WINNER OF FOURTEEN AWARDS including BOOK OF THE YEAR! The unreal but TRUE story of the unknown casino that changed Las Vegas forever! WARNING! Contains Nudity, Prostitution, Vintage Vegas, Celebrities, and (some) Mobsters! After a horrific blaze destroyed Willie Martello’s El Rey Club in 1962, fifty years would pass before anyone knew of how that casino and one-time brothel influenced LAS VEGAS casinos, upset the mob, and inadvertently launched the career of Francis Ford Coppola . Were it not for the chance discovery of a single photo in a Las Vegas museum, the El Rey Club would only be known as the seedy brothel where Senator Harry Reid learned to swim. Martello's accomplishments should place him among magnates like Howard Hughes or Steve Wynn, yet very few know his name. Featuring over 140 rare or unseen photos, these vibrant stories are now brought to light! ------------------------------------------------------------------- “Who else could tell the story of Willie Martello? The rare photos alone are worth the price of admission. My only regret is that I didn’t write this book.” —Robert Graysmith , New York Times Bestselling Author of Zodiac, Auto-Focus, and Black Fire “Quick, funny, and extremely intelligent!” —Mark L. Walberg , Host, Antiques Roadshow (PBS) "A literal time machine…a read that not only unleashes the imagination, but authenticates the splendor of Las Vegas' golden years." —Todd Newton , Emmy-winning game show host, author, and Las Vegas performer “Andy Martello has written a fascinating biography of Willie Martello. It is a long-awaited addition to my Nevada history shelf.” —Mark Hall-Patton , Clark County Museum System Administrator, Pawn Stars, American Restoration (The History Channel) “LONG LIVE WILLIE MARTELLO!” —Richard B Taylor , Author, historian, Las Vegas casino owner ------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOK OF THE YEAR!, Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club, Inc WINNER! 2014 International Book, 2014 USA Best Book Awards, Florida Book Festival, Great Southwest Book Festival WINNER! Silver Medals, 2014 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards, 2014 American Advertising Awards for book design (The ADDYs) FINALIST! Best New Non-Fiction, USA Best Book Awards, 2014 Red City Review Book Awards RUNNER-UP! 2014 Hollywood and Beach Book Festivals HONORABLE MENTION!, Great Midwest and Southern California Book Festivals FIVE STARS! SILVER MEDAL WINNER! "The King of Casinos had me laughing out loud in places. Andy Martello has a real storyteller's gift, a way with words that makes a reader want to be there in the thick of his story. The photographs were a fantastic addition to the book, priceless, and helping to tell the real story of the club. I couldn't put the book down and I guarantee that anybody who picks up this book will feel the same. Once you start, you won't want to stop until the very end. Great book, a fantastic piece of history brought to life." - Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite FIVE STARS! "Every so often, readers come across stories and characters that are so unlikely as to be unbelievable. This is one of those stories - but, remarkably, it's all true. What Andy Martello has managed to piece together - in as seemingly a miraculous way as the King of Casinos himself - is a thoughtful, well-researched biography of a remarkable businessman out of the American past. " - Red City Review , redcityreview.com/our-reviews/the-king-of-casinos-willie-martello-and-the-el-rey-club-by-andy-martello/ THE WRITING IS CANDID AND BREEZY! "The book is a treasure trove of memorabilia with vintage historical photos of famous personalities/entertainers as well as interesting tidbits and bits of engaging humor. Details on the hectic post-war period, and the expansive personality of [Willie] Martello, are both well covered and reflect solid research. " - Judge, 22nd Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards Andy Martello is a comedian, actor, variety entertainer, and freelance writer. Originally from Chicago he now makes his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. A writer since birth, his work has appeared in the pages of the North Las Vegas Voice newspaper and Strip Las Vegas magazine. Aside from his very popular (and rarely updated) blogs, his humor and opinion columns can be found at web magazines such as The Cheers, Absolute Write, Malicious Bitch, and Gapers Block. This is Andy's first (and probably his last) book.