The Blast that shook Tahoe (The Case of the Harvey’s Casino Bomb)

FBI Files ^ | 8/26/09 | FBI Files

[Baynative]

In the early morning hours of August 26, 1980—29 years ago today—men wearing white jumpsuits and pretending to deliver an IBM copy machine rolled a bomb into Harvey’s Resort Hotel and Casino in Stateline, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe.

So began one of the most unusual cases in our history.

[Baynative]

A note left with the bomb—titled STERN WARNING TO THE MANAGEMENT AND BOMB SQUAD—began ominously: “Do not move or tilt this bomb, because the mechanism controlling the detonators in it will set it off at a movement of less than .01 of the open end Ricter scale.”

When authorities discovered the Harvey’s bomb, they also found a typewritten note, transcribed here exactly as it was written:

TO THE MANAGEMENT:

Do not move or tilt this bomb, because the mechanism controlling the detonators in it will set it off at a movement of less than .01 of the open end Ricter scale. Don’t try to flood or gas the bomb. There is a float switch and an atmospheric pressure switch set at 26.00-33.00. Both are attached to detonators. Do not try to take it apart. The flathead screws are also attached to triggers and as much as ¼ to ¾ of a turn will cause an explosion. In other words this bomb is so sensitive that the slightest movement either inside or outside will cause it to explode.

“Do not try to take it apart,” the note went on. “The flathead screws are also attached to triggers and as much as ¼ to ¾ of a turn will cause an explosion. …This bomb is so sensitive that the slightest movement either inside or outside will cause it to explode. This bomb can never be dismantled or disarmed without causing an explosion. Not even by the creator.”

An investigator examines the Harvey’s bomb, which contained nearly 1,000 pounds of dynamite and a variety of triggering mechanisms that made it virtually undefeatable.

[SevenofNine]

Any word if Mafia did it or Harry reid people

[Baynative]

There must have been a hundred people watching from the big rocks on Needle Peak just below the old tram station at Heavenly Valley. We waited for hours and when it finally blew we felt the shock all the way up there and didn't hear the explosion for at least 6 or 7 seconds.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Has it been that long ago?

I'd forgot about this.

Terrific warning for today's conditions.

[BenLurkin]

Love the cars in that pic!

[Chode]

Harvey’s Casino Bomb
Full Text of the Extortion Note

TO THE MANAGEMENT:

STERN WARNING TO THE MANAGEMENT AND BOMB SQUAD:

Do not move or tilt this bomb, because the mechanism controlling the detonators in it will set it off at a movement of less than .01 of the open end Ricter scale. Don’t try to flood or gas the bomb. There is a float switch and an atmospheric pressure switch set at 26.00-33.00. Both are attached to detonators. Do not try to take it apart. The flathead screws are also attached to triggers and as much as ¼ to ¾ of a turn will cause an explosion. In other words this bomb is so sensitive that the slightest movement either inside or outside will cause it to explode.

This bomb can never be dismantled or disarmed without causing an explosion. Not even by the creator. Only by proper instruction can it be moved to a safe place where it can be deliberately exploded, or where the third automatic timer can be allowed to detonate it. There are three automatic timers each set for three different explosion times. Only if you comply with the instructions in this letter will you be given instructions on how to disconnect the first two automatic timers and how to move the bomb to a place where it can be exploded safely.

WARNING:

I repeat do not try to move, disarm, or enter this bomb. It will explode.

If exploded this bomb contains enough TNT to severely damage Harrahs across the street. This should give you some idea of the amount of TNT contained within this box. It is full of TNT. It is our advice to cordon off a minimum of twelve hundred feet radius and remove all people from that area.

DEMANDS:

We demand three million dollars in used one hundred dollar bills. They must be unmarked, unbugged and chemically untreated. If we find anything wrong with the money we will stop all instructions for moving the bomb.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DELIVERY:

The money is to be delivered by helicopter. The helicopter pilot is to park at 2300 hours as close as possible to the LTA building by the light at the Lake Tahoe Airport. It is to face the east. The pilot has to be alone, and unarmed. The pilot is to get out and stand by the chain link fence gate. He is to wait for further instructions which will be delivered by a taxi that will be hired. The driver will know nothing. They may also be delivered by a private individual or through the nearby public phone at exactly 0010 hours. At 0010 hours the pilot will receive instructions about where to do and what to do. Before the pilot enters the helicopter he has to take a strong flashlight and shine it around the inside of the helicopter so that it will light up the entire inside. We must be able to see it from a distance with binoculars. We want to be able to see everything that is inside the helicopter so that we can be sure there is no one hiding inside and that there is no contraband inside.

CONDITIONS OF THE BUSINESS TRANSACTION:

These conditions must be followed to the letter. Any deviation from these conditions will leave your casino in a shambles. Also remember that even a very small earthquake will detonate the bomb so do not try to delay the delivery of the money.

