84°F
weather icon Clear

Story Tellers Corner: Ghost story set in hauntingly familiar territory

Just in time for Halloween, former Boulder City resident Brian Rouff has released a new ghost story.

His ghost, however, is no ordinary spirit. It is the ghost of a Las Vegas mobster, and his tale is set in eerily familiar territory for Southern Nevadans.

“The House Always Wins” revolves around a young reporter who falls for a musician from Las Vegas in an up-and-coming band. Sparks fly, and she decides to accept his invitation to move in with him. They are quickly married, expecting a baby and decide to buy an old fixer-upper, which is also inhabited by its former owner, a Las Vegas mobster who, in true Vegas fashion, vanished overnight.

Along the way, a corrupt casino owner is buying all the property on her block to make way for a parking lot, but she has put her heart and soul into the old home and isn’t willing to let it go. Nor is her ghost.

Rouff said he has been haunted by the idea for this book for about a decade. It was inspired by a home on East Saint Louis Avenue he bought after leaving Boulder City in early 2002. The house, once owned by Jack Eglash, a noted producer of shows on the Strip, was more than 6,000 square feet and included an indoor-outdoor pool, soda fountain and full bar.

“The house that I describe in the book — from the first step into a complete disaster … is very much a description of the house we lived in,” he said.

As they were bringing it back to life, they also could have been bringing back Jack, he said. Although it was nothing dramatic, there were several unusual instances of drawers that would open and close, temperature changes and lights going on and off.

“As a writer, I thought ‘What if the house is haunted, and what if that ghost is a Vegas mobster?’ ” he said.

So he began writing. Circumstances forced him to put away the book for several years, and when he returned to it he was unhappy with what he read and started over.

Aside from his personal connection to the home, the story of the ghost-mobster’s life mirrors that of Rouff’s father growing up in Detroit during Prohibition.

It’