What do you think?
Rate this book
When it was Great
In 1968, Jim Sinay packed up his green Caddy convertible and drove from Canton, Ohio to Las Vegas. His "Uncle" Ed Pucci, who was Frank Sinatra's bodyguard and a close family friend, set him up with an entry level dealer's job in Vegas. Over the next three decades, Jimmy experienced all Las Vegas had to offer. He dealt craps to famous gangsters in a private game, he interacted with John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Redd Foxx, Debbie Reynolds, Louis Prima and other celebrities. Jimmy was a confirmed bachelor who lived the high life with the ladies, although at times his carousing nearly cost him his life. He saw hundreds of thousands of dollars bet on one roll of the dice, he caught gambling cheaters and had run ins with some very nasty types. Jimmy's stories are folktales from a bygone era, the 1960s, 70s and 80s when Vegas was still a relatively small town. Back in the day, the "joints" were ruled by men whose names all ended in vowels and there was a good time to be had 24/7. When It Was Great will make you laugh and touch your heart, but most of all it will take you back to the Las Vegas of yesterday, when the Rat Pack played at the Sands, Elvis headlined at the Hilton and working stiffs like Jimmy partied like there was no tomorrow.
- GenresBiography
188 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2015
17 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 12, 2018
Decent account
Stories jumped around with no segue way. Interesting account but poor writing.
Would recommend to someone interested in the old Vegas.
Stories jumped around with no segue way. Interesting account but poor writing.
Would recommend to someone interested in the old Vegas.
February 10, 2019
not well written
January 10, 2021
Very interesting
Great review of the old Vegas, sounds like a fun but tough place if trying to cut corners. Well worth the read.
Great review of the old Vegas, sounds like a fun but tough place if trying to cut corners. Well worth the read.
February 20, 2022
A life well lived
JIM is truly a good man and a good friend to my son. The book was great. I enjoyed the stories and getting to know him better.
JIM is truly a good man and a good friend to my son. The book was great. I enjoyed the stories and getting to know him better.
June 8, 2022
excellent
Enjoyed very much. Really interesting read about the way Vegas was run back in the day from someone who lived it. Great part of history.
Enjoyed very much. Really interesting read about the way Vegas was run back in the day from someone who lived it. Great part of history.
November 11, 2015
I loved every minute of Jim Sinay's recollections. Although I myself have never visited Vegas (yet anyhow) I found I could easily picture it the way it was when he worked there. He paints a tale of, not just a simpler time, but a seemingly better one. Yes, the mobs controlled Vegas, but they did so with a respect for its patrons that seems to have been lost over the years.
Mr. Sinay tells a great story; that much can be said from the opening pages. His recollections don't just put you there beside him in Old Vegas but make you feel as though you missed out on something fantastic. When it was Great made me yearn to visit the Vegas Mr. Sinay described, a place just coming to life with bustling customers, big-time actors and high-stakes players, dealers with a penchant for hijinks, and a way of handling troublemakers and con artists that ensured a good time for everyone else.
From the moment I started reading When it was Great I knew I'd be taking the time to write up a review despite the already hundred plus on here. Mr. Sinay deserves that. He's lived a sinfully fun life, that Sinay, and I can only hope to inject a small percentage of that kind of experience in my own. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Sinay. It was great.
Mr. Sinay tells a great story; that much can be said from the opening pages. His recollections don't just put you there beside him in Old Vegas but make you feel as though you missed out on something fantastic. When it was Great made me yearn to visit the Vegas Mr. Sinay described, a place just coming to life with bustling customers, big-time actors and high-stakes players, dealers with a penchant for hijinks, and a way of handling troublemakers and con artists that ensured a good time for everyone else.
From the moment I started reading When it was Great I knew I'd be taking the time to write up a review despite the already hundred plus on here. Mr. Sinay deserves that. He's lived a sinfully fun life, that Sinay, and I can only hope to inject a small percentage of that kind of experience in my own. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Sinay. It was great.
June 18, 2015
i got this book because I have been to Las Vegas about 25 times form the 1970's until 2005. The town has sure changed. What I read from other books was the old Las Vegas was dying because their demographic age was dying and the baby boomers with children found it not useful to them. So Steve Wynn and a few other people reinvented it towards the way it is now. This author got to Vegas because his father was a bodyguard fir Frank Sinatra , so he got a job as dealer. For 3 decades he dealt craps to a lot of celebrities. He tells of the old Vegas I knew in the 60,s 70, and 80,s before Las Vegas exploded.. This book talks about the famous acts that played back then, The Rat Pack, Wayne Newton and Elvis Presley. This is really good book if you want to know about the old Las Vegas.
August 5, 2015
This is the kind of book I really like. It's a guy talking about some of his experiences. He's a good writer too.
I love reading/hearing about Vegas like this. Everything I've heard is just like he says too. It was interesting to hear about dealer school back then, some of his friends and roommates, as well as when and why he left.
As cliche as it may sound, Jim would be a great guy to get a tour from if he ever did it. I'd love to hear about what used to be where and blah blah blah.
While nothing can ever be like it was, Jim writes a book that makes you wish it could, even if just for a little bit longer.
Great book.
I love reading/hearing about Vegas like this. Everything I've heard is just like he says too. It was interesting to hear about dealer school back then, some of his friends and roommates, as well as when and why he left.
As cliche as it may sound, Jim would be a great guy to get a tour from if he ever did it. I'd love to hear about what used to be where and blah blah blah.
While nothing can ever be like it was, Jim writes a book that makes you wish it could, even if just for a little bit longer.
Great book.
June 17, 2015
This book is an autobiography of a Las Vegas dealer. It sounds like a guy sitting on a barstool telling his life story. It's a book easy to read and interesting. There is a lot of name dropping that you have to expect. He stresses that the good, the bad, and the ugly are just people like you and I, except they live in Las Vegas. If you ever wondered what life behind the scenes was like, this is your book.
December 5, 2017
Worth far more than the selling price. !!!
This man,said life story I of living and working in laws Vegas taught me more about life in general than any other Vegas book
Any Vegas fan must must must read this book. Or you will never k is what life of the working man was really life in the neon city
After you read all the other Vegas books. This book will tell you the real everyday story of a w I raking man
It really is - a must read
Bob brilliant
Sarasota Florida.
This man,said life story I of living and working in laws Vegas taught me more about life in general than any other Vegas book
Any Vegas fan must must must read this book. Or you will never k is what life of the working man was really life in the neon city
After you read all the other Vegas books. This book will tell you the real everyday story of a w I raking man
It really is - a must read
Bob brilliant
Sarasota Florida.
July 30, 2015
This book definitely had some interesting tidbits and was nice for a short read. There wasn't much transition between many of the ideas and at times the "story" was a single sentence without much purpose. I feel this book has potential with a bit of refinement, but turned out to just be average due to the author's sporadic thoughts rather than many cohesive stories. Overall, it was a good read for the price, although I'm now sure I would recommend it to anyone.
June 25, 2015
This was an interesting take on what Las Vegas, Nevada was like in the 70's,80's, and 90's from the perspective of a casino dealer. The story flowed pretty well but there were areas where the syntax was off. Otherwise it was a pretty good read and the tales the author shared of his life and experiences in Vegas kept the story was entertaining.
December 27, 2018
Very touching.
I never met the author in person but only had the privilege to speak to him on the phone. You see his cable box started acting obnoxious and he called me for help at Spectrum. Upon speaking with him I had to read the book. Hopefully they will put this on film. Good luck and God bless you sir.
I never met the author in person but only had the privilege to speak to him on the phone. You see his cable box started acting obnoxious and he called me for help at Spectrum. Upon speaking with him I had to read the book. Hopefully they will put this on film. Good luck and God bless you sir.
June 19, 2015
Excellent Quick Read of a True Casino Experience
As a casino dealer, I found this book was right on in describing dealing to the public. The changes noted in casino practices over the years was very interesting.
As a casino dealer, I found this book was right on in describing dealing to the public. The changes noted in casino practices over the years was very interesting.
June 20, 2015
Great walk down memory lane
My parents took me to Vegas when I was fifteen so Dad could play craps, his favorite game. While we were not there long enough to see or do a lot, this certainly fits my memory of how the place seemed to me.
My parents took me to Vegas when I was fifteen so Dad could play craps, his favorite game. While we were not there long enough to see or do a lot, this certainly fits my memory of how the place seemed to me.
July 17, 2015
Best to make a drink while reading this and pretend you are at a bar and the guy next to you is reminiscing about old Vegas. The celebrity encounters and mobsters actually aren't terribly interesting here, but humorous personal stories make it a light, fun read.
June 24, 2015
Vegas
Vegas.. I thought would be more stories about the old days.. Decent read I enjoyed it.. Fast and easy to read. Good beach book. Also good for the plane ride to Vegas.
Vegas.. I thought would be more stories about the old days.. Decent read I enjoyed it.. Fast and easy to read. Good beach book. Also good for the plane ride to Vegas.
September 10, 2015
Vegas, baby!
Good book. It really gave a feel for life in the early days of Vegas. The writing is somewhat simplistic and the book is a quick read.
Good book. It really gave a feel for life in the early days of Vegas. The writing is somewhat simplistic and the book is a quick read.
Read
October 30, 2015A good book to read on a 5 hr flight. Easy reading with fairly humorous stories and required no thought or concentration.
April 14, 2017
Good Times Remembered
The books presents a peek into the good old days of Las Vegas, history past. It is the memories of someone who experienced those days from an inside prospective told in a matter-of-fact manner. It is worth reading if one is interested in those early days.
The books presents a peek into the good old days of Las Vegas, history past. It is the memories of someone who experienced those days from an inside prospective told in a matter-of-fact manner. It is worth reading if one is interested in those early days.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews