A hard-hitting documentary sheds light on the so-called “Moles” of Las Vegas, who live in the city’s dark, damp and filthy maze of flood tunnels.
YouTuber Brandon Buckingham interviewed a handful of the 2,000 or so people who live in the Strip’s five-star hotels and casinos to find out what life is really like.
Constructed after a catastrophic and costly flash flood in 1975, the concrete tunnels provide shelter from the harsh desert weather, but can also prove deadly during heavy rains when large volumes of water suddenly pour through.
A man named Jay, 45, says he has lived in the tunnels for more than 13 years after a series of events left him homeless and his most prized possession is now a headlamp.
YouTuber Brandon Buckingham interviewed a handful of the 2,000 or so people who live in the Strip’s five-star hotels and casinos to find out what life is really like
A man named Jay, 45, says he has lived in the tunnels for more than 13 years after a series of events left him homeless
A shot showing Jay’s bed, with a number of donated and salvaged pieces
Constructed after a flash flood in 1975, the concrete tunnels provide shelter from the harsh desert weather, but can also prove deadly during heavy rains
A map showing the extensive flood tunnel network beneath Las Vegas
In one scene, he explains that his father died at the age of 45, so he quit his job to take care of his wheelchair-bound mother in New Hampshire.
However, shortly after returning home, he was the victim of a car theft and was shot in the head. The incident nearly ended fatally, leaving him blind in his left eye and without a sense of smell.
The bullet lodged in his skull, which he says worries him, but without medical insurance, further surgery is not possible.
Jay doesn’t elaborate on how he ended up in Las Vegas, merely saying that “everything happens for a reason”.
Aside from a daughter he hasn’t seen in 13 years, the tunnel dweller says he has no direct family and “they are all deceased”.
When asked what life is like in the tunnels, Jay describes it as “brutal” as the flooding often washes away his belongings – and the father also claims that serial killers roam the dark labyrinth of tunnels he calls home of the hunt.
At one point, he reveals that he even saw the remains of a dismembered body in the dirt.
“It sounds crazy, but it’s true,” he tells Buckingham.
Over the years, Jay has tried to get out of the tunnels and change his situation, but his biggest obstacle is not having an ID and he has lost the documentation needed to get it, including his social security card and birth certificate.
This part of Jay’s story is repeated by all of Buckingham’s interviewees.
At one point, the filmmaker tells viewers, “Everyone we interviewed complained about the problem of not being able to get IDs.”
“It’s the main issue people have been talking about under Vegas, which surprised me.”
An unnamed woman Buckingham spoke to revealed that it’s impossible to get a job in Las Vegas without an ID “unless you’re a hooker.”
Some of the “mole people,” who previously had ID, revealed they were victims of theft and believed casinos were targeting the homeless to keep them off their property.
A man named Orange tells Buckingham, “They’re systematically stealing IDs.” [then we are] I’m not allowed to go into the casinos.’
The grimy tunnels contrast sharply with the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas
Many of the tunnels run beneath the casinos and players are unaware of the world that lies beneath
Over the years, Jay has tried to get out of the tunnels and change his situation, but his biggest obstacle is not having an ID
One of the newer tunnellers, 36-year-old Tattoo Tony, says one of the most difficult things he finds about living underground is the lack of a toilet
Orange, 61, who once worked as a truck driver, says he started living in the tunnels of Vegas in September 2015 after being “stranded” in the city
While Orange says life in the tunnels can “suck” at times, he says perks include “good camaraderie” and “no accountability to anyone”.
While wandering the tunnels at night, the team find shackles hanging from the ceiling, which Jay says were probably used for torture purposes, since the mob are known to frequent the underground maze
Orange, 61, who once worked as a truck driver, says he started living in the tunnels of Vegas in September 2015 after being “stranded” in the city.
While he says life in the tunnels can “suck” at times, he says perks include “good camaraderie” and “no accountability to anyone.”
He tells Buckingham, “A lot of people are out here voluntarily because they’re independent people.”
“They don’t want anyone telling them what to do, we just want to live our lives the way we want to live them.”
“I don’t really need to be out here.” I could easily go somewhere and pay the rent. I choose to be out here.
“We’ve all had good jobs at some point in our lives, we’ve all had families, we’ve raised kids, you know … we’re not outcasts.”
