Frequently Bought Together
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
by Steve Fischer
|
by Pete Earley
|
Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn by John L. Smith |
Winner Takes All: Steve Wynn, Kirk Kerkorian, Gary Loveman, and the Race to Own Las Vegas by Christina Binkley |
by Andres Martinez
|
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links(What is this?) |
Product Description
Book Description
In the 1970s and thru the mid-1980s, the Chicago Outfit was
the dominant organized crime family in Las Vegas, with business interests
in several casinos. During those years the Outfit and its colleagues in
Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Cleveland were using Sin City as a cash cow.
Commonly referred to as the "skim," unreported revenue from
Outfit-controlled casinos was making its way out of Vegas by the bag full
and ending up in the coffers of the crime bosses in those four locations.
the dominant organized crime family in Las Vegas, with business interests
in several casinos. During those years the Outfit and its colleagues in
Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Cleveland were using Sin City as a cash cow.
Commonly referred to as the "skim," unreported revenue from
Outfit-controlled casinos was making its way out of Vegas by the bag full
and ending up in the coffers of the crime bosses in those four locations.
The skim involved large amounts of money. The operation had to be properly
set up and well managed to ensure a smooth cash flow. To accomplish that
goal, the gangsters brought in a front man with no criminal record to
purchase several casinos. Allen R. Glick, doing business as the Argent
Corporation (Allen R. Glick Enterprises) purchased the Stardust, Fremont,
Hacienda, and Marina. They next installed Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal as their
inside man, and the real boss of the casino operations. Rosenthal was a
Chicago native and considered to be a genius when it came to oddsmaking and
sports betting. Under Lefty's supervision the casino count rooms were
accessible to mob couriers.
But even with the competent Rosenthal in charge, there remained room for
problems. What if an outsider tried to muscle in on the operation? Or just
as bad, suppose one of their own decided to skim the skim? To guard against
such possibilities the Chicago bosses decided to send someone to Vegas to
give Rosenthal a hand should trouble arise. The successful applicant had to
be a person with the kind of reputation that would deter interlopers from
horning in, and make internal theft too risky to try. But the mob's outside
man had to be capable of action as well as threats. In other words, he had
to be a man who would do whatever it took to protect the Outfit's
interests. So, in 1971, 33-year-old Tony Spilotro, considered by many to be
the "ultimate enforcer," was sent to the burgeoning gambling and
entertainment oasis in the desert. Spilotro, sometimes called "tough Tony,"
or "the Ant," was a made man of the Outfit and a childhood friend of
Rosenthal. He was known as a man who could be counted on to get the job
done.
Being an ambitious sort, Tony quickly recognized that there were other
criminal opportunities in his new hometown besides skimming from the
casinos. Street crimes ranging from loan sharking to burglary, robbery, and
fencing stolen property were all in play. It wasn't very long before Tony
had his hands into every one of these areas. As the scope of his criminal
endeavors grew, Tony brought in other heavies from Chicago to fill out his
gang. The five-foot-six-inch gangster was soon being called the "King of
the Strip."
Federal and local law enforcement recognized the need to rid the casinos of
the hidden ownership and control of the mob, and shut down Spilotro's
street rackets. They declared war on organized crime and the battle was on.
It was a hard fight, with plenty of tough guys on both sides. But it was a
confrontation the law knew it had to win.
The Battle for Las Vegas relates the story of that conflict, told in large
part by the agents and detectives who lived it.
From the Inside Flap
"Tony Spilotro was the organized crime kingpin in Las Vegas for
several years. I was a cop there at the time, and was in charge of the
police department during four of the most eventful years. The Battle for
Las Vegas tells it like it was, and is a story long past due. Even though I
was part of those times, I still have trouble believing it actually
happened."
several years. I was a cop there at the time, and was in charge of the
police department during four of the most eventful years. The Battle for
Las Vegas tells it like it was, and is a story long past due. Even though I
was part of those times, I still have trouble believing it actually
happened."
Sheriff John McCarthy, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (retired)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?
 |
63% buy the item featured on this page: The Battle for Las Vegas: The Law Vs. the Mob £6.69 |
 |
13% buy Super Casino: Inside the "New" Las Vegas £4.85 |
 |
10% buy When the Mob Ran Vegas: Stories of Money, Mayhem and Murder £10.66 |
 |
9% buy Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
|||||||||
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
 |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
Your Recent History
(What's this?)|
After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. |
