Quiet Kingmaker of Las Vegas pulls back the curtain on how Parry Thomas helped build modern Las Vegas. While others scoffed at the desert gambling outpost, Thomas envisioned the resort metropolis it would become. Taking charge of a tiny bank, he loaned money to casino operators. Thomas’ willingness to finance the boys with shady pasts helped transform Las Vegas into an international tourist mecca.
In Quiet Kingmaker, Thomas, who operated largely out of the spotlight, reveals how he and other Las Vegas pioneers made it all happen. Interviewed by Jack Sheehan, Thomas describes deals he made to build and expand Strip hotels and provides fresh insights into the Howard Hughes years, and a young upstart named Steve Wynn. Thomas gave him his start in Las Vegas, Wynn went on to develop the Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, and Wynn resorts.
With Thomas’ unique insights and the book’s diversity of voices, Quiet Kingmaker is a valuable historical record of this unlikeliest of cities.
