A phone number associated with this person is (805) 884-9057 in the local area code 805. John James Audubon (Jean-Jacques Audubon) (April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a French American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. John Birges, Sr. 2. The. 2. , who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WW2. Monday, March 20, 2023. Birges previously survived a. John Birges Sr. The bomb was cleverly built and virtually tamper-proof. Birges, Sr. ORDER. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. Photo: Courtesy of Bill O’Reilly There were two trials in the end: a federal proceeding in Las Vegas and a state trial in Minden, just a few miles from the ranch where Harvey Gross’s pilot had shown Big John how to fly a helicopter. was a Hungarian immigrant to Clovis, Calif. However, he then wrecked himself with a. Birges was a frequent guest at the hotel. John W. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. 14, 1983. Not the right John? View More. A photo of John Birges , Sr. He flew for the German Luftwaffe during World War II. The hotel was damaged in 1980 when a bomb planted by terrorist and extortionist John Birges in Harvey's Lake Tahoeexploded, destroying the neighboring casino. So he and two associates built a bomb. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. R-81-39-ECR. He was captured and sentenced to 25 years of hard labor in a Russian gulag. 2d 610, 614-15 (9th Cir. 1981: A 240-room hotel tower addition opens at Harrah's Reno. A novel based on the real-life extortion attempt on a Lake Tahoe casino masterminded by a veteran of. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. John Birges, Junior mentioned. was convicted in 1981 on federal bombing and extortion charges. Associated Press. He immigrated to Clovis, California in 1957 after flying for Hitler’s Luftwaffe during World War II, serving 8 years of hard labor in a Siberian Gulag and escaping to America after being a freedom fighter in the failed Hungarian revolution. 1. Part one of an interview with John Birges, Jr. , Willis “Bill” Brown and Terry Lee Hall. (1922–1996), was a Hungarian immigrant from Clovis, California. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. Vantage, $16. District Court in Reno, Nevada on Aug. 1980 - Extortionist John Birges plants a bomb at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada. The FBI attempt to disarm the bomb but fail and the bomb explodes and damages the hotel, but no injuries occur; 2003 - Despite. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. Join Facebook to connect with John Birges and others you may know. S. I was in high school in the Bay Area when the bombing took place. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 1. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. His. On this date in 1980, two men made an early morning delivery of what appeared to be computer equipment to the Harvey’s Resort and Casino in Stateline, NV. Associated Press. The sons were allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of conspiracy in return for. John Birges and his sons, John W. Associated Press. A novel based on the real-life extortion attempt on a Lake Tahoe casino masterminded by a veteran of. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. , the mastermind behind the bomb, was attempting to extort $3 million from the casino, claiming he had lost $750,000 gambling there. Associated Press. He was booked for investigation of lying to a Federal grand jury in Reno in connection with the case and was released on his own recognizance. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. Harvey’s employees soon discovered the “computer. In 1944, as the Germans occupied his country, he enlisted in the Royal Hungarian Army Air Force and was installed into an aging Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane to repel Russians. Possible relatives for James Birges include Tyler Birges, Lori Birges, Charles Reynolds and several others. eventually met his demise in jail in 1996, presumably still perplexed about why his brilliant plan failed so spectacularly. Aback WWII hit, he flew an Me-109 for the Luftwaffe. In 1980, Lake Tahoe, Nevada was a popular tourist spot. John Birges was one of the latter. He immigrated to Clovis, California in 1957 after flying for Hitler’s Luftwaffe during World War II, serving 8 years of hard labor in a Siberian Gulag and escaping to America after being a freedom fighter in the failed Hungarian revolution. Sandbags were trucked in to lessen the impact of the blast. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. Jimmy started his own welding business, and achieved a modest level of success. However, he then wrecked himself with a gambling addiction, losing about $750,000 (equivalent to about $2. September 21, 2015 by Adam Fabio 403 Comments . 1. I. Harrah's casino, which was connected to Harvey's via a tunnel, suffered damage from the explosion, mostly from shattered windows. On March 7, 1985, 5 years after the bombing, John Birges Sr. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. Birges previously survived a KGB Gulag, had an IQ of 191, and almost got away with the bombing. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. However, he then wrecked himself with a. Birges was sentenced to life in prison. ;Photos shot 08/27/1980 (Photo by Frederic Larson/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) Harvey’s Resort Hotel and Casino bombing, Stateline, Nevada at Lake Tahoe. 