Las Vegas NowI-Team Exclusive: Sandy Murphy's Run In With Binion Family Member

I-Team Exclusive: Sandy Murphy's Run In With Binion Family Member

The animosity between Sandy Murphy and the Binion family hasn't subsided after all these years. Monday night, things got ugly at a Las Vegas restaurant. Eyewitnesses say Murphy was attacked by a member of the Binion family.

The Eyewitness News has been in phone contact with Sandy Murphy over the past few weeks and she told the I-Team she looked forward to getting all of the various legal wrangling behind her.

She called the I-Team on Monday from California to say she'd just learned the wrongful death suit filed against her by the Binion family was almost certain to be dismissed Tuesday. She  didn't think she would have to appear, but she flew to Las Vegas anyway and was in court for the dismissal.

What was not obvious to onlookers is that Murphy was a bit banged up Tuesday morning after an altercation Monday night at one of Las Vegas' most popular gourmet restaurants, Piero's, on Convention Center Drive. Murphy and her lawyer declined all comment about the incident.

However, eyewitnesses say Murphy was assaulted by Benny Behnen, the grandson of Binion family patriarch Benny Binion. Sources say Behnen and his group were involved in some sort of argument with another group when he spotted Murphy across the restaurant and came over to her, smashed her head on a table and gave her a shot to the jaw. Metro police were called to the scene.

As of Tuesday, no formal complaint had been filed against Behnen and the I-Team is told it's unlikely Murphy will press charges, although she had a knot on her head and a mark on her chin.

If any of this rings a bell, perhaps it's because the same Benny Behnen was accused of being involved in a similar beef back in August of 2000 at the very same restaurant. He and two other men were accused in a police report of attacking former casino owner Bob Stupak in a dispute over $5,000 gaming chips Stupak had acquired from the Horseshoe casino.

The I-Team called Piero's manager, Evan Glusman. He declined comment in order to protect the privacy of his clientele. So, in all likelihood, that's the end of that.

E-mail your comments to Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp.