Tag: Las Vegas
New book offers mobster insights that you can’t refuse
The namesake of a character in Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Moe Sedway, is the focus of a new biographical book that delves into the historic Las Vegas mobster scene. Bugsy’s Shadow: Moe Sedway, “Bugsy” Siegel, and the Birth of Organized Crime in Las Vegas, the latest book by Missouri S&T researcher Dr. Larry Gragg, will […]
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Elvis’ first venture to Las Vegas flopped, writes historian
Beginning with “one electrifying night” in 1969 and continuing through the mid-1970s, Elvis Presley reigned as Las Vegas’ top nightclub act. But his first attempt to win over fans in that city 60 years ago was “a painful setback” for the young performer, writes a Missouri S&T historian.
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Missouri S&T historian examines gangster Bugsy Siegel in new biography
Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was a successful, charismatic and tough gangster, but he was neither a visionary who founded the Las Vegas Strip nor a pathological killer, says Missouri University of Science and Technology historian Larry Gragg in his biography of the mobster.
Read More »Missouri S&T historian honored as Spur Award finalist
Dr. Larry Gragg, Curators’ Teaching Professor and chair of history and political science at Missouri University of Science and Technology, has been named a finalist for the 2014 Spur Award for his book about Las Vegas.
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‘Birth of Las Vegas’ program to be rebroadcast on KMST
A panel discussion about the birth of Las Vegas that features Dr. Larry Gragg, Curators’ Teaching Professor and chair of history at Missouri University of Science and Technology, will air at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, on public radio station KMST.
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