The Criminology Shelf

Sin City Gangsters
Jeffrey Sussman
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781538161234, $37.00, HC, 230pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sin-City-Gangsters-Decline-Vegas/dp/1538161230

Synopsis: With the publication of "Sin City Gangsters: The Rise and Decline=
of the Mob in Las Vegas", author Jeffrey Sussman presents a fast-paced acc= ount of how the mob created and controlled Las Vegas. It contains accounts =
of how the most powerful mobsters in the country built, bought, and control= led not only gambling casinos in Vegas, but also many important politicians=
, who did the mob's bidding.

Some of the more notorious mobsters were Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Moe Da= litz, Sam Giancana, Tony Accardo, and Nick Civella, as well as the men they=
chose to carry out their plans, such as Tony Spilotro, Lefty Rosenthal, an=
d Donald Angelini.

"Sin City Gangsters" devotes an entire chapter to Jimmy Hoffa, and how the = Teamsters Pension Fund financed the mob's casinos. It also offers fascinati=
ng accounts of the roles of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley in Vegas. Anoth=
er chapter is devoted to Howard Hughes, who arrived in the dead of night in=
a sealed, germ-free railroad car and did not leave his suite at the Desert=
Inn for years. During that time he bought one casino after another as if p= laying Monopoly. Following his exit and that of the mob, Vegas became the d= omain of Jay Sarno, Kirk Kerkorian, Steve Wynn, and Sheldon Adelson.

These were visionaries who transformed Vegas into the entertainment capital=
of the world by building billion-dollars-plus resorts and hiring the most = popular contemporary entertainers.

"Sin City Gangsters: is the only account that charts Vegas from the first m= odest mob-owned casinos to the present billion-dollar-resorts; its cast of = characters is an assembly of exceedingly ambitious risk takers who let noth= ing stand in their way of turning their dreams into stunning realities.

Critique: An absolute 'must read' for readers with an interest in Organized=
Crime in general, and the 20th Century history of Las Vegas in particular,=
"Sin City Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Las Vegas" is an i= nherently fascinating read that is further enriched by the inclusion of a f= our page Bibliography and a eight page Index. Exceptionally impressive and = well written history, "Sin City Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob =
in Las Vegas" is unreservedly and especially recommended for community and = academic library American Criminology & Organized Crime collections and sup= plemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading=
lists that "Sin City Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Las Veg= as" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $35.00).

Editorial Note: Jeffrey Sussman is the author of 16 books, six of which hav=
e been published by Rowman and Littlefield. His most recent titles include = Big Apple Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in New York (2022), Ho= locaust Fighters: Boxers, Resisters, and Avengers (2021) and Boxing and the=
Mob: The Notorious History of the Sweet Science (2019).

Long Time Dead
Susan McIver
Friesen Press
https://www.friesenpress.com
9781039151123, $28.99 Hardcover/$17.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Long-Time-Dead-Investigation-Unsolved/dp/1039151124

Long Time Dead: My Investigation Into the Unsolved Murder of Ralph Wilson S= nair examines a murder that ordinarily would not seem important for close i= nspection: that of a retired church custodian who was shot. Was his death i=
n 1957 a murder, or suicide?

The interest came from blood ties. Susan McIver is Ralph Snair's great niec=
e, a scientist and a former coroner well equipped to investigate this unsol= ved cold case some sixty years later. Her research involved old notes, news=
and police reports, and autopsy results, and uncovered the few clues remai= ning as to what really happened. As she made progress in a case that turns = out to hold all kinds of social ties and political insights and influences,=
readers will find this true crime investigation comes to life with its pro=
be of not only events, but the underlying motives of those involved in Ralp= h's death.

The fine art of piecing together police procedures and social and medical i= nfluences on murder investigations makes Long Time Dead especially invaluab= le, and a standout in true crime literature. McIver's ability to transmit a=
mystery, the process of solving it decades later, and the changing procedu= res of investigators supplements a "you are here" feel with the considerati=
on of historical and social changes that affected outcomes, influences, and=
investigative technology alike.

All these facets are why Long Time Dead is recommended, above and beyond th=
e usual true crime story, for libraries strong in criminal justice history = and investigative methodology. They will find in the story much to recommen=
d to book discussion groups considering crime, problem solving techniques, = and the sometimes-deadly results of the changing social milieus of American=
communities in the 1950s.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

--- MBSE BBS v1.0.8 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/280.2@fidonet)