4 93 How to With John Wilson: Season 3 5 92 The Bear: Season 2 6 92 Succession: Season 4 7 90 Barry: Season 4. Much of the Harvey Casino extortion plan – particularly the bomb design – was genius. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. Tahoe Tribune. But it exploded, and leveled Harvey’s. John Birges in custody. , District Judge. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. The bomb, created by gambler John Birges after he was kicked out of the high roller suite at the casino. The bomb contained "nearly 1,000 pounds of dynamite and eight Harvey’s Resort Hotel and Casino bombing, Stateline, Nevada at Lake Tahoe. On this date in 1980, two men made an early morning delivery of what appeared to be computer equipment to the Harvey’s Resort and Casino in Stateline, NV. John Birges Sr. View Actual Score Check Background. , convicted of the 1980 bombing of Harvey's Casino at Lake Tahoe, Nev. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. Skylee Lorenz SOCI 357 May 2, 2022 Final Paper agencies, and acceptable priorities held by both the business and the agencies involved. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney, Edward R. accomplish one isolated phase of his brazen plan to extort the South Shore casino. The note informed them that. John Birges 1 Articles . M. , 60, and Terry Lee Hall, 25, a former employee of the elder Birges in a northern. Here is a t-shirt to commemorate the event, modeled by Vicky McDonald Photos shot 08/27/1980 UPI photo xx. In 1985, he was convicted on related state charges. He was baptized on 30 May 1827. However, he then wrecked himself with a. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. However, he then wrecked himself with a. To recover his losses, he decided to extort money from the Harvey’s Resort Hotel, a casino in Stateline, Nevada. Birges Jr. – or Big John – who came up with the plan. SOUTH LAKE TAHOE Ñ The assembled bomb experts were running out of options more than 24 hours after the improvised explosive device had been found on the second floor of HarveyÕs Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nev. Besides John Birges Sr. Big John and Jimmy Birges were in the Volvo en route back to Placerville to retrieve Joan from the hospital when a special news bulletin came on the radio. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. J. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. Birges contends that his presentence report was falsified. Birges, a casino highroller at Harveys. Your local mountain of fun since 1985. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. Birges said he began building the bomb after a man he called 'Charlie' gave him $60,000 in gambling money. With first hand knowledge of the device, and information from his father, he harbored this harrowing event for decades before deciding to put it into words. 26,The bomb maker was one Janos "Big John" Birges, a Hungarian political refugee who had worked his way up from nothing to become a successful entrepreneur in Fresno, California - only to see his life unraveled in middle age by divorce, cancer, and gambling debts. Tahoe Tribune SOUTH LAKE TAHOE Ñ John Birges had all the makings of an arch-villain from a James Bond movie: He was a brilliant inventor and businessman with a fondness Part 1 of 3:Harveys explosive 30th anniversary detailed | Archives | mtdemocrat. An unarmed pilot was to park by the Lake. Stories of local mob and mafia ties like Baby Face Nelson, John Birges, and the 1980 Harveys Tahoe Bomber will be told, bringing the connections of early gambling in the basin to light. 27 in the. (AP. Before placing the bomb at Harvey's Resort Hotel and Casino, on August 26, 1980, John Birges left a hidden letter to the helicopter pilot under a pay phone at the Lake Tahoe Airport, containing specific instructions for making the ransom drop. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. accomplish one isolated phase of his brazen plan to extort the South Shore casino. FBI archives and news reports say that Birges was a gambling addict and failing restaurateur who lost $750,000 at Harvey’s. I just wish that writers and editors could get all the publicity they need. John Birges Sr. An alert clerk at a nearby hotel had. , convicted of the 1980 bombing of Harvey's Casino at Lake Tahoe, Nev. ;John Birges was convicted as the mastermind behind the explosive device and extortion plot . The Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing took place on August 26–27, 1980, when several men masquerading as photocopier deliverers planted an elaborately booby trapped bomb containing 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of dynamite at Harvey's Resort Hotel (now "Harveys") in Stateline, Nevada, United States. Birges' presentence report stated that he had been sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment in Siberia for espionage, but did not specify that he had been working as a spy for the United. John Birges and Terry Hall appeal from their convictions arising out of the bombing of Harvey's Casino [South Lake Tahoe]. Huit ans après sa peine dans le goulag, il a été libéré pendant une période de rapatriement massif de. Leon HARDISON, Warden, Respondent-Appellee. Birges Jr. was a former Soviet fighter pilot who built a bomb to extort money from Harveys Resort Hotel in 1980. J. comJohn Birges and Terry Hall appeal from their convictions arising out of the bombing of Harvey's Casino [South Lake Tahoe]. The casino floor at Harveys is massive compared to casinos located outside of Las Vegas. A: John Birges Sr. Photo courtesy of FBI. . John Birges in custody. He died in prison in 1996, at the age of 74. He needed money. After immigrating to America in 1957, he founded a Fresno-based landscaping company that built golf courses, and he became a millionaire by 1971. 28, 1981. had needed money, as he’d gambled away his savings, owed $15,000 ($43,000 today) to Harvey’s (his favorite casino that he’d frequented often) and lacked any more assets to sell. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. 1980 John Birges. , JOHN WALDO BIRGES, JR. John Birges Sr. The regiment was intended, raised, and. "We can. , the convicted mastermind of the 1980 extortion attempt that resulted in an explosion at Harvey’s Resort Hotel/Casino at Lake Tahoe, died of liver cancer in a Nevada prison in. Born in Hungary in 1922 as János Birges, John grew up in Budapest. was giving a traffic citation for speeding. John Birges in custody. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. was sentenced to life in prison. Brown and Hall were simply delivery men; each paid in the range of $100 to $2,000, according to varying accounts, to help Birges Sr. Harvey’s employees soon discovered the “computer equipment” and the note. The explosion hollowed-out a five story cavern inside the hotel, from the basement up to the. Episode 37 - John Birges, the casino bomber Episode 37 - John Birges, the casino bomber Wherein Biscuit and Sock take on the topic of getting revenge on the casino when you lose your money. The bomb contained "nearly 1,000 pounds of dynamite and eightA year later, the FBI received a tip that led them to John Birges, a businessman who lost his fortune gambling at Harveys. Johnny Birges didn’t hear any more about his father’s bomb until one day in June 1980, when Jimmy called to tell him that Big John had found the dynamite he. 2 million in 2018) at Harvey’s. John Birges Sr. John Waldo BIRGES, Sr. 26, 1980, until its detonation the following day, was a whirlwind of activity involving phone calls, helicopters, missed ransom. and Nina J. The Harvey Casino Bomb Heist, orchestrated by mastermind. § 3147(a), asking this Court to amend the Order imposing conditions for his release pending trial. John Birges Sr was an ex-Luftwaffe pilot and a survivor of a Soviet gulag, where he spent 8 years. He was booked for investigation of lying to a Federal grand jury in Reno in connection with the case and was released on his own recognizance. , and their father, John Birges of Clovis, put the plan into motion. About 20 miles to the south, John Birges Jr. Arnold at Amazon. 23, 1954, the only boy in a family of six children. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. That Order was entered August 31, 1981, by Magistrate Phyllis Halsey Atkins. , is arrested about a year later. John Birges in custody. John Birges had all the makings of an arch-villain from a James Bond movie: He was a brilliant inventor and businessman with a fondness for betting large sums of money at the blackjack tables; he was a ruthless perfectionist who would not tolerate weakness in those around him, even his own family; he even had an authentic Hungarian accent. Birges' two sons. The bomb was made up to look like a 1980 computer, down to the silk cover stitched with "IBM" made by John Birges' girlfriend. 2. was parked in his father’s Volvo in a clearing near Ham’s Station on Highway 88, waiting for his father to fly overhead in the stolen helicopter. August 26, 2013 John DuMond History, True Crime bomb, crime, fbi, Harvey's Casino, history, true crime. Arnold is a hybrid – part memoir, part novel, and all based on the true events surrounding the extortion/bombing plot that brought down a casino in Lake Tahoe in 1980, told by one of the participants in this incredible true crime narrative. The note informed them that. was in deep gambling debt to Harvey Gross and concocted a plan to extort $3 million from the casino, he was able. Tahoe Daily Tribune file photo. 2. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. Birges is essentially seeking reconsideration of the district court's order dismissing with leave to amend his 28 U. However, he then wrecked himself with a. After studying the bomb for more than a day through x-rays, bomb technicians decided that, although there were warnings from the bomb. Birges is currently serving a twenty year sentence imposed in 1982 by the United. John Burges. About 20 miles to the south, John Birges Jr. Kane; and the defendants are all present with their respective counsel. Arnold. Your local mountain of fun since 1985. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The bomb had been planted by John Birges, a former German pilot during World War II. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WW2. However, he then wrecked himself with a gambling addiction, losing about $750,000 (equivalent to about $2. Brown and Hall were simply delivery men; each paid in the range of $100 to $2,000, according to varying accounts, to help Birges Sr. Join Facebook to connect with John Birges and others you may know. John Birges had all the makings of an arch-villain from a James Bond. A fifth person, Birges' son, John Birges, Jr. It conditions said defendant's release on the posting of bail in the sum of $2,000,000, cash or. , 60 years old, of Clovis, Calif. Born in Hungary in 1922 as János Birges, John grew. Formerly a successful landscaping company owner worth millions, he lost all of it to his gambling addiction. On this date in 1985, police in Los Angeles, CA broke up a mob that was beating a man they had detained. Public records for James Birges, 61 years old. Birges tried to extort $3 million but plans went awry and a robot detonated the bomb during an attempt to disable it. The massive bomb was built by a 59-year-old gambler named John Birges, Sr. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. A bomb was placed in Harvey’s and a demand was. Bombing Harvey,by John Birges Jr. However, Birges was no criminal mastermind, and sloppiness proved his undoing. Bindoff, 1982 Available from. Birges was part of the bombing. The stranger later demanded payment immediately and sent two men to threaten him, said. The bomb was placed by John Birges, a heavily in-debt Fresno landscaper who had lost at least $1 million at casinos in Stateline and was hoping to extort $3 million from the bomb threat. Associated Press. John Birges, a former steel worker and landscaping contractor, designed and built the bomb and masterminded the $3 million extortion plot. A Republican, he served in the California State Assembly and the California. Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (/ ˈ b ɔːr h ɛ s / BOR-hess, Spanish: [ˈxoɾxe ˈlwis ˈβoɾxes] ⓘ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a. était un immigrant hongrois à Clovis, en Californie . The first motion we'll hear is that of John Birges. Birges tried to extort $3 million but plans went awry and a robot detonated the bomb during an attempt to disable it. KANE, Assistant United States. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. Friday's episode ofIn 1980, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, experienced a shocking and intricate criminal scheme that astonished law enforcement officials and the public. Hello Select your address All. Associated Press. However, he then wrecked himself with a. However, he then wrecked himself with a. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. J BIRGES MANUFACTURING & MACHINE LLC. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. Birges was caught after being turned in by his son, John Birges Jr. m. 26, 1980, it had already been more than 17 hours since a 1,000-pound bomb was found with an extortion note on the second floor of HarveyÕs ReKPMG helped a world-renowned brand optimize markdowns across discount waves with the development of a 13% more accurate forecasting model. 2. i am lucky to have been where i was when i was. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. Disguised as an IBM copy machine, the device was rolled across the hotel lobby, up the elevator, and down a corridor in. Formerly a successful landscaping company owner worth millions, he lost all of it to his gambling addiction. fell into bankruptcy owing to a sustained gambling addiction that wiped off $750,000 from his wealth. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. There is also a keno lounge, sportsbook and poker room. . John “Big John” Birges Sr. 28, 1981. Visitation at 10 a. In 1980, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, experienced a shocking and intricate criminal scheme that astonished law enforcement officials and the public. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. Five . He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. Birges was sentenced to life in prison. Huddleston inspects the bomb; photo by the FBIMartin H. 2. However, he then wrecked himself with a. 63 3. Nevada Public Radio. REPORTER: Gary Sheppard (KFSN-TV film/tape) Reporter(s):John Birges Sr. However, he then wrecked himself with a. , and his brother James Birges, were recruited by their father and also involved in the Harvey’s Resort Casino incident in 1980, eventually convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion, and given a sentence of three years felony probation. TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS BAIL MOTION August 28, 1981 Reno, Nevada APPEARANCES: For the Plaintiff: EDWARD R. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected. was born in Hungary in 1922. As the case developed we came to know that John Birges Sr. "Bringing Down the House," a KCRA 3 and Very Local production, is now available for streamingTahoe Daily Tribune SOUTH LAKE TAHOE Ñ By the time Special Agent Joe Cook landed his FBI helicopter in the Heavenly Valley parking lot, around 11 p. 2. 17, 1981,the day he was arrested in connection with the bombing of Harvey's Resort Hotel on Aug, 27, 1980 . John Waldo Birges age 62. Two laborers hired to place the bomb in the casino, Willis Brown and Terry Hall, were also charged in the case. Among other things, he used his own van to deliver the bomb. The bomb, created by gambler John Birges after he was kicked out of the high roller suite at the casino. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. However, he then wrecked himself with a. The plot was hatched by the author’s father John Birges. RENO, NEVADA, Friday, August 28, 1981, 10:30 A. Associated Press. 2. Esta es la historia de John "Janos" Birges el hombre que hizo una bomba imposible de desactivar a cambio de dinero en el hotel Harvey casino en Stateline, Ne. TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS BAIL MOTION August 28, 1981 Reno, Nevada APPEARANCES: For the Plaintiff: EDWARD R. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. john birges and i used to work together at beatty products. Queen Wilayat protests to get her kingdom back, but the train for change is a bit late. Harvey's Resort Hotel and Casino bombing, Stateline, Nevada at Lake Tahoe. 95 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-0-533-16380-9. The mastermind of the extortion plot, John Birges, and his hired henchmen, Willis "Bill" Brown and Terry Lee Hall, delivered his home-made, 1,000-pound bomb to Harvey's Resort Hotel on the morning of June 26, 1980. Big John Birges convinces his two sons to help him with the extortion through bombing plot. It was an attempt to extort his lost money from the casino. John Birges in custody. When extortionists demanded $3 million from the casino the FBI tried to disarm the bomb. Birges' two sons -- James, 20, and John Jr, 22 -- testified against him in the trial, which began Oct. The mastermind behind the bomb, millionaire John Birges, was attempting to extort $3 million from the casino, claiming he had lost $750,000 gambling there. The idea was to plant it in the hotel, retreat. Join the Ski Park family!At least 600 pounds of dynamite blew a massive 50 by 30 foot crater through five floors of the resort after a demand for $3 million in cash was not paid to bomber John Birges, who later testified. into the U. John Birges Sr. Birges' two sons have been granted leniency in exchange for their testimony, and one of the sons testified last week about an elaborate plan that made the. 2d 1050, 1052 (9th Cir. On March 26, 1986, appellant, who was then, and continues to be, incarcerated in a federal correctional facility in Lompoc, California, filed a petition for post-conviction relief. He had lost three quarters of a million dollars gambling at the casino in this hotel, and decided that he wanted to get his money back. RENO, NEVADA, Friday, August 28, 1981, 10:30 A. THE COURT: This is the time set for motions for reduction of bail in Case No. "I had a lot of issues with my dad. The bomb maker was one Janos “Big John” Birges, a Hungarian political refugee who had worked his way up from nothing to become a successful entrepreneur in Fresno, California–only to see his life unraveled in middle age by divorce, cancer, and gambling debts. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WW2. John BIRGES, Sr. Birges got. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. "We can. Harvey’s employees soon discovered the. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney, Edward R. Fire Chief Thomas J. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. The blackmailer was John Birges, a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the Luftwaffe during WWII. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. The Luftwaffe Veteran Behind it All. , Nina J. It began when four men wheeled the bomb into Harvey’s Casino at. The “creator,” the FBI later discovered, was 59-year-old John Birges, Sr. 2. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. m. A lot of great books are written by people who just don’t have the time to keep up with the latest trends in publishing. 2. Photos. On August 27, 1980, landscaper John Birges along with several accomplices including his own sons, walked a camouflaged, tamper-proof bomb made from stolen dynamite, into Harvey’s Casino in Stateline, Nevada and demanded $3 million from the casino. John Birges Sr. John Birges is on Facebook. It was his father John Birges Sr. John Birges Jr. Birges moved to America after the war, where he quickly amassed a fortune. Six Unknown Fed. Birges contends that his presentence report was falsified. The massive bomb was built by a 59-year-old gambler named John Birges, Sr. m. and Nina J. Officials later identified the three men as John Birges Sr. who lost a lot of money at Harvey's Casino in Lake Tahoe. Vantage, $16. János Birgès was born on March 22, 1922 in Jászberény, Hungary. His major work, a color-plate book. App. , 74, who was convicted of masterminding a $3 million extortion attempt that led to a huge explosion at a hotel-casino in Lake Tahoe, Nev. NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft launched atop its Titan/Centaur-7 launch vehicle. But while Birges’ bomb was proof against efforts to disarm it, his plan to collect. During the war, he was captured by Soviets and sentenced to 25 years of hard labor in a gulag. Jim Birges was only a teenager in 1980 when he, his older brother, John Jr. Summary: The case of John Birges Sr. The bomb blew a 50-foot crater through five floors of the resort and. 2. and Jimmy. Advertisement. This is being made into a movie by Bradley Cooper. Birges was convicted of attempt to interfere with commerce by threats of violence, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, conspiracy, and transportation of explosives in interstate commerce. was a Hungarian immigrant who had flown for the German Luftwaffe during World War II. He built a successful landscaping business, opened a few restaurants, and became a millionaire. A phone number associated with this person is (559) 299-0585 in the local area code 559.