What do you think?
Rate this book
Kumarhane
Kumarhane
312 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1995
About the author
Nicholas Pileggi
12 books338 followersNicholas Pileggi is best known for writing the book Wiseguy, which he adapted into the movie Goodfellas, and for writing the book and screenplay Casino. The movie versions of both were co-written and directed by Martin Scorsese. Pileggi also wrote the screenplay for the 1996 film City Hall. He began his career as a journalist and had a profound interest in the Mafia. This is where he developed his intuition to author books such as Wiseguy and Casino. He is also the author of the book Blye: Private Eye.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 405 reviews
April 18, 2020
Reading Rush: Read a book set someplace you wish you could go. (Las Vegas)
A million years ago I watched the movie Casino because its a Martin Scorsese movie and I've seen all his movies.
But I don't really remember it. The only thing I remember is Robert DeNiro's characters car explodes. Also I remember the men wearing a lot of terrible loud suits. I don't think I liked it that much but I was only 15 and I watched it right after I watched Goodfellas(One of my ALL TIME FAVES). So maybe I'll give it a rewatch now that I've read the book.
Casino is pitched as being an action packed tale of love death and betrayal....but Nope!
Casino actually spends the majority of its time explaining how the mob and our main character(because despite being a real person Lefty Rosenthal is a character) skim money from Vegas casinos. And let me tell you its not a fun read. It felt like the author Mitch Pileggi was more interested in the skim so that's what he focused on but come on...I came here for the sex and murder!
The story of Lefty Rosenthal, his wife Geri and his business partner Tony Spilotro is an explosive(that's a pun) tale. Geri & Tony had a years long affair and they in all likely hood blew up Lefty in his car. The mob was pissed that this affair was messing with their money and bodies started dropping.
So given the importance this love triangle had on the fall of mob involvement in Las Vegas
How much time the book spend on this affair?
About 30 pages.
Its almost as if Nicholas Pileggi wrote the whole book and then his publisher was like
"Hey, what about the sex and murder?"
If you want a well written story on the history of the mob in Las Vegas then Casino is a good book which is why I'm giving it 3 stars....But I was promised a messy love triangle that led to multiple murders and that's not what I got.
I'm gonna rewatch Scorsese's Casino because I'm sure I'll like it more as an adult and I know for a fact that I get the messiness I was craving from the book...Sharon Stone plays Geri!
If you like mob books or books then give this a read!
A million years ago I watched the movie Casino because its a Martin Scorsese movie and I've seen all his movies.
But I don't really remember it. The only thing I remember is Robert DeNiro's characters car explodes. Also I remember the men wearing a lot of terrible loud suits. I don't think I liked it that much but I was only 15 and I watched it right after I watched Goodfellas(One of my ALL TIME FAVES). So maybe I'll give it a rewatch now that I've read the book.
Casino is pitched as being an action packed tale of love death and betrayal....but Nope!
Casino actually spends the majority of its time explaining how the mob and our main character(because despite being a real person Lefty Rosenthal is a character) skim money from Vegas casinos. And let me tell you its not a fun read. It felt like the author Mitch Pileggi was more interested in the skim so that's what he focused on but come on...I came here for the sex and murder!
The story of Lefty Rosenthal, his wife Geri and his business partner Tony Spilotro is an explosive(that's a pun) tale. Geri & Tony had a years long affair and they in all likely hood blew up Lefty in his car. The mob was pissed that this affair was messing with their money and bodies started dropping.
So given the importance this love triangle had on the fall of mob involvement in Las Vegas
How much time the book spend on this affair?
About 30 pages.
Its almost as if Nicholas Pileggi wrote the whole book and then his publisher was like
"Hey, what about the sex and murder?"
If you want a well written story on the history of the mob in Las Vegas then Casino is a good book which is why I'm giving it 3 stars....But I was promised a messy love triangle that led to multiple murders and that's not what I got.
I'm gonna rewatch Scorsese's Casino because I'm sure I'll like it more as an adult and I know for a fact that I get the messiness I was craving from the book...Sharon Stone plays Geri!
If you like mob books or books then give this a read!
September 15, 2024
kitabı okurken hissettiğim en çarpıcı şey, aslında bu dünyanın bir yansıma olduğu gerçeğiydi. pileggi bize her satırda insan doğasındaki açgözlülüğü, hırsı ve güvensizliği ustalıkla ortaya sermiş. karakterler bizden biri kadar gerçek ve tanıdık; onların düşüşünü okurken, insanın kendi sınırlarını nasıl zorlayabileceğini ve sonunda nasıl kaybedebileceğini görüyoruz.
scorsese, casino filmiyle bu hikâyeye bambaşka bir derinlik katmış. filmi izlerken karakterlerin iç dünyalarına daha fazla nüfuz etmemizi sağlayan performanslar, özellikle de niro ve pesci’nin güçlü oyunculukları hikâyeyi nerdeyse bir shakespeare trajedisine dönüştürüyor. film, kitabın temposunu daha dinamik hale getirmiş ancak kitabın sunduğu derin analiz ve karakterlerin yavaş yavaş yok oluşunu hissetmek bana göre daha vurucuydu.
tek eleştirilebileceğim nokta yer yer fazla belgesel havasında ilerlemesi. karakterlerin arasındaki kişisel bağlantılar ve duygusal karmaşa, biraz daha ön planda olabilirdi diye düşünüyorım. tabii bu bile suç dünyasına dair en gerçekçi ve sert hikâyelerden biri olduğunu değiştirmiyor.
kaybedenin her zaman kaybedeceği bir oyunu okumak/izlemek enfesti. bu tarz hikâyeleri sevebileceklere öneririm; tabii kitaptan sonra muhakkak filmini izleyin derim.
scorsese, casino filmiyle bu hikâyeye bambaşka bir derinlik katmış. filmi izlerken karakterlerin iç dünyalarına daha fazla nüfuz etmemizi sağlayan performanslar, özellikle de niro ve pesci’nin güçlü oyunculukları hikâyeyi nerdeyse bir shakespeare trajedisine dönüştürüyor. film, kitabın temposunu daha dinamik hale getirmiş ancak kitabın sunduğu derin analiz ve karakterlerin yavaş yavaş yok oluşunu hissetmek bana göre daha vurucuydu.
tek eleştirilebileceğim nokta yer yer fazla belgesel havasında ilerlemesi. karakterlerin arasındaki kişisel bağlantılar ve duygusal karmaşa, biraz daha ön planda olabilirdi diye düşünüyorım. tabii bu bile suç dünyasına dair en gerçekçi ve sert hikâyelerden biri olduğunu değiştirmiyor.
kaybedenin her zaman kaybedeceği bir oyunu okumak/izlemek enfesti. bu tarz hikâyeleri sevebileceklere öneririm; tabii kitaptan sonra muhakkak filmini izleyin derim.
