Lure of glitz, glamour and greed often come before the fall in Las Vegas
By COREY LEVITAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL
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Every city has its share of scandals. But Las Vegas has three or four shares. From local politicians to celebrity tourists, people seem to think they can get away with more here.
In the days of mob rule, they were 100 percent right. No other American city relied so heavily, for so long, on money from illegal sources for its prosperity.
"There were people that were able to corrupt judges, law enforcement and politicians -- especially in the '50s," said Jeff Burbank, author of the 2005 book "Las Vegas Babylon."
Organized crime's eviction from the hotel business by the late '80s eliminated most dirty business. But not all.