"FLY ON THE WALL"

BY: DICK ODESSKY

ISBN: #0-929712-61-7

Imagine what it must have been like to be in Las Vegas during its most glamorous and eventful years: the l950's, when you could rub elbows with powerful politicians, famous entertainers, and notorious gangsters; the l960's, when Howard Hughes' corporate invasion changed casinos forever; and the l970's, which were immortalized by the movie "Casino". Back then, "the boys" ran the town, dinner shows were a dollar, and vacant lots on what is now the "Strip" sold for $50 an acre. Tallulah played baccarat, Shecky shot dice, and Frank dealt blackjack. "Fly on the Wall" chronicles those times, as well as the men and women who shaped them: Benny Binion, Moe Dalitz, Dorothy and Jack Entratter, Wibur Clark, Abe Schiller, Nick Dandolas, Ralph Lamb, the Copa Girls, Jackie Gaughan, Jerry Zarowitz, Artemus Ham, Barbara & Hank Greenspun, Marlene Dietrich, Bob Brown, and Eugene Murphy, plus the infamous "Doc" Bayley and after his death the stunning "Judy Bayley" known as the "first lady of gambling" to name a few. As a reporter for two of the city's most respected newspapers and a publicist for two the city's most infamous casinos, Dick Odessky was in the thick of it--the proverbial fly on the wall. His recollections of Las Vegas' good old, bad old days put you in the thick of it, too.

From the "Radio-TV Interview Report (Feb l999) FROM INFAMOUS GANGSTERS TO FAMOUS ENTERTAINERS.. INSIDER EXPOSES THE LAS VEGAS TOURISTS NEVER SEE.. Howard Hughes, Bugsy Siegel, Wayne Newton, Sheck Greene, Benny Binion, Frank Sinatra--all names that are synonymous with the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas in its heyday. Few people know more about the inside story of Las Vegas than Dick Odessky. As a reporter for two of the city's most respected newspapers and as a publicist for two of the city's most notorious casinos, he's literally seen it all.

 

... scenes of the old Las Vegas as he reveals: The true story behind the mob's "contribution" to Las Vegas--and whether they continue to exert influence today. Little-known stories about some of the biggest names in entertainment--like Shecky Greene's escapade that landed him atop a Vegas crap table dressed in nothing but his pajamas. The amazing personalities who've contributed to Vegas' legend--like "Father Bilko," the phony priest who routinely hit up casino bosses for donations to support his bogus boarding school.

From: Gamblers' Book Club VETERAN PUBLICIST DICK ODESSKY TELLS HOW VEGAS USED TO BE You had to be there to experience Las Vegas during its heyday. Dick Odessky, reporter, entertainment editor, publicist--now historian, worked in Las Vegas for more than three decades. He left in l983, now lives in Big Bear Lake, CA. Odessky's Fly on the Wall (245 pages, hardbound. $21.95) is the newest arrival at Gambler's Book Shop, and one of the year's most entertaining works. Indexed, illustrated, it should be read by those who lived here in the l960's and '70'[s, and those who toiled before them. In part, it is aimed at the newest generation of corporate leaders, those with intelligence and insight who truly want to understand the city's past.

From: Las Vegas Weekly by Justin Cord Hayes VEGAS'S GOOD OLD, BAD OLD DAYS In l953, Dick Odessky, a l9-year-old writer from Los Angeles, came to Las Vegas to be among the first full-time writers for a new, "upstart" daily newspaper called the Las Vegas Sun. He didn't stay there for very long, opting instead to work as head of publicity for such casinos as the Flamingo and later, the Stardust. Odessky's tenure at these, and at other publications and resorts, allowed him to be the proverbial fly on the wall from what he calls Las Vegas's "good old, bad old days"--the early '50's--to the dawn of the so-called "New Vegas," which is characterized by corporate ownership of casino Properties. If you're a fan of our city's rich (and brief) history, then you'll find Odessky's book a real treat.

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