Publication Date: August 11, 2026
The Never-Before Told Story that Moved Control of Las Vegas from the Mob to Corporations
In 1969, Nelson Conway Sr. opened the door to public corporate investment in Las Vegas gaming. That move changed the balance of power and drove organized crime out of the desert forever.
This is the true story of that fight.
Told by the son who watched his father fight for change in Vegas during the golden age of Mob-controlled gambling, this book reveals a side of the city rarely seen in gangster histories. It follows Nelson Conway Sr., a certified public accountant and local businessman, as he and his partners worked to build the Showboat Hotel and Casino free from Mob influence., this book reveals a side of the city rarely seen in gangster histories. It follows Nelson Conway Sr., a certified public accountant and local businessman, as he and his partners worked to build the Showboat Hotel and Casino free from Mob influence.
Part memoir and part true crime history, this book brings forward the voices of the Las Vegans who lived through the Mob’s arrival and had to decide whether to adapt, resist, or be pushed aside. It also uncovers the author’s personal search to understand who his father really was.
This is the untold story of the local men who fought for the future of Las Vegas.
Have you ever wondered how Las Vegas evolved into Sin City?
According to author Nelson Conway, the real story behind the gambling resort business stems from local businessmen who created an industry later overtaken by East Coast gangsters and turned into a criminal conspiracy.
Vegas, Inc. tells the story of the author’s father, Nelson Sr., who teamed up with other community members to challenge the Mob with a public offering of Showboat stock in 1969.
Through all the smoke and mirrors known as the public relations machine, it is sometimes easy to forget that the residents of Las Vegas are the ones who stay when the lights are turned off. Through his research, the author discovers previously unknown details about his father.
The author’s observation about the present-day Vegas experience is sobering when considering the locale’s ties to tourism.
Vegas, Inc. delivers a part-memoir, part-true-crime approach as the author delves into setting the record straight about the origins of the resort casino business from the perspective of local residents.
Nelson Conway was born and raised in Las Vegas where his father was a prominent accountant and investor in the Las Vegas gambling industry. Nelson has a fascination with the Las Vegas of his youth and his father’s experience in the Las Vegas business and gambling community in the 1950s and 1960s.
