares the extraordinary story of stumbling on his father's name in a book by Danielle Gomes, daughter of a Nevada Gaming Control Board investigator, and how that discovery led him to review sealed FBI and military records that finally connected the dots on a lifetime of unanswered questions. He talks about growing up around unexplained moments and surveillance in a wedding parking lot, photos pulled from albums, warnings at customs, and how his father, despite his associations, worked hard to shield his son from that world entirely. What You'll Learn How Glenn uncovered his father's hidden past through a stranger's book and sealed archival records Why his father pushed him toward law and away from the family business How gaming law emerged as a brand-new legal specialty in the 1980s, and how Glenn became one of its pioneers The story of rebuilding his career and finances from scratch at 51 after an unexpected divorce, including running a casino in Laughlin, Nevada, while living in a $15-a-night motel How an unplanned pivot into international business and marketing became one of his greatest professional skills Why trusting your gut and acting on opportunity quickly matters more than overthinking it How the gaming industry has evolved from handshake deals to heavy regulation, and what problem gambling looks like in the online era Why Glenn now teaches gaming law and established a scholarship in his father's name for students entering the field   About Glenn Wichinsky Glenn Wichinsky is a distinguished gaming and business law attorney licensed in Florida and Nevada and the author of Things Left Unsaid: My Dad, The Mob, and Growing Up in the Nevada Gaming Industry, a memoir recently featured at the London Book Fair. Glenn originally set out to become a meteorologist before moving to Las Vegas to work alongside his father and later attended law school, where he went on to become one of the pioneers of gaming law as a legal specialty in the 1980s. His career has included running a casino in Laughlin, Nevada, serving as president of a gaming cabinet manufacturing company, and practicing gaming law with a national law firm. Glenn has been teaching gaming law and regulation as an adjunct professor at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, for nine years and established a scholarship in his father's name for students pursuing careers in gaming law.  Connect with Glenn Wichinsky LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-e-wichinsky-attorney-98b460 Connect with Pat Miller Follow Pat Miller for more conversations with entrepreneurs who share the real stories behind building successful businesses. Website: https://patmiller.net/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepatmiller11 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepatmiller11/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatmiller11/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePatMiller11/ Subscribe to From Underdog to Entrepreneur: Building Dreams with Pat Miller for weekly conversations with entrepreneurs who share the real stories, lessons, failures, and successes behind building thriving businesses. If you're passionate about entrepreneurship, leadership, business growth, entertainment, and personal development, this podcast is designed to help you build your dream. New episodes are released regularly.