Bugsy's Shadow

Moe Sedway, "Bugsy" Siegel, and the Birth of Organized Crime in Las Vegas

by Larry D. Gragg

Published by: University of New Mexico Press

Imprint: High Road Books

240 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in

Hardcover
9780826365156 | October 2023

$29.95

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EPUB
9780826365163 | October 2023

$29.95

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Description
Contributors
Acclaim
Table Of Contents

Early in the Prohibition era, Moe Sedway became part of the New York organized crime gang led by Meyer Lansky and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. A loyal and highly effective operative for Siegel, Sedway eventually gained monopoly control of the race wire service in Las Vegas and also became an effective casino manager of the Las Vegas Club, El Cortez, and the Rex Club.

A breach in their relationship led to rumors that Sedway had gained Lansky's approval for a "hit" on Siegel. The unsolved mystery of who murdered Bugsy in 1947 has spawned numerous theories about the identity of the hitman, but regardless of who pulled the trigger, Bugsy's death opened the way for Moe to flourish as his own man at last. Long overshadowed by Bugsy in the annals of organized crime in America, Moe Sedway is now at last brought out into the light in this riveting tale of the sensational life and times of one of Vegas's most mysterious and little-known figures.

Larry D. Gragg is a Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus and the University Historian at Missouri University of Science and Technology. His books include Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel: The Gangster, the Flamingo, and the Making of Modern Las Vegas and Becoming America's Playground: Las Vegas in the 1950s.

"Las Vegas aficionado Larry Gragg once again has mined the city's history for gold and found a whopper of a nugget in the remarkable life and times of casino founding father Moe Sedway. With an obvious love for his subject, Gragg traces Sedway from his earliest days through his rise and fall in Las Vegas as an ally of a notorious crowd led by none other than Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel. There's something in here for longtime Vegas denizens and for first-time visitors alike."--John L. Smith, author of Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn

"In Bugsy's Shadow, Larry Gragg sheds light on one of the lesser-known individuals in Las Vegas casino history. He has done a remarkable job of detailing Moe Sedway's often-obscured contributions to the desert city, and he gives the reader a chance to get a glimpse into Moe's world."--David G. Schwartz, author of At the Sands: The Casino That Shaped Classic Las Vegas, Brought the Rat Pack Together, and Went Out with a Bang

"Larry Gragg deserves a medal for tackling the long-neglected story of Moe Sedway, who has been unfairly overshadowed by his larger-than-life partner in crime, Bugsy Siegel. This is a vital and invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding organized crime's pivotal role in the rise of Las Vegas."--Geoff Schumacher, author of Sun, Sin, and Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas, Revised and Expanded

"A fascinating story. . . . With careful, judicious, and indefatigable scholarship, Larry Gragg has brought to life a figure whose importance has been too long overlooked."--Michael S. Green, coauthor of Las Vegas: A Centennial History

List of Illustrations
Preface

Introduction
Chapter One. Bugsy's Emerging Shadow in New York and California
Chapter Two. The Emergence of Las Vegas as a Gambling Town, 1905-1941
Chapter Three. Siegel Extends His Shadow to Las Vegas, 1941-1946
Chapter Four. Siegel and Sedway and the Fabulous Flamingo Hotel and Casino, 1946-1947
Chapter Five. The Murder of Bugsy Siegel, June 20, 1947
Chapter Six. Moe Sedway Emerges from Bugsy's Shadow, 1947-1952
Chapter Seven. "The Little Giant of Fremont Street": Moe Sedway Becomes Legitimate

Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
Index