Las Vegas bills itself as "the Entertainment Capital of the World" and it's easy to see why with all the big names performing up & down the Strip on a nightly basis...and it's been that way for decades. But how did that all come to be...and what role did the world of organized crime play in making it happen?
My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help clear things up for us.
Making her second appearance on the podcast is Claire White, the Director of Education for the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas. Last time Claire was on the show, we went in-depth on Liberace & the impact he had on the Vegas entertainment scene. We briefly touched on the topic of the mob and their place in Las Vegas's entertainment history, but I thought it might be fun to get Claire back to go into a little more detail.
We discussed the early days of Las Vegas entertainment, the Mob's role in helping to build up the industry in Las Vegas, and some of the prominent performers with alleged mob ties.
If you want to learn more about the history of Las Vegas & the role of the mob in establishing the entertainment industry, pick up a copy of Bright Light City: Las Vegas in Popular Culture by Larry Gragg. And be sure to pay a visit to the Mob Museum on your next trip to Las Vegas. Visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube!
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