Bugsy's Shadow: Moe Sedway, Bugsy Siegel, and the Birth of Organized Crime in Las Vegas

The story of Moe Sedway, the eponymous "shadow" to Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, from his days as Bugsy's right hand associate to his suspected role in Bugsy's unsolved disappearance, and the role Sedway played in the creation of modern Las Vegas.

Early in the Prohibition era, Moe Sedway became part of the New York organized crime gang led by Meyer Lansky and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. A loyal and highly effective operative for Siegel, Sedway eventually gained monopoly control of the race wire service in Las Vegas and also became an effective casino manager of the Las Vegas Club, El Cortez, and the Rex Club.

A breach in their relationship led to rumors that Sedway had gained Lansky’s approval for a “hit” on Siegel. The unsolved mystery of who murdered Bugsy in 1947 has spawned numerous theories about the identity of the hitman, but regardless of who pulled the trigger, Bugsy’s death opened the way for Moe to flourish as his own man at last. Long overshadowed by Bugsy in the annals of organized crime in America, Moe Sedway is now at last brought out into the light in this riveting tale of the sensational life and times of one of Vegas’s most mysterious and little-known figures.