author

Grandissimo Audiobook is coming!

I’ve gotten many questions over the past few months about whether Grandissimo will be available as an audiobook. Earlier, I didn’t have an answer. Now, I can definitively answer “yes.”

I’m working with voiceover maven Eric Martin, You can read more about him (and hear him) on his website. Part of the reason that I agreed to work with Eric is the high quality of his work. He’s done this many times before, and will deliver a high-quality audio version of my words. I think the readers (or, in this case, listeners) deserve nothing less.

I don’t have a firm release date yet, but Eric has finished through chapter 8, so things look good for sometime late in August.

It’s very gratifying to see the support and interest that the book has gotten thus far, and I’m grateful to Eric for his belief that this will make a compelling audiobook.

Stay posted for updates!

Grandissimo Audiobook is coming! Read More »

author

Get signed books at Barnes and Noble in Henderson

If you missed your chance to get a signed copy of Grandissimo at one of the many events that I’ve been at lately, I have good news: there are several signed copies available for purchase at the Barnes and Noble on 567 N. Stephanie (info and directions). And here’s a picture of me signing one of them:

 

Thanks to everyone at the store who made this happen. I was very happy to hear that the book is selling well.

If you can’t find Grandissimo at your favorite bookseller yet, please ask them to stock it. Thanks!

Get signed books at Barnes and Noble in Henderson Read More »

author

Reaction to Sarno Roundtable at Lied Library

The Sarno Roundtable event went off on Sunday at Lied Library. It was a tremendous experience, but don’t take my word for it. Here’s what KSNV has to say:

You can access that report here if the embedded video isn’t happening: Biography profiles Caesars Palace developer Jay Sarno

The Las Vegas Sun also covered the event:

David Schwartz, director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming, moderated the panel through discussions of Sarno’s life in Las Vegas during the 1960s. The panel members talked about Sarno’s court battles with the FBI, his legacy on the Strip and his eccentric lifestyle that made him a divisive figure in Las Vegas.

“There was nobody in Las Vegas who was neutral on the subject of Jay Sarno,” Schwartz said. “People loved him and people couldn’t stand him. There was no middle.”

Jay Sarno remembered for doing ‘something nobody had ever done before’

But you don’t have to take their word for it—you can listen to the entire roundtable right here, since it’s now a UNLV Gaming Podcast.

I’d like to thank everyone from Lied Library who helped plan and run the event, all of the panelists for showing up and being so candid, and everyone who attended. It was truly a great night, and a sign of just how important Jay Sarno was to the development of Las Vegas.

Reaction to Sarno Roundtable at Lied Library Read More »

author

The I-Team tackles Grandissimo

Last Friday, George Knapp of 8 News Now’s I-Team ran a feature on Jay Sarno’s legacy and Grandissimo:

While some might think the father of the Las Vegas Strip is mobster Bugsy Seigel, or casino titans Kirk Kerkorian or Steve Wynn, the true architect of modern Las Vegas might be a self-described degenerate gambler named Jay Sarno.

While there is no statue to honor Sarno’s memory, there is a new book that tells his amazing story, warts and all

I-Team: The Man Behind Modern-Day Las Vegas

I’m glad that George reached out to me for this. Here is the video of the story:

8 News NOW

And a link to the video if that embed doesn’t work. 

The I-Team tackles Grandissimo Read More »

author

New Retail Partner: The Neon Museum

If you want to buy Grandissimo in Las Vegas, there is one more place for you to visit. The Neon Museum now has several signed copies of the book for sale. If you haven’t been to the museum before, here’s everything you need to know:

Neon Museum 
770 N Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89101 (directions)

I’m thrilled to be working with the Neon Museum, and very happy that people have one more place to connect with the book in person. 

New Retail Partner: The Neon Museum Read More »

author

Grandissimo on Hotel Interactive

The Grandissimo media tour continues, this time as the author spends some time with Glenn Haussman, host of the Hotel Interactive podcast:

David G. Schwartz is not just a PhD but also the Director, Center for Gaming Research, at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, an amazing historian as well as the author of several books including Roll The Bones, which is a history of gambling since the dawn of time and his newest, Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas, the story of Caesars Palace developer Jay Sarno.

