The Rex

"The Rex," tells the amazing story of Tony Cornero, notorious bootlegger and organized crime front man, and his fleet of floating casinos, which were hugely popular with the people of 1930's California. Considered a moral scourge by then California Attorney General Earl Warren, the clashing of their opposite passions fueled by money, murder, lavish gambling, entertainment activities reputable and disreputable, lead to confrontations in the courtroom and on the high seas. Tony Cornero, who history cites as opening the first real casino in Las Vegas, later went on to open the mega-successful Stardust Hotel in 1955. Earl Warren went on to be governor of California, Chief Justice of the United States, as well as chairing the infamous Warren Commission's investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. During the golden age of movie stars, oil tycoons, real estate moguls, and ruthless gangsters, they shared a battlefield of public opinion, and a struggle that ultimately defined the Southern California lifestyle. As dedicated as Warren was to the destruction of the floating casino industry, Cornero was dedicated to it flourishing.