ANOTHER CLEAR-CHANNEL RADIO INTERVIEW



April 27, 2017   Thursday

I just finished my fifth radio interview with Morgan White Jr. on his clear-channel broadcast from Boston that reaches the eastern two-thirds of the country. Because of his great knowledge about the history of the Las Vegas gambling industry, it was a wide-ranging hour and a half discussion. We covered some of the great casino operators like Moe Dalitz, some of the main underworld hidden interests like Sam Giancana and Nick Civella, and why so many long-term Las Vegas Strip casino operators wanted to sell out, when tycoon Howard Hughes arrived in town interested in purchasing resort casinos.

Morgan and I discussed how the Sopranos TV series characters were so unrealistic, and how different the gangland leaders of the 1920s through 1970s were from the way they are typically presented by Hollywood movies and television shows. This was the era before America held primary elections, and many of the biggest gang leaders were major influences on their district voters. These mobsters were so effective because they were personable and helpful with their constituencies, rather than being the bullies they are always depicted as.