Huntington Press in Las Vegas publishes some of the best gambling books around, from poker to video poker to blackjack. But there's more than gambling to Las Vegas, and Huntington Press, the company that grew out of Anthony Curtis' monthly Las Vegas Advisor, has shown an eagerness to explore it all.
Once again, Huntington Press is off the gambling beat and onto the seamier side of Las Vegas with Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness, by Dennis N. Griffin and Frank Cullotta
Frank Cullotta was back in Chicago in late June as a state's witness in the "family secrets" trial of five reputed mob figures alleged to have been involved in long-unsolved murders. Included are the 1986 slayings of Tony “The Ant” Spilotro and brother Michael Spilotro. The Spilotro case is one with which Cullotta is well acquainted. Cullotta was Spilotro's top lieutenant in Las Vegas, stealing, strong-arming and, yes, killing in service of the Chicago mob's man in Las Vegas. Amazing how I t all seems to come directly from one of the Godfather films.
That affair ended when Cullotta discovered Spilotro had turned on him and planned to have him killed. Cullotta turned government witness and continues to live anonymously under the witness protection program. In the book, Cullotta pulls no punches, neither about his own crimes nor those of his boss. Still, the way Tony Spilotro was killed bothered Cullotta. At the time the FBI knew only that the Spilotros had disappeared and suspected Tony had fled to avoid prosecution, Cullotta told FBI investigator Dennis Arnoldy he was certain they were dead. The book quotes Cullotta in the conversation:
“Tony's caused the Outfit a lot of problems and he'd stopped generating money. Michael is cocky and has caused problems, too. They aren't needed anymore. If you whack one, you gotta whack them both. I guarantee you they're both dead.” Publisher Curtis says it took about three minutes to decide to take the book when it was offered. The only hesitation: Huntington Press previously published Of Rats and Men, John L. Smith's biography of Oscar Goodman, once attorney for Tony Spilotro and other crime figures, and today mayor of Las Vegas. Goodman may not like "Cullotta," but for the rest of us, it's a powerful, fascinating read.
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