By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Max
“Vegas: The Story of Sin City” is a four-episode docuseries that was a CNN original series, but you can find it on Max. It’s an impeccable series about Las Vegas from the past to the present.
The first episode of the series, “From Sand to Strip,” takes you on a learning journey because old Vegas is entirely different from what we see today. Musicians like Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra greatly impacted Vegas.
Davis Jr. and showgirl performers faced a lot of discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s, a completely different time in America.
Although racism was a huge issue at the time and still is to a certain degree, the documentary focused a little too much on it in the first episode.
Without gambling, Las Vegas would’ve not been possible. Gambling put Vegas on the map. Gambling is a big part of the city.
In the episode, you also see the mention of the mob’s arrival. Whether we like it or not, the mob is a big part of American history, especially in Vegas.
According to one performer or entertainer in the documentary, Martin Scorsese’s 1995 “Casino” film was spot on in what truly went down with the mob in classic Las Vegas years.
In the second episode, the series started to focus on entertainment. During their peak years, the presence of Elvis Presley and Wayne Newton was massive.
Newton was known as “Mr. Las Vegas.” Newtoej was fearless, and you couldn’t say no to him. His energy and durability on stage were incredible.
Regarding entertainment in Las Vegas, no artist left a massive imprint like Oresley did. His dancing, charisma, and singing ability brought the crowd closer to him.
When Presley passed away in 1977, it was a devastating blow to the city of Vegas. It was hard to replace him.
Celine Dion, Elton John, Dolly, and many other performers greatly impacted Las Vegas, but no one did it to massive heights compared to Presley. Today in Vegas, there’s always someone to impersonate Presley.
Las Vegas today is filled with amazing hotels, resorts, entertainment, and especially Sports.
Sports has grown so much in Vegas and will continue to expand. There’s now a hockey, football, and basketball team. Soon, there’s going to be a baseball franchise.
The Las Vegas strip gives you that Disney feel. It paints the perfect picture in the fourth episode of the series.
The last episode of the series is called “The Greatest Show on Earth.” It’s incredible how Vegas looks today. Its evolution has come a long way, and we can’t imagine how it will be in the next 10 years.
Las Vegas is one of the most touristic cities in the world, and it’s one of the best places to spend your birthday and other special events.
Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
X: @mmm_sportnfilms, Instagram: @miguel_passionforsports and @themmmjournal, LinkedIn: The MMM Journal, TikTok: @miguelmikemedina
