July 28 2015 Tuesday
Reader Anthony Damato of Staten Island, New York,
emailed me his interesting thoughts about my book, including the following
question. He asked, "As an eyewitness and player to a time in American
history that is unique to the American experience in terms of men, money and
results, do you ever think of what would have happened in your life, had you
lost your nerve and never made that (telephone) call that fateful Sunday
morning to Mr. Dalitz?"
I had explained in detail on the Coast-to-Coast AM interview
about how Moe Dalitz, who built the
Desert Inn and Stardust gambling resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, at our first
meeting had ordered me to stop my research and leave town, because he was
afraid my actions would cause him to go to prison. After that first angry
meeting, he and his key executives became major contributors to my research,
and he assisted my career in the Las
Vegas casino industry. I had mentioned his
contributions in the Preface to 30
Illegal Years To The Strip.
I replied to Anthony, "To your question about what my
life would have been like if I had not made contact as a young man with Moe
Dalitz and had not then been mentored by him and his key executives, I cannot
begin to imagine. Dalitz built the first high-rolling casino on the Strip at
the Desert Inn and then built the world’s biggest hotel and casino at the
Stardust that catered to all economic levels. He created the template for both
types of operations, and without all the interviews with the members of his
organization, I would never have been able to understand what had occurred or
why in a key part of the Strip’s development, nor would I have likely found a
great career path like the one that opened up. Opportunity
only knocks so many times in any life, and this is an example of why a person
should embrace one with fervor."