December 27, 2012
This is an overrated book. But don't worry, all is not lost. It just needs to be re-purposed and moved into a different genre.
I am putting in a recommendation to officially change the title to The Encyclopedia of Mafia Run Casinos. If you are looking for a well told story, then go somewhere else. Preferably back into Mario Puzo novels. On the other hand if you want to read a hastily put together story built by stacking facts and miscellaneous information on top of one another, then look no further.
It reads more like a mixture of an MTV True Life episode mixed in with some History Channel narration than it does like a story about an ambitious mobsters rise and fall in the land of ol' Las Vegas.
The story and the characters are there, but you'll have to go digging for them if you want to find the bones of things.
I am putting in a recommendation to officially change the title to The Encyclopedia of Mafia Run Casinos. If you are looking for a well told story, then go somewhere else. Preferably back into Mario Puzo novels. On the other hand if you want to read a hastily put together story built by stacking facts and miscellaneous information on top of one another, then look no further.
It reads more like a mixture of an MTV True Life episode mixed in with some History Channel narration than it does like a story about an ambitious mobsters rise and fall in the land of ol' Las Vegas.
The story and the characters are there, but you'll have to go digging for them if you want to find the bones of things.
Read
August 16, 2007The true story behind the movie "Casino", this book of the same title goes into far more detail about the rise and fall of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. As you read it, you notice that the movie changed certain details - more than likely to translate better to film. The reality is far more brutal and fascinating than the movie however. Anyone who has any interest in the inner workings of casinos or old Las Vegas should read this!
February 10, 2024
Scorsese’nin uyarladığı bir diğer Pileggi kitabı. Yine ilginç bir suç hikayesi. Okurken konuyu bildiğim için yazım stili ve detaylarına odaklandım. Sıkı Dostlar’ı Kumarhane’den çok sevdim. Kumarhane’nin son kısımlarında gazetecilik ağır basıyor. Çok fazla isim ve bağlantıların dökümü var. İsimlerle ya da dönemle yakından ilgilensem muhtemelen ilgi çekici olurdu ama benim yeterince ilgimi çekmedi. Ama kitap Lefty’nin karakterini daha iyi anlatıyor. Filmde doğal olarak estetik kaygılarla daha hızlı çizilen portresi kitapta daha başarılı görünüyor.
December 23, 2025
This turned out to be way different from the movie. I still enjoyed reading it. I learned a lot about how the Mafia operated in Las Vegas. I thought it was unfortunate the way everything got so messed up. It was interesting to read about all the names, dates, and events that took place over a relatively short period of time. I'm glad I finally read this one. It will be filed away along with the rest of my ever growing knowledge of the Mafia/gangsters/organized crime.
August 12, 2024
Just watch the film.
July 25, 2020
Like most people, I probably would not have read this book had I not seen the wonderful Martin Scorsese movie of the same name. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as the movie. In fact, I didn’t really enjoy this thing at all. I thought it was poorly written and am quite surprised how Scorsese managed to take something like this and turn it into such a beautiful piece of cinematic art. That says a lot of a film director. We must also remember that the movie was “based on” the book. Scorsese takes a lot of liberty with the script and, for whatever reason, he changes all the names of the real people. So Lefty Rosenthal became Ace Rothstein (DeNiro), Tony Spilotro became Nicky Santoro (Pesci), Geri became Ginger (Sharon Stone), etc. etc.
Speaking of character names, this is by far the biggest weakness of this entire book. For whatever reason, author Pileggi feels obligated to name every single minor character in the book. This is not at all necessary when the characters really don’t add anything to the story. This only manages to confuse the reader since one’s brain really shouldn’t have to be forced to assimilate so many names of people throughout the course of the book. Let’s look at an example of what I mean. I would propose the following statement is ideal:
“John drove across town in his car with three of his friends.”
However, the way Pileggi would write that statement would be:
“John drove across town in his car with Bill Thomas who was his next-door neighbor that owned a dry-cleaning business. Also in the car was Mark Dillon who John knew since high school. In the last seat of the car was George Miller who was John’s second cousin from his first marriage.”
Now, assuming we never come across Bill, Mark, or George again in the story, we really don’t need this excess of description stated in the above paragraph. After a while, your brain starts to automatically tune out these superfluous names as soon as you come across them. This is not a good thing because if the character JUST MIGHT be relevant to the remainder of the story, you’ve now trained your conscious to ignore them, so it becomes more burdensome when you read their name again and you can’t quite place them. This was a big, big hindrance for me.
Another problem that I had with this novel is it didn’t really flow into an easy-to-understand story. Pileggi throws so many stories from so many people into his narrative, and many of them don’t really even take place in a casino or even Las Vegas. This book seems more of anecdotal recollection of many of the mob personalities that are closely related to the key players. Again, the movie tended to do this, but when you have a master like Martin Scorsese, he can take all of this jumbled information and still tell a decent story while making sense out of all of muddled stories and episodes that are randomly thrown at us. I never really felt like there was any linear progression here, and when you did see relationships progress (such as the love triangle between Lefty, Tony, and Geri) it’s told in such a haphazard fashion, that a lot of the emotion the reader should feel simply isn’t there.
Other times, the author includes things such as entire transcripts of police reports, entire court transcriptions, and entire news stories verbatim. Probably the highlight (emotion wise) of the book is when Lefty and Geri are having their last fight and she’s screaming at him outside of their house while loaded on drugs. Yet right in the middle of this drama, Pileggi haphazardly includes the arrest report and it seems to throw the drama off too much. I mean, I could understand the author including this arrest report as a postscript at the end of the chapter, but why include it right in the middle of the event as he’s describing it?
I think that the approach that the author should have taken would have been to not include so many verbatim interviews that he conducted with related individuals, and instead try to incorporate the stories into an easy flowing narrative. He should have then maybe included an appendix with this multitude of individuals instead of flooding his readers with this information throughout the story.
I must confess that as I write this review, the vast majority of other reviewers on Amazon have given this book a very high rating. So maybe I’m just missing something. I simply didn’t enjoy the book and thought the overall experience was extremely tedious. Oh well, it did lead to a great movie.
Speaking of character names, this is by far the biggest weakness of this entire book. For whatever reason, author Pileggi feels obligated to name every single minor character in the book. This is not at all necessary when the characters really don’t add anything to the story. This only manages to confuse the reader since one’s brain really shouldn’t have to be forced to assimilate so many names of people throughout the course of the book. Let’s look at an example of what I mean. I would propose the following statement is ideal:
“John drove across town in his car with three of his friends.”
However, the way Pileggi would write that statement would be:
“John drove across town in his car with Bill Thomas who was his next-door neighbor that owned a dry-cleaning business. Also in the car was Mark Dillon who John knew since high school. In the last seat of the car was George Miller who was John’s second cousin from his first marriage.”
