About Steve Fischer

Back in May 2003, I discovered a new audience for my stories on the wonderful world of eBay. Newly retired, I knew I should start getting rid of some of the stuff I'd collected over the years. But what I wanted to do was sit down and write. I had three things going for me: I had plenty of time on my hands, a very large collection of Las Vegas memorabilia, and a million Las Vegas stories that I'd share at the drop of a hat.

My first time selling on eBay, I stayed up through the night composing my first eBay listing. Never mind the item, it was the story behind it that captivated eBay browsers. Here was a chance to share some of the great stories I know about Las Vegas and make a few bucks in the process.

Item one was a 1952 Tariff Sheet from the newly opened Sands Hotel. A "Tariff Sheet" was a list of room prices at the Sands. It also gave prices for rooms and a Gala New Year's Eve Party at the Sands, welcoming in the year 1953.

I enjoy research, and I knew who the licensed owners of the Sands were, and who the hidden owners of the Sands were. In presenting the 1952 Tariff Sheet in the context of who owned the Sands when it first opened, and who was behind the people who owned the Sands when it first opened, I ended up writing a story, which I totally enjoyed sharing with anyone who would see the item on eBay.

To my great surprise, I got two emails the following morning. Both of them were extremely complimentary. Neither of the writers bid on the Tariff Sheet, but they both said they enjoyed reading about the hidden owners of the Sands, like Doc Stacher, a Mob boss from New Jersey. I wrote both of them, thanked them for their nice emails, and began writing this book.

The Sands Tariff Sheet itself was won by a fellow who's been a regular client of mine since I started on eBay. You'll notice a couple of the illustrations in this book are credited to The Conquest Collection. That's my very first customer's collection. And the winning bid for the Tariff Sheet was $63.00.

Over the past few years and hundreds of eBay listings during that time, I've met many people who love Las Vegas history as much as I do. As an added bonus, I've met a large number of other collectors and historians who've become friends.

Many of the stories you'll read are about famous or infamous people, many are about people you've never heard of before, but they all contributed to giving the fabulous town such a vibrant history.

The Tropicana partners included Rosselli's bosses in Chicago: Sam Giancana, Paul Ricca, and Camel Humphries. Also Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello from New York, and Carlos Marcello from New Orleans. . . Fronting for the Chicago Outfit was Ben Jaffe. He owned the giant Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami, and also owned a little insurance company in Indiana

From the chapter Frank Costello Builds the Tropicana