Las Vegas Babylon - by Jeff Burbank (Paperback)

About the Book

What happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas and the proof is in this lively and entertaining compilation of stories chronicling decades of decadence, celebrity shenanigans, and political corruption, as well as the glitz and glamour of the casinos that pass for ever...

Book Synopsis

What happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas and the proof is in this lively and entertaining compilation of stories chronicling decades of decadence, celebrity shenanigans, and political corruption, as well as the glitz and glamour of the casinos that pass for everyday life in Las Vegas.
Underneath the city's present success lies many infamous tales of excess and debauchery. Using new information from recently released FBI documents, Jeff Burbank brings to life the Vegas mob in its heyday, recounting never-before-heard tales of the mobsters who made Vegas what it is today.
But mobsters aren't the only ones with skeletons in Las Vegas' closet. Over the years, Hollywood stars have had their share of the limelight. Burbank has uncovered the many fateful, and often amusing, incidents that have befallen the glamorous and here he recalls the details of the darkest moments in the lives of the famous and foolish: Marilyn Monroe's quickie divorce; boxer Sonny Liston's secret heroin deal just before his death; The Doors singer Jim Morrison's arrest for fighting on the Strip; and the hookers who trick-rolled comedian Tommy Smothers in his hotel room.
With fast-paced and entertaining prose, Burbank captures the true stories from Las Vegas' seedy underbelly that have led to America's 100-year fascination with the aptly named Sin City.

Review Quotes

It's an all-you-can-eat buffet of scandal and A-list embarrassment.

Part gossip smorgasbord, part cautionary tale, [Las Vegas Babylon] speeds through the city's century-long history, from its mob-dominated early flourishing to the less murderous but still sleazy local politics scene. ... [A] well-researched volume of lively stories about a city that turned 100 this year, and, like a chintzy lounge singer, shows no signs of slowing down.

About the Author

Jeff Burbank is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, The Boston Globe, and San Francisco Chronicle. Burbank is a commentator for KNPR-FM radio in Las Vegas where he lives.