By Bartee Haile

Herbert Noble buried his wife on Dec. 4, 1949, four days after she was killed by a car bomb meant for the notorious gambler.

Mildred Noble was the latest casualty of an underworld feud involving her husband and Benny Binion, the “boss” of gambling in Dallas. It was clear to even casual observers that the private war would not stop until one of the two combatants was dead.

For a state where gambling of any kind was against the law, Texans could place a bet as easily as bu...