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6th out of 84 books
—
95 voters
Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas
From the author of the best-selling Mafia exposé, Wiseguy, comes this inside story of the billion-dollar gambling industry and the secretive, dangerous men who run it. At the heart of this true tale of love, revenge, and murder Mafia-style are some of the most memorable characters in mob lore: Lefty, the brains of the mob's Vegas casinos; Tony Spilotro, the mob's muscle;...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
June 30th 1996
by Pocket Books
(first published January 1st 1995)
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Aug 20, 2007
Jason
added it
The 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!
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Re-read this based on a friend's recommendation. I loved Wiseguy so much, and the movie it later inspired, Goodfellas. They were such a deep part of my high school memories, really being fascinated with the psychopathic, super-violent men involved in organized crime, and the subsequent narrative of how it all comes together. Goodfellas, to me, was one of the few movies that was much better than the original book, just in terms of the cultural richness of the film and the technical prowess of Sco...more
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 furth...more
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 furth...more
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.
در صورت تمایل، جهت مشخصات فیلمی که بر اساس این کتاب ساخته شده است؛ میتوانید از لینک زیر استفاده بفرمایید
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112641
Wer den gleichnamigen, ziemlich bildstarken Film kennt, wird überrascht sein, im Guten wie im schlechten. Der „Roman“ besteht aus Zeugenaussagen und Protokollen, ist wie eine Sammlung von Dokumenten angelegt. Gleichbedeutend mit ständigen Perspektivwechseln, das erschwert die Identifikation mit den Protagonisten zu der Scorseses Film nur allzu sehr verführt. Dafür werden die Zusammenhänge des Geschäfts nachvollziehbarer. Trotzdem keine allzu sinnfällige Lektüre.
If you saw the movie based on this book it is a must read. The town was simpler then. No stop lights on L V Blvd, ah, the good old days how I miss them, and nothing much beyond Tropicana. This is the Las Vegas when the mob was there and the police were none too polite if you showed a shady side. To this day public employees are fingerprinted.
After seeing the movie my sister remarked, "The book wasn't that violent, was it?" Of course not. It takes this book to give you the real names, actions an...more
After seeing the movie my sister remarked, "The book wasn't that violent, was it?" Of course not. It takes this book to give you the real names, actions an...more
In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch everybody else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The box men are watching the dealers. The floor men are watching the box men. The pit bosses are watching the floor men. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift bosses. I'm watching the casino manager. And the eye-in-the-sky is watching us all.
Jan 28, 2009
Lex
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone that has ever visited Las Vegas
I read this after having seen the movie, and, after having visited Las Vegas. And, I'm really glad that I did in that order. The book touches upon much more than a movie possibly could, even from the great Martin Scorsese.
I read this while I was still quite interested in "true crime" stories. For some reason, earlier in my life, I found the whole gangster phenomenon captivating. Just that someone would take such risks for quick money, to me, was mind-blowing.
Back to the book itself. Two things t...more
I read this while I was still quite interested in "true crime" stories. For some reason, earlier in my life, I found the whole gangster phenomenon captivating. Just that someone would take such risks for quick money, to me, was mind-blowing.
Back to the book itself. Two things t...more
A chronicle of the rise and fall of the Mafia control of Las Vegas casinos....their use of Allen Glick as a front-man, Lefty Rosenthal as the genius of managing casino operations and Tony Spilotro who essentially ran the city for the Chicago mob bosses before his ultimate murder as the entire operation began to crumble. Very interesting reading about a Las Vegas which is now gone forever.
Very interesting, but it seemed a tad disjointed in its storytelling. Its simple language (albeit a little colorful) makes this an accessible read. One thing I love about Pileggi's books is that they are told from the first-person perspective from multiple perspectives for a majority of the book, immersing the reader in the world to which they are exposed.
I didn't think the book was bad. This could be once instance where I liked the movie better than the book. It's nice to know how things actually turned out though, and the people's real names. It was a good story because it's true, but some parts were just hard to read, not because they didn't make sense but because the police reports and stuff were just boring to read.
Great book, but surprisingly entirely lacking the style and atmosphere of the movie. The action could have taken place nearly anywhere - the focus is entirely on the events and people, with very little detail about the settings, appearances, etc.
Fascinating look at the inner workings of a Las Vegas casino. Nobody does true crime quite like Pileggi. I found this book quite funny in many scenes, and it feels to me much more lighthearted than the movie.
An easy read but not to coherent when it comes to chronology. If you saw the movie you don't need to read this book. It was sitting on my shelves for a few years and I figured it was now or never, kinda wish it was never.
Not bad.....many non-fiction novels can be quite boring....this one kept the tempo and did not fail to deliver the goods....in contrast to the slots in Vegas......hahahah
Couldn't put it down. Got three hours of sleep a night until I finished it. Fascinating, gripping, brilliant. Unfairly overlooked because of Wise Guy/Goodfellas.
The true story behind the Scorsese film, which was a relatively faithful adaptation. Just as with "Wiseguy" Pileggi often turns over the narrative to his subjects, who tell much of their story in their own words.
author of 'Wiseguy', Pileggi tells a compellingly tragic tale that takes place in the desert of Nevada, in a place called Las Vegas.
What more can I say? Good book http://bookaweekwithjen.blogspot.com/...
Great look at what went in inside casinos in Vegas run by the mafia.
The perfect companion to the movie.
The perfect companion to the movie.
So the movie left out a whole bunch of Lefty's unfavorable traits, like the wife beating.
Interesting info. Good research. Easy to read in spite of the large number of people involved in the story.
Nobody knows more (or writes better) about organized crime in America.
Dec 17, 2008
Cody
marked it as to-read
I watched this movie and it was really good
How the hell did Pileggi get all those interiews?
Just like the movie but told in order of the events. Good quick, easy read.
Κάναν την ζωάρα τους τότε και το πλήρωσαν..Πάρα πολύ ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο..
The real story that inspired the movie of the same name (although I believe they were both released around the same time), "Casino" gives the lowdown on the Chicago Outfit's last great hurrah in Las Vegas. Nicholas Pileggi gets input from just about every key player involved, except for Tony Spilatro and Geri Rosenthal (both deceased by the time the book was written). The movie, which I thought was pretty great, fictionalized and simplified thing. The real story is utterly fascinating. Highly re...more
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Nicholas 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...more
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