Nicholas Pileggi gave an in-depth assessment of Las Vegas, the current state of affairs, and of course, what it was all about back in the day. Talking to Casino.org, Pileggi explained that while the city has always flaunted its magic, its current state is spectacular.
In the past, the hotel-casinos were way smaller. Staff and customers could engage at a close level. Legendary entertainers such as Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra (of the famous Pack) could joyfully intermingle with customers after their performances.
According to Pileggi, the 1950s to 1970s saw a more intimate Vegas.
Pileggi, currently 87 and based in New York, is a former Associated Press reporter. He co-wrote the Las Vegas Mafia movie Casino alongside director Martin Scorsese. The movie was released about 25 years ago, and exhibits of its memorabilia were recently on display at the Mob Museum Las Vegas. The film features Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone and is a fictional account of Mafia associate Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal’s conflicted matrimony to Geri Rosenthal, a former dancer.
Pileggi also has the Goodfellas movie under his name, having co-written it alongside Scorsese. It is based on his true-crime book, Wiseguy.
Sin City in the Past
As Pileggi wrote his book Casino, he made the Sands, Las Vegas, his home, and the staff remembered him quite well. He likens walking to the casino to seeing a friend again after some time apart.
He further states that unlike today, back in the day, casinos were limited to gamblers and not necessarily a place anybody would bring their kids. However, this changed in the 1980s when corporations took charge of these entities and kicked off the construction of 3000-room megaresorts with gambling being just one of the offered amenities.
The New Sin City
Pileggi notes that folks who can give accounts of the old Vegas are long gone, and there are many changes. For starters, The Sands was brought down in 1996 to give way for the Venetian. Other properties that have been demolished include Stardust, Hacienda, and Dunes.
The new crop of the Vegas generation might consider it magical, and while this is true, they have no idea how good it was back in the day. The new version is pretty impressive, but old Vegas was an inmate endeavor. Pileggi said he feels nostalgic whenever he visits.
