Sharks in the desert : the founding fathers and current kings of Las Vegas / John L. Smith

Author:: Smith, John L., 1960-
Published:: Fort Lee, N.J. : Barricade Books, [2005]
Copyright Date:: ©2005
Physical Description:: xii, 400 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, portraits ; 24 cm

Availability

Finding items...

Summary:

By now, everyone knows the story of the mob's involvement in Las Vegas's growth from quiet desert town to "Sin City.". At the end of the movie Casino, you see a hotel come down and a voice describes the end of the mob era in Vegas. That was hardly the end of the Las Vegas story; in fact, it was just the beginning. This book tells the story of the corporate raiders--the Kirk Kirkorians and the Steve Wynns--who moved in as the mob era crumbled (literally) and forcibly cleaned up the Vegas image. Now Las Vegas is a place for "family entertainment," its theme-park feel carefully crafted by a handful of savvy corporate moguls who use that image to extract the maximum profit out of those drawn to the city.--From publisher description.

Subject(s):

Gambling—Nevada—Las Vegas
Casinos—Nevada—Las Vegas
Organized crime—Nevada—Las Vegas
Businessmen—Nevada—Las Vegas
Central business districts—Nevada—Las Vegas
City planning—Nevada—Las Vegas

ISBN:

1569802742 (hardcover)

Bibliography Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 383-390) and index.

View MARC record | catkey: 3101359