Stan Hunterton, a former federal prosecutor who was instrumental in driving organized crime out of Las Vegas in the ‘70s and ‘80s, died at the age of 74 August 6.
Hunterton was a key member of the Las Vegas Strike Force, a federal team that investigated organized crime in the city and uncovered money-related schemes at the Fremont and Stardust casinos, among other cases.
Some of Hunterton’s most notable work was that in connection with the Hole in the Wall gang, led by famous mobster Anthony “Tony the Ant” Spilotro.
Before migrating to Vegas, Hunterton first started his career in Detroit, where he spent time investigating the famously mysterious death of union boss Jimmy Hoffa.
Former U.S. District Judge Philip Pro told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the former prosecutor “had a profound impact on combating the plague of organized crime in Southern Nevada.”
Bob Miller, former governor of Nevada who worked closely with Hunterton, told the Review-Journal that he was “one of the most stand-up people in the history of Las Vegas,” a soft-spoken man who always got the job done.
In 1984, Hunterton went to Washington, D.C., where he spent two years as a member of President Ronald Raegan’s Commission on Organized Crime. He then returned to Las Vegas and founded the firm Hunterton and Associates, which he ran for nearly 30 years.
Before his retirement, he also spent time as general counsel for Sierra Pacific Resources (NV Energy) and as bar counsel for the State Bar of Nevada.
He is survived by two sons, Gabe and Nate, both of whom still live in Las Vegas.