Everyday life is like surviving, you still have to find food, you are banned from everywhere, everyone hates you
Echoing Orange’s views, Jay tells viewers that it’s important not to judge and that in theory most people are “two paychecks away from being homeless”.
He also says some people think homelessness is a piece of cake, with no mortgage payments, no car payments, no jobs.
But Jay makes it clear that’s “not so true.”
He tells Buckingham, “Every day is like surviving, you still have to find food, you’re banned from anywhere, everyone hates you.” I mean, I hate being hated for what other people do. “Not all homeless people are bad.”
Being exposed to such harsh conditions takes its toll, says Jay, revealing he knows of five “mole people” who died last year in their “late 30s, early 40s.”
“You won’t have a long life if every day is about surviving,” he muses.
In the documentary, Buckingham commends the underground community for their ingenuity.
The group he meets has electricity thanks to discarded solar panels, and a friend who works at a local business provides them with water to drink and wash.
In the tunnels, each member of the community demonstrates how they have created their own sleeping areas using salvaged or donated items such as mattresses and duvets.
A man named Tony, 54, who is originally from Mississippi but has lived in the tunnels for eight years, even has a stereo in his makeshift bedroom and he’s decorated the wall with colorful pieces of paper.
Originally from Mississippi, 54-year-old Tony has lived in the tunnels for eight years
A shot of Tony’s makeshift bedroom. He says one thing that helps you survive and stay sane in the tunnels is to “get into some kind of routine.”
Tony has a stereo in his bedroom and he’s decorated the wall with colorful pieces of paper
An unnamed woman Buckingham spoke to revealed that it’s impossible to get a job in Las Vegas without an ID “unless you’re a hooker.”
To date, the filmmaker’s first video, which offers a glimpse into the life of the “mole people,” has been viewed more than a million times
He says one thing that helps you survive and stay sane in the tunnels is to “get into some kind of routine.”
Also, to help them make ends meet, the tunnellers are visited twice a week by two non-profit organizations, Holy Smokes and Shine A Light, who provide them with a range of much-needed supplies including water bottles, food, socks, flashlights and headlamps and batteries.
One of the newer tunnellers, 36-year-old Tattoo Tony, says one of the most difficult things he finds about living underground is the lack of a toilet.
The certified steel technician explains while sitting against a graffiti-covered wall: “I’m a clean freak, you know… simple.” [having] Showering, washing your hands, brushing your teeth, you know that sort of thing.
“Their hygiene is basically one of the biggest problems. You don’t think it takes everything away from you.’
When asked what he does to keep a positive attitude, Tattoo Tony says he skates, makes music, and makes art.
Giving viewers some advice, he concludes, “Keep what you have, be thankful, appreciate what you bless, and take a self-evaluation.”
We’ve all had good jobs at some point in our lives, we’ve all had families, we’ve raised kids, you know…we’re not outcasts
“Evaluate yourself and see the things you take for granted.”
In a follow-up video, Buckingham returns to the tunnels at 3am with Jay, who says the place is haunted and he’s seen “men in black” and “demons.”
As the team roams the tunnels at night, they find shackles hanging from the ceiling, which Jay says are probably used for torture purposes, since the mob are known to frequent the underground maze.
You’ll also discover a bunch of random items, including a fridge full of carrots, a freshly opened packet of chips, a rusty motorcycle, a camera, and a teddy bear.
Eventually, the team reaches the lights of a casino parking lot, and Buckingham says it would be very easy for someone on the run to slip through the gates and into the tunnels to evade the police.
To date, the filmmaker’s first video, which offers a glimpse into the life of the “mole people,” has been viewed more than a million times.
Many viewers praised the documentary for showing this “misunderstood” community in a different light.
One commenter wrote, “These guys are so much smarter, well spoken and friendlier than you’d think at first glance.” My fault too.
“It really makes me want to learn about the local homeless people around me.”
Another viewer said the film resonated because he had witnessed similar hardships himself.
“When I was 20 and owned my first home in Louisiana, I was made homeless at 26 because of a man,” they said.
“I drove across the US in my 2003 Mazda and after a year I’m about to sign a lease on my first apartment in Washington.
“Life can change in the blink of an eye and you never know when you might find yourself in a helpless situation.”
“No one is above anyone and I firmly believe that things would be a little bit better if everyone was willing to love and help each other.”