(1) All news media, local or nationwide will be kept ignorant of the transactions between us and the casino management until the bomb is removed from the building.
(2) The helicopter will be manned only by the pilot. He must be unarmed and unbugged. We do not want any misunderstanding which might cause us to have to take lives unnecessarily.
(3) Fill the helicopter up completely with gas.
(4) The helicopter pilot after he receives the first instructions cannot communicate with anyone except the necessary instructions given and taken by the tower. All channels from 11.30 to 17.00 will be monitored.

The designer of this bomb will not participate in the exchange so it will be completely useless to apprehend any person making the exchange because they will not know how it works. They perform their duty for reward. And again if you don’t want to be stuck with a thousand pounds of TNT do not allow any investigation by local agencies, FBI or any other investigative agency action before the bomb is removed. If the instructions are violated in any way by any authority the secret of the handling of the bomb will definitely not be revealed. If the money is received without any problems six sets of instructions regarding the removal of the bomb will be given to you at different times. The pilot will receive the first set of instructions. He can carry it back with him. If the money is sold to the buyer without complications you may receive the remaining five sets of instructions one by one via the Kingsbury Post Office by general delivery, or you may receive them all at once. The extent of your co-operation will make the difference. If you co-operate fully it will insure a very speedy exchange. We don’t want to burden your business opportunities or cause more loss of money than is necessary.

ATTENTION:

There will be no extension or renegotiation. Demands are firm regardless. The transaction has to take place within 24 hours. If you do not comply we will not contact you again and we will not answer any attempts to contact us. In the event of a double-cross there will be another time sometime in the future when another attempt will be made. We have the ways and means to get another bomb in.

TO THE PILOT:

The helicopter has to be filled up with gas. Do not come armed with any weapon. Do not bring a shot-gun rider. All radio channels will be monitored. You are to have no communication with anyone after you reach the airport. Do not try to be a hero, Arlington is full of them and they can’t even smell the flowers. Follow the orders strictly. You will make five stops, none of which will be at an airfield. You will have ample lighting for landing. All sites are fairly level. One has about two degrees pitch. There will be a clearance of more than two hundred feet radius. We don’t want any trouble but we won’t run away if you bring it.
Happy landing.

More Images:

An investigator examines the Harvey’s bomb, which contained nearly 1,000 pounds of dynamite
and a variety of triggering mechanisms that made it virtually undefeatable.

Recovered during the post-blast investigation was one of the bomb’s many devious
triggering mechanisms, similar to pop-up locks on car doors.

[Baynative]

The file says 29 years. But, that was 2009. I can’t believe it was that long ago.

[SevenofNine]

Yup that Harry Reid for you or the Mafia ROFL

[TruthBeforeAll]

So if there’s no way to disarm it, even by the creators, why pay the ransom?

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Yeah that Volvo looks like my 1978 245. Except mine is beige and in better shape. Something does not look right about the one in the photo.

[jocon307]

Wow, I don’t remember this story at all. Scary really, the linked article could be more informative, was the guy some kind of expert that he could build this thing?

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: The file says 29 years. But, that was 2009. I can’t believe it was that long ago.

I get it. It's 2014 now.

[Cowboy Bob]

Obama to John Birges: You didn’t build that!

[W.Lee]

I went to work at Harvey’s in the spring of ‘84. Folks always wondered if Harvey had a hand in it. His application to build an addition to the hotel-casino was denied, then the big boom. Since he had to rebuild “anyway”....they let him do the addition. Great big blast shields were hung over the windows of Harrahs across the street from Harvey’s to save all that glass. There is still a vid on YouTube of the detonation.

[yarddog]

I don’t remember it either. It must have not been highly publicized.

It sounds like he was a real genius in building devices to trigger the bomb. The thing which strikes me as the oddest is that he was not lying, not even a little bit.

[WXRGina]

Love the cars in that pic!

I thought the same thing. :-)

[Graybeard58]

That was 1980?! Seems like yesterday.

[Political Junkie Too]

Is that a Ford Pinto on the right? That's a bomb all in itself!

-PJ

[RansomOttawa]

So if there’s no way to disarm it, even by the creators, why pay the ransom?

From the ransom note: "Only if you comply with the instructions in this letter will you be given instructions on how to disconnect the first two automatic timers and how to move the bomb to a place where it can be exploded safely."

So presumably, even if the bomb couldn't be defused, it could still be made safe enough to move somewhere that the explosion would do no harm. (It makes sense that it had to have some sort of "safe" setting, if the bombers were to move it inside without blowing themselves up, right?)

You're right, if there's no hope of saving the building, there's no point in paying the ransom. But if there's a possibility, then in some people's thinking, I'm sure there's a motivation.

[minnesota_bound]

Was this William Ayers bomb? You know him as obama’s terrorist friend.