Youre about to enter a city that has no equal. It was built by extraordinary people with imaginative minds. Did they drink? Not sure, but why else would they build it in a Nevada desert? Some say you can go anywhere in the world and discover that people not only know about Las Vegas--theyd give anything to get there. True. As soon as I graduated from college I took an all-night bus to reach a city Id heard of, but never seen. I stayed 30 years. Damn good years, too. And the mystique of the entertainers and the film stars and the elaborate restaurants and 24-hour-a-day casinos never wore off. I spent 20 of my years at the Sahara, on the Strip, got inside the gambling business in the 60s and loved it. Helped it, too, with my writing and my inventions. The Mob was still around in those days. They were the first venture capitalists and owned a piece of every casino in town. Did that stop anyone from having a good time? Of course not. Gradually the Mob faded away--which is what happens when an FBI office with 15 agents sets up shop in town. But the gaiety didnt stop for a second, even when corporations realized they were the big guys now. Our Sahara entertainment director stunned us in 1964 when he made a deal with The Beatles to play two shows. I met the boys after dark at a small Las Vegas airport, rode with them to the Sahara and helped get them to their suite before teen age girls tore their clothes off. So take a chance, have a seat and enjoy that drink in front of you. Its time to start the show. --John Romero

A savage journey into the heart of Hunter S. Thompson's Las Vegas with the Good Doctor as tour guide. A Lord-of-the-Rings-like adventure in the city's underground flood channels. A seven-day stay at a seedy motel on East Fremont Street. The stories in My Week at the Blue Angel aren't about Steve Wynn, Cirque du Soleil, or how to play poker, and they aren't set in Caesars Palace, XS Nightclub, or a 2,000-seat showroom. They're about prostitutes, ex-cons, and the homeless, and they're set under Caesars Palace and in trailer parks and weekly motels. In this creative nonfiction collection, Matthew O'Brien--author of Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas--and veteran photographer Bill Hughes show a side of the city rarely seen. A side beyond the neon lights, themed facades, and motel-room doors. A side beyond the barbwire fences, No Trespassing signs, and midnight shadows.

What is the origin of the name, BANDITS?How did Sam and Alex become associated with Officer Scott?How did Sam and Phil Koenig become enemies?What dangerous adventure did the gang have at the beach?This collection of short stories, “Scavenger Hunt,” “Meeting the Enemy,” “A Day at the Beach,” “The Cat Burglar,” and many more will reveal some of the untold history of the gang. Fun and excitement happens in every story in this final installment of the LAS VEGAS BANDITS series.If you have enjoyed the previous exploits of Sam, Travis, Alex, Randy, Kevin and Richie, this book is a must read.

On September 20, 1998, Jose Vigoa, a child of Fidel Castro’s revolution, launched what would be the most audacious and ruthless series of high-profile casino and armored car robberies that Las Vegas had ever seen. In a brazen sixteen-month reign of terror, he and his crew would hit the crème de la crème of Vegas hotels: the MGM, the Desert Inn, the New York—New York, the Mandalay Bay, and the Bellagio. The robberies were well planned and executed, and the police–“the stupids,” as Vigoa contemptuously referred to them–were all but helpless to stop them. But Lt. John Alamshaw, the twenty-three-year veteran in charge of robbery detectives, was not giving up so easily. For him, Vigoa’s rampage was a personal affront. And he would do whatever it took, even risk his badge, to bring Vigoa down.

The United States has a long and unfortunate history of exposing employees, the public, and the environment to dangerous work. But in April 2009, the spotlight was on Las Vegas when the Pulitzer committee awarded its public service prize to the Las Vegas Sun for its coverage of the high fatalities on Las Vegas Strip construction sites. The newspaper attributed failures in safety policy to the recent “exponential growth in the Las Vegas market.” In fact, since Las Vegas’ founding in 1905, rapid development has always strained occupational health and safety standards. Gambling with Lives examines the work, hazards, and health and safety programs from the early building of the railroad through the construction of the Hoover Dam, chemical manufacturing during World War II, nuclear testing, and dense megaresort construction on the Las Vegas Strip. In doing so, this comprehensive chronicle reveals the long and unfortunate history of exposing workers, residents, tourists, and the environment to dangerous work—all while exposing the present and future to crises in the region. Complex interactions and beliefs among the actors involved are emphasized, as well as how the medical community interpreted and responded to the risks posed. Updated through 2020, this second edition includes new and expanded discussions on: Union activity, sexual harassment and misconduct, and race and employment The change to Las Vegas’ “What happens here, stays here” slogan The MGM Grand Fire and 1918 influenza pandemic Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the service industry Legionnaire’s Disease outbreaks at resorts Effects of the Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting The COVID-19 pandemic Few places in the United States contain this mixture of industrial and postindustrial sites, the Las Vegas area offers unique opportunities to evaluate American occupational health during the twentieth century, and reminds us all about the relevancy of protecting our workers.

From one of the most versatile and bold writers of our time comes a riveting novel inspired by Princess Diana.

Beyond the bright lights and casinos lies the real Las Vegas where four lives will be brought together by one split-second choice.