The Netherlands Loves Slick and the Outfit

The following news story appeared in the Netherlands newspaper, De Pers (The Press) on July 18, 2008. The original page without translation appears below. This just goes to show how big the Mafia is overseas.

Slick Misses the Ways of the Mafia
By Sanne Rooseboom

Old Criminal in Las Vegas
Slick misses the ways of the Mafia every now and then. He was a thief, a fighter and a crook. He knew Mafiosi from Chicago and Las Vegas, starting from absolutely nothing to what it is now. From the Stratosphere—an enormous casino—Slick looks out over Las Vegas. “I never thought I’d get old,” which he said with a smile. “Everything happens day to day. There was so much unrest in me…I was hungry. Life was like a big roller coaster ride. And then again, here I am, 76 years old and I have plenty to do with my kids, the dog and, on some days, poker. Who would have thought?”

Bugsy Siegel
When Slick was a 17-year-old soldier and he came out on the old railroad to Las Vegas, nobody had ever heard of the place. He talks with a brusque voice and lot of hand gestures. “In the middle of the Nevada desert, Bugsy Siegel, the Mafia boss from Chicago [sic], had built a gambling palace in the dry and incredible heat.”

Slick enjoyed his first time in Las Vegas in 1949—the gambling, the women—but did not think the Mafia plan would work out. “Who is coming all the way to the desert to play poker?” Slick just shrugs his shoulders and smiles. “No wonder I never got rich because I obviously did not know what the future would bring.”

He got kicked out of school when he was 9 years old and grew up in Chicago during the crisis of the Second World War. A poor family, bad neighborhood, the young father of 5 kids. Slick’s criminal career began early. “I started young and was moving around with the big guys. The man in the suit had money and always needed help. Slick was a valued outsider of the Chicago Outfit, the powerful Mafia syndicate that a few years earlier was started by Al Capone. “I’ve never been a member…I didn’t kill people. With that frame of mind, you didn’t get very far with the Outfit.”

Never Squealed
“I never squealed about anybody. When the whole Chicago Mafia was a few years ago in court during a mega process, Slick was a witness. “I still didn’t tell tales about anybody. They wanted information about Tony Spilotro, the boss in Las Vegas during the ‘70s and ‘80s, and he was just an acquaintance.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars went through Slick’s hands. He let a businessman believe he was going to invest the money for him. Instead Slick spent it on women and poker. In a poker tournament he worked out a way to steal several thousand dollars worth of chips which he made disappear between his fingers. Later he ran gambling places and was a poker teacher. One of his pupils decided to write a book about him: THIEF, now a small-scale success.

During the 1970s, the Mafia’s power in Las Vegas disappeared, more or less. Slick has his own theory. “After the murder of John Kennedy, the politics became clear that the Mafia had too much power. Because, believe me, the man who took out Lee Harvey Oswald…I knew him. He was a Mafia guy. After that all happened, the Mafia didn’t know what to do…these guys who could even get rid of a president. Then they were prosecuted heavily.

According to the Rules
Now Las Vegas is in the hands of legitimate people. Slick says he’s missing the norms and the values of the Mafia, every now and then. “Vegas has changed since the Outfit couldn’t keep everything under control while in power. Las Vegas has lost its personality. Now everything there is according to the rules. Sometimes that’s a pity. On the other hand, fewer people disappear to be later found dead buried somewhere in the desert."

[This is a disclaimer. Slick was misquoted as saying he was a “witness” at the Chicago Outfit trial dubbed Family Secrets when he actually said he was interviewed by Las Vegas TV journalist George Knapp regarding the trial.]

Translation thanks to Donald Rooyakkers of Palm Coast, Florida.

It's impossible to read the original page (below) so here's the link: http://www.depers.nl/UserFiles/File/De%20Pers%20vrijdag%2018%20juli%202008.pdf Scroll to page 11.

The Long Good Friday

Anyone remember the sensational 1979 British mob movie called The Long Good Friday? It starred a cruel and frightening Bob Hoskins as a British mob boss sweating a big deal that's gonna make him rich and legit. His acting is dynamite.

Starring with Hoskins is my favorite actress Helen Mirren as Hoskins upper-class girlfriend in a great, layered performance. Check out recent unretouched photo of bikini-clad Mirren below taken mid July 2008. She's 63 years old, folks!

Rent The Long Good Friday (a movie that holds up great after almost 30 years) for a glimpse into raw fear.

While you're at it, check out the movie Sexy Beast with Ben Kingsley. He made my skin crawl with his portrayal of an evil British mobster.

Slick, Forty-year Las Vegas Resident, Answers Questions

Here are some answers to questions people ask Slick, a 40-year resident of Las Vegas:



Q. Knowing what you know, if you visited Las Vegas for the first time, where would you stay?
A. If you paid: The Venetian (pictured at right.) If I paid: The Stratosphere.

Q. If I needed a good Las Vegas lawyer, who do you recommend?
A. Thomas F. Pitaro (Tommy) who represented some the toughest cases...and won.

Q. Best time of year to visit Las Vegas?
A. October or November. (NEVER July or August.)

Q. Loosest poker games?
A. In my opinion, the Stratosphere.

Q. Best all around show?
A. Danny Ganes

Q. Best buffet for the price?
A. Palace Station

Q. Where do you get the most jackpots?
A. Any of the Station casinos

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

This from Slick:

After hearing from a Dutch newspaper, I agreed to be interviewed by a woman reporter named Sanne Rooseboom (I think the name means flowering tree.) She read about Thief on the internet and that got her interested. When she got here, I met her at the Las Vegas airport.

"Where are you staying?" I asked.

She gave me a name I never heard of.

"OK...what's the address?"

"1400 Fremont St."

"Why there?" I asked.

"I didn't want to charge my newspaper too much."

When we got there, I looked at the place and said no way. Then I took her to the Union Plaza. She thanked me and thought I was a nice guy. My reasoning was that if they found her dead in that motel, the police would want to know who was the last person with her. As a convicted felon, I wouldn't stand a chance.

Slick

P.S. If you're not sure whether a motel or hotel is in a safe location, e-mail me, a 40-year Las Vegas resident, and I'll tell you. It's slickslv@embarqmail.com.

DON'T CALL ME BUGSY

The following was posted June 24 on www.ChicagoSyndicate.blogspot.com Despite the negatives, it's still a worthwhile purchase for Bugsy fans. It's available on Amazon.com new for $12.99.

Don't Call Me Bugsy
A curious phenomenon occurs all too often with documentary films about organized crime. Even the most rational and high-minded documentarian tends to fall prey to the notion that they must adhere to the tropes of a gangster B-movie. Don't Call Me Bugsy, which details the rise and fall of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, is no exception. From its self-consciously hardboiled voiceover narration to its formulaic presentation, the 70-minute doc is a passable, if unexceptional, examination of the underworld figure who helped create modern-day Las Vegas.

Don't Call Me Bugsy touches on the essentials about Siegel, whose crazy temper earned him the sobriquet "Bugsy," a nickname he despised (hence the title of the flick). Born in Brooklyn, he aligned himself at an early age with fellow gangsters Meyer Lansky and Charles "Lucky" Luciano. Lansky was the brains of the outfit and Luciano the connection to the Sicilian Mafia, but Siegel possessed the murderous instinct that made him the favored triggerman. True-crime author Tim Power notes that the trio was undeniably vicious, but "it's impossible not to admire their energy, their drive."

As Prohibition ensured there was a fortune to be made trafficking in illegal booze, the Luciano-Lansky-Siegel alliance maneuvered to head criminal activities in New York and along the East Coast. In 1931, Siegel and three others killed old-school Mob boss Joe Masseria, setting the stage for the new generation of young Turks to transform organized crime into more of a streamlined business operation. But Siegel was restless for more adventure and, in 1935, relocated to Los Angeles. Enlisting the help of childhood-friend-turned-actor George Raft, Siegel dived into Beverly Hills society. His movie-star looks and roguish charm made him a favorite among polite society, particularly with rich women.

His most significant achievement, however, came when Lansky directed Siegel to spearhead the construction of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gambling had been legal in the dusty desert town since the mid-1930s, but Lansky envisioned a gaming Mecca along the lines of what organized crime had built in pre-Castro Cuba.Siegel took to the assignment with a vengeance, sparing no expense in his desire to make the Flamingo a world-class destination. Nevertheless, costly delays and a ballooning budget assured his own demise. In 1947, Siegel was gunned down in his Beverly Hills home, a crime that remains unsolved.

The documentary intersperses black-and-white still photographs and archival footage with a handful of interviews from true-crime experts and various folks who knew Siegel, including his lawyer, barber and next-door neighbor. While the interviewees offer some juicy tidbits, they must compete with a hackneyed voiceover narration read by Larry Moran. When relating Siegel's 1926 arrest for rape, the narrator's sonorous voice tells us, "When it came to sex, he didn't discriminate. He didn't always ask, either." Siegel's longtime girlfriend, Virginia Hill, is described as "a feisty redhead from the foothills of North Carolina." Cue the eye-rolling. It's enough to make Mickey Spillane shudder.

It isn't a bad documentary, but it is uninspired and surprisingly lifeless. Too much of the film is a recitation of facts that don't shed much light on the subject. Only when we get to the saga of the Flamingo does Don't Call Me Bugsy really grab you, and most of that is due to rarely seen footage of Las Vegas in its early days.

The Video: The full-frame picture is solid but unremarkable. A few of the modern-day interviews suffer from softness, but much of the black-and-white archival footage is in very good condition.

The Audio: The 2.0 Stereo audio track gets the job done without any fanfare. The sound is somewhat flat, but you clearly hear the interviews and voiceover narrator, which is all that an audience would need.

English subtitles are available, but it should be noted that whoever is responsible for them evidently has little understanding of when a comma is necessary.

Extras: None.

Final Thoughts: Made in 1992, Don't Call Me Bugsy is a run-of-the-mill true-crime documentary that packs more information than it does illumination. The film chronicles Siegel's extravagant tastes for the Flamingo, but there is no speculation about what prompted it. What was his vision for Las Vegas? Did he even have a vision for it? People fascinated by organized crime (a group that includes your reviewer) would be better-served elsewhere, while viewers with only a casual interest are not likely to find much here worth their time.

Thanks to Phil Bacharach

Can't Find a Book About The Mob or Las Vegas?

Below is one of the most complete lists of mob, gambling & Las Vegas related books I've ever seen! It comes straight from the Gambler's Book Shop catalog (www.gamblersbook.com.) Here's their contact info:

Gambler`s Book Shop
630 South 11th Street
Las Vegas, NV 89101
TOLL FREE ORDER LINES: 1-800-522-1777 & 1-800-634-6243
info@gamblersbook.com

Click on an item to view its description:

20 YEARS A FAKIR by Weldon, S. James ...Order 494804...$1.00
24/7 LIVING IT UP & DOUBLING DOWN IN THE NEW LAS VEGAS by Martinez, Andres ...Order 612908...$15.00
ACCARDO: THE GENUINE GODFATHER by Roemer, William F. ...Order 552704...$6.99
AIDING AND ABETTING by Spark, Muriel ...Order 620109...$21.00
ALL AMERICAN MAFIOSO: THE JOHNNY ROSSELLI STORY by Ed Becker ...Order 426204...$20.00
ALWAYS BET ON THE BUTCHER by UNR Oral History ...Order 558204...$21.95
AMERICAN MAFIA by Reppetto, Thomas ...Order 400404...$26.00
AN OFFER WE CAN'T REFUSE - THE MAFIA IN THE MIND OF AMERICA by De Stefano; George ...Order 526504...$26.00
ANOINTED ONE: NEVADA POLITICS by Ralston, Jon ...Order 537504...$17.95
ART OF GAMBLING & THE AGES by Flowers, Arthur/ Curtis, Tony ...Order 533404...$40.00
BARBARY COAST: HISTORY OF SAN FRANCISCO UNDERWORLD by Asbury, Herbert ...Order 455904...$14.95
BARNEY ROSS by Century, Douglas ...Order 655204...$19.95
BATTLE FOR LAS VEGAS:THE LAW VS. THE MOB by Griffin, Dennis N. ...Order 669104...$14.95
BENNY BINION by Gatewood, Jim ...Order 500004...$41.50
BEYOND THE GLIMMERING LIGHTS by Geran, Trish ...Order 486204...$19.95
BEYOND THE MAFIA by Balboni, Dr. Alan ...Order 529604...$27.95
BEYOND THE MAFIA (PAPERBACK) by Balboni, Alan ...Order 544604...$19.95
BIG BANKROLL-LIFE AND TIMES OF ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN by Katcher, leo ...Order 534904...$18.00
BIG JULIE OF VEGAS by Linn, Edward ...Order 462404...$5.00
BLACK BOOK AND THE MOB by Farrell, Ronald & Carole Case ...Order 550104...$18.95
BLACK GANGSTERS OF CHICAGO by Chepesiuk, Ron ...Order 401104...$22.00
BLACK STEPS IN DESERT SANDS by Overstreet, Everett Louis ...Order 537404...$10.00
BLOOD AND HONOR by Anastasia, George ...Order 556404...$17.95
BLOOD AND VOLUME: INSIDE NEW YORK'S ISRAELI MAFIA by Copeland, Dave ...Order 684204...$22.00
BLOOD COVENANT by Franzese, Michael ...Order 654304...$19.95
BLUEGRASS CONSPIRACY by Denton, Sally ...Order 528304...$14.95
BLUEGRASS DAYS NEON NIGHTS by Smith, John L. ...Order 621404...$24.95
BOSS OF BOSSES by O'Brien, Joseph & A. Kurins ...Order 531204...$7.50
BOULDER CITY NEVADA by Rodden, Mimi ...Order 549704...$18.99
BOUND BY HONOR by Bonanno, Bill ...Order 556904...$7.99
BRINGING DOWN THE MOB by Reppetto, Thomas ...Order 458504...$26.00
BROTHERHOODS: TRUE STORY OF TWO COPS WHO MURDERED ... by Lawson, Guy & Wm. Oldham ...Order 496904...$7.99
BROTHERS BULGER, THE by Carr, Howie ...Order 425094...$25.95
BROWNSVILLE by Kleid, Neil & Allen, Jake ...Order 425404...$18.95
BUILDING HOOVER DAM by Dunbar, Andrew & Dennisa McBri ...Order 557104...$24.95
BUILDINGS OF NEVADA by Nicoletta, Julie ...Order 619408...$45.00
BULLETS OVER HOLLYWOOD by McCarty, John ...Order 456504...$25.00
CAPONE by Kobler, John ...Order 481004...$19.95
CAPTAIN WILL FRITZ AND THE DALLAS MAFIA by Gatewood, Jim ...Order 480904...$32.50
CARD SHARPS, DREAMBOOKS AND BUCKETS by Fabian, Ann ...Order 531104...$29.95
CARNY KID, THE: SURVIVAL OF A YOUNG THIEF by Kahn, Kenneth ...Order 463504...$19.95
CASINO'S MOST VALUABLE CHIP by Scheri III, Saverio R ...Order 444004...$29.95
CIGAR CITY MAFIA (PAPERBACK) by Deitche, Scott M. ...Order 400904...$14.95
COLORADO GAMBLING (EARLY DAYS) by Wommack, Linda ...Order 532204...$4.95
CON MAN: A MASTER SWINDLER'S OWN STORY by Weil, J R ...Order 614604...$14.00
COVERT, MY YEARS INFILTRATING THE MOB by Delaney, Bob ...Order 555504...$19.95
CRIME INCORPORATED by Balsamo, Wm. & George Carr ...Order 529804...$15.95
CROOKS CON MEN AND CHEATS by Villiod, Eugene ...Order 466804...$4.95
CROSSROADER by Moore, N.M. and Walt Darring ...Order 532604...$14.95
CULLOTTA by Griffin, Dennis ...Order 603204...$19.95
CULT VEGAS by Weatherford, Mike ...Order 534204...$19.95
CUTTING THE WIRE by Schwartz, David G ...Order 442404...$24.95
DEVILS BARGAINS by Rothman, Hal K. ...Order 462302...$34.95
DIRTY DEALING by Cartwright, Gary ...Order 532704...$18.95
DOUBLE DEAL by Giancana, Sam and M Corbitt ...Order 500104...$7.99
DOUBLE DOWN by Barthelme, Frederick & Steven ...Order 554004...$13.00
DOUBLE OR NOTHING: HOW TWO FRIENDS RISKED IT ALL by Breitling, Tom ...Order 401404...$24.95
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UNSOLVED CRIMES by Newton, Michael ...Order 528004...$21.95
ETHNIC OASIS: THE CHINESE IN THE BLACK HILLS by Zhu, Liping ...Order 527804...$15.95
EVERY MAN A SPECULATOR by Fraser, Steve ...Order 441204...$29.95
EYEING THE FLASH by Fenton, Peter ...Order 527904...$23.00
FAKERS, FORGERS & PHONEYS: FAMOUS SCAMS AND SCAMPS by Magnusson, Mangus ...Order 444404...$16.95
FAMILY AFFAIR by UNR Oral History Prgm ...Order 453804...$24.95
FAST COMPANY by Bradshaw, Jon ...Order 544304...$16.00
FIGHTING BACK by McMillan, James ...Order 527304...$21.95
FIRE IN THE DESERT by Puit, Glenn ...Order 485804...$16.95
FIRST 100 by Hopkins, A.D. & K.J. Evans ...Order 538604...$19.95
FIVE FAMILIES by Raab, Selwyn ...Order 442304...$29.95
FUN AND GAMES IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICA by Giordano, Ralph ...Order 471304...$49.95
G-MEN AND GANGSTERS by Spinale, Dominic ...Order 534604...$17.95
GALVESTON: ISLAND OF CHANCE by Chalfant, Frank E. ...Order 534404...$27.95
GAMBLERS OF YESTERYEAR by Barnhart, Russell ...Order 470804...$3.00
GAMBLERS OF THE OLD WEST by Kelly, Bill ...Order 551504...$24.95
GAMBLING & SPECULATION by Brenner, Rueven and Gabrielle ...Order 540604...$67.16
GAMBLING AND GAMBLING DEVICES by Quinn, John Phillip ...Order 471204...$8.95
GAMBLING WIZARDS by Munchkin, Richard ...Order 557804...$14.95
GAMBLING'S STRANGEST MOMENTS by Sharpe, Graham ...Order 543604...$13.00
GANGSTER CAPITALISM by Woodiwiss, Michael ...Order 426504...$14.95
GANGSTER CITY by Downey, Patrick ...Order 400004...$23.95
GANGSTERS, SWINDLERS, KILLERS, AND THIEVES by Block, Lawrence ...Order 402004...$26.00
GENIUS by Gleick, James ...Order 556704...$16.00
GLOBAL UNDERWORLD by Liddick, Donald R ...Order 467104...$39.95
GOLD, GALS, GUNS, GUTS by Lee, Bob ...Order 442004...$24.95
GOOD RAT: A TRUE STORY (HB) by Breslin, Jimmy ...Order 565704...$24.95
GREAT GAMBLES OF THE CIVIL WAR by Katcher, Phillip ...Order 441504...$9.99
GREEN FELT JUNGLE by Demaris, Ovid and Ed Reid ...Order 498904...$35.95
HANG TOUGH: GRANT SAWYER by UNR Oral History Program ...Order 536604...$12.95
HAVANA NOCTURNE: HOW THE MOB OWNED CUBA by English, T.J. ...Order 426704...$27.95
HENDERSON IMAGES OF AMERICA by Armstrong, R Jackson ...Order 558304...$19.99
HISTORIC PHOTOS OF CHICAGO CRIME: CAPONE ERA by Russick, John ...Order 401504...$39.95
HISTORIC PHOTOS OF LAS VEGAS by Burbank, Jeff ...Order 600504...$39.95
HISTORY OF DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS by Las Vegas Facts ...Order 501004...$19.95
HISTORY OF HISPANICS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA by Miranda, M. L. ...Order 441004...$31.95
HISTORY OF L.V. NEIGHBORHOOD HOTEL/CASINOS by Las Vegas Facts ...Order 501104...$19.95
HISTORY OF L.V. OFF STRIP HOTEL/CASINOS by Las Vegas Facts ...Order 501304...$19.95
HITTING THE JACKPOT by Fromson, Brett Duval ...Order 441304...$15.00
HOLD THE ROSES by Rose Marie ...Order 400304...$25.00
HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY PLAYGROUND by Johns, Howard ...Order 595804...$35.00
HOLLYWOOD'S CELEBRITY GANGSTER by Lewis, Brad ...Order 402304...$22.00
HOUSE OF HILTON: FROM CONRAD TO PARIS by Oppenheimer, Jerry ...Order 686804...$24.95
HOWARD HUGHES: POWER, PARANOIA & PALACE INTRIGUE by Schumacher, Geoff ...Order 520304...$25.95
HOWARD HUGHES: THE UNTOLD STORY by Brown, Peter Harry ...Order 533304...$17.95
I'LL DO MY OWN DAMN KILLIN' by Sleeper, Gary ...Order 565604...$22.00
IF I DIE by Fleeman, Michael ...Order 530604...$6.99
IN NEVADA by Thomson, David ...Order 537904...$14.00
IN NEVADA THE LAND PEOPLE & CHANGE by Thomson, David ...Order 530104...$27.50
INVESTIGATION, THE: TRUTH BEHIND HOWARD HUGHES LAST WILL by Magnesen, Gary ...Order 523304...$23.95
IT WAS NEVER A GAMBLE: THE LIFE & TIMES OF A 1900'S HUSTLER by James, C W, Jr. ...Order 450204...$29.95
IT'S UNLUCKY TO BE SUPERSTITIOUS by Rowan, D. Arthur ...Order 414104...$14.95
J. FRANK NORRIS TOP O' HILL CASINO by Gatewood, Jim ...Order 442104...$42.50
JFK AND SAM by Giancana, Antoinette ...Order 452004...$22.95
JOHN DILLINGER SLEPT HERE by MacCabee, Phil ...Order 551404...$24.95
KING CON: THE STORY OF SOAPY SMITH by Haigh, Jane G. ...Order 401604...$9.95
KING OF THE GODFATHERS: BIG JOEY MASSINO by DeStefano, Anthony ...Order 401204...$6.99
KING OF THE JEWS (PAPERBACK) by Tosches, Nick ...Order 422804...$14.95
LAS VEGAS AS IT BEGAN AS IT GREW by Paher, Stanley ...Order 466904...$29.95
LAS VEGAS MEMORIES by Las Vegas Facts ...Order 501114...$24.95
LAS VEGAS THE GREAT AMERICAN PLAYGROUND by McCracken, Robert ...Order 551604...$16.95
LAS VEGAS THE FABULOUS FIRST CENTURY by Ainlay, Thomas and J. Gabaldon ...Order 566804...$24.99
LAS VEGAS: A CENTENNIAL HISTORY by Moehring, Eugene ...Order 441104...$21.95
LAS VEGAS: AN UNCONVENTIONAL HISTORY by Ferrari, Michelle ...Order 466704...$40.00
LAST GANGSTER by Anastasia, George ...Order 500204...$25.95
LAST HONEST PLACE IN AMERICA (PAPERBACK) by Cooper, Marc ...Order 401209...$14.95
LAST MOUTHPIECE by Simone, Robert F. ...Order 557304...$24.95
LAST RESORT by Dombrink, John & Wm Thompson ...Order 610808...$29.95
LAUGHLIN NEVADA HISTORY - #3 by Taylor, Richard ...Order 539904...$12.00
LAUGHLIN NEVADA HISTORY - #4 by Taylor, Richard ...Order 548104...$12.00
LEARNING FROM LAS VEGAS by Venturi, and Brown and Izenour ...Order 536904...$17.95
LEGALIZED GAMBLING by Thompson, William ...Order 541304...$45.00
LESTER BEN "BENNY" BINION by UNR Oral History Program ...Order 535304...$26.00
LIBERAL CONSCIENCE, A by Denton, Ralph ...Order 483204...$25.95
LICENSE TO STEAL (PAPERBACK) by Burbank, Jeff ...Order 520204...$18.95
LICENSE TO STEAL by Burbank, Jeff ...Order 540204...$29.95
LIFE AND TIMES OF LEPKE BUCHALTER by Kavieff, Paul R. ...Order 442604...$22.00
LITERARY COMPANION TO GAMBLING by Davis-Goff, Annabel ...Order 535604...$5.00
LUCKY LUCIANO by Powell, Hickman ...Order 553204...$23.95
MADE MEN by Smith, Greg B. ...Order 536204...$6.99
MAFIA AND ORGANIZED CRIME: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE by Finckenauer, James ...Order 401304...$14.95
MAFIA AND THE ALLIES, THE by Costanzo, Ezio ...Order 442704...$17.00
MAFIA BUSINESS by Aarlacchi, Pino ...Order 616508...$13.95
MAFIA DYNASTY by Davis, John H. ...Order 548904...$7.99
MAFIA ENCYCLOPEDIA by Sifakis, Carl ...Order 541604...$19.95
MAFIA IN HAVANA by Cirules, Enrique ...Order 542404...$17.95
MAFIA WIFE by Milito, Lynda and R Potterton ...Order 600004...$7.99
MAFIA: THE GOVERNMENT'S SECRET FILE ON ORGANIZED CRIME by Scorza, Sal ...Order 551904...$34.95
MANHATTANIZING LAS VEGAS by Murad, Paul ...Order 451111...$19.95
MAVERICK SPIRIT THE by Davis, Richard ...Order 524204...$17.95
MEMORIES OF THE LAS VEGAS STRIP by Las Vegas Facts ...Order 501204...$14.95
MEMORIES OF DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS by Las Vegas Facts ...Order 501604...$9.95
MOB NEMESIS by DeNevi, Don and Joe Griffin ...Order 535404...$26.00
MOBSTERS, UNIONS & FEDS: MAFIA & AMERICAN LABOR MOVEMENT by Jacobs, James B. ...Order 524504...$32.95
MONEY AND THE POWER by Denton, Sally ...Order 536304...$15.95
MOTOR CITY MAFIA: A CENTURY OF ORGANIZED CRIME IN DETROIT by Burnstein, Scott ...Order 562604...$19.99
MOULIN ROUGE HISTORY by Taylor, Richard ...Order 548004...$24.00
MT CHARLESTON HISTORY: VOL. 3 by Taylor, Richard ...Order 536104...$15.00
MURDER OF A MAFIA DAUGHTER by Scott, Cathy ...Order 558004...$23.95
MY FATHER'S SON by Cladianos, Pete ...Order 526904...$21.95
MY YEARS WITH CAPONE by Elliott, Neil ...Order 529904...$10.95
McMAFIA: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld by Glenny, Misha ...Order 402402...$27.95
McMAFIA: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld by Glenny, Misha ...Order 402404...$27.95
NEON METROPOLIS by Rothman, Hal ...Order 534304...$27.50
NEON METROPOLIS PAPERBOUND by Rothman, Hal ...Order 534704...$20.95
NEVADA TOWNS & TALES -VOL I NORTH by Paher, Stanley ...Order 532004...$19.95
NEVADA TOWNS & TALES -VOL II SOUTH by Paher, Stanley ...Order 532104...$22.50
NEVADA YESTERDAYS by Wright, Frank ...Order 442504...$24.95
NEVADA'S GOLDEN AGE GAMBLING by Woods, Albert ...Order 538904...$19.95
NO LIMIT--RISE AND FALL OF BOB STUPAK by Smith, John L. ...Order 534804...$21.95
NOTHING PERSONAL JUST BUSINESS... by Dickson, Kenneth ...Order 464604...$20.00
OF RATS AND MEN: OSCAR GOODMAN by Smith, John L. ...Order 549104...$25.95
ON THE BOULEVARD by Smith, John L. ...Order 530804...$12.95
ORGANIZED CRIME by Lunde, Paul ...Order 475204...$30.00
OUTFIT, THE by Russo, Gus ...Order 540104...$35.00
PADDY WHACKED by English, T J ...Order 533904...$27.95
PAPER FAN: THE HUNT FOR TRIAD GANGSTER STEVEN WONG by Gould, Terry ...Order 540804...$16.95
PARABLES FROM (a not quite) PARADISE NEVADA by Thompson, William ...Order 553604...$11.45
PASCAL'S WAGER: THE MAN WHO PLAYED DICE WITH GOD by Connor, James A. ...Order 482802...$24.95
PASSING THROUGH by Menzies, Richard ...Order 561204...$21.95
PEOPLES OF LAS VEGAS by Simich, Jerry ...Order 626409...$24.95
PHILADELPHIA'S BLACK MAFIA by Griffin, Sean Patrick ...Order 441404...$42.00
PK MAN: TRUE STORY OF MIND-OVER-MATTER by Mishlove, Jeffrey ...Order 547004...$9.00
PLAYERS: CON MEN, HUSTLERS, GAMBLERS, AND SCAM ARTISTS by Hyde, Stephen ...Order 540004...$16.95
PLAYERS: THE MEN WHO MADE LAS VEGAS by Sheehan, Jack ...Order 539804...$18.95
PLAYING THE CARDS THAT ARE DEALT by Dixon, Mead w/& Ken Adams ...Order 676725...$21.95
PODY POE: FROM TINHORN GAMBLER TO KINGPIN OF ORGANIZED CRIME by Poe, Pody ...Order 462704...$7.50
POLICING LAS VEGAS by Griffin, Dennis ...Order 535004...$17.95
PONZI by Dunn, Donald ...Order 666604...$14.00
PONZI'S SCHEME: PAPERBACK by Zuckoff, Mitchell ...Order 666804...$14.95
PURPLE GANG by Kavieff, Paul R. ...Order 535104...$22.00
QUICKSILVER by Smith, John L. ...Order 540504...$13.95
RAT BASTARDS by Shea, John ...Order 402104...$24.95
RAT PACK CONFIDENTIAL by Levy, Shawn ...Order 534504...$14.95
READER OF GENTLEMEN'S MAIL by Kahn, David ...Order 522704...$32.50
RESORT CITY IN SUNBELT by Moehring, Eugene ...Order 545204...$19.95
REVENGE OF THE PEQUOTS by Eisler, Kim ...Order 542304...$13.95
RICHES AND REGRETS by Stowkowski, Patricia ...Order 530504...$39.95
RISE & FALL OF THE CLEVELAND MAFIA by Porrello, Rick ...Order 550904...$22.00
ROLL THE BONES (Paperbound) by Schwartz, David ...Order 646604...$18.00
ROTHSTEIN by Pietrusza, David ...Order 462604...$16.00
RUNNING SCARED: STEVE WYNN by Smith, John L ...Order 539704...$15.95
SECRET LIFE OF SIEGFRIED AND ROY by Mydlach, Jim ...Order 499704...$25.95
SHARKS IN THE DESERT by Smith, John L ...Order 441604...$24.95
SHORT HISTORY OF LAS VEGAS by Land, Barbara & Myrick ...Order 535504...$17.95
SHORT HISTORY OF RENO by Land, Barbara & Myrick ...Order 549604...$14.95
SILENT DON: THE CRIMINAL UNDERWORLD OF SANTO TRAFFICANTE JR. by Deitche, Scott M. ...Order 684304...$22.00
STARDUST OF YESTERDAY by Rinella, Heidi Knapp ...Order 672704...$39.95
STEALING MACHINE (SOFTBOUND) by Villiod, Eugene ...Order 454904...$7.95
STEALING MACHINE (HARDBOUND) by Villiod, Eugene ...Order 456204...$11.95
STORMING LAS VEGAS by Huddy, John ...Order 555604...$25.95
STREET SOLDIER by Mackenzie, Edward ...Order 400604...$14.00
SUBURBAN XANADU by Schwartz, David ...Order 454804...$40.95
SUCKER'S PROGRESS by Asbury, Herbert ...Order 455004...$7.00
SUN, SIN AND SUBURBIA by Schumacher, Geoff ...Order 551104...$23.95
SUPER CASINO - INSIDE NEW LAS VEGAS by Earley, Pete ...Order 652511...$7.99
SUPERMOB by Russo, Gus ...Order 541104...$34.95
TAKEDOWN by Cowan, Rick and D Century ...Order 400504...$7.99
THIEF! THE GUTSY, TRUE STORY OF AN EX-CON ARTIST by Hanner, William and C Rohn ...Order 429204...$22.00
THIS BO PEEP AIN'T NO FAIRY TALE by Silver, Murray ...Order 558104...$13.95
TOUGH JEWS by Cohen, Rich ...Order 531904...$13.00
TRUE BLUE by Sutton, Randy ...Order 541008...$23.95
UNDERBOSS by Mass, Peter ...Order 546504...$7.99
UNSINKABLE TITANIC THOMPSON by Stowers, Carlton ...Order 529404...$19.95
VATICAN TO VEGAS by Klein, Norman ...Order 540704...$27.95
VEGAS...THE MOB AND THE DEAD PIG ON THE DANCE FLOOR by Broderick, Michael ...Order 441704...$16.00
VIOLENT YEARS by Kavieff, Paul R. ...Order 534004...$22.00
VIRGIN KISS by Scoblete, Frank ...Order 602404...$17.95
WE ALL LIVE IN VEGAS by Paolini, Francois ...Order 670004...$34.95
WEIRD LAS VEGAS AND NEVADA: YOUR ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL GUIDE by Oesterle, Joe et. al. ...Order 418204...$19.95
WHALE HUNT IN THE DESERT by Castleman, Deke ...Order 586002...$24.95
WHEN CAPONE'S MOB MURDERED by Tuohy, John W. ...Order 551704...$24.95
WHEN THE MOB RAN LAS VEGAS by Fischer, Steve ...Order 442204...$19.95
WICKED WEST, THE by Monahan, Sherry ...Order 526004...$15.95
WINNER TAKES ALL by Binkley, Christina ...Order 426604...$25.95
WISE GUY by Pileggi, Nicholas ...Order 535804...$7.99
WITHOUT RESERVATION by Benedict, Jeff ...Order 618208...$14.00
YAKUZA by Kaplan, David E & Alec Dubro ...Order 600204...$19.95
YOUNG LAS VEGAS by Whitely, Joan Burhart ...Order 443004...$29.95

Family Secrets Fallout

The following appeared Sunday, June 15, 2008, on www.blogspot.ChicagoSyndicate.com:

Did Federal Prosecutor Make Eyes at Mobster in Court?
Reputed mob hitman Frank "The German" Schweihs -- once among the most feared men in the Chicago Outfit -- wasted little time Tuesday showing that the cancer that ravaged his body has not softened his attitude.

"You making eyes at me?" Schweihs said from his wheelchair to a federal prosecutor during a status hearing in his criminal case."Yeah you, you making eyes at me? Do I look like a fag to you?" Schweihs asked.

Prosecutors ignored Schweihs' remarks and continued to take care of the routine business of his upcoming trial, scheduled to begin in October. Schweihs, 78, was originally to be tried along with five other defendants in the historic Family Secrets federal prosecution against the Chicago mob. But a battle with cancer made him too sick to go to trial with the other men, including Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, Frank Calabrese Sr. and James "Little Jimmy" Marcello, who were convicted.

Schweihs, looking pale and gaunt, first asked his attorneys if they were in a foreign country after apparently noticing that one of the prosecutors wears a turban. Schweihs has a history of making racially insensitive remarks and has shown over the years a disdain for a wide variety of people. Schweihs later referred to another federal prosecutor in court as "another a--hole."

U.S. District Judge James Zagel did not reprimand Schweihs but ended the hearing quickly after his last remark.

One of Schweihs' attorneys, Ellen Domph, said outside court that Schweihs is usually "very polite."

Thanks to Steve Warmbir