Bugsy Siegel, Michael Shnayerson
Bugsy Siegel, Michael Shnayerson
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Bugsy Siegel
The Dark Side of the American Dream

Author: Michael Shnayerson

Narrator: Steven Jay Cohen

Unabridged: 7 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/09/2021


Synopsis

In a brief life that led to a violent end, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (1906–1947) rose from desperate poverty to ill-gotten riches, from an early-twentieth-century family of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants on the Lower East Side to a kingdom of his own making in Las Vegas. In this captivating portrait, author Michael Shnayerson sets out not to absolve Bugsy Siegel but rather to understand him in all his complexity.

Through the 1920s, 1930s, and most of the 1940s, Bugsy Siegel and his longtime partner in crime Meyer Lansky engaged in innumerable acts of violence. As World War II came to an end, Siegel saw the potential for a huge, elegant casino resort in the sands of Las Vegas. Jewish gangsters built nearly all of the Vegas casinos that followed. Then, one by one, they disappeared. Siegel's story laces through a larger, generational story of eastern European Jewish immigrants in the early- to mid-twentieth century.

About Michael Shnayerson

Michael Shnayerson became a contributing editor at Vanity Fair in 1986 and is the author of eight books on a range of nonfiction subjects, including Boom: Mad Money, Mega Dealers, and the Rise of Contemporary Art. He lives in New York City.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Valerity (Val) on January 26, 2021

I got this as an audio book to give my eyes a rest, as I’m really having trouble with them. I very much enjoyed listening to this look at the life of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, as I really hadn’t known a lot about him beyond the casino and his gruesome end. It’s a good dive into his life as a Jewish g......more

Goodreads review by Deacon Tom on April 28, 2024

Dry and full of narcissistic and immature behavior from people who had stolen power from others. Pass on this one.......more

Goodreads review by Valeri on July 31, 2023

He was a killer but a dashing one. From a poor background, with poor impulse control he cut a swath of blood revenge and isolated acts of kindness. He couldn’t make the Flamingo work but he did have a vision for hat paid off.......more

Goodreads review by Erik on May 16, 2021

A really well-done biography. Brief and interesting throughout.......more

Goodreads review by Mardi on April 29, 2021

I received this audiobook as an advance copy from NetGalley. I never knew much about Ben ‘Bugsy’ Siegel but, true stories about the mafia have always interested me. Steven Jay Cohen is a brilliant narrator and his voice captures the tone of the time. Bugsy lived a tumultuous life. A life that many p......more