It Happened in Las Vegas: Remarkable Events That Shaped History - Paperback

by Paul W. Papa (Author)

From the Mormon arrival in 1855 to Siegfried and Roy's tiger attack in 2003, twenty-five events that shaped the history of the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Back Jacket

Best known today for its gaming and entertainment, Las Vegas was, ironically, founded in part by a fervently religious community. It Happened in Las Vegas tells the stories of intriguing people and events from the history of the Sin City--from the Mormons' arrival in 1855 in over 100-degree temperatures to a British battleship blowing up the Dunes Hotel and Casino in 2003. Learn how Sam Gay, bouncer at the infamous Block 16, once marched sixteen men out of town. Read how Jackie Gleason and Jimmy Durante entertained crowds at one of Las Vegas's first casinos, the El Rancho. Reflect upon the testing of America's first nuclear weapon at the Nevada Test Site.

Author Biography

Paul W. Papa is a full-time writer who has lived in Las Vegas for nearly two decades. For more than fifteen years he worked at several casinos. As a security officer, it was he who shut and locked the doors of the Sands Hotel and Casino for the final time. He later became a hotel investigator for a major strip casino, during which time he developed a love for writing true stories about uncommon events.