Now, assuming we never come across Bill, Mark, or George again in the story, we really don’t need this excess of description stated in the above paragraph. After a while, your brain starts to automatically tune out these superfluous names as soon as you come across them. This is not a good thing because if the character JUST MIGHT be relevant to the remainder of the story, you’ve now trained your conscious to ignore them, so it becomes more burdensome when you read their name again and you can’t quite place them. This was a big, big hindrance for me.
Another problem that I had with this novel is it didn’t really flow into an easy-to-understand story. Pileggi throws so many stories from so many people into his narrative, and many of them don’t really even take place in a casino or even Las Vegas. This book seems more of anecdotal recollection of many of the mob personalities that are closely related to the key players. Again, the movie tended to do this, but when you have a master like Martin Scorsese, he can take all of this jumbled information and still tell a decent story while making sense out of all of muddled stories and episodes that are randomly thrown at us. I never really felt like there was any linear progression here, and when you did see relationships progress (such as the love triangle between Lefty, Tony, and Geri) it’s told in such a haphazard fashion, that a lot of the emotion the reader should feel simply isn’t there.
Other times, the author includes things such as entire transcripts of police reports, entire court transcriptions, and entire news stories verbatim. Probably the highlight (emotion wise) of the book is when Lefty and Geri are having their last fight and she’s screaming at him outside of their house while loaded on drugs. Yet right in the middle of this drama, Pileggi haphazardly includes the arrest report and it seems to throw the drama off too much. I mean, I could understand the author including this arrest report as a postscript at the end of the chapter, but why include it right in the middle of the event as he’s describing it?
I think that the approach that the author should have taken would have been to not include so many verbatim interviews that he conducted with related individuals, and instead try to incorporate the stories into an easy flowing narrative. He should have then maybe included an appendix with this multitude of individuals instead of flooding his readers with this information throughout the story.
I must confess that as I write this review, the vast majority of other reviewers on Amazon have given this book a very high rating. So maybe I’m just missing something. I simply didn’t enjoy the book and thought the overall experience was extremely tedious. Oh well, it did lead to a great movie.
December 27, 2016
"Καζίνο", εκδόσεις Bell.
Βαθμολογία: 9/10
Στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες έχουν γραφτεί και εκδοθεί εκατοντάδες βιβλία σχετικά με το κόσμο του εγκλήματος και με αληθινές ιστορίες παρανόμων και πάσης φύσεως εγκληματιών. Ένα από αυτά είναι και το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, που έγραψε ο Νίκολας Πιλέτζι (συγγραφέας του Wiseguy, στο οποίο βασίζεται η πασίγνωστη ταινία Goodfellas). Δυστυχώς, στα ελληνικά έχουν μεταφραστεί πολύ λίγα τέτοια βιβλία, που προσωπικά με εξιτάρουν όσο δεν πάει. Μάλλον το συγκεκριμένο μεταφράστηκε με αφορμή την προβολή της ομότιτλης ταινίας στους κινηματογράφους. Πάλι καλά, γιατί μιλάμε για ένα εξαιρετικό χρονικό του εγκλήματος στην πόλη του Λας Βέγκας, με επίκεντρο φυσικά τον κόσμο των Καζίνο.
Το βιβλίο συνδυάζει την μυθιστορηματική αφήγηση με το δημοσιογραφικό ρεπορτάζ και μας παρουσιάζει με περιεκτικό, δυναμικό και έντονο τρόπο, το παρασκήνιο πίσω από την λαμπρή και μαγευτική εικόνα του Λας Βέγκας. Στο βιβλίο παρελαύνουν λογής-λογής άνθρωποι -μπούκηδες, επιχειρηματίες, αστυνομικοί, πράκτορες του FBI και άλλων υπηρεσιών, απλοί κλέφτες, μαφιόζοι, δολοφόνοι- και έτσι βλέπουμε τον βρόμικο τρόπο λειτουργίας μερικών από τα μεγαλύτερα καζίνο του Λας Βέγκας, στις δεκαετίες του '70 και του '80. Μεγαλόπνοα επιχειρηματικά πλάνα, απίστευτες απάτες, αφαιμάξεις των κερδών, νομικά τερτίπια, κλασικές μαφιόζικες εκτελέσεις, παρακολουθήσεις, τα πάντα όλα έχει ο μπαξές. Και βασικά πρόσωπα του όλου δράματος, είναι κυρίως δυο: Ο Φρανκ "Λέφτι" Ρόζενταλ και ο Τόνι Σπιλότρο.
Λοιπόν, η γραφή είναι αυτή που ταιριάζει σε τέτοιου είδους βιβλία: Ευκολοδιάβαστη και ρεαλιστική, με εξαιρετικές περιγραφές των διαφόρων καταστάσεων και των προσώπων, με σκληράδα εκεί που πρέπει. Γενικά, ο τρόπος αφήγησης είναι πραγματικά εξαιρετικός (οι διάλογοι, οι περιγραφές, οι διάφορες συνεντεύξεις, όλα...), αφού μας δίνει την δυνατότητα να δούμε από πολλές μεριές την όλη παρακμή του Λας Βέγκας και να καταλάβουμε τους διάφορους τύπους που συμμετείχαν με τον έναν ή τον άλλο τρόπο στον υπόκοσμο της παράξενης αυτής πόλης. Η ατμόσφαιρα, φυσικά, φοβερή.
Το βιβλίο το αγόρασα από κάποιο παλαιοβιβλιοπωλείο τον Οκτώβριο του 2011 και τόσο καιρό το είχα να σκονίζεται, όμως αποφάσισα ότι καιρός ήταν να το διαβάσω και να το απολαύσω. Είχα υψηλές προσδοκίες πριν το πιάσω στα χέρια μου και, ευτυχώς, εκπληρώθηκαν με το παραπάνω. Τώρα μπορώ να δω και την ομότιτλη ταινία σε σκηνοθεσία Μάρτιν Σκορτσέζε, για την οποία έχω ακούσει τα καλύτερα. Μακάρι κάποια στιγμή να μεταφραζόταν και το Wiseguy, που είναι και με διαφορά το πιο γνωστό βιβλίο του συγγραφέα και στο ίδιο υψηλό επίπεδο ποιότητας με το "Καζίνο". Δυστυχώς, όμως, μου φαίνεται τελείως απίθανο...
Βαθμολογία: 9/10
Στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες έχουν γραφτεί και εκδοθεί εκατοντάδες βιβλία σχετικά με το κόσμο του εγκλήματος και με αληθινές ιστορίες παρανόμων και πάσης φύσεως εγκληματιών. Ένα από αυτά είναι και το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, που έγραψε ο Νίκολας Πιλέτζι (συγγραφέας του Wiseguy, στο οποίο βασίζεται η πασίγνωστη ταινία Goodfellas). Δυστυχώς, στα ελληνικά έχουν μεταφραστεί πολύ λίγα τέτοια βιβλία, που προσωπικά με εξιτάρουν όσο δεν πάει. Μάλλον το συγκεκριμένο μεταφράστηκε με αφορμή την προβολή της ομότιτλης ταινίας στους κινηματογράφους. Πάλι καλά, γιατί μιλάμε για ένα εξαιρετικό χρονικό του εγκλήματος στην πόλη του Λας Βέγκας, με επίκεντρο φυσικά τον κόσμο των Καζίνο.
