Dogs of Brownsville

''The Dogs of Brownsville' is a historical novel ripped from the headlines of thepast seventy years told in Godfather fashion that tells the story of a handful ofguys, and girls, that make it out of the ghetto of Brownsville and arrive in LasVegas in time to witness and participate in the changing of the guard from the'Mob' to Howard Hughes to Corporate America. The novel traces the lives of Lawrence Cohen or Mongoose and his boyhoodfriends, Ringo, Solly, Moe, Scumbag and Charlie The Man together with Euniceand Yetta, the wife of a Rabbi who runs a 'bunny ranch' in Pahrump and herdaughter Wylie who becomes a Navy jet pilot. Mongoose, who is in charge ofthe gaming activities for the Desert Winds Hotel and Casino, the last holdout ofthe 'Mob', works for Frank Rothman the 'Wizard of Odds' and Ignacio Baldaccior Balsy, reunites with Eunice who has become a successful showgirl under thename of Venus. At first she ignores him but softens after he is almost killed in acar bombing. As their relationship develops Mongoose is haunted by her priorconnection with Tommy DiMeglio who he must deal with, and 'make his bones',as he was responsible for the car bombing. The novel concludes with thepartnership between the Desert Winds and Stanley Ho, the richest man in Asiato establish The Pacific Winds in time for the new millennium in the Year of TheDragon.