True Crime Classics: Burl Barer and Don Woldman Talk with Las Vegas Mob Historian, Dennis Griffin!

f you saw the movie, CASINO, you saw the fiction version of this real life saga of The Battle for Las Vegas. Get the real story from Dennis N. Griffin

Thursday 10 am PT/1pm ET at Here Women Talk

Dennis N. Griffin

Mystery and nonfiction writer, Griffin covered the Vegas reign of kingpin Tony “the An”t Spilotro in The Battle for Las Vegas: The Law vs. the Mob. Digging deeper into mob history, he now focuses on Spilotro’s lifelong pal, career criminal Cullotta, who appeared in Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film, Casino, recreating an actual murder he committed in 1979. Spilotro and Cullotta met in Chicago as teenage troublemakers, and early chapters detail the violent escapades of Cullotta’s youth before he escalated to major crimes. Spilotro rose in the ranks of the mob and became the Chicago Outfit’s man in Las Vegas, and Cullotta eventually joined him, running a robbery and murder crew. Together, Spilotro and Cullotta extorted illegal bookmakers and drug dealers throughout Vegas. But in the early 1980s, Cullotta became a government witness, bringing down the house. In addition to poring through newspaper archives, Griffin interviewed various sheriffs, attorneys, agents and detectives, while primarily relying on information from retired FBI agent Arnoldy and what Pileggi calls the phenomenal memory of Cullotta himself. Griffin’s flat, unemotional yet potent writing makes the bloodletting, murders and mayhem chilling and unnerving throughout.

Griffin recently signed with publisher Geno Munari to publish House Party Tonight, the career of legendary saxophonist Don Hill told in words and pictures. A date in November is targeted for release to coincide with Don Hill’s 91st birthday. Griffin hosts the radio shows and websites of Crime Wire and Real Wiseguys.