Book 7 of 52: Casino by Nicholas Pileggi

This review is a case of reading a book that’s already been widely praised, made into a widely praised movie. Because what else can I say about Casino that hasn’t already been said?

So I’ll be brief: it’s a really great read, told largely with chunks of direct quotes from the players involved. It’s a great telling of the way Las Vegas used to be: when the mob ran the show, and how it all fell apart. The book’s almost 30 years and still riveting. I got a copy for $.99. Well worth the buck.

On a side note, did you know that Nicholas Pielggi was Nora Ephron’s husband? He was the last of three, and was married to her when he died last year. She based the Steve Martin character My Blue Heaven on Henry Hill, Jr., who was the center of Pileggi’s Wiseguy, which became the movie Goodfellas. And I’ll never pass up an opportunity to post a clip from My Blue Heaven.

Indeed.