Published by Bookmaker Books, When the Mob Ran Vegas is a two-volume true crime series that revives the glitz, grit, and glamour of Sin City's golden era

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Las Vegas is facing a rare slump in tourism, with fewer visitors on the Strip and hotel occupancy rates slipping from past highs. But while Sin City works to reignite its spark, a new two-volume true crime series brings back the days when the city was never short on crowds—or excitement.

When the Mob Ran Vegas takes readers inside sizzling stories of Mobsters, casino bosses, showgirls, entertainers, and high rollers who built the city's legendary past. Back then, Mob-controlled casinos weren't just places to gamble—they were playgrounds for Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe, and a parade of big spenders. The money flowed, high-stakes poker games inspired the World Series of Poker, and 1950s–'60s Las Vegas had an energy the corporate era has never matched.

Written by the late historian Steve Fisher and published by Bookmaker Books, the two volumes weave together dozens of short, vivid profiles from years of research, rare photographs, and showgirl interviews. The result is an unfiltered portrait of a city where organized crime, showbiz glitz, and relentless ambition converged in the Nevada desert.

Inside the pages:

• Showgirl stories and photos, including the first nude showgirl
• The legendary poker game that was never played
• Mob money that built Caesars Palace and Circus Circus and walked out as skim
• A tour of the infamous brothels and an interview with a woman who worked there
• Many more insider stories with rare vintage photos

Fisher wrote, "Those were the days when small-time gamblers like me, in town from LA, could ride down the elevator at the Riviera with Lucille Ball, get a so-so table and a cold dinner in the big showroom but see nude showgirls and the Rat Pack, and laugh till it hurt with Buddy Hackett in the Sahara's Congo Room."

With tourism now down at least 11%, especially from international visitors, When the Mob Ran Vegas is both a time capsule and a reminder of what made the city an irresistible destination in the first place.

If you can't get to Vegas now, bring Vegas to you—and relive its glory years in these books.

The Original When the Mob Ran Vegas: Stories of Money, Mayhem and Murder and More When the Mob Ran Vegas: Showgirl Stories, High-Stakes Poker, Sin City, Sinatra & Suitcases Full of Money are available in paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook on Amazon.

Contact: Publicist, Lisa Pelto (402) 884-5995 (for review copies and interviews)
399764@email4pr.com
Bookmaker Books, www.WhenTheMobRanVegas.com

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SOURCE Bookmaker Books