‘When the Mob Ran Vegas’ just the tip of Fischer’s iceberg

Monday, Jan. 8, 2007 | 7:24 a.m.

Sixty-three-year-old Steve Fischer has been visiting Las Vegas since he was a child, coming with his parents to stay at places like the Sands (now the Venetian) and the Sahara (still the Sahara).

The biggest change he has seen in the city - besides the obvious growth and related issues - is the attitude of the visitors.

"Back in the '50s and '60s, it was a fun place," said Fischer, a retired executive with American Express who splits time between Las Vegas and Omaha, Neb. "Back then everyone who came here was in a vacation mood. Everyone was happy. Now it's an angry place, with the traffic and the smog."

Still, Fischer is a fan of Las Vegas and something of an expert on the subject, having studied it most of his life and been a collector of Las Vegas-related items. He recently published the historical book "When the Mob Ran Vegas," which is available at most casino gift shops and through the Web site whenthemobranvegas.com.

"It took me 30 years to research and three years to write," Fischer said.

The book is an easy read, full of anecdotes about the mob history in Vegas with lots of names that anyone who knows anything about the city's history will recognize: Sam "Momo" Giancana, mob boss and boyfriend of Phyllis McGuire; mob frontman Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, who ran the Stardust; and hit man Tony "The Ant" Spilotro.

Mentioned several times in the book is one of Fischer's heroes, the late Hank Greenspun, founder of the Las Vegas Sun who pushed for strict state control of the casino industry .

QVC, the sales channel, will feature six days' worth of Las Vegas items, which will be scheduled around the implosion of the Stardust. Fischer will be part of the six-day special, the expert who will put all of the items being sold into historical context.

Fischer has amassed a wealth of Vegas-related files over the years, enough information for an almost endless series of books. His next will be about Las Vegas showgirls of the '60s and '70s, set to be published in August. He did in-depth interviews with 49 performers.

"The average age of the girls is 70," Fischer said. "These are the gals who knew the mob guys."