George Jay Vandermark AKA George Skinner was a man who was last seen in Phoenix, Arizona during the summer of 1976. It is believed that his mob-related activities at Las Vegas, Nevada contributed to his disappearance. He may go by his middle name, "Jay". His fingerprints and DNA are available for comparison.
Case[]
George Vandermark was the slot machine supervisor at the Stardust Resort and Casino. During this time, he was involved in the skimming of over $7 million from the slot machines; he gave $4 million to the Chicago Outfit, whose Las Vegas operations were under the control of Anthony Spilotro AKA "Tony the Ant," and he kept the rest for himself. On May 18, 1976, the Nevada Gaming Control Board staged an impromptu raid on the casino and uncovered the elaborate scheme. During the raid, George fled the city to escape the authorities and the mob, who were angry that George kept the remaining $3 million.
Investigators got in contact with George's son, Jeff, who stated his father was living in Mazatlan, Mexico, where he was living in a trailer camp under the name of "Steven Brown." Jeff told investigators weeks later that his father was willing to come forward and turn himself in. Later that day, Jeff was found murdered in his apartment by blunt-force trauma to the head. His murder remains unsolved.
In August or September 1976, there were verified sightings of George living under an alias in Phoenix, Arizona, and he was last seen in the area of North 24th Street and East Camelback Road. He has not been seen or heard from again. Since his disappearance, George was reported to have been murdered at his residence in Mexico by mobsters and buried in the desert. To date, no one has been charged with his murder.
In May 2022, George's case, alongside other mob-related cases from Las Vegas, was brought into the public spotlight after an unknown man was found inside a barrel at Hemenway Harbor off of Lake Mead, Nevada. The unknown man was murdered sometime in the 1970s or early 1980s, and the murder is believed to be related to mob activities in Las Vegas. There has been speculation the unknown man could be George, but authorities suspect he might be a man named Bobbi Eugene Shaw.
Media[]
George Vandermark was the inspiration to the supporting character John Nance in the 1995 film Casino. He was portrayed by Bill Allison.
Characteristics[]
- Gray hair.
- Brown eyes.
- Spot-type burn scars on his right elbow and right shoulder.
Accessories[]
- Glasses with black plastic frames.
- Hearing aids in both ears.
Exclusions[]
- Mohave County John Doe (2008)