Το βιβλίο συνδυάζει την μυθιστορηματική αφήγηση με το δημοσιογραφικό ρεπορτάζ και μας παρουσιάζει με περιεκτικό, δυναμικό και έντονο τρόπο, το παρασκήνιο πίσω από την λαμπρή και μαγευτική εικόνα του Λας Βέγκας. Στο βιβλίο παρελαύνουν λογής-λογής άνθρωποι -μπούκηδες, επιχειρηματίες, αστυνομικοί, πράκτορες του FBI και άλλων υπηρεσιών, απλοί κλέφτες, μαφιόζοι, δολοφόνοι- και έτσι βλέπουμε τον βρόμικο τρόπο λειτουργίας μερικών από τα μεγαλύτερα καζίνο του Λας Βέγκας, στις δεκαετίες του '70 και του '80. Μεγαλόπνοα επιχειρηματικά πλάνα, απίστευτες απάτες, αφαιμάξεις των κερδών, νομικά τερτίπια, κλασικές μαφιόζικες εκτελέσεις, παρακολουθήσεις, τα πάντα όλα έχει ο μπαξές. Και βασικά πρόσωπα του όλου δράματος, είναι κυρίως δυο: Ο Φρανκ "Λέφτι" Ρόζενταλ και ο Τόνι Σπιλότρο.
Λοιπόν, η γραφή είναι αυτή που ταιριάζει σε τέτοιου είδους βιβλία: Ευκολοδιάβαστη και ρεαλιστική, με εξαιρετικές περιγραφές των διαφόρων καταστάσεων και των προσώπων, με σκληράδα εκεί που πρέπει. Γενικά, ο τρόπος αφήγησης είναι πραγματικά εξαιρετικός (οι διάλογοι, οι περιγραφές, οι διάφορες συνεντεύξεις, όλα...), αφού μας δίνει την δυνατότητα να δούμε από πολλές μεριές την όλη παρακμή του Λας Βέγκας και να καταλάβουμε τους διάφορους τύπους που συμμετείχαν με τον έναν ή τον άλλο τρόπο στον υπόκοσμο της παράξενης αυτής πόλης. Η ατμόσφαιρα, φυσικά, φοβερή.
Το βιβλίο το αγόρασα από κάποιο παλαιοβιβλιοπωλείο τον Οκτώβριο του 2011 και τόσο καιρό το είχα να σκονίζεται, όμως αποφάσισα ότι καιρός ήταν να το διαβάσω και να το απολαύσω. Είχα υψηλές προσδοκίες πριν το πιάσω στα χέρια μου και, ευτυχώς, εκπληρώθηκαν με το παραπάνω. Τώρα μπορώ να δω και την ομότιτλη ταινία σε σκηνοθεσία Μάρτιν Σκορτσέζε, για την οποία έχω ακούσει τα καλύτερα. Μακάρι κάποια στιγμή να μεταφραζόταν και το Wiseguy, που είναι και με διαφορά το πιο γνωστό βιβλίο του συγγραφέα και στο ίδιο υψηλό επίπεδο ποιότητας με το "Καζίνο". Δυστυχώς, όμως, μου φαίνεται τελείως απίθανο...
March 18, 2014
Fast reading and entertaining book on organized crime in the Las Vegas casino system.
Would be excellent, except that it suffers from AES; A-hole Encouragement Syndrome. This is where the author overlooks certain warning signs about his main subject. Since the subject is either a murderer, a con-man, a thugs, and/or a thief, it is quite possible the subject is also a liar out to impress the author, interested prosecutorial figures, and other suckers who read the book. AES is a common ailment of books in this genre. (I'm talking about you, Howie Carr.) The authors seem enamored of their subject's casual violence.
While Pileggi sometimes includes contradictory testimony from antagonists to the criminals, he does not give any guideposts to let you know who is the bigger bull-crapper. Thus I am not sure how well researched this book is, though Pileggi seems to have have interviewed different people besides Rosenthal.
Pileggi does not give a good sense of the times or the background of Las Vegas in the 70's.
Still an interesting read, and a decent primer on Vegas casino corruption. It's always entertaining to see mobsters turn savagely on each other, though not so entertaining when innocents get hurt and the author ho-hums that particular detail. (Page 370 of the Pocket Books edition)
Would be excellent, except that it suffers from AES; A-hole Encouragement Syndrome. This is where the author overlooks certain warning signs about his main subject. Since the subject is either a murderer, a con-man, a thugs, and/or a thief, it is quite possible the subject is also a liar out to impress the author, interested prosecutorial figures, and other suckers who read the book. AES is a common ailment of books in this genre. (I'm talking about you, Howie Carr.) The authors seem enamored of their subject's casual violence.
While Pileggi sometimes includes contradictory testimony from antagonists to the criminals, he does not give any guideposts to let you know who is the bigger bull-crapper. Thus I am not sure how well researched this book is, though Pileggi seems to have have interviewed different people besides Rosenthal.
Pileggi does not give a good sense of the times or the background of Las Vegas in the 70's.
Still an interesting read, and a decent primer on Vegas casino corruption. It's always entertaining to see mobsters turn savagely on each other, though not so entertaining when innocents get hurt and the author ho-hums that particular detail. (Page 370 of the Pocket Books edition)
February 22, 2017
Here is a book that the movie with the same title was based on. Of course the book goes into more detail about the life of Lefty Rosenthal. Starting from his childhood through his time in Vegas. Overall this is a good book with the parts of Vegas bring back memories of the old casinos that are no longer there. It was also amazing how at one time he was running the book for four casinos. This book has a lot of details and history that was interesting to read. I also remember reading about the framer who found the bodies in his field years later and they turned out to be that of Tony Spilotro, and that of his brother many, many years after he went missing from Vegas. Overall it was a good story about old Vegas. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
January 13, 2010
One of the best books about the mob in Las Vegas. It so happens that the complex web surrounding Frank Rosenthal in Las Vegas was one of the most difficult organized crime-related operations in Vegas. Pileggi clearly describes the power struggles between the various players in great detail.
February 19, 2015
A true account of the mob and its Vegas connections. Watch the movie. Skip the book.
September 13, 2018
Sordid gossip and outrageous bravado highlight the inside tales of mob rule in 1970’s Las Vegas. This book spills the goods as if being whispered on the down low in the back booth of some bar amidst a smoky cigarette haze. It’s all salacious and outrageous and true. The bits and pieces of this true-life crime drama, particularly the first-person narratives, are amazing in their candor. However, the age of the book has taken a toll. Social media is now center stage, and what was once over-the-top and tawdry is now a bit muted. The stories of corruption grab interest, but the shock value no longer carries the book. The narrative lacks a strong and balanced storyline to highlight the good material.
