Customer Reviews

When the Mob Ran Vegas: Stories of Money, Mayhem and Murder

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As much as I enjoyed the stories and histories, I found the organization of the stories was lacking in clarity. Stories jumped from 1930s to th 1970s then back to the 1940s without a sense of continuity. Many times, I had to look back at other chapters to get a sense of what time I was reading about. Other then that disconnect, the stories were fascinating, the tone was clearly that of someone excited about the topic, and a breezy read. For someone that grew up in post-mob Vegas, it was an eye opening look at the city just before my time....

This book was recommended to me by a bookstore in Vegas. They didn't have it in stock so I purchased it from Amazon on my return to Australia.

While I found this book very informative and factual, it is rather repetitive at times and I found myself asking, "didn't I just read that?" It is apparent in some sections that the information is fairly scrambled and does not flow.

This book is more or less a summary of the days when the mob ran Vegas, as opposed to a detailed account of this era.

Of note, even though the book contains 240 pages, the font is somewhat larger than most books and can be read in a matter of hours.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who is after a brief run down on the mob and the days they ran Vegas.

Steve does a great job sharing some detailed secrets and lesser known exploits of bizarre mob behavior- including the seemingly innocent who partnered with them. I especially loved the coverage of Frank Sinatra (what an ego-maniac) and the Stardust story, which had some nice details that I hadn't heard before. Great and entertaining reading!

OK Book, helped by the fact that I am interested in Las Vegas gossip. Lots of interesting anecdotes experienced by the author. Good for a read on the flight to LV.

A few years back, Steve Fischer was selling his Vegas memories on Ebay. I found his auctions by accident but kept going back for more. He wouldn't only sell you things but tell you stories about the items. People started asking him to write a book and lucky for us he listened. Because I was in touch with Mr. Fischer, I was able to get a book through him and have it signed. I couldn't put it down. I read it in one long, very long, night. The stories are insightful, detailed but not to bogged down. This book tells you about the beginning of Vegas. The one of years gone by that shaped the one we visit today. The pictures are nice to have too. I found that I was able to follow the stories as they ran from the 1930's to the 80's. Yes there were times I had to go back and read a name or two again, but that's me and my comprehension of things. It was an exciting time that I would have loved to see, and through his story telling you are able to relive it without having been there. I live in Reno and understand the lure of the casino and it's money. I get asked all the time if the mob is still here in Nevada. Well to tell the truth I don't know. But I can say that they once were here and made their mark. The men who started Vegas were ruthless, mean, played hardball and didn't care who they killed to get to the top. Steve Fischer shows us a time in our history when the men of the mob weren't afraid to put it all out there and let it be known that you didn't mess with them. Some stories are funny, some are gruesome but all are entertaining. I LOANED this book to my mother who is a big fan of Vegas, and I haven't seen it since. I think she passed it around to her friends. I want it back because Mr. Fischer was kind enough to sign it for me and I want to read it again. Get this book, you won't be sorry you did.

I enjoyed reading this book. The author revealed factual information about early life in Vegas. It was interesting reading about the mob with a humorous bent to their shenanigans.

Ok, its not really history...or is it ? What it is, is a fascinating fun read that takes us back to the 40s, 50s and 60s and tells us about Vegas growing from its begining to the Vegas we remember and enjoyed, totally for most of us, having no clue as to what really was going on. We really did not care however, as we were having too much fun. What a great town it was back then. Now this book lets us relive those good old days ! and now we know why most of us occasionally/(usually) got poor seats at the back of the showrooms, and why we were never going to be seated at those empty tables our wives so dearly thought a $20.00 bill would seat us at !!

A collection of stories from the mafia-ridden days of Las Vegas, told by a man who must have vacationed here during the tail end of it. Being a Las Vegas resident I was initially intrigued by this, and had to have it. I suppose I can sum it up like this: content good, delivery not so much. The stories are written in a very pedestrian style, with little proof reading done to catch typo's and grammar errors. The last chapter of the book digresses into the author's sentimentality over the loss of the Sands Hotel. But, amidst the landmines, there are actually some pretty neat stories about the way this town operated in the 40s, 50s & 60s. I love the old photos, and pics of the memorabilia. I wouldn't pay full price for this book, but if you find an affordable used copy I'd recommend it for a quick read

I read the other reviews and it's true that the author sometimes springs to and fro between timelines and characters. There are so many characters that I liked the way he wanted to remind us of who they were and their associations. I found this book entertaining with every chapter. I'm looking forward to the author's follow up book about the tales from the Las Vegas Showgirls!

Good Book, not great. If you have been to Vegas and know some of the history, it is a fun read.
If you are interested in Mafia history, it is a good read.