'They wanted a town that made sense, even if it wasn't literally a company town. 'The railroad company was very intentional about where they placed things,' according to Claire White, director of education for the Mob Museum. Block 16 was just one of two blocks (along with Block 17, which became segregated) that initially allowed alcohol and gambling-a combination that may or may not have contributed to occasional gunfire. There were 40 blocks on 110 acres with Fremont Street as the main drag. It was there from the start when a railroad company founded Las Vegas in 1905 as a rest and supply stop between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Long before the Sin City tag came around, Las Vegas laid the foundation for a legacy of bad behavior with Block 16, a red light district for saloons, brothels, and games of chance.
