Las Vegas’ weirdest true stories: Cave dwellers, courtroom orangutans and FBI secrets
Las Vegas holds many strange and often exaggerated stories, from hidden bodies in Hoover Dam to casino conspiracies. Some of these tales have been debunked, while others—like the mystery of the Cave Lady of Sunrise Mountain—remain unresolved. Behind the city’s glamour, real events involving FBI informants, animal rights scandals, and eccentric recluses reveal a more complex history.
In the 1960s, a woman calling herself Rox Morgan lived in a cave near Frenchman Mountain, just outside Las Vegas. Known as the Cave Lady of Sunrise Mountain, she claimed to be building a church on the summit. Her real name was never confirmed in public records. In 1964, authorities arrested her for trespassing on Bureau of Land Management property. She avoided further charges by insisting her cave stay was temporary. By the early 1970s, she disappeared from public view. The cave itself was later sealed off by Clark County in 2016, citing safety risks.
Another bizarre chapter in Vegas history involved Bobby Berosini, a local entertainer who worked with orangutans. In 1989, hidden-camera footage surfaced showing him physically abusing the animals backstage. The scandal led to his firing and public backlash. Berosini fought back, suing PETA and other animal rights groups for defamation. He argued the video was misleading and that he genuinely cared for the animals. During his trial, his legal team brought three of his orangutans into the courtroom as so-called character witnesses. The jury reportedly laughed and applauded, adding to the spectacle. Meanwhile, behind the scenes of Vegas’ casino empire, Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal—a figure later depicted in the film Casino—operated as a longtime FBI informant. He supplied intelligence on the Chicago Outfit and widespread casino skimming schemes. His cooperation exposed corruption that shaped the city’s underworld for years. Many popular myths about Las Vegas have since been disproven. Claims that bodies lie buried in Hoover Dam, that Howard Hughes bought a casino just to dim its sign, or that casinos pump extra oxygen onto gaming floors all lack credible evidence. Yet the city’s real history—from reclusive cave dwellers to courtroom orangutans—often proves stranger than fiction.
The Cave Lady’s disappearance left her story unfinished, while Berosini’s trial became a surreal footnote in Vegas entertainment. Rosenthal’s FBI ties revealed deeper layers of organised crime. Though some legends persist, the facts behind these events paint a picture of a city where truth and myth frequently collide.
