The Rise And Fall Of A 'Casino' Mobster

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.

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.

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.