In 1946, two men battled for power in Las Vegas. Bugsy Siegel stole Billy Wilkerson's dream of a luxury hotel in the desert, and died in a hail of bullets. Although Billy lived on for many years, he never spoke of the man some believe was murdered for stealing his dream. Now, in this compelling First Edition, Billy's son finally uncovers the secrets behind the building of the Flamingo Hotel and the death of Bugsy Siegel. Ciro's Books is delighted to welcome the new millennium with a compelling narrative which corrects one of the biggest popular misconceptions of the last. To put it simply, Bugsy Siegel did not create either The Flamingo Hotel or the Vegas Strip. That honor belongs to another man. In these pages, author and composer Willie Wilkerson delves into his father's secret files to set the historical record straight. Willie's discoveries, and the weight of evidence presented in this powerful book, are little short of astounding. In line with Billy Wilkerson's top-drawer approach to business and life, we've taken special care to ensure that this book is a quality production. The book's striking cover, created by the designer of the "Titanic" movie poster is a piece of art in its own right. Nor was any expense spared in the production process. Intended to last for many years, this archival paperback is printed on acid-free, 80# stock and illustrated with more than twenty high-quality photographic reproductions. After my father's death in 1962, I began hearing family stories about his pivotal role in Las Vegas history. For this reason, I eagerly anticipated the Warren Beatty film "Bugsy" which was released in December 1991. Sadly, the story on-screen bore little relationship to my treasured family memories. I launched a one-man media campaign to publicize my father's story. Initially, I encountered a stone wall. Enchanted by the persuasive power of filmed legend, the press was reluctant to criticize "Bugsy's" factual basis. Getting the truth out was a slow, uphill battle. Finally, on Academy Award Night in 1992, many papers, including a few national dailies, ran accurate accounts containing elements of my father's story. Although my efforts had paid off, I felt that the battle was just beginning. There was so much of my father's story still to be told. I decided to take some time off and uncover the full story behind the Flamingo Hotel. I began my research by trying to prove the Bugsy myth correct. I was unable to find a shred of evidence to support either Bugsy's or the filmmakers' claims. I then turned to my father's well-documented life. Methodically piecing together everything from family interviews to cancelled checks, generated such a compelling paper-trail that I could not understand how history had gone so far astray. I packaged all this material into a voluminous manuscript and sent it to British biographer, Robert Lacey. Lacey, who created the definitive account of organized crime in America with the 1991 publication of his Little Man a biography of Meyer Lansky, suggested trimming the manuscript down into a much smaller, but no less persuasive book "Stick exclusively with your dad's story," he recommended. "That's what's never been told before." Six years later, as I look back on four years of research and two years spent actually writing "The Man Who Invented Las Vegas," I realize that Lacey's words were very, very good advice. Raised and educated in England, William R. Wilkerson III graduated from the University of Southern California in 1977, with a degree in music composition. As a writer, he has published articles in The Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, The Herald Examiner, and The LA Weekly. Wilkerson has lectured widely on Hollywood's history and folklore, delivering presentations to such groups as the LA County Museum and the Nevada State Museum. He has discussed his father's remarkable story and, other aspects of Hollywood history, on such T.V. shows as, A&E's "Biography", E! Entertainment's "Mysteries & Scandals," and The Learning Channel's "The Secret History of Las Vegas." As a composer, Willie studied under such film music luminaries as David Raksin, Paul Glass and Hugo Friedhoffer. Wilkerson's uncle, the legendary film star/dancer, Donald O'Connor, schooled him in every aspect of the entertainment business both in front and behind the cameras. As an arranger, producer and studio musician, Wilkerson has worked extensively in Los Angeles and London. He recorded his first solo album in 1972 under his own record label. After a series of successful performances in Hollywood, Willie was signed to a major music publishing contract in England. He has written for such performers as Marvyn Gaye, Mary Welles, Larry Graham, Sherrie Payne and Marilyn McCoo. Wilkerson has also composed musical scores for both T.V. and industrial films, most notably, the musical score for AMC Theater's new logo. From Chapter 2: Wilkerson's enormous talent for creating successful