Rating: 
Summary: Olsen Reviewer is incorrect
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping Mob Narrative
Review: 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.
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