THE KING OF CASINOS Willie Martello and the El Rey Club

Softcover POD. SIGNED. Foreword by Mark Hall-Patton. The unreal but true story of the unknown casino that changed Las Vegas forever. After a horrific blaze destroyed Willie Martello’s El Rey Club in 1962, 50yrs would pass before anyone knew of how that casino and one-time brothel influenced Las Vegas casinos, upset the mob, and inadvertently launched the career of Francis Ford Coppola. Were it not for the chance discovery of a single photo in a Las Vegas museum, the El Rey Club would only be known as the seedy brothel where Senator Harry Reid learned to swim. Martello's accomplishments should place him among magnates like Howard Hughes or Steve Wynn, yet very few know his name. Featuring over 140 rare or unseen photos, these vibrant stories are now brought to light. Contains nudity, prostitution, vintage Vegas, celebrities, and (some) Mobsters. Illus., Bibliog. + Epilogue. 267pp. trade size softcover. SIGNED AND DATED 2014 ANDY MARTELLO. Vg+