In this book we get Tony Spilotro's story through Frank Cullotta's eyes. The two were friends since childhood, but when things got bad in Las Vegas, and Frank finds out that Tony put a hit contract on him, Frank became a U.S. government witness and went into the Witness Protection Program. Now Frank tells their story, mainly Tony's story, as he knew it in this book. On a side note, Cullotta also wrote a book about himself previously with the same co-author: Cullotta: the Life of a Chicago Criminal.

This book is basically arranged in two parts: Part One: Chicago and Part Two: Las Vegas. The first part looks at Tony's rise in the Chicago Mob, known as The Outfit. Early on, Tony had the ability to make the right connections to ensure a good career path in The Outfit. Part Two covers his time in Las Vegas, which at the time was heavily controlled by the Mob. Tony was in Las Vegas mainly to make sure "the skim," the money scam the Mob had going in the casinos, was protected. However, talented as a mobster as Tony was, he had serious flaws. He was arrogant, excessively ambitious and greedy (even for a mobster), and a womanizer, especially with wives of other mobsters, which is a cardinal sin in their world. Though the book we basically see Tony digging his own grave.

The book as a whole is interesting, but it is not a riveting read. The narrative is basically Frank telling the story in a bit of a monotone. If you've ever seen him in a documentary or being interviewed, he is mostly soft spoken, a bit mellow even. The book narrative sounds like that. That is not a bad thing. Note also that the narrative is embellished unlike other books on the topic.

For me, the more interesting part is the first part looking at Tony's early days. That is because much of the Las Vegas story is pretty much well known from the film Casino as well as the book Casino. Tony illustrates the notion that in life it really is who you know given how well he could make connections. Being ruthless and very driven also helped his rise. Yet he also shows how pissing off the people who made you is not a good idea.

Cullotta knew and worked with Tony most of the time. Cullotta clearly notes gaps, times that he was not with Tony, for example being in prison. Cullotta then relies on other sources he knows to fill the gaps. Still he serves as a primary source on Tony and their criminal endeavors. Cullotta also clarifies and corrects misconceptions. For example, contrary to the impression viewers may get from the film, Lefty Rosenthal (De Niro's Ace Rothstein in the film) and Tony were not friends. In fact, Tony loathed him, but due to mob business, Tony had to at least tolerate him. Cullotta gives us a more accurate picture of events, and at times the reality is even more violent or outrageous than Hollywood's portrayal.

Overall, I liked the book. It is a relatively easy read. The text is basic. It feels a bit like listening to an elder reminisce, in this case, a mobster that managed to survive a life that few survive. Fans of the film may be interested in the book. True crime readers interested in the Las Vegas mob and their prime time running the casinos will want to read this. The book is a good complement to Pileggi's book Casino. Libraries that collect true crime, especially if they already have Casino, book and/or film, should add this one. For me, it was a good book but not great. It was nice to learn more about the events it describes.

A book about Tony Spilotro, who was the enforcer for the mob in Vegas, and was one of the characters in the movie Casino. The author begins with how they met and then takes you through their childhood and the different crimes they committed together or that he heard about. Both of them growing up in Chicago and knowing the same people this is not so hard to believe. You begin to see the rise of Tony and slowly the author takes you through the different crimes that maybe you have read about or heard about, I had at least had heard of some of them. Then it was off to Vegas and not only was he to work with running, watching the outfit’s take of the casinos they owned but also Lefty Rosenthal. Lefty had also grown up in Chicago and for Lefty he was always into betting and point spread. He would take that to Vegas and really Vegas was the down fall for both of them. One in Lefty’s book he began to think he was bigger than everyone including the mob and so when he was denied a gambling license by Vegas he would not stay out of the casinos. It would become Tony’s job among other’s to make sure he would stay out but he could not do that because he could not keep his pants away from Lefty’s wife, and now you have the one of the many beginnings of Tony’s downfall. There are many others, money, drugs, unauthorized killings, and other things all of which bring notice to the wrong people. Not only was Tony killed, but also his brother. Lefty survived his car bomb because of the way his Cadillac was made. Not in the book was that about ten years ago also in a field Illinois a farmer found many graves with bones in them it was thought to have been the place where Tony and his crew would take the people for their death, and why he was beaten and buried the way he was. Overall not a bad book a good story if you want to know about the Chicago mob.

A DIFFERENT VIEW OF “CASINO”

Most of us by now have seen the movie CASINO starring Robert DeNiro. We became acquainted with real life mob boss based on Tony Spilotro as portrayed by Joe Pesci. Brash, explosive and extremely violent, the picture painted there as told from the point of view of Frank Rosenthal, the man in charge of the casinos placed the by the mob. But there are always two sides to every story.

This book tells the tale from a much different perspective, that of mob member and hit man Frank Cullotta, a man who turned informant when a contract was put out on him. Cullotta gives us plenty of background into his life with organized crime, one that he really was on the fringes of rather than being made a permanent made man.

Cullotta knew Spilotro, fought with him as a youngster before the pair became lifelong friends. At the same time his association with Tony brought him to the point where Spilotro actually put the contract out on him which resulted in his providing evidence that brought about Spilotro’s demise, a brutal killing that is still talked about to this day.

As the book progresses we witness the rise of Tony Spilotro from a rank and file member of organized crime to a top earning member placed in charge of the growing investment known as Las Vegas. He was an ambitious player in the mix but his own personal vices brought him down. A major earner for himself and the organization back home, his greed and lust for power would do him in. Cullotta was there to witness it all and describes events from the start, middle and end.

Books like this can provide an interesting look into the mind of a professional criminal. At the same time we need to realize we’re not talking about someone most of us would like to call bosom buddy. They’re a dangerous group who would just as soon take your money as say hello. But revelatory books like this one and HIT #29 by “Joey” give us a look behind the scenes without the danger it would involve being there.

Perhaps the most surprising thing to learn in this book is that Spilotro and Rosenthal were not the close friends that were depicted in both the book and film CASINO. According to Cullotta Spilotro despised Rosenthal. While no proof or confirmation is given the odds are that he was even involved in the car explosion that almost killed Rosenthal. Even with that discussed here, Rosenthal actually is mentioned very little in the book.

Instead if focuses squarely on Spilotro. Cullotta presents the story in a conversational tone, relating incidents from their shared past, jobs he was given and sights he was witness to. He comments on murders that he was aware of and who was responsible for each. He discusses other members of organized crime and their relationship to Spilotro. But being his friend, it is more about Spilotro than anyone else.

The book is an easy read and interesting to those who enjoy reading about criminals and organized crime. While there is little doubt they haven’t gone away, the attention they had brought on them in the sixties and the filmic versions of their lives in the seventies seem to be a thing of the past. As the first generation passes away or retires the new seem to have retreated back into working behind the scenes. While the chance of reading their exploits is nearly non-existent we can read about what it was like when they began. Cullotta’s book is a nice introduction to this world.

a very quick and entertaining read. I read it in one sitting!. Cullotas down to earth prose and insight into the Chicago Outfit along with a lot of the major players besides Spilotro made this a fun read for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and WildBlue Press for providing me with an ARC of this book for review purposes. This mob book by Frank Cullotta looks back on the life of Tony Spilotro, one of the major characters in the movie Casino who was formerly such a close friend and associate of his for so many years.

Having already written his own memoir and getting up in years, Frank decided he wanted to set the record straight in respect to Tony Spilotro, friend and feared enforcer. People are often curious and he was the closest to Tony for so many years. This book gives the story of their dealings in Chicago and in Las Vegas later when they worked together. All of the gory details of crimes, murders, rumors and myths. And where he feels things went all wrong. A very gripping read.