November 8, 2020
Kao sto je to izgleda uvijek slucaj sa knjigama o mafiji, film mi je mnogo bolji od same knjige.
Pileggi kao i Mario Puzo pise dosta jednostavnim jezikom i knjiga se brzo cita ali tek sad shvatam koliki su majstori reziseri koji su od, po meni, osrednjih knjiga napravili neke od najboljih filmova svih vremena.
Pileggi kao i Mario Puzo pise dosta jednostavnim jezikom i knjiga se brzo cita ali tek sad shvatam koliki su majstori reziseri koji su od, po meni, osrednjih knjiga napravili neke od najboljih filmova svih vremena.
September 17, 2021
Actually, the correct title for this book is " Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas". This is the true story of the life of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, a bookie connected with the Chicago mob (the original of which began with Al Capone) and his associate Tony Spilotro. The backstories of the Chicago mob, Rosenthal and Spilotro alone are fascinating and can be found among the pages of this book.
The author relies heavily on the recollections of Frank Cullotta, a long-time associate and close childhood friend of Spilotro. His first hand accounts prove to be an accurate source of information for the author. Fun fact: Cullotta, who just recently passed away, went on to create several youtube videos and a podcast in his latter years which can still be found on Youtube and the internet. Similarly to Henry Hill who also had a youtube channel, Cullotta had a charming way about him that drew a person in when he spoke. Hard to believe these guys could be capable of the horrifying things they did. But looking at them and listening to their stories, you would think this is the guy next door. Don't believe me? Go look!
The movie "Casino" which was directed by Martin Scorcese, was based on this book, although the movie took slight liberties here and there for dramatic purposes. For instance, contrary to the movie, according to the coronor's report and the information coming from Cullota in the book, Tony Spilatro (Nicky Santoro in the movie) and his brother were not killed with a baseball bat but rather were unmercifully tortured and beaten to death. No bones were found to be broken although their faces were completely destroyed and unidentifiable at the time the bodies were found. A horrible way to die. Several theories float that the reason for the murder was Tony's affair with Frank's wife but I think this was just one nail in Tony's coffin and that both Tony and his brother had ticked off some high up mob bosses with their shady dealings and were made an example of for crossing the bosses.
The information about Geri Rosenthal's death (Ginger in the movie) was accurate. When she finally left Rosenthal and their kids (yes I said kids plural) she took up with a bad crowd and ended up dying of an overdose in a hotel lobby. Her body was found to contain lethal levels of alcohol and drugs. Some people say it was accidental, but others believe Frank had her killed. However, Rosenthal went to his grave believing her low-life friends murdered and then robbed her. This theory holds water since only a couple of thousand dollars of collectors coins which would have been impossible to fence, were found and he spent thousands to have subsequent autopsies performed in order to get to the truth. Why would he do that if he were behind her death? At the time of her death, he was still totally crazy about her. And what a backstory she had! These facts alone made me want to delve deeper and once I picked up this book, which begins exactly like the movie with Rosenthal's car exploding underneath him, I found it almost impossible to put down. The car bombing was never solved but theories still circulate to this day about who made the attempt on his life and why.
The book contains a slew of fascinating information about how the casinos in Las Vegas were operated back in the 60's and 70's when Vegas was born and big time mob figures ran the place- who was who, who did what, how it was done and as Nicky Santoro in the movie says "-God forbid they should make a mistake and forget to steal." These casino running aspects alone could have made for a hit movie, but the focus on this book and the movie were mainly Lefty and Tony. Real names, dates and places were used throughout giving this book 100% credibility. Fun fact: Tony Spilotro bears a remarkable resemblance to Joe Pesci. Don't believe me? Go look!
I would recommend reading this book if you want to connect the dots and look for the tie-ins after you see the movie. Then watch the movie again and apply the real names to the characters on the screen and see how much of a difference it makes.
It's a good read and anyone with an interest in the the subject of organized crime and the history of Las Vegas should definitely grab hold of this book.
The author relies heavily on the recollections of Frank Cullotta, a long-time associate and close childhood friend of Spilotro. His first hand accounts prove to be an accurate source of information for the author. Fun fact: Cullotta, who just recently passed away, went on to create several youtube videos and a podcast in his latter years which can still be found on Youtube and the internet. Similarly to Henry Hill who also had a youtube channel, Cullotta had a charming way about him that drew a person in when he spoke. Hard to believe these guys could be capable of the horrifying things they did. But looking at them and listening to their stories, you would think this is the guy next door. Don't believe me? Go look!
The movie "Casino" which was directed by Martin Scorcese, was based on this book, although the movie took slight liberties here and there for dramatic purposes. For instance, contrary to the movie, according to the coronor's report and the information coming from Cullota in the book, Tony Spilatro (Nicky Santoro in the movie) and his brother were not killed with a baseball bat but rather were unmercifully tortured and beaten to death. No bones were found to be broken although their faces were completely destroyed and unidentifiable at the time the bodies were found. A horrible way to die. Several theories float that the reason for the murder was Tony's affair with Frank's wife but I think this was just one nail in Tony's coffin and that both Tony and his brother had ticked off some high up mob bosses with their shady dealings and were made an example of for crossing the bosses.
The information about Geri Rosenthal's death (Ginger in the movie) was accurate. When she finally left Rosenthal and their kids (yes I said kids plural) she took up with a bad crowd and ended up dying of an overdose in a hotel lobby. Her body was found to contain lethal levels of alcohol and drugs. Some people say it was accidental, but others believe Frank had her killed. However, Rosenthal went to his grave believing her low-life friends murdered and then robbed her. This theory holds water since only a couple of thousand dollars of collectors coins which would have been impossible to fence, were found and he spent thousands to have subsequent autopsies performed in order to get to the truth. Why would he do that if he were behind her death? At the time of her death, he was still totally crazy about her. And what a backstory she had! These facts alone made me want to delve deeper and once I picked up this book, which begins exactly like the movie with Rosenthal's car exploding underneath him, I found it almost impossible to put down. The car bombing was never solved but theories still circulate to this day about who made the attempt on his life and why.
The book contains a slew of fascinating information about how the casinos in Las Vegas were operated back in the 60's and 70's when Vegas was born and big time mob figures ran the place- who was who, who did what, how it was done and as Nicky Santoro in the movie says "-God forbid they should make a mistake and forget to steal." These casino running aspects alone could have made for a hit movie, but the focus on this book and the movie were mainly Lefty and Tony. Real names, dates and places were used throughout giving this book 100% credibility. Fun fact: Tony Spilotro bears a remarkable resemblance to Joe Pesci. Don't believe me? Go look!
