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Authors: Russell Hamilton
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an agreement that Lansky would take over control of all the casinos in Havana from the military, which was inefficient at running a business. Lansky turned Havana upside-down as the excitement of his casinos attracted American film stars and numerous other upper crust individuals looking for a good time in an exotic locale. This experience served Lansky well when he and Bugsy Siegel decided to open up a casino in the barren desert of Las Vegas. Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, but no one tapped the potential of this golden opportunity until the mob stepped in.
Zachariah knew that Aman entered this environment soon thereafter with funds given to him by friends in Cairo. He did not know where the money came from, but he guessed it came from hordes of Nazi gold. Aman’s benefactors in Cairo all made their fortunes selling information during the crazy and dangerous days of World War II. Whether that information was true or not did not matter.
By the 1950s Las Vegas was the place where the rich and famous went to party. The fact that the city was controlled by gangsters gave it a hint of danger that everyone seemed to relish. Zachariah remembered Aman telling him the story of his early days in Las Vegas. Aman purchased a hotel called the Desert Dust Inn from one of the first Italian mobsters to try and give up his life of crime. From there, Aman made numerous connections around town while keeping a low profile. Some of the other casino owners tried to quietly inquire about partnerships, but they were politely rebuffed. When some mobsters mistook Aman’s quiet demeanor for weakness and tried to move in on his expanding empire they quickly discovered that Aman was not someone they wanted to mess with. Zachariah could understand and sympathize with their mistake. He tested his adoptive father at the very beginning of their relationship as well and paid a steep price. He learned not to cross his father unless he was prepared to deal with an angry hornet’s nest of a man.
Aman learned the workings of the mob in Vegas, and by the early 1960s he was a well-known figure who worked both sides of the city. All the important “friends” in town knew him, but did not interfere with his business. They had their hands in enough crimes, and wanted no part of the rumors that were floating around regarding his burgeoning empire. The values of the Desert Dust Inn, and the two other smaller casinos he took over soared along with the rest of the prime real estate in Las Vegas. With the massive amount of income being generated by his small cluster of casinos, Aman officially became a major player in Nevada politics by 1960. He began to cultivate relationships with the appropriate people in preparation for an entry into national politics. Zachariah knew those greased hands were the catalyst that helped launch his own political career. He picked up the photos of Aman’s parents and studied their proud faces. They reminded him of his first mentor; Aziz A’zami. Aziz must be almost ninety years old now, Zachariah realized as he did the math in his head. He longed to see the old man one more time before he passed on.
The noise of the elevator caught his attention. The doors slid back, and the portly figure of Aman motioned for him. Zachariah hurried towards his mentor. “It’s about fucking time,” Zachariah said with authority as they crowded into the elevator with the two Secret Service agents. “Let’s go. We can’t keep the bigwigs waiting.” They descended to the basement of the hotel in silence where an armored limousine was waiting to whisk them off to the golf course to make their tee time.
Chapter 10
“You okay, man?” Michael asked as he adjusted his glasses and stirred his second mug of coffee. The waitress had just removed their empty plates and they were relaxing for a few minutes before heading to the casino.
“Yeah, just still wound up from last
Zachariah knew that Aman entered this environment soon thereafter with funds given to him by friends in Cairo. He did not know where the money came from, but he guessed it came from hordes of Nazi gold. Aman’s benefactors in Cairo all made their fortunes selling information during the crazy and dangerous days of World War II. Whether that information was true or not did not matter.
By the 1950s Las Vegas was the place where the rich and famous went to party. The fact that the city was controlled by gangsters gave it a hint of danger that everyone seemed to relish. Zachariah remembered Aman telling him the story of his early days in Las Vegas. Aman purchased a hotel called the Desert Dust Inn from one of the first Italian mobsters to try and give up his life of crime. From there, Aman made numerous connections around town while keeping a low profile. Some of the other casino owners tried to quietly inquire about partnerships, but they were politely rebuffed. When some mobsters mistook Aman’s quiet demeanor for weakness and tried to move in on his expanding empire they quickly discovered that Aman was not someone they wanted to mess with. Zachariah could understand and sympathize with their mistake. He tested his adoptive father at the very beginning of their relationship as well and paid a steep price. He learned not to cross his father unless he was prepared to deal with an angry hornet’s nest of a man.
Aman learned the workings of the mob in Vegas, and by the early 1960s he was a well-known figure who worked both sides of the city. All the important “friends” in town knew him, but did not interfere with his business. They had their hands in enough crimes, and wanted no part of the rumors that were floating around regarding his burgeoning empire. The values of the Desert Dust Inn, and the two other smaller casinos he took over soared along with the rest of the prime real estate in Las Vegas. With the massive amount of income being generated by his small cluster of casinos, Aman officially became a major player in Nevada politics by 1960. He began to cultivate relationships with the appropriate people in preparation for an entry into national politics. Zachariah knew those greased hands were the catalyst that helped launch his own political career. He picked up the photos of Aman’s parents and studied their proud faces. They reminded him of his first mentor; Aziz A’zami. Aziz must be almost ninety years old now, Zachariah realized as he did the math in his head. He longed to see the old man one more time before he passed on.
The noise of the elevator caught his attention. The doors slid back, and the portly figure of Aman motioned for him. Zachariah hurried towards his mentor. “It’s about fucking time,” Zachariah said with authority as they crowded into the elevator with the two Secret Service agents. “Let’s go. We can’t keep the bigwigs waiting.” They descended to the basement of the hotel in silence where an armored limousine was waiting to whisk them off to the golf course to make their tee time.
Chapter 10
“You okay, man?” Michael asked as he adjusted his glasses and stirred his second mug of coffee. The waitress had just removed their empty plates and they were relaxing for a few minutes before heading to the casino.
“Yeah, just still wound up from last
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