The Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot Springs, America's Forgotten Capital of Vice

I grew up in Hot Springs, and this is a fabulous book about my hometown. Perhaps people don't realize what a sophisticated town Hot Springs is, right in the middle of Arkansas. It was such an exciting place to grow up. One special memory is the late, great Tony Bennett singing "Blue Velvet" to me on my birthday. After his performance, he joined our table, and he was such a nice gentleman.I have so many wonderful memories of Hot Springs, and this book is full of great stories!

Once upon a time in the USA, gambling was illegal across the land. A few cities and towns went ahead and had illegal gambling. Those cities stopped one by one until just one was left: Hot Springs, Arkansas. Casinos ran ads in nearby cities' newspapers, encouraging tourists to visit Arkansas. Though the casinos advertised openly, they were still illegal. The city, county, and state governments were all in on the deal, turning blind eyes. This book The Vapors talks about Hot Springs' time as America's last illegal gambling city. We see Hot Springs from the perspective of bosses and citizens.For the bosses, Hot Springs' situation was tricky but lucrative. E.g. when a new governor got elected, there was the delicate matter of establishing new bribery channels. Or the time when two local judges vied to become the city's boss gambler—so if you got hauled before the court, you weren't worried about whether your judge was corrupt, but rather which faction's corrupt judge would shake you down. There was grumbling from the traditional mobsters when Dane Harris became an important gambler by palling around with a boss on the golf course instead of working his way up via the traditional activities of extortion and murder. It's grim but often funny.The bosses told themselves they were making life better for Hot Springs' citizens (cosmopolitan entertainment surrounded by Arkansas' natural wonders!), but the book tells the story of a casino shill named Hazel; Hazel's story does not brim with joy. Lots of money flowed through Hot Spring to the bosses, but not so much to the citizens. Those citizens were close to some sophisticated entertainment, but maybe couldn't afford to actually view that entertainment. Hazel, seeking excitement, becomes addicted to pills.This book isn't all tragedy. There are fun details. Hot Springs started out as a spa town where people would bathe in the, uhm, healing waters of the eponymous hot springs. Among the services offered: post-bath mercury rubbings. For health! Copious election fraud kept gambling-friendly politicians in power. At one point, the fraud is revealed when polling place records indicated that the day's voters had coincidentally shown up in alphabetical order. Also, as you'd expect in a gambling city, there was betting on elections. Not so funny but plenty interesting: racist FBI agents raided black-owned businesses that had slot machines, but mysteriously let illegal casinos operate freely.

This read like a novel. It was thoroughly researched and kept my interest right until the end. It was interesting how the city went through boom and bust depending on who was in local, state and national office.Would be interesting to see what would have become of Hot Springs if the state took more of the same approach as Nevada.

I loved reading this book. My only disappointment was that the book ended. It's been a while since I found a book so entertaining.The author starts his story in the times of President Andrew Jackson as he declared it a government protected area and rapidly moves the reader to the early 1900's. The history is enriched as the author describes well known visitors like Al Capone and gang, Lucky Luciano and many other well know non mob related celebrities playing in Hot Springs. Personally as a young boy I had heard somehow about The Vapors. I vividly remember seeing the club as we entered Hot Springs from 7 North. I also remembered thinking it was a scary place, but I don't recall why I thought that way.This is a must read for anyone that's ever visited the city. And it's certainly a great read for those that have not been there as it will inspire one to visit. Many of the buildings described are still standing and I just can't wait to get back to Hot Springs to see them with my new knowledge.Anyone that reads this book will be surprised at what really went on prior to the end of gambling. Well let's just say the time gambling took it's leave for a while.

A well written hidden gem.

Have you ever visited Hot Springs Arkansas? Perhaps explored the National Park designated downtown Bathhouse Row? Visitors can tour the old bathhouses and partake in the hot springs and spa treatments in modern, even luxurious, accommodations today, although I prefer the historic traditional style of the Buckstaff, built in 1912, the only spa that operates in much the same manner as when it opened. Some visitors may not know, however, that for much of the 20th century, Hot Springs was a "Mob" town, owned and controlled by organized crime figures. There were a few homegrown owners, but much of the illicit business was controlled by the mobsters we all know by name. As local and state officials looked the other way, or actively participated, Hot Springs became the gambling mecca of the South, with horse racing and casinos. Prohibition-era bootlegging and prostitution added more illegal activity. Hot Springs became a favorite destination, even a haven or sanctuary for mobsters. When things got too hot or stressful in Chicago, New York, or Atlantic City, and they didn't feel like going to Cuba or Miami, mobsters flocked to Hot Springs to enjoy the baths and to take in live shows starring the greatest entertainers in America, mostly free of fears of harm from rivals and free of federal investigators' scrutiny and harassment.David Hill's book is a history of 20th century Hot Springs, told both through the historical record and through the author's own family history during the time. It was an interesting read, and I would probably give it 3 out of 5 if asked to rate it. Its appeal is probably limited to people who are specifically interested in Hot Springs and/or organized crime history.