Customer Reviews

CASINO

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has watched this movie. The book was written after the movie which is a bit odd but well worth the read. It fills in a lot of the gaps the movie doesn't have time for.

This book IS NOT fiction. It is the true story that the movie Casino was based on.

In the book, the names have not been changed and there are a few more details than in the movie.

If you like the movie, I suggest reading the book to get the whole picture of what went down.

The book is good at the beginning, I can't tell you that it goes out of the story because everything written in the book is related to the story, but some parts of the book are really boring.
Everybody knows that in Vegas the mob owns the hotels & casinos at least at first, but what I really don't believe is that the casinos now, at this moment are the cleanest business in the country, maybe they don't take the money as 30 years ago, but I'm sure that in Vegas are many tricks with the bets and the money no matter if now in Vegas have one theme park in every hotel & casino.
At the end of the book, if the wife of "lefty" Rosenthal was killed or not, who really cares?

If you want to know how the mob worked in the casino in the early 70's and 80's this book is it. Great book, loved it!

This book will certainly light a fire under you if you are a Mafia book fan. After Wiseguy's, I think we all expected something a little better and Nicholas Peliggi pulled it off, however being made into a film first, had a little bit of influence on the book and really your not missing out on anything if you watch the movie instead of buying the book. Casino was fantastic and it is certainly the best Mafia film around. Yes, Maybe I am crazy but I would rate this better than Mario Puzo's The Godfather. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci also starred in the movie. In short, directer's cut novels down when they are making movie's however, the movie was made befor the book and so you can watch the great Martin Scorsese movie in under three hours or spend at least two weeks if your a fast reader, reading exacly the same thing. Great film and book.

I had read Wiseguys by the same author a few years ago and loved the book. Casino left a little to be desired. The book is hard to follow because it basically just a collection of facts and personal narrations from involved characters. It was fascinating to see different scams casino-workers have used in the past, and also to see how much influence the mob has in Las Vegas as a whole. My advice is read this first, then Wiseguy and you won't be dissapointed.

This gripping narrative exposes Midwest mob influence in Las Vegas during the 1970-80's. Author Nicholas Pileggi focuses on four major characters. The most prominent was ex-sports handicapper and bookie Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, who became an innovative casino manager. Lefty ran the casino at the Stardust Hotel, the location from where the Chicago and Kansas City syndicates skimmed millions in gambling revenues. We also read about Lefty's friend and mob enforcer Tony Spilotro, front man Allen Glick, and Lefty's glamorous but volatile wife Geri. The author describes casino operations, financing by teamster pensions, and gambling executives who knew enough to look the other way. We also see how unchecked greed and ego can destroy casino operators as surely as it does some of their customers. The book's only weakness was that Pileggi seemed to go easy on a couple of the major characters.

"Casino" became a 1995 movie of the same name. Pileggi also wrote "Wiseguy," basis for another excellent mob film ("Goodfellas") by Martin Scorsese. "Casino" doesn't quite match "Wiseguy," but it's a highly readable and informative book.

This book (like usual) is different from the movie Casino. This book is worth reading since this adds some more realism than the movie did. Another great mafia book by Pileggi and worth the price you paid for it. Great if you like the Italian mafia and Las Vegas.

i saw the movie before i read the book.the movie was excellent but the book was all right.i love the mafia!

I found 'Casino' to be an exciting true life story of the real Vegas of the 70's & early 80's. Nicholas Pileggi, has written this book with obvious rsearch and passion, painting a tremendous mental picture of the Mafia and thier control over Las Vegas.

Excellent, I'd recommend it to anyone interested in true life mafia stories and Las Vegas life.