Bet on it: Lefty’s ‘lucky’ night

Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal’s Cadillac Eldorado exploded when he turned the ignition key 40 years ago Tuesday. The charred car was parked in a lot shared by Tony Roma’s and a Marie Callender’s. (Las Vegas Sun)

LAS VEGAS — After the boom, a man staggered from a Cadillac and looked smoky, his hair standing on end. “They’re trying to kill me,” he yelled in the parking lot. “They’re trying to kill me!”

A passer-by on East Sahara, United Press International Las Vegas bureau chief Myram Borders, asked, “Who is trying to kill you?”