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Vegas and the Mob
Las Vegas was the Mob’s greatest venture and most spectacular success, and through 40 years of frenzy, murder, deceit, scams, and skimming, the FBI listened on phone taps and did virtually nothing to stop the fun. This is the truth about Vegas like you’ve never heard it before.
By the 1950’s, nearly every major crime family had a stake in a Las Vegas casino. Some did better than others. Casino owners watched-over their profits while competing crime families eyed each others success like jealous lovers. Murder often followed.
This is the story of how the Mob, most notably Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Moe Dalitz and Bugsy Siegel moved into Las Vegas, built and stole casinos, and skimmed them dry, right under the nose of the FBI.
By the 1950’s, nearly every major crime family had a stake in a Las Vegas casino. Some did better than others. Casino owners watched-over their profits while competing crime families eyed each others success like jealous lovers. Murder often followed.
This is the story of how the Mob, most notably Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Moe Dalitz and Bugsy Siegel moved into Las Vegas, built and stole casinos, and skimmed them dry, right under the nose of the FBI.
188 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2013
1024 people are currently reading
679 people want to read
About the author
Al W. Moe
11 books43 followersAl W Moe is an American author and Mob-Casino Historian born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California.
Moe was intrigued by gambling probability and statistics and attended the University of Nevada, Reno, before graduating from UOP.
His first articles appeared in Gambling Times - Poker Player and were followed by regular columns in "Casino and Gaming Chips" before the publication of "Nevada's Golden Age of Gambling."
He has worked for casino groups in Washington, Nevada, and Arizona and plays poker regularly when not constrained by writing deadlines.
Moe's latest work, "Vegas and the Chicago Outfit" was released in late 2022.
Moe was intrigued by gambling probability and statistics and attended the University of Nevada, Reno, before graduating from UOP.
His first articles appeared in Gambling Times - Poker Player and were followed by regular columns in "Casino and Gaming Chips" before the publication of "Nevada's Golden Age of Gambling."
He has worked for casino groups in Washington, Nevada, and Arizona and plays poker regularly when not constrained by writing deadlines.
Moe's latest work, "Vegas and the Chicago Outfit" was released in late 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
May 29, 2013
This is a concise, entertaining, well-written history of the mob’s role in the development of Las Vegas. The period covered is from prohibition to present day, with a particular focus on the 1940-1970s when mob influence was greatest. Moe names the main players and tells their stories with energy and verve, moves at a fast pace, and never writes a boring sentence. Names include Capone, Luciano, Anastasia, Lansky, Rothstein, Bugsy Siegel, Virginia Hill, Dave Berman, Sinatra, Giancana, the Kennedys, Marilyn, Hoffa, Lefty Rosenthal, Howard Hughes, and many more. His stories tell of the hopes, aspirations, and difficulties faced by Vegas builders and the ensuing criminal activities (gang warfare, murder, bribery, skimming, money laundering), and attempts by law enforcement and political bodies to investigate and prosecute the parties involved (mostly unsuccessful). (Some of these stories will reverberate if you have seen such Scorsese films such as Casino and Donnie Brasco.) An easy read and highly entertaining. The book was well researched, and includes a bibliography and index. Highly recommended to readers with an interest in Las Vegas history or organized crime.
May 27, 2013
Once again Al Moe has hit it out of the park with Vegas and the Mob. I have to say that so far this one is my favorite, although his others are amazing too. Anyone looking for some easy to read history of Vegas will never go wrong with his books!
I absolutely love all of the "insider" peeks at what went on not all that long ago in Las Vegas and all of the references to celebrities are fantastic! As someone who loves Marilyn Monroe, I was more than a little shocked at how....friendly she was.
Al Moe's book have a way of giving you so much history, without making it seem as though you're back in high school history class, and I highly recommend his books! They are always a safe bet!
I absolutely love all of the "insider" peeks at what went on not all that long ago in Las Vegas and all of the references to celebrities are fantastic! As someone who loves Marilyn Monroe, I was more than a little shocked at how....friendly she was.
