Forgotten Man: How Circus Circus's Bill Bennett Brought Middle America to Las Vegas

Synopsis

When listing the top movers and shakersin the history of Las Vegas gaming,Steve Wynn, Kirk Kerkorian, and HowardHughes inevitably garner a mention.But such a list is incomplete without BillBennett - the Forgotten Man.While Wynn and other resort operatorscatered to high-rollers, Bennett focusedon middle-class Americans to fillhis hotel rooms and play his slot machines.He transformed Circus Circus from astruggling curiosity into the Strip's mostsuccessful resort.Forgotten Man, told through in-depthinterviews with family members, friends,employees, and others who knew Bennett,tells the story of a man who as much asanyone built modern Las Vegas.Bennett shared the lead with SteveWynn in reinventing the Strip during theearly '90s. Bennett and his dream team of"Young Turk" executives built the iconicéxcalibur and Luxor resorts, which standout to this day on the Las Vegas skyline.The financier Michael Milken praises Bennettas "the Sam Walton of Las Vegas."But historians would be wise to focuson the empire that Bennett created, whichstarted with one failing property on theedge of bankruptcy and grew into morethan half a dozen thriving hotel-casinosthat have now been absorbed into thegiant MGM Resorts.