Casino violence

Keith Paul

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2000 | 11:22 a.m.

A small group of people gathered near the sports book inside the Stardust hotel-casino Monday morning and watched as a man was handcuffed after a shooting. Others didn't know what happened and just continued gambling.

Anthony Cuccia, 59, had been seen spending most of Monday morning sitting quietly in the sports book. But then for some unknown reason, Metro Police say, at about 11:45 a.m. he pulled out a large-caliber revolver and shot a 56-year-old Las Vegas man twice.

Police said the victim was sitting in a seat in the first few rows in front of the betting counter. After he was shot, he ran out of the sports book and collapsed about 10 feet outside the door, police said.

Paramedics rushed him to University Medical Center, but he died at 12:52 p.m. Cuccia was held in the Clark County jail without bail.

The victim's name had not been released as of this morning while the coroner's office tried to contact his family.

"We haven't been able to find any relationship between the victim and Anthony Cuccia," homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen said. "There are several rumors out there, but we haven't been able to verify any of them."

Both men were known to frequent the Stardust's sports book, but there is no indication they were friends, he said.

Darrell Olson sat just a few seats away from Cuccia earlier in the morning.

"He was just sitting there expressionless," said Olson, who is visiting Las Vegas from Minnesota. "He was there for a couple hours."

Olson and his wife, who was a few feet away playing slot machines, hit the floor when the shots were fired.

"I couldn't believe it was happening," Olson said as he stood outside the Stardust next to his wife, who still carried a handful of quarters from the slot machines.

After the shooting, police said, Cuccia simply walked over to the betting counter and put the gun down. He was then taken into custody without incident.

Police said Cuccia has a 1996 conviction for conspiracy to commit grand larceny in Nevada, and he also had been convicted four times in New York starting back in 1960 for unlawful entry, attempted grand larceny, a narcotics-related charge and escape.

The shooting inside the Stardust was the second inside a Las Vegas casino in the past three months. On Nov. 10, Gloria Cohns, a 37-year-old blackjack dealer, was shot to death inside the Golden Gate on Fremont Street. Larry D. Taylor, 37, was charged with murder. He is currently in a state mental facility.

Taylor, Cohns' ex-boyfriend, was ordered to remain at Lake's Crossing near Sparks until he is mentally competent to stand trial.

Weapons are not allowed in casinos, but patrons don't pass through metal detectors.

Robert Ravdel, who says he has been going to sports books for 10 years, stood outside the Stardust Monday afternoon talking about the need for more security.

"Customers have got to worry about this," he said. "What's a (security surveillance) camera gonna do? Record the guy getting shot?"

The slaying at the Stardust is the 15th homicide so far this year in Metro's jurisdiction, compared to five at the same point last year.

Keith Paul covers crime and public safety for the Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-4057 or by e-mail at keith@lasvegassun.com.