Al Moe's book have a way of giving you so much history, without making it seem as though you're back in high school history class, and I highly recommend his books! They are always a safe bet!
May 9, 2013
Mobsters’ and mob life has always been an interesting and often enthralling topic. Author Al W. Moe performs a prodigious task in explaining how this flamboyant and charismatic group of men came together collectively and singular in running Las Vegas, Nevada.
Notorious and often romanticized in movies, the author offers the reader a factual look at mob life stripping the façade away, revealing ruthless men with one goal; making as much money as they can and exploiting the naïveté consumer who’s looking for fun and relaxation out in that fabulous desert spot called Las Vegas.
The mobs influence or how profound their desire in putting Vegas on the map pales in comparison to the lives lost.
The breakdown of how the influence of the mob or mobsters’ came to Vegas and transformed that sleepy desert city into what we now view today is clearly correlated in a time frame that is easy for the reader to grasp.
Vegas and the Mob, is well worth the read.
Notorious and often romanticized in movies, the author offers the reader a factual look at mob life stripping the façade away, revealing ruthless men with one goal; making as much money as they can and exploiting the naïveté consumer who’s looking for fun and relaxation out in that fabulous desert spot called Las Vegas.
The mobs influence or how profound their desire in putting Vegas on the map pales in comparison to the lives lost.
The breakdown of how the influence of the mob or mobsters’ came to Vegas and transformed that sleepy desert city into what we now view today is clearly correlated in a time frame that is easy for the reader to grasp.
Vegas and the Mob, is well worth the read.
August 13, 2017
This book is interesting enough but in desperate need of a professional editor. It would make it easier to follow and lessen the distractions from grammatical errors. I think it also really needs citations so readers can verify the author's claims.
April 7, 2020
Like the last line of the blurb states "This book tells the whole story!" And it surely does chronicle all the players, who they were, and what they did to each other to maintain status and territory. As a nonfiction writer and reader, I gravitate to true event stories and their history, and this book does a great job of covering the span of mob corruption from the 1920s to the creation of Las Vegas. The author has done a great job with bringing in so many characters in one book with great character analysis without overwhelming the reader with character confusion. Some may even find humor in some the nicknames earned for the criminals.
Mobsters galore, territorial warfare, and Las Vegas - the perfect spot to siphon and launder money, this book tells all. Even some of the players weren't exempt from punishment if they became a little to mouthy or complained. It would take nothing for a Pit Boss to signal a bartender to make a 'special drink' for such players. No law required those days in the casinos. Mob ruled.
The construction of Las Vegas was a desert allure built to entice players from around the globe with each casino trying to outdo or out-theme the next with Hollywood entertainment, nice accommodations and plenty of freebies to entice. This book will take you to the beginnings of the gambling mecca from the dirt floored downtown casinos to the construction and millions of dollars injected into the casino empires, which changed ownership frequently as every new crime group bought up interest, or for some, outright took over.
Learn about how Bugsy Seigel took advantage of Billy Wilkerson's bad gambling habit and started the famed Flamingo hotel, which turned out to be the beginning of one of the biggest money-making skimming scheme in America with no oversight as the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover 'looked away' and let it continue because of the goods the mob had on him. So many 'hands in the pots' had all finally come down to law and order by the 1970s with a 'legal' gaming commission.
This book is a treasure trove of information for all mobster buffs and those curious like me who can't get enough of this sensational era.
Mobsters galore, territorial warfare, and Las Vegas - the perfect spot to siphon and launder money, this book tells all. Even some of the players weren't exempt from punishment if they became a little to mouthy or complained. It would take nothing for a Pit Boss to signal a bartender to make a 'special drink' for such players. No law required those days in the casinos. Mob ruled.
The construction of Las Vegas was a desert allure built to entice players from around the globe with each casino trying to outdo or out-theme the next with Hollywood entertainment, nice accommodations and plenty of freebies to entice. This book will take you to the beginnings of the gambling mecca from the dirt floored downtown casinos to the construction and millions of dollars injected into the casino empires, which changed ownership frequently as every new crime group bought up interest, or for some, outright took over.
