The Green Felt Jungle
by Ed Reid, Ovid Demaris

The Green Felt Jungle was the first book that dares to penetrate the mirage of Las Vegas, the respectable, fun-loving resort where carefree tourists may innocently and legally indulge in gambling. In a carefully documented expose (which includes some astounding, secretly taped confidential conversations), the authors explore the real Las Vegas-a clever (and profitable) front for organized crime.Everything is legal, of course-everything except mysterious, unreported murders, systematic tax evasion, widespread prostitution, tacit segregation, and the graft that greases the entire system.Why was Bugsy Siegel, the founder of modern Las Vegas, liquidated? Who are some of Frank Sinatra's sinister partners in the Sands Hotel? How large is Jimmy Hoffa's interest in the glittering hotels along the Strip? Guess who some of Senator Barry Goldwater's companions have been on his numerous gambling junkets. And why was the body of a United States Senator who died just before election day preserved in a bathtub full of ice until all the returns were in?Citing irrefutable evidence, the authors expose the ways in which some of the nation's top criminals, under the pretense of operating "legitimate" businesses, are actually pouring millions of tourist-trade dollars into the coffers of the Mafia. They name the hidden interests who really control the casinos and disclose the hypocrisy and corruption that surround public officials on virtually every level of government.Also explained in detail are the tourist's actual chances of coming away a winner, the various "house percentages," the subtle devices used to lure players to the tables-and keep them there. Ironically, the gambling equipment is possibly the only thing in Las Vegas that is really on the level.

When I was in high school in the 60s, there was a copy of this book in our school library. It was often paged through by the boys in the school because of its lurid descriptions of Las Vegas as well as a section of photos that included mob killings, show girls, and prostitution. I admit that I was drawn to the book as well and read parts of it but not the entire book. Since then, I have wanted to obtain a copy and read it to see just how lurid it actually was. Well, I found a used copy online a couple of years ago and have had it on my shelves since then. Finally got around to attempting to read it.

First of all, this book was originally published in 1963 so it is definitely dated. It was written by Ed Reid and Ovid Demaris who were newspaper journalists and investigative reporters. It is pretty much an exposé on the origins of Las Vegas and how the mob was prevalent in its origins from the 1940s to the 1960s. The book gives detail after detail of the various casinos in Las Vegas and the mob connections of the owners. This starts out with Bugsy Siegal and his Flamingo Hotel that he built way over budget and subsequently was unable to make a profit on it after its opening in 1946. The mob did not take kindly to this and Siegal was murdered on June 20, 1947. The book goes on to describe other Las Vegas casinos and their owners, mob connections, and related murders. Politicians and celebrities were also connected to these nefarious operations including Barry Goldwater and Frank Sinatra. Goldwater was associated with Gus Greenbaum who took over running the Flamingo after Siegal's death. And then there was Jimmy Hoffa who was involved in payoffs and schemes related to real estate transactions. Also included in the book was a chapter on prostitution and its prevalence in the casinos as well as chapters that included information about paid-off politicians, tax evasion, and extortion.

This book provides the early history of the Las Vegas and documents the time prior to the transition from gangster control of the city to its clean-up and purchase of the casinos by legitimate companies. I actually ended up skimming a lot of the book which told of the various members of the mob and their cohorts. There were some paragraphs that went on and on listing the names of these people who I will never remember. I would only recommend this to someone interested in the seedy side of Las Vegas history.

Sent to Bkind2books who requested this from the VBB. I found this to be a little tedious but hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for sending. I'll give it a stab.