Sep 01 2004

Book Review: Sharks in the Desert

by Megan Edwards

Sharks in the Desert: The Founding Fathers and Current Kings of Las Vegas
by John L. Smith

Irresistible. That’s the one-word last sentence of Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith’s latest book, Sharks in the Desert. And no, I didn’t read it first. I started at the beginning, and then munched my way through every word, just the way you’d eat a large box of popcorn. And when I got to “Irresistible,” I smiled. That’s how the book was. From Bugsy Siegel to George Maloof, I couldn’t have stopped reading even if I had wanted to. Sharks in the Desert is a book you can’t help devouring to the last kernel, and even then, it tastes like more.

Like most visitors, I knew a couple of names when I arrived in Las Vegas: Bugsy Siegel and Steve Wynn. In between, I knew there’d been “the mob” and Howard Hughes, but my knowledge of how Las Vegas evolved into its current state was woefully hazy. I’ve boned up a bit over the last few years, but nothing has given me a better picture faster than Sharks in the Desert. In thirty-nine chapters, Smith succeeds in creating a mosaic of Las Vegas history through the personalities behind the big casinos. I’d been wondering, for example, about Ralph Engelstad, the owner of the Imperial Palace who died recently. I’d heard rumors about his “Hitler birthday parties,” and I’d always found his resort, while excellently situated, a bit creepy. Smith’s chapter about Engelstad explains how a workaholic Norwegian came to own an Asian-themed megaresort and also reveals the price he paid for his politically incorrect celebrations.

One of the more impressive achievements of Sharks in the Desert is its explanation of who owned what during the “mob” years. Ownership of Las Vegas casinos was constantly changing as the various players attempted to stay out of the viewfinders of government agencies. Going beyond the oft-repeated but overly simplistic “Howard Hughes cleaned up Vegas” saw, Smith reveals not only how casino financing evolved, but also how mob influence lingers to the present day and continues to mutate and adapt to new business and political climates. He also presents a picture of Howard Hughes that is somewhat different from popular myth. Using plenty of credible source material, Smith paints a compelling and fascinating picture.

Compelling and fascinating describe all of Smith’s portraits as he works his way through the decades of Las Vegas history. Steve Wynn, as you might expect, gets a lot of ink, but so do the casino barons who don’t woo the spotlight, like Kirk Kerkorian and Carl Icahn. And the book comes as close at it can to the present with chapters on Peter “Hard Rock” Morton and George “Palms” Maloof. I feel as though I now have a players list for Las Vegas, and I’m glad Smith created what looks like a comprehensive index. This is one book I won’t be loaning out — it’s going on my reference shelf. As Las Vegas continues to evolve, I’m sure I’ll be checking back often to make sure I’m keeping my characters straight.

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