Learn about how Bugsy Seigel took advantage of Billy Wilkerson's bad gambling habit and started the famed Flamingo hotel, which turned out to be the beginning of one of the biggest money-making skimming scheme in America with no oversight as the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover 'looked away' and let it continue because of the goods the mob had on him. So many 'hands in the pots' had all finally come down to law and order by the 1970s with a 'legal' gaming commission.
This book is a treasure trove of information for all mobster buffs and those curious like me who can't get enough of this sensational era.
June 11, 2017
Are you from Vegas or have been there often? Are you a mafia history buff?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, this book is for you. Unfortunately, I've never been to Vegas and I don't know my mafia names. The book relies on the reader having some knowledge of different historical mafia characters because with hundreds of names listed over the course of the chapters, it can become very confusing for those without it. However, with that knowledge, the who's who and what they did in Vegas will make more sense.
And having been to Vegas would help too. Names of places and roads meant little to me, but they would to a Vegas-buff. In the end, this is a book for someone who recognizes the names of places and people and who can read the stories and go "Oh, really? That happened there with this person? Wow." For me, there were too many names to keep track of. I did read it to the end, though.
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, this book is for you. Unfortunately, I've never been to Vegas and I don't know my mafia names. The book relies on the reader having some knowledge of different historical mafia characters because with hundreds of names listed over the course of the chapters, it can become very confusing for those without it. However, with that knowledge, the who's who and what they did in Vegas will make more sense.
And having been to Vegas would help too. Names of places and roads meant little to me, but they would to a Vegas-buff. In the end, this is a book for someone who recognizes the names of places and people and who can read the stories and go "Oh, really? That happened there with this person? Wow." For me, there were too many names to keep track of. I did read it to the end, though.
May 28, 2014
If you ever wondered just who put the Sin into Sin City, this is the book for you. This book names all the players, and chronicles not only what they did, but what they did to each other. There are the big well-known gangsters who rose up through the New York, Chicago and West Coast crime syndicates, as well as the lesser lights, the hangers on, the greedy grifters, the show business hucksters, the crooked politicians and Federal agents, the shyster lawyers, the colorful and enigmatic personalities, and the small time hoods and con men who came looking for power and money but who usually ended up in shallow unmarked graves far from the lights of Las Vegas.
Al W Moe has done an admirable job of researching the roots of Vegas and the role played by the Mob over the decades, as well as connecting the dots between people and events. If there was one thing I tool away from this book is that Mob rule was bad for business. The lords of Vegas hurt their own products by massive skimming of profits, poor accounting procedures, and the need to lay out huge sums of money to stay in business and out of jail, both in the form of attorney fees and bribes to every greedy government minion, from the local councilman to US Congressmen and FBI agents; they didn't have to bribe J Edgar Hoover, just show him a picture of his boyfriend in a compromising situation. It was not until the Mob was pushed out of Vegas, when the owners became millionaires and corporations with good practices that the casinos finally broke out of their forty-five-year death spiral; the casinos still go through the cycles of boom and bust, but now they are the result of economic pressures and nor gang warfare.
Anyone who has stayed in Vegas since the 1940's will finds information and anecdotes about their favorite casinos. Mine was the Sahara, one of the greatest of the mid-century glamour casinos and the last of them to fall. But there are also stories about the Sands, the Aladdin and others that faded away before most of us were old enough to gamble or drink. While the book is excellent reading for the nostalgic, it's also a trove of information for historians, especially those interested in crime and society.
Al W Moe has done an admirable job of researching the roots of Vegas and the role played by the Mob over the decades, as well as connecting the dots between people and events. If there was one thing I tool away from this book is that Mob rule was bad for business. The lords of Vegas hurt their own products by massive skimming of profits, poor accounting procedures, and the need to lay out huge sums of money to stay in business and out of jail, both in the form of attorney fees and bribes to every greedy government minion, from the local councilman to US Congressmen and FBI agents; they didn't have to bribe J Edgar Hoover, just show him a picture of his boyfriend in a compromising situation. It was not until the Mob was pushed out of Vegas, when the owners became millionaires and corporations with good practices that the casinos finally broke out of their forty-five-year death spiral; the casinos still go through the cycles of boom and bust, but now they are the result of economic pressures and nor gang warfare.