I would recommend reading this book if you want to connect the dots and look for the tie-ins after you see the movie. Then watch the movie again and apply the real names to the characters on the screen and see how much of a difference it makes.
It's a good read and anyone with an interest in the the subject of organized crime and the history of Las Vegas should definitely grab hold of this book.
January 29, 2021
The book Casino by Nicholas Pileggi is a crime book about two friends with mob connections who are advised to move to Las Vegas to run Casino and skim money off the casino and give it to Kansas City mobsters. The book is about the downfall of these two characters. The characters are Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and Tony “The Ant” Spilotro. Frank runs the Casino because he used to be a gambling man who won a lot of money through it. Tony is the muscle of the friends. He deals with problems. If someone messes with the operation or messes with Frank he is there to make sure it doesn’t happen a second time. The theme of the Novel is “greed is an evil force”. Frank and Tony’s downfall was because of their greed. They always wanted more money and this caused their demise. When Frank is talking to the reader he says “It should have been so sweet, Everything was in place. We were given paradise on earth, but we fu*ked it all up. It would be the last time street guys were ever given anything that valuable again.”(Pileggi) Frank and Tony had a great thing moving to Las Vegas to run the Casino and they messed it all up by always wanting more.
I can relate to Frank. Frank was smart yet spontaneous at times. I can relate to Frank in the way that I am spontaneous and random at times. My favorite character was Tony, however. When Frank was spoken about in the novel I found him boring and dry. Tony was described as tough, aggressive, and random. I found Tony’s personality and actions much more enjoyable to read about. As bad of a person Tony is, he is still enjoyable to read about. I think the author didn’t intend for Tony to be seen this way. I think Tony was intended to be seen as a guy with bad anger and little smarts. I think Tony is seen like this but he is also seen by many as an interesting character. When Tony is talking to another character named Anthony Tony says “Listen to me Anthony. I got your head in a f***in’ vise. I’ll squash your head like a f***in’ grapefruit if you don’t give me a name.”(Pileggi). Tony is intended to seem like a guy only used to fix “problems”.
I found half the book exciting and the other half sounding like the author was trying to teach the reader how to run a casino. While I personally was disappointed by the Novel, I would recommend it. It could be entertaining for someone else. I would recommend it to people who like to learn about the 1970s or the Mafia. I would also recommend it to people who like Mafia movies. I am one of these people who enjoy mafia movies and I found this book fairly interesting. If I had to give this book a rating out of 5 it would be a 3.
I can relate to Frank. Frank was smart yet spontaneous at times. I can relate to Frank in the way that I am spontaneous and random at times. My favorite character was Tony, however. When Frank was spoken about in the novel I found him boring and dry. Tony was described as tough, aggressive, and random. I found Tony’s personality and actions much more enjoyable to read about. As bad of a person Tony is, he is still enjoyable to read about. I think the author didn’t intend for Tony to be seen this way. I think Tony was intended to be seen as a guy with bad anger and little smarts. I think Tony is seen like this but he is also seen by many as an interesting character. When Tony is talking to another character named Anthony Tony says “Listen to me Anthony. I got your head in a f***in’ vise. I’ll squash your head like a f***in’ grapefruit if you don’t give me a name.”(Pileggi). Tony is intended to seem like a guy only used to fix “problems”.
I found half the book exciting and the other half sounding like the author was trying to teach the reader how to run a casino. While I personally was disappointed by the Novel, I would recommend it. It could be entertaining for someone else. I would recommend it to people who like to learn about the 1970s or the Mafia. I would also recommend it to people who like Mafia movies. I am one of these people who enjoy mafia movies and I found this book fairly interesting. If I had to give this book a rating out of 5 it would be a 3.
September 6, 2026
Nation's morality carwash
Casino è il secondo libro di Pileggi che Martin Scorsese ha usato come base per trarne un altro memorabile film (dal titolo omonimo) dopo Goodfellas.
Anche in questo caso, la storia è quella, incredibilmente vera, di un altro outsider della mafia, il giocatore d'azzardo Frank Lefty Rosenthal (dal cognome si capisce che le sue origini non erano sicule) che, dopo aver fatto da "consulente" per le scommesse ai capi del Chicago Outfit (la "cupola" della mafia locale), venne messo a capo, più o meno formalmente, del più grande casinò di Las Vegas, con il compito di gestirlo oculatamente e garantire lo "skimming" ossia la scrematura del contante dalle casse del casinò alle tasche delle famiglie mafiose.
Come in Goodfellas, anche qui c'è un amico esuberante da gestire (Anthony Spilotro, nel film ribattezzato Nicky Santoro e interpretato da Joe Pesci, come sempre memorabile) e una donna fatale anzichenò con cui fare i conti (inutile ricordare l'altrettanto memorabile interpretazione di Sharon Stone, nel ruolo migliore della sua carriera).
Lefty nel film diventa Sam "Ace" Rothstein, un De Niro smagliante che interpreta alla perfezione il personaggio maniacale e perfezionista descritto nel libro, un uomo abituato da sempre a calcolare esattamente le percentuali di possibile vittoria di una scommessa e che vive tutta la sua vita allo stesso modo. America's best handicapper.
Rispetto a Wiseguy, il racconto funziona meno perchè si addentra, forse inevitabilmente, forse no, nei mille tecnicismi del gioco e della sua organizzazione, nonché nelle diverse modalità con cui si potevano truffare i casinò, almeno all'epoca dei fatti. In tutti questi dettagli il lettore un po' si perde.
Resta un bel racconto di un'epoca, pseudoromantica, in cui i criminali somigliavano (o pretendevano di somigliare) ai pionieri e ai cowboys delle storie di frontiera, i boss mafiosi erano paisà che discutevano di omicidi mentre cucinavano la pasta col ragù di polpette e i casinò erano luoghi di sogno per ricchi giocatori professionisti (le "balene") e abili truffatori destinati a finire in qualche buca nel deserto, il principale sistema per risolvere un problema a Las Vegas.
Alla fine, la mia passione per queste storie e per Scorsese mi han fatto propendere per la quarta stella, ma a differenza di Wiseguy non so se consiglierei questo libro a lettori meno parziali di me.
Casino è il secondo libro di Pileggi che Martin Scorsese ha usato come base per trarne un altro memorabile film (dal titolo omonimo) dopo Goodfellas.
Anche in questo caso, la storia è quella, incredibilmente vera, di un altro outsider della mafia, il giocatore d'azzardo Frank Lefty Rosenthal (dal cognome si capisce che le sue origini non erano sicule) che, dopo aver fatto da "consulente" per le scommesse ai capi del Chicago Outfit (la "cupola" della mafia locale), venne messo a capo, più o meno formalmente, del più grande casinò di Las Vegas, con il compito di gestirlo oculatamente e garantire lo "skimming" ossia la scrematura del contante dalle casse del casinò alle tasche delle famiglie mafiose.
