Storming Las Vegas

How a Cuban-Born, Soviet-Trained Commando Took Down the Strip to the Tune of Five World-Class Hotels, Three Armored Cars, and Millions of Dollars

By: John Huddy

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Immediately gripping and thoroughly harrowing, Storming Las Vegas tells the story of a remarkable true-life crime spree—a story that was previously squashed so as not to disturb tourism, in the ultimate proof of "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas".

On September 20, 1998, a Cuban-born former Red Army lieutenant named Jose Vigoa launched a series of raids on the Las Vegas Strip. During a 16-month spree, Vigoa robbed five world-class hotels, three armored cars, and one department store. The casinos hit were the MGM; the Desert Inn; the New York, New York; the Mandalay Bay; and the Bellagio.

Lieutenant John Alamshaw, a 23-year-old veteran in charge of robbery detectives, was ordered to stop the robberies at all costs. He knew he was up against a mastermind. What he didn't know was that he was running out of time.

©2008 John Huddy (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This debut is a must for true-crime enthusiasts." (Publishers Weekly)

Storming Las Vegas.

This is a great book. I can't believe I have never feard of this in Las Vegas, but than I guess they really don't want this getting out. I would recommend this to anyone and I guarantee they will like it.

Very detailed, but too long

Author definitely put a lot of effort and research into this book. Probably a little too much research. The detailed descriptions of the lives and histories of those involved was laborious. The main players sure, but even bit players were given quite long biographies. I would have been fine with just modern day crime coverage and Vigoa's background.

incredible from start to finish

great narration, sorry keeps your attention despite length of book. really bummed that they never came out with the movie that was planned. highly recommend

Wow

I have ties to Las Vegas and had never heard of this story in the press before. So my curiosity got me to listen. The book grabbed me at the start. But then, in chapter 3, the story went to places other than Las Vegas and I thought I had bought the wrong book, based on the description. I later found out that this back story was very important and, like a flywheel, discharged energy into the story when it returns to Las Vegas. The narration is the best I've ever heard. Rudnicki's general narration is fantastic, but when he impersonates the voices of the characters' quotes (and there are a whole lot of characters in this story) I was really impressed. This is, it turns out, the story of the real Tony Montana (characterized in the movie Scarface). I couldn't wait until I could find an opportunity to listen to the next chapter and didn't want it to end. I was left thinking that if Vigoa, the main character in the story, were CEO of a mid-size company, he would have been on the cover of Fortune magazine.

I loved it..

This book was really good. How could anyone actually hit the major casinos in Vegas? Jose Vigoa did with ruthless abandon. The author went into the background of the gang members, the key policemen, the armed car guards and the families. This book not only tells you how the robberies were conducted, it tells you about all of the lives that were affected. Bravo to the writer and the editor of a great listen.

Enjoyed It

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

For any book to be considered good, I must learn from it. Within this account you will gain insights into casino security, marketing, police practices, criminal tactics and revolutionary Cuba (... yes, I said revolutionary Cuba.)

Would you be willing to try another book from John Huddy? Why or why not?

Sure, I like exciting non-fiction that is well researched and presented. Prose and fact combine for great entertainment and learning.

Did Storming Las Vegas inspire you to do anything?

Yes, it inspired me to never try robbing major Casinos and armored vehicles with assault weapons.

Any additional comments?

The author presents insights into this 2-year crime spree by helping us understand just who the players were. It is more than descriptions of crimes, it provides views into some men's souls.

Interesting but TMI

This is an entertaining story and worth the listen, but it could have benefited from further editing. I usually appreciate and enjoy infodumps, but Huddy includes a good bit of information that is not only irrelevant to the story but simply boring, such as the complete mailing address of a house where one of the accomplices lived years before any of the events described took place. Nothing actually HAPPENED there, but we are told in minute detail where it is anyway. It's fairly clear the author's view was "I spent years researching this book and I want everybody to see how thorough I was." Mission accomplished, but it seriously bogs down and distracts from the narrative in places.

He also seems to ascribe emotions and thought processes to some people that it seems doubtful he could have derived from interviews long after the fact, particularly those who were killed before Huddy even began his research.

As always, Stefan Rudnicki's narration is excellent.

Great Detail

I am a native Las Vegan. This book is filled with exceptional attention to detail. I can easily visualize the story. There is one issue. No one taught the narrator to pronounce Nevada. This happens a lot, but in a book about Las Vegas it's very disappointing.

Action!

I really enjoyed this book and even went on extra walks just to have more time to listen to it. It is a true-crime drama with all of the elements of a Hollywood action flick.

The author spends a great deal of time taking us through the preparations of each robbery, the lives of the victims, and the aftermath.

Incredible true crime in SinCity!

I grew up in and live in Vegas so I enjoyed this book for obvious reasons. As a local I remember these crimes that put terror in the hearts of those that live in this valley. Vegas is still a small city and so these crimes and killings hit home with a certain rawness.
John Huddy did excellent research in preparing for this gripping account and takes the listener on a wild ride through the Vegas suburbs as well as right down the strip and inside the world of big casino security.
The narrator also did a great job of moving the story right along. Something I always appreciate from a narrator.