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Watery graves recall early days of organized crime in Las Vegas

Lake Mead Human Remains
Posted at 2:13 PM, May 10, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-10 17:44:47-04

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Stories about long-departed Las Vegas organized crime figures are surfacing after a second set of unidentified human remains were revealed as the water level falls on drought-stricken Lake Mead.

Lake Mead Human Remains
These photos of Saturday, May 7, 2022, provided by Lindsey Melvin of Henderson, Nev., shows human remains she and her sister discovered on a sandbar that recently surfaced as Lake Mead recedes. A closer look revealed a human jaw with teeth. The National Park Service confirmed in a statement that the bones are human. (Lindsey Melvin via AP)

The Colorado River reservoir is about a 30-minute drive from the mob-founded Strip. Former Mayor Oscar Goodman represented mob figures as a defense attorney. He says there’s no telling what will be found as waters levels fall and shorelines are exposed.

READ: Decades-old barrel with human remains washes up on shore of Lake Mead

Two paddle boarders found bones Saturday on a newly surfaced sand bar. A week earlier, boaters spotted the decomposed body of a man in a rusted barrel. A University of Nevada, Las Vegas history professor says he'd bet that more bodies will be found as the lake level drops.