Come in Goodfellas, anche qui c'è un amico esuberante da gestire (Anthony Spilotro, nel film ribattezzato Nicky Santoro e interpretato da Joe Pesci, come sempre memorabile) e una donna fatale anzichenò con cui fare i conti (inutile ricordare l'altrettanto memorabile interpretazione di Sharon Stone, nel ruolo migliore della sua carriera).
Lefty nel film diventa Sam "Ace" Rothstein, un De Niro smagliante che interpreta alla perfezione il personaggio maniacale e perfezionista descritto nel libro, un uomo abituato da sempre a calcolare esattamente le percentuali di possibile vittoria di una scommessa e che vive tutta la sua vita allo stesso modo. America's best handicapper.
Rispetto a Wiseguy, il racconto funziona meno perchè si addentra, forse inevitabilmente, forse no, nei mille tecnicismi del gioco e della sua organizzazione, nonché nelle diverse modalità con cui si potevano truffare i casinò, almeno all'epoca dei fatti. In tutti questi dettagli il lettore un po' si perde.
Resta un bel racconto di un'epoca, pseudoromantica, in cui i criminali somigliavano (o pretendevano di somigliare) ai pionieri e ai cowboys delle storie di frontiera, i boss mafiosi erano paisà che discutevano di omicidi mentre cucinavano la pasta col ragù di polpette e i casinò erano luoghi di sogno per ricchi giocatori professionisti (le "balene") e abili truffatori destinati a finire in qualche buca nel deserto, il principale sistema per risolvere un problema a Las Vegas.
Alla fine, la mia passione per queste storie e per Scorsese mi han fatto propendere per la quarta stella, ma a differenza di Wiseguy non so se consiglierei questo libro a lettori meno parziali di me.
Frank Rosenthal came to Las Vegas in 1968 for the same reason so many other Americans have—to get away from his past. Las Vegas was a city with no memory. It was the place you went for a second chance. It was the American city where people went after the divorce, after the bankruptcy, even after a short stint in the county jail. It was the final destination for those willing to drive halfway across America in search of the nation’s only morality car wash.
September 20, 2019
Continuing my rather unexpected trip through books that inspired Martin Scorsese films (I finished I Heard You Paint Houses a week ago), here’s Nicholas Pileggi’s Casino. I was excited to read it because:
1. I watched the movie years ago and remember almost nothing about it.
2. I recently watched Hustlers and people kept comparing it to Casino.
3. I enjoyed Pileggi’s other true crime mafia tale Wiseguy, which was the basis for the movie Goodfellas.
So I went into this one with a lot of excitement. And it’s…fine. Just fine. Pileggi’s style is much more to my liking than Charles Brandt’s is. It’s structured the same way but Pileggi is a seasoned veteran; he knows what’s appropriate for the subject to share and what he needs to editorialize.
The thing is: it’s not that interesting of a story. Or rather, it’s not one that merits a 400 page treatment. It would make for an excellent longform article. But there was a lot of redundancy. Which is not Pileggi’s fault, he’s just telling the story as it happened, not fictionalizing it. Yet this left large stretches that were boring or annoying.
Again, I don’t remember much about the movie but I got the impression that Rosenthal and Spilotro (I’ve been saying “Spiltoro” all these years, my bad) were closer than they actually were. One ran gambling, the other did robberies and they kind of interacted. Individually, their stories were interesting but really nothing special. And the heart of the tale: Geri, Rosenthal’s wife, was destructive and this played into his tendencies in what was an abusive, loveless marriage with two poor kids at the center of it. It was kind of sad more than anything. Pileggi does a good job of centering the story around mob activity in Vegas; that’s obviously why most of us are reading it anyway. But the real story is the triangle between those three and I just found that depressing.
This book had the opposite effect of making me not want to revisit the movie. I’m done with this tale. Though I am curious about how Sharon Stone adapted Geri (she was nominated for an Oscar). So maybe some day.
1. I watched the movie years ago and remember almost nothing about it.
2. I recently watched Hustlers and people kept comparing it to Casino.
3. I enjoyed Pileggi’s other true crime mafia tale Wiseguy, which was the basis for the movie Goodfellas.
So I went into this one with a lot of excitement. And it’s…fine. Just fine. Pileggi’s style is much more to my liking than Charles Brandt’s is. It’s structured the same way but Pileggi is a seasoned veteran; he knows what’s appropriate for the subject to share and what he needs to editorialize.
The thing is: it’s not that interesting of a story. Or rather, it’s not one that merits a 400 page treatment. It would make for an excellent longform article. But there was a lot of redundancy. Which is not Pileggi’s fault, he’s just telling the story as it happened, not fictionalizing it. Yet this left large stretches that were boring or annoying.
Again, I don’t remember much about the movie but I got the impression that Rosenthal and Spilotro (I’ve been saying “Spiltoro” all these years, my bad) were closer than they actually were. One ran gambling, the other did robberies and they kind of interacted. Individually, their stories were interesting but really nothing special. And the heart of the tale: Geri, Rosenthal’s wife, was destructive and this played into his tendencies in what was an abusive, loveless marriage with two poor kids at the center of it. It was kind of sad more than anything. Pileggi does a good job of centering the story around mob activity in Vegas; that’s obviously why most of us are reading it anyway. But the real story is the triangle between those three and I just found that depressing.
This book had the opposite effect of making me not want to revisit the movie. I’m done with this tale. Though I am curious about how Sharon Stone adapted Geri (she was nominated for an Oscar). So maybe some day.
October 3, 2025
It’s difficult not to think of Goodfellas (or rather, Wiseguy) when reading this, not just because most of the same movie people returned to make a film about it, but because you can see why they would. Again there’s a long-running criminal enterprise with first hand witnesses to tell us about it. You don’t expect to learn this much about organised crime.
Where Casino, and the story of Lefty Rosenthal in Las Vegas differs from Henry Hill is that it feels less personal. Lefty might have been just as happy somewhere else; he’s in this because he’s good at it. Most of the criminal head honchos aren’t even in Las Vegas, pulling strings from places like Kansas City. The threat of retribution from above feels more distant than it did for Henry. Nevertheless, human mistakes are what bring it all crashing down, specifically a disastrous marriage and a rivalry with a childhood friend.
Casino is an enthralling read, if a bit complicated at times when it comes to things like how the individual scams work. It made me want to rewatch the movie.
Where Casino, and the story of Lefty Rosenthal in Las Vegas differs from Henry Hill is that it feels less personal. Lefty might have been just as happy somewhere else; he’s in this because he’s good at it. Most of the criminal head honchos aren’t even in Las Vegas, pulling strings from places like Kansas City. The threat of retribution from above feels more distant than it did for Henry. Nevertheless, human mistakes are what bring it all crashing down, specifically a disastrous marriage and a rivalry with a childhood friend.
Casino is an enthralling read, if a bit complicated at times when it comes to things like how the individual scams work. It made me want to rewatch the movie.