Friday, January 10, 2014

To listen to the podcast, follow the above link or go here

Grandissimo on Hotel Interactive Read More »

author

Tipping the Odds with Grandissimo

The Grandissimo media tour continues with a guest appearance on the Tipping the Odds podcast. I enjoyed talking about the book with Mitch and Dr. Kev:

Tipping the Odds #91: Interview with Dr. David Schwartz

Direct link to show

Listen in—it was a lot of fun recording it. I’m still trying to think of an appropriate Vegas story for their book prohect. 

Tipping the Odds with Grandissimo Read More »

author

Grandissimo on Gambling with an Edge

Yesterday the Grandissimo media tour reached critical mass, with several interview tapings. The first of these to be posted is my interview with Bob Dancer and Richard Munchkin on the Gambling with an Edge Radio Show:

The show is available here: http://www.slot-machine-resource.com/podcasts/dschwartz.mp3

I really enjoyed talking with Bob and Richard about the book. With their own long careers in gambling, they added a real perspective to the discussion.

Grandissimo on Gambling with an Edge Read More »

author

Multiple Trippie nominations for Grandissimo

The 2014 Trippie nominations have been posted, and Grandissimo (or its author) has been nominated for no less than four Trippies. Here they are, with my commentary

Podcast: The Vegas Gang, of which I am  one-third, has been nominated. This is a tough field to run against.

New Thing: Nomination for Grandissimo here. It’s up against Downtown Grand, Life is Beautiful, Project Linq, and Slotzilla. 

Here’s what I have to say about the competition. Linq and Slotzilla aren’t open to the public yet, while Grandissimo has been delighting readers since early October. Downtown Grand is nice, but I can guarantee that the paytables on Grandissimo aren’t going to be changing. And unlike Life is Beautiful, Grandissimo isn’t a once-a-year thing. Once you get the book, you can cherish it forever.

News of the Year: More tough competition for Grandissimo here, with some very compelling stories. The book is up against Britney Spears, the Downtown resurgence, the Downtown Grand opening, and the announcement of Resorts World Las Vegas. But if a Kickstarter campaign culminating in a successful book launch isn’t newsworthy, I don’t know what really is.

Person of the Year: This one was a real shock for me. To be nominated alongside a legend like Steve Wynn, an innovator like Derek Stevens, my fellow Emerging Leader Seth Schorr, and Downtown regenerator Tony Hsieh, well, that’s just incredible. Each of those Las Vegans was in the news quite a bit over the year, so just to be up there is a true honor.

Having already won a Trippie back in 2006 when “best book” was a category, I can say that it’s a great honor and a thrill. I’m amazed that I got to peek inside the “Person of the Year” suite with the real high rollers, and I’m hopeful that voters will put Grandissimo on top of the “New Thing” category. Thanks to everyone who nominated me, and of course to Chuck and the Trippers for undertaking what is truly a labor of love.

To vote for the Trippies, go here. Please respect the rules and 1) vote only once and 2) vote for at least 2/3 of the categories—otherwise your vote won’t count.

Thanks!

Multiple Trippie nominations for Grandissimo Read More »

author

Grandisismo on the Gamblers Book Club Podcast

It was a real thrill, as always, to sit down with the legendary Howard Schwartz at the Gamblers Book Shop and talk about Grandissimo. 

Gamblers Book Club Podcast: EPISODE 129- Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas: How Jay Sarno Inspired Modern Las Vegas by David G. Schwartz

Direct link to listen or download

As you’ll hear, I had a great time recording this one. I could easily have spent a few hours riffing with Howard. Two weeks ago, I sat and listened to Howard talking with Oscar Goodman (Oscar noticed me lurking towards the end and mentioned me), which was incredibly fun. 

This was my third or fourth time on Howard’s podcast, and it’s always something I look forward to. This time, you get to hear me in unabashedly book-selling mode. I figured that it was appropriate, because you can buy the book directly from the Gamblers Book Club after listening. 

Grandisismo on the Gamblers Book Club Podcast Read More »

author

Talking Grandissimo on 360 Vegas Podcast

This weekend, I guest-co-hosted the 360 Vegas Podcast and got the chance to talk about current Las Vegas news, the prizes and pitfalls of studying Las Vegas history, and, naturally, Grandissimo.