Anyone who has stayed in Vegas since the 1940's will finds information and anecdotes about their favorite casinos. Mine was the Sahara, one of the greatest of the mid-century glamour casinos and the last of them to fall. But there are also stories about the Sands, the Aladdin and others that faded away before most of us were old enough to gamble or drink. While the book is excellent reading for the nostalgic, it's also a trove of information for historians, especially those interested in crime and society.
June 25, 2013
Al pens "Vegas and the Mob", a well written piece of history about the mobs role in developing Las Vegas starting back in the 1940's thru 1970's. Al's vivid descriptions of the characters and of old Las Vegas makes you feel you are right there as he is describing it. I've read a couple of Al Moe's books but this one I think was my favorite one. Highly recommended for all readers who love a taste of Las Vegas and it's history.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
October 7, 2015
Best book I've ever read about Vegas, I guess Las Vegas is beautiful with many tower and building but you don't how about Las Vegas 's history. If you don't, just read this book now. It gave me tons of information about History of Las Vegas. All information are useful and easy to understand. From 1950s till now, have many changes in this city, I had to say it is awesome history book. Will recommend it to you.
March 25, 2014
I'm a local and I loved this, it's a great read and the author knows his Vegas history. He tells an engaging tale and a colourful one! Other than some sloppy editing...no complaints, a good read, lots of scoop here!
May 7, 2017
I lost track of all the different mobsters and who kills who.
July 18, 2017
Informative
Very informative about the history of Vegas but the author my jumps around a lot which makes the names and timeline hard to follow.
Very informative about the history of Vegas but the author my jumps around a lot which makes the names and timeline hard to follow.
July 8, 2023
A crazy ride
This book is a sprawl across Vegas history, where it intersects with mob history, and it hits entertainment and politics too, with some stops in California, Florida, New York, Chicago, Tahoe, Reno, and Detroit thrown in.
As a novice to this element of mob history, I appreciated the book's breadth, although it has quite a bit of madness and dates to remember despite being mainly limited to a 40 year slice of a much bigger story.
Is it all true? I suspect it mostly is, though I don't know how much attribution there is to reliable sources as I listened to the audiobook and didn't see a bibliography.
Fascinating stuff overall, and a crazy trip that also showed me a bit of interesting detail about Howard Hughes and his role in transforming Vegas even though from a business perspective he wasn't financially successful there.
And it reinforced my interpretation of the Kennedy family as one of America's dirtiest.
It could have used perhaps some adjustments to organization although I appreciated that it was mostly chronological. And the style is sometimes a bit too flippant and casual for a history book, but overall I'm glad I read this and will definitely consider some of the author's other works.
The audiobook is pretty good. The narrator tells it with a good variation of tone for when the author is clearly being cynical or humorous. There was a weird thing where the narrator sort of flips his pronunciation of "Meyer" between Mie-er and May-er, but I got past it.
This book is a sprawl across Vegas history, where it intersects with mob history, and it hits entertainment and politics too, with some stops in California, Florida, New York, Chicago, Tahoe, Reno, and Detroit thrown in.
As a novice to this element of mob history, I appreciated the book's breadth, although it has quite a bit of madness and dates to remember despite being mainly limited to a 40 year slice of a much bigger story.
Is it all true? I suspect it mostly is, though I don't know how much attribution there is to reliable sources as I listened to the audiobook and didn't see a bibliography.
Fascinating stuff overall, and a crazy trip that also showed me a bit of interesting detail about Howard Hughes and his role in transforming Vegas even though from a business perspective he wasn't financially successful there.
And it reinforced my interpretation of the Kennedy family as one of America's dirtiest.
