Sleeping with the fishes: Drying Lake Mead throws up more remains of MAFIA VICTIMS
On Monday, a fifth set of human remains was discovered near a drought-stricken lake and are believed to be connected to "Mafia murders". Nevada's Lake Mead, which is quickly disappearing, has thrown up several remains, with many speculating about the identity of the dead and how they met their ends.
The Swim Beach region has seen three such gruesome finds this year as the water fell to historically low levels. They are currently being investigated to find out if they belong to the same person or different people.
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Around 8 o'clock on Monday night, divers from the Las Vegas Police Department assisted National Park Service rangers in establishing a perimeter and locating the remains. Two further sets of remains have been discovered at the lake since May, in addition to the three fragmentary findings at Swim Beach. That includes one person discovered half buried in a barrel in an area of the lake bottom just exposed by decreasing waters.
Based on the gunshot wound and personal belongings discovered with the drum, detectives believe the victim was shot to death in the 1980s.
Detective for homicide police at the time, Lieutenant Ray Spencer, commented, "I would say there is a very good chance as the water level drops that we are going to find additional human remains."
A second set of bones were found near the lake's Calville Bay just a week later, according to CNN. They are believed to belong to a male who is between the ages of 23 and 38, according to preliminary testing. The reason of death is yet unknown.
The discoveries have sparked rumors about cold cases from the early days of Las Vegas, which is 30 minutes away. Some have speculated that the lake may have been used as a floating cemetery by the Mafia in power to dispose of their victims. The victim that was discovered shot and in a barrel clearly had all the signs of a Mob rub-out.
The staff at the "Mob Museum" in Las Vegas thinks it's Johnny Pappas, who worked for a front firm for criminals that controlled four sizable casinos and kept a "skim" of the winnings. He had a boat on Lake Mead, and one night in 1976, he vanished. Tony Spilotro, a legendary Mafia "enforcer" and serial hitman who served as the model for Joe Pesci's role in Martin Scorsese's iconic mob movie 'Casino', was suspected of murdering him.
However, according to some local experts, it was much more likely that victims were buried in the desert rather than dumped in the lake, which may have startled tourists. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," according to Travis Heggie, a retired National Park Service employee who has examined the remains at Lake Mead Recreation Area.