August 19, 2026
Almost makes you pine for the old days of Las Vegas, don't it? Sure when the mob was in charge they were regularly burying people in the desert, robbing people, not paying taxes, and running casinos which are explicitly designed to separate suckers from their money, but at least they knew your name and what you drank and how you liked your room. There was a certain personability there that doesn't really exist in modern Las Vegas under the corporations - where are you treated like a number, where you are being hustled and fleeced the moment you step off the airplane until the moment you get back on it.
Obviously the comparisons to the Scorsese adaptation, certified classic as it is, are unavoidable here. And while it is a largely faithful adaptation, for those in want of some even more specific details about the twilight of the mob era, or for a more genuine look into the 'real' Lefty Rosenthal (as there are many extended passages where Pileggi quotes his interviews with him directly and at length) this is a solid, if somewhat scattered, supplement.
3.75 stars
Obviously the comparisons to the Scorsese adaptation, certified classic as it is, are unavoidable here. And while it is a largely faithful adaptation, for those in want of some even more specific details about the twilight of the mob era, or for a more genuine look into the 'real' Lefty Rosenthal (as there are many extended passages where Pileggi quotes his interviews with him directly and at length) this is a solid, if somewhat scattered, supplement.
3.75 stars
June 30, 2019
I've seen the movie a hundred times, and it turns out that it's pretty faithful to the book.
This book features extensive interviews with some of the major players in the story. Pileggi's skill is to draw these all together (not to mention getting everyone to be so candid) alongside the supporting research to crosscheck details and provide extra absurdity (like Left Rosenthal taking the 5th 37 times in one stint on the witness stand, including on whether or not he's lefthanded).
I think the takeaway is that while the "good guys" are collecting details for their indictments, the "bad guys" can pretty much do what they want, and that might take years. But once they've accumulated enough information, the whole thing rolls downhill pretty quickly after that. It's an interesting story of financing and skimming and empire-building.
This book features extensive interviews with some of the major players in the story. Pileggi's skill is to draw these all together (not to mention getting everyone to be so candid) alongside the supporting research to crosscheck details and provide extra absurdity (like Left Rosenthal taking the 5th 37 times in one stint on the witness stand, including on whether or not he's lefthanded).
I think the takeaway is that while the "good guys" are collecting details for their indictments, the "bad guys" can pretty much do what they want, and that might take years. But once they've accumulated enough information, the whole thing rolls downhill pretty quickly after that. It's an interesting story of financing and skimming and empire-building.
July 26, 2023
The story is a little mundane for a Mafia book, but still well written and an interesting read. The audio performances are EXCELLENT and really make you feel like your hearing the story from the mobsters themselves.
The book is focused primarily on Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, the notorious casino strongman and "skimmer" who, with the help of Frank Culotta, Tony Spilotro, and others managed to make himself and the Chicago outfit a fortune with his thumb on the gambling operations at The Sands and The Fremont during the 1970's.
The book also covers Rosenthal's stormy marriage with Las Vegas Showgirl Geri McGee and her affairs.
Also, Alan Glick, the brilliant businessman who, with the Argent Corporation, owned 4 Vegas casinos including those controlled by the mob. He served as the unwilling frontman for the whole operation. His court testimony led to the downfall of The Mob in Las Vegas in 1983.
I've never seen the Hollywood movie based on this book.... Nor do I care to.
The book is focused primarily on Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, the notorious casino strongman and "skimmer" who, with the help of Frank Culotta, Tony Spilotro, and others managed to make himself and the Chicago outfit a fortune with his thumb on the gambling operations at The Sands and The Fremont during the 1970's.
The book also covers Rosenthal's stormy marriage with Las Vegas Showgirl Geri McGee and her affairs.
Also, Alan Glick, the brilliant businessman who, with the Argent Corporation, owned 4 Vegas casinos including those controlled by the mob. He served as the unwilling frontman for the whole operation. His court testimony led to the downfall of The Mob in Las Vegas in 1983.
I've never seen the Hollywood movie based on this book.... Nor do I care to.
January 13, 2024
Casino is a thrilling tale of greed, deceit and crime. It explores the lives of a colourful but fearsome group of Chicago gangsters who sought success and fortune in the world of Vegas casinos. Pileggi creates a book that reads just as excitingly as any fiction that Mario Puzo could produce.
The story is told at an incredible pace, and Pileggi allows the people to use their own wording to tell the story, giving the book a really authentic feel. Reading this book, I felt like I got an insight into how mobsters think and how they see Las Vegas as an opportunity to make money. The book explains different mechanics that were used to allow criminals to skim cash from a casino's earnings. A lesson not actively mentioned but highlighted by the content of the book is that the real losers in the world of casinos are the players.
Ultimately, this book tells its story well; I couldn't put it down, having finished it in under two days. However, I felt that despite explanations of some aspects of the criminal world, it was lacking in explaining the larger structure of the mafia. I sometimes didn't understand quite how the hierarchy and operation of the families back in Chicago or Kansas City worked.
The story is told at an incredible pace, and Pileggi allows the people to use their own wording to tell the story, giving the book a really authentic feel. Reading this book, I felt like I got an insight into how mobsters think and how they see Las Vegas as an opportunity to make money. The book explains different mechanics that were used to allow criminals to skim cash from a casino's earnings. A lesson not actively mentioned but highlighted by the content of the book is that the real losers in the world of casinos are the players.
Ultimately, this book tells its story well; I couldn't put it down, having finished it in under two days. However, I felt that despite explanations of some aspects of the criminal world, it was lacking in explaining the larger structure of the mafia. I sometimes didn't understand quite how the hierarchy and operation of the families back in Chicago or Kansas City worked.
March 4, 2021
This true crime staple was cleverly written, enthralling and utterly entertaining. "Casino" tells the actual story of how the mob controlled Las Vegas in the 1960s and 1970s and how the entire operation imploded. Almost all of the narrative is presented via primary source interview which adds a very authentic element yet Pileggi's brisk pace works beautifully with his careful attention to detail. Fans of the 1995 film starring Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci will especially adore this book, and those who have not seen the film will want to after reading it. Highly recommended as an illumination of the destructive nature of the human condition.
June 21, 2023
3.5 out of 5 stars.
June 25, 2024
This is one time where I'll say that the movie was better.
October 30, 2024
An incredible story - many times you have to remind yourself that what you’re reading is essentially a non-fiction collection of interviews and quotes.
November 12, 2024
Read the entire thing in DeNiro and Pesci's voices, very true to the movie script!
January 14, 2025
Not as clean a story arc as Goodfellas/Wiseguy. More cobbled toegther anecdotes. Lefty is good at gambling. His wife is a drunk hooker. Tony Spilotro is a violent thief. There's a story in there. Mostly I was impressed with the screenplay that came out of this and the subsequent movie. Book was OK. Movie was much better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 405 reviews