It could have used perhaps some adjustments to organization although I appreciated that it was mostly chronological. And the style is sometimes a bit too flippant and casual for a history book, but overall I'm glad I read this and will definitely consider some of the author's other works.
The audiobook is pretty good. The narrator tells it with a good variation of tone for when the author is clearly being cynical or humorous. There was a weird thing where the narrator sort of flips his pronunciation of "Meyer" between Mie-er and May-er, but I got past it.
October 31, 2017
It was not a thriller but it still did a wonderful job hooking in the reader. I felt like I was there in the room each time somebody got killed. It was so cool learning more about the founding of the 5 families & the rise & fall of the mob. This book reinforced my understanding that to succeed in the mafia, you have to be insane and have nerves of steel. I would die in a second because I’d say something sarcastic at the wrong time. Not only that but if you’re too nice, the bosses wonder why & kill you. Too mean? Disrespectful, they kill you. Too lazy? They kill you. Too eager, they kill you. Kill yourself due to stress? That’s an unapproved kill, which is a no-no, they kill you.
June 27, 2023
Regrettably, even as a Mafia aficionado, I have to give this one star. No narrative cohesion whatsoever. You get whiplash going back and forth between what's happening to different people. The book is written is these "see spot run" type of paragraphs. Example: Bugsy Siegel set up an operation in Vegas. [Insert name] ran afoul of Bugsy. It was the last time he did that. Bugsy made sure of it."
There's some good info in here but it's such a whirlwind that it's impossible to remember. You're better off reading the actual book the movie Casino was based off of by Nicholas Pileggi. You're better off reading most mafia books than this one
There's some good info in here but it's such a whirlwind that it's impossible to remember. You're better off reading the actual book the movie Casino was based off of by Nicholas Pileggi. You're better off reading most mafia books than this one
March 11, 2019
Very interesting
Although several reviewers complained about grammatical errors, etc., in this book, I found the history extremely interesting. (By the way, quite a few books run the gramatical error gamut.)
I have read many books which discuss Vegas and the Mob, but I really enjoyed the history set forth in this book. It more or less detailed how we come to know today's Las Vegas. I traveled to Vegas in the early 70s and it is amazing how much has changed since then.
Good book to read.
Although several reviewers complained about grammatical errors, etc., in this book, I found the history extremely interesting. (By the way, quite a few books run the gramatical error gamut.)
I have read many books which discuss Vegas and the Mob, but I really enjoyed the history set forth in this book. It more or less detailed how we come to know today's Las Vegas. I traveled to Vegas in the early 70s and it is amazing how much has changed since then.
Good book to read.
July 20, 2021
Three observations from reading this book on mob influence in Las Vegas: 1-There really appeared to be "deep state knowledge" of underworld connections in Vegas at the time. 2-Assassinations and political espionage from within the U.S. political structures existed to influence the outcomes of elections and 3-The FBI appeared to have been inept or unwilling to go after many mob influences during this era, and when they did, they took their sweet time and then it was only for "show" in highlighting that the agency was on top of crime syndicates.
September 3, 2018
Great free audio and book combo from my trial version of Amazon: Unlimited. Tells the story of Vegas and the mob reminding me quite a lot of the details of movies like Casino which turn out to be based largely on fact. A wild and adventurous town the most important part of Vegas seems to be the skim that the mob was taking from the Casino. That and the fascinating stories about Howard Hughes and his time in Vegas. A nice straightforward history about an interesting topic. Enjoyed reading.
July 2, 2017
Some typos were found in the book. However, this book represented an amazing 45-year history of how the mob influenced Las Vegas. I especially liked reading about Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack were involved and learned about how the mob skimmed millions of dollars from every casino on the Strip during the 50s and 60s.
July 19, 2017
Fun and dangerous
This is a compelling read of how the Mob made Vegas. It sheds light on some big names, not always in a positive sense. The story wraps up a little too neatly and seems to indicate the Mob unwound its tentacles and slunk away, never to be seen again, but one finds that hard to believe.
This is a compelling read of how the Mob made Vegas. It sheds light on some big names, not always in a positive sense. The story wraps up a little too neatly and seems to indicate the Mob unwound its tentacles and slunk away, never to be seen again, but one finds that hard to believe.
December 2, 2017
A pretty well constructed and quick history
The author has a very casual tone, where he or she chimes in with their feelings, that might bother some but fits with a book that is clearly a personal passion project. Everything flows pretty well and is easy enough to follow, better than some harder history books I have read
The author has a very casual tone, where he or she chimes in with their feelings, that might bother some but fits with a book that is clearly a personal passion project. Everything flows pretty well and is easy enough to follow, better than some harder history books I have read
June 30, 2021
It was pretty entertaining and a good quick read. However, it had so many typos in it. I often found myself having to re-read a sentence to try and figure out what the author was trying to say due to the spelling or grammar errors. Besides that, I enjoyed the book and the stories of Vegas and the mob.
August 22, 2021
Just a few thoughts
Interesting read and informative . I especially liked the information on JFK his brother Robert and Marilyn Monroe and also about Frank Sinatra. A lot of which I didn't know and I collect books on JFK and read a lot about others. I never realised how much gambling went hand in hand with the Mob. LOL
Interesting read and informative . I especially liked the information on JFK his brother Robert and Marilyn Monroe and also about Frank Sinatra. A lot of which I didn't know and I collect books on JFK and read a lot about others. I never realised how much gambling went hand in hand with the Mob. LOL
July 18, 2022
fantastic da best
The author did more an his due diligence in researching the rise of LV. This is da best book about sin city. I highly urge you to read it because it is a wild educational and entertaining ride through time. LV is a one of a kind city, I know I lived there and it is by far my favorite place to live and I have moved over 35 times and am not done yet. Stay safe
The author did more an his due diligence in researching the rise of LV. This is da best book about sin city. I highly urge you to read it because it is a wild educational and entertaining ride through time. LV is a one of a kind city, I know I lived there and it is by far my favorite place to live and I have moved over 35 times and am not done yet. Stay safe
July 12, 2017
Not the best reading
It's cool if you want to get (what I assume are) facts about the mob and Vegas, but it's poorly written and edited, with numerous spelling and grammatical errors, making it a bit of a pain to read.
It's cool if you want to get (what I assume are) facts about the mob and Vegas, but it's poorly written and edited, with numerous spelling and grammatical errors, making it a bit of a pain to read.
September 2, 2017
Poorly written, but someday interesting.
I was disappointed. This is possibly well-researched, but the writing doesn't do it justice. Maybe the author could collaborate with someone else?
I was disappointed. This is possibly well-researched, but the writing doesn't do it justice. Maybe the author could collaborate with someone else?
April 9, 2019
Excellent Read
I have read and reviewed many books on Las Vegas. Every time you learn a little bit something new about somebody from the past. been to Vegas once and I probably would have appreciated it more back in the 50s and the 60s. Paul
I have read and reviewed many books on Las Vegas. Every time you learn a little bit something new about somebody from the past. been to Vegas once and I probably would have appreciated it more back in the 50s and the 60s. Paul
September 13, 2019
Full disclosure: Al Moe is a personal friend and co-worker of mine. I obtained Vegas and The Mob and sat down to read the introduction. Before I knew it I was starting Chapter Six. Meticulously researched and full of humor, if you want to know about Vegas and The Mob, read this book.
May 31, 2020
A Wealth of Vegas History
Big Mob, big Celebs, big money! Learning the locale of various mob spots is mind boggling. It is no wonder the corruption of today's politics tied to yesterday's dealings in Vegas. Interesting read.
Big Mob, big Celebs, big money! Learning the locale of various mob spots is mind boggling. It is no wonder the corruption of today's politics tied to yesterday's dealings in Vegas. Interesting read.
October 15, 2020
The title says it all. If you like stories about gangsters or are simply curious about the birth and growth of Las Vegas, then you will enjoy this book. It is well written with remarkable stories about the characters who ran the city and casinos from 1940-1970.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews