Reddit Reddit reviews Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas: How Jay Sarno Won a Casino Empire, Lost It, and Inspired Modern Las Vegas

We found 4 Reddit comments about Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas: How Jay Sarno Won a Casino Empire, Lost It, and Inspired Modern Las Vegas. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas: How Jay Sarno Won a Casino Empire, Lost It, and Inspired Modern Las Vegas
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4 Reddit comments about Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas: How Jay Sarno Won a Casino Empire, Lost It, and Inspired Modern Las Vegas:

u/grandissimo · 42 pointsr/AskHistorians

Happy to!
[Suburban Xanadu] (https://amzn.to/2Kc0Nud) grew out of my doctoral dissertation. It's my most academic book, and Routledge keeps the price pretty high. If you can borrow it from a library or get a used copy, decent reading. It looks at why casino resorts developed in Las Vegas after World War II, particularly which national trends they benefited from.

[Cutting the Wire: Gambling Prohibition and the Internet] (https://amzn.to/2HIU1Ob) looks at how the Wire Act (1961) was passed, and how it was used to prosecute online gambling operations in the late 1990s. I go back to early 20th century attempts to outlaw the uses of telegraphs for gambling purposes, talk about the development of sports betting, and sketch the brief history of online gaming, circa 2005.

[Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling] (http://amzn.to/2vLFcDA) is a global history of gambling from a broad perspective. It's a synthesis and more popular than academic.

[Grandisismo] (http://amzn.to/2w68wDa), which tells the story of Caesars Palace and Circus Circus founder Jay Sarno, is a biography that includes a lot about the mob in Las Vegas in the 1960s/1970s. Sarno was a fascinating character.

[Boardwalk Playground] (http://amzn.to/2imIsRg) is a collection of short pieces about Atlantic City history.

I've also edited a few collections and oral histories.

If you want an overall view of casino gaming, I would start with Roll the Bones. If you'd like a good story, I would start with Grandissimo.

I also have a series of feature stories at [Vegas Seven] (http://vegasseven.com/author/david/) magazine that may be of interest. Here are a few:

[Tropicana casino] (http://vegasseven.com/2017/03/30/tropicana-the-tiffany-of-the-strip/) Lots of mob stuff there

[Howard Hughes in Las Vegas] (http://vegasseven.com/2016/11/03/howard-hughes/)

[The Riviera] (http://vegasseven.com/2015/05/07/last-days-riviera/)

u/VegasRateRedditor · 35 pointsr/vegas

We have a user here, u/grandissimo, who is an author of several Las Vegas books, a writer for Forbes, and is currently the Director of the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV. He has a few books that you may be interested in. My personal favorite is Grandissimo; a book about Jay Sarno, who built Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, but was a complete degenerate yet shaped how the city's casino industry is fundamentally positioned today.



You can also check out a fantastic response he did in r/AskHistorians to the question "How much truth is there that the Mob built Las Vegas?". Super interesting thread to read through that gives great background to the history of our lil town.



If you're looking for a more modern day history, Winner Takes All is a book on the dynamic of the top CEOs of the city and how they all have different visions for the city and their companies.



One I have not yet read but intend to is Blood Aces. It's about Benny Binion - mob boss, casino owner, and creator of the World Series of Poker. He's another huge influence on how casinos operate today. If I remember correctly, he was the first one to put chairs in front of slot machines, offer complimentary rooms and drinks to players, and much more.

u/TwisterII · 10 pointsr/vegas

Great list! I would like to add a few more:

Stay in tune with what is actually happening downtown/on the strip. u/MsKim has a list every week. Great new restaurants open every few months - Mr. Chow at Caesars Palace will be a must and opens soon but many locals do not know about it!

Grab a Vegas Seven, Las Vegas Weekly, or any of those free local magazines when you see one.

Also, keep up with the financial news of these companies. More than 50% of the labor force in Las Vegas works for the hospitality company in someway. Being knowledgeable about your economy, I think, makes you feel more 'at home' too.

Hell - why not learn a little about the fascinating history of this city! There are a ton of great books out there on the history of Las Vegas. My favorite is Grandissimo. It's written by Dr. David Schwartz who often contributes to Vegas Seven. He's a great writer and very nice guy.

Oh, and, watch the movie Casino. It's based off a real story that's right in your backyard.

u/spilk · 3 pointsr/vegas

I enjoyed Grandissimo which tells the story of Jay Sarno, who originally built Caesars Palace and Circus Circus. I think the author may lurk around here.