It could never be disarmed without triggering an explosion. All of that had to be recovered and considered while we're searching for evidence.The casino operation wanted to open part of their gambling area that was not damaged. Jonkey and others would later assist in the tragedy that occurred in Oklahoma City. For some guests, the lack of information and direction fueled a frightful experience.“No one told us where to go, what to do,” Stockton resident and hotel guest Marjorie McComb told the newspaper. Media reports claimed that every dollar was ultimately accounted for, though that did not stop the claims from Harvey’s guests who argued possessions were missing from their evacuated hotel rooms.While zero people were killed, the damage to the building was a gut punch for Gross — a man described in a New York Times obituary three years later as “a gambling pioneer” who turned a club with six slot machines after World War II “into a multimillion-dollar casino empire.”“He started crying and he said, ‘thank god we didn’t hurt anyone,’” Pierini said of Gross as he surveyed the wreckage.“Harvey was a great guy, and he just put all his effort into that position. The device is still regarded by the FBI as one of the most unique improved explosive devices in the Bureau’s history. The anti-motion switch was another. It was an extortion to get money to save his business. The float mechanism was another. And they did build this big wall and put a big picture window in it so that the gamblers could watch the FBI process the crime scene for the next few weeks.From start to finish this case was a learning experience for everybody. Leading up to the decision, the FBI informed Gross that the device, which weighed roughly 1,200 pounds, would almost assuredly blow or be completely disarmed inside the casino. Danny Danihel made his way toward the bomb alone. Gross, whose primary concern was making sure nobody was hurt by the blast, made it clear he was not paying the ransom.“He said, ‘no.’ He wasn’t going to pay them a dime,” Jonkey recalled of his conversation with Gross.The task of clearing the scene fell largely to local law enforcement at first. It transformed how agencies respond to bomb threats. The successful outcome — as deemed by Jonkey and others involved — of the tense 35-hour period was a product of collaboration mixed with a hint of what so many people hoped to find in Tahoe: luck.Employees at the casino and hotel built by Harvey Gross were the first to discover the device in the early morning hours of Aug. 26. Retired Special Agent Chris Ronay describes the FBI's role in the investigation of an "undefeatable" 1,000-pound bomb at a Nevada casino in 1980.Harvey's bomb was probably for me the biggest event, or the biggest bombing case I was ever involved with.As the case developed we came to know that John Birges Sr. was the principal person involved in this case, along with his two sons, two other accomplices, and his girlfriend.He needed money. The company made him a millionaire, which fueled his gambling addiction. And since no one was hurt it seemed to be a celebration the tourists kind of enjoyed and took part in. It will explode.”Security guards initiated an evacuation of the casino and hotel for what they described as “a serious security problem,” according to a story published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune 10 years later. He was a station commander at the lake and was at home that morning when he got the call.“You wonder if it’s really a bomb or what is it,” Pierini recalled.It did not take long to determine that the bomb was not an empty threat.The intricate details described in the letter signaled to investigators that they were not dealing with a spontaneous swindler. Cement and fixtures hung from twisted rebar. This position resides in the Community Development Resource…The County of Alpine Announces An Employment Opportunity For Health and Human Services Deputy Director, Health and Human Services, Full…Job 1880, Ad Account Manager - Tahoe Tribune Full Time S Lake Tahoe, CA, US TodayRequisition ID: 1880 The Tahoe…EXTRA CA$H! The new Harvey’s employed about 3,000 people at the time. But, of course, that was just the beginning of the FBI's work trying to process the scene and gather evidence.After the blast went off we had a little shock effect as the magnitude of this crime scene. The bomb threat had become Big Blue’s biggest attraction.Despite the influx of national media and law enforcement and the presence of end-of-summer revelers, law enforcement was able to keep the mass of people out of harms way.“That was one of the concerns we had … we just didn’t think we could contain that perimeter a whole lot longer,” Jonkey said.As the hours ticked by, explosives experts hatched what was deemed the best plan for disarming the bomb. The device was enclosed in a metal box and the lid of the box was secured by some flat head screws around the perimeter of the lid. Two laborers hired to place the bomb in the casino, Willis Brown and Terry Hall, were also charged in the case. The same Tribune story notes that part of Harvey’s reopened 48 hours after the blast.“They went back to gambling pretty damn quick,” Jonkey said with a laugh.Ronay, the retired FBI special agent interviewed on video about the incident, said a temporary wall was erected and a window was installed so people could view the blast scene where the investigation continued for weeks.In May 1981, the fully renovated and repaired Harvey’s reopened to the public. IMMEDIATE OPENINGS! As Pierini noted, had one of the employees attempted to move the device in the very beginning — an entirely plausible development — the site on the California-Nevada border could have been one of unfathomable carnage and tragedy.Job 1881, Ad Account Manager - Sierra Sun Full Time Truckee, CA, US TodayRequisition ID: 1881 The Sierra Sun is…BUILDING AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE WORKER Duties: Performs custodial work to ensure the District buildings, grounds, and equipment are maintained in…Placer County's Community Development Resource Agency is seeking a Building Services Manager. At the ribbon cutting, Gross boasted having “the most modern fire and safety devices available in the hotel industry,” according to Tahoe Daily Tribune archives. Retired Special Agent Chris Ronay describes the FBI's role in the investigation of an "undefeatable" 1,000-pound bomb at a Nevada casino in 1980.