Link to listen or download

Too many highlights to mention, including a digression into my former career as a costumed character on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Basically it’s a fun conversation between Mark and me about things we like and are fascinated by, centering on Las Vegas. 

Talking Grandissimo on 360 Vegas Podcast Read More »

author

Grandissimo for sale at the Mob Museum

If you want to buy a copy of Grandissimo next time you’re in Downtown Las Vegas, you don’t have go far. Signed copies of the book—along with my Roll the Bones and Cutting the Wire—are available for purchase in the Mob Museum’s gift shop.

While I think everyone should spend a few hours in the Mob Museum while they are in Las Vegas, you don’t have to enter the museum itself to visit the gift shop. Just walk inside, make a left, and walk on in. The staff is very knowledgeably (I had  a great chat with associate Erin while I was signing the books) and there are plenty of neat items that fit any budget.

The Mob Museum is on 300 Stewart Avenue, just behind the Downtown Grand. For complete directions and parking information, go here.

The coolest thing about delivering the books was that it felt vaguely like I was a rum runner dropping off a shipment of booze. Except I’m guessing most run runners didn’t turn their flashers on while they were doing the deed. 

So books are for sale now, and will be abundantly available for my December 13-14 signing event at the Mob Museum. I would love to see you there if you are in town—it’ll be a chance to say hi and get a personally signed book. 

And even if you can’t make the event, books will be available at the Mob Museum the next time you are in town.

Grandissimo for sale at the Mob Museum Read More »

author

Grandisismo: The Soundtrack

Writing Grandissimo, I tried to imagine what the movie of the book would look like, and then did my best to write the book as close to that as I could. Of course, part of any movie is the soundtrack, so the big question I had for myself was, what would the Grandissimo movie soundtrack sound like?

This morning I put together a little Spotify playlist to share with you some songs I think would fit on the book’s soundtrack:

If you don’t have a player embedded there, this link will take you to my playlist, “Inspired by Grandissimo.”

There are some points where the music tracks very close to the book. If you’re reading chapter one, start at the beginning. Al Hirt’s version of “Music to Watch Girls By” should get you in the vibe of the Fontainebleau pool circa 1957 (I know the song was released several years later, but it still thematically captures that moment so well I had to keep it. 

The next few songs are hits from the summer of 1957, which is when chapter 1 takes place. These are just to give us a feeling for what music would have been playing as the action’s unfolding.

“Tears on My Pillow” skips ahead a few months, and everything through “Volare” captures the mood of chapter 2. “Wives and Lovers” is a foreshadowing of Sarno’s married life.

Sarno first visits Las Vegas in February 1963, meets Robert Goulet, and gets the idea for a fantastic casino hotel. What better song for all that than “The Impossible Dream?” Doris Day shows up, mostly because of her business relationship with Sarno. 

We then skip ahead to the summer of 1966, as Sarno and others are struggling to get Caesars Palace built. Herb Alpert’s “The Work Song” is dedicated without irony to Stuart Mason and all the people who physically built the place. The next few songs are some of the top hits of August, 1966, the month that Caesars opened. 

The book shares the events behind Sinatra’s move to Caesars Palace, so the Chairman makes an appearance with “Street of Dreams,” recorded before his departure from the Sands.

Then there’s another move forward, this time to autumn 1968, as Sarno is getting ready to open Circus Circus, with more top hits. Both “Fire” and “Girl Watcher” attempt to sonically recreate the wild ruckus of Sarno’s circus casino.

The next few songs are from the early 1970s, and are intended to evoke some of Sarno’s difficulties and triumphs in those years. “Killer Queen” might have been about some of the women Sarno was spending time with in those days. “Bungle in the Jungle” and “Fight the Power” evoke his 1974-5 IRS bribery case and “The United States v. Jay Sarno” in different ways.

Sarno then has another dream—build the world’s biggest hotel and casino. “Magic” is era-appropriate, and “Fortissimo” by Robert Goulet is the closest I could get to “Grandissimo,” and it seems right. “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” is, again, about a woman Sarno might have met.

“Baker Street” was on the charts about the time that Sarno started running into real difficulties with Grandissimo, and it really fits the mood of those years. The next few songs get perhaps a little nostalgic, as Sarno looks back on his life while his dream remains out of reach. “Against All Odds” and “Time After Time” were on the charts in the months before Sarno’s death, and both of them speak in different ways about what he might have said to those around him at that time.

“Girl Gone Bad,” I sincerely hope, conveys the atmosphere of his last night at Caesars Palace and who he spent it with. Those who have read the book will know.

Last shot of the movie, at least in my head, is a pull back from a speeding ambulance crossing the Strip to the Caesars fountains then a fade to black. The music I head playing as the credits roll is first Richie Havens’ recording of “A Very Good Year,” which perfectly sums up what Jay Sarno might have said about his life, followed by “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” which resonates in a perfectly ironic way with Sarno’s life. The song seems to me to be about a frustrated man with a vision of Aphrodite that he’s unable to shake. Sarno had that vision, and instead of just dreaming about beauty, he did something to surround himself with it. 

So if you want to hear the music inside of the head of the guy who wrote the book, check out “Inspired by Grandissimo.”

Grandisismo: The Soundtrack Read More »

author

New Bookseller Partner for Grandissimo

I am thrilled to announce that there is now yet another place you can buy Grandissimo. The Gamblers Book Club, probably the biggest seller of books about gambling in the world, is now stocking signed copies of the book. 

You can buy them in person at the store (5473 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89119) or purchase them online

Each copy that is for sale through the Gamblers Book Club is signed by me, so if you’ve wanted a signed copy, this could be your chance to get one.

So far, I’m told response to the book has been quite positive, so get your copy before they run out. Of course, when they do, I’ll come by and sign a few more copies, but you don’t want to have to wait.

Thanks to Avery and everyone at the GBC for making this happen.

New Bookseller Partner for Grandissimo Read More »

author

The Grandissimo ebook(s), take 1

Grandissimo is available as an ebook!

The Kindle book has been available since Friday, and the Nook version went on sale today. If you want to buy the book for either platform, you can do it right now.

It’s a bit more complicated for the other two platforms I’ve created ebooks for. 

Kobo is telling me that the book has been published, but there isn’t a page for the book in the Kobo store as of right now, so when you search for the book you get this. I’m hoping that the book page appears soon. When it does, I will, and you must believe this, let you know.

EDIT LATER THAT NIGHT: The Kobo version is now available! Go here to see for yourself. 

The iBook version has been submitted. It validated on my first submission attempt, which was one little victory for me. I don’t know when it will show up in the store—it could be tomorrow, or it could be late next week. But I will certainly let you know when it does.

Thanks to everyone who has bought the book—sales on both Amazon and Kindle have been respectable. If you like the book, I would be grateful if you could leave a review and let others know what to expect from it.

The Grandissimo ebook(s), take 1 Read More »

author

Grandissimo on Amazon

I’ve got to give the folks at Amazon a lot of credit. According to CreateSpace, once you publish your book it will appear on Amazon in 5-7 working days. They were an order of magnitude off—it took less than 5 hours!

So you can now buy Grandissimo on Amazon:

Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas: How Jay Sarno Won a Casino Empire, Lost It, and Inspired Modern Las Vegas

Paperback – October 3, 2013
by David G. Schwartz (Author)

Thanks to everyone who has gotten me here, and thanks to everyone who clicks that link and takes a chance on my book.

Grandissimo on Amazon Read More »

author

Grandissimo is published!

After years of work and lots of help along the way, Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas, the first full-length biography of casino builder Jay Sarno, is available for purchase!

As of right now (2am October 3, 2013), you can buy the book on CreateSpace. If past experience is any guide, the book will be available on Amazon by the weekend and other online sales outlets after that. Within a few weeks, you will be able to order the book from any brick-and-mortar or online retailer.

Ebooks are coming as well. I have a few minor production issues to resolve there, and as soon as I do, I will be rolling it out on Kindle, Nook, iBook, and Kobo.

I will post updates as the book progresses through its various sales channels.

Grandissimo is published! Read More »

author