Meet Award Winning True Crime Author Dennis Griffin

Author Dennis Griffin

Dennis Griffin is an award winning true crime author, focusing on organized crime in Las Vegas and the Tony Spilotro era in particular. His books have been the basis for multiple organized crime documentaries; and he has frequently been a featured speaker at the Las Vegas-Clark County Library’s Mob Month.

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I retired in 1994, after a 20-year career in investigations and law enforcement in New York State. In 1996 I wrote my first novel, The Morgue, and have since published six more mystery/thrillers. They are: Red Gold, Blood Money, Pension, Killer In Pair-A-Dice, One-Armed Bandit and Vegas Vixen.

My debut in non-fiction, Policing Las Vegas–A History of Law Enforcement in Southern Nevada, was released in April 2005. It covers the evolution of law enforcement in Las Vegas and Clark County from the city’s establishment in 1905. My second non-fiction, The Battle for Las Vegas–The Law versus the Mob, tells the story of the Tony Spilotro era in Las Vegas from 1971 thru 1986. It was released in July 2006 and was a Computer Times Editor’s Selection in October 2006. That was followed in July 2007 by CULLOTTA, the biography of former Chicago and Las Vegas mobster Frank Cullotta. My latest published Mob book is Surviving The Mob, the biography of former Gambino crime family associate Andrew D iDionato, which hit store shelves in January 2011.

Dennis and Frank’s new true crime book, THE RISE AND FALL OF A ‘CASINO’ MOBSTER, is now available for pre-order! Order your copy today to save! 

Dennis and Frank Cullotta, co-authors of THE RISE AND FALL OF A ‘CASINO’ MOBSTER, in 2007

In October 2012 my first entertainment book, House Party Tonight, the story of legendary saxophonist Don Hill, was published. That December, Rogue Town, the true story of crime and corruption in Stamford, Connecticut, was released.

La Bella Mafia, the true story of a woman who survived and overcame a life of physical and sexual abuse, was released in October 2013. Two months later, Hole in the Wall Gang, a sequel to CULLOTTA, was published.

In May 2015, Bumping Off Fat Vinny, a fictional tongue-in-cheek account of the efforts of three authors to murder their publisher, was released.

I serve as co-host of the popular Blog Talk Radio show Crime Wire, and am a consultant to the Las Vegas Mob Tour. I am a member of the Wednesday Warrior Writers and Public Safety Writers Association.

Dennis with his wife Faith.

My wife Faith and I are “snow birds” and split our time between Verona, New York and Spring Hill, Florida. We enjoy travel and like a little casino action every now and then.