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Rating: 
Summary: A terrific ride
Review: After reading Wiseguy, I thought I would never be satisfied by another true-life mafia book again. Leave it to Pileggi to prove me wrong. Casino is not as good a book as Wiseguy, but I enjoyed hearing the story from many different sources (ie. Mafia team-members, FBI men, acquaintances). This helped to remind me that these were real people and these things were really happening. I don't believe that "Lefty" was an angel, and the testimonies by other people reinforced that belief. It's a shame that someone of such ability could sink so low in life and be treated like such a pariah for who he did business with. Allen Glick is another character that I was glad to learn more about after the ensuing scandal. Tony Spilotro got his come-uppance as should have been expected. If real-life crime fascinates you, Nicholas Pileggi is the author for you.
Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't put it down
Review: I found 'Casino' to be an exciting true life story of the real Vegas of the 70's & early 80's. Nicholas Pileggi, has written this book with obvious research and passion, painting a tremendous mental picture of the Mafia and thier control over Las Vegas.Excellent, I'd recommend it to anyone interested in true life mafia stories and Las Vegas life.
Rating:
Summary: Pileggi Sans Scorsese
Review: My rating on this book is really a three and a half, if given the option to rate a half-star, that is. I enjoyed tremandously learning about the Teamsters, the politicians and of course the Mafia involvement in the Las Vegas casino operations. The book exceled in the abundance of information. However, the writing itself was not so great therefore lowering the reading experience. Just as in real life, when people tell you their side of the story, it hardly ever concurs with someone else's account. Since the book was really a collage of vaious narrations, the author had a hard time weaving together different points of views and tones. Sometimes readers are left wondering what really happened. I would recommend this book for people who are interested in information and stories regarding the Mafia. The topic is very interesting, but for those who prefers a bit more drama and fluency of writing, then this may not be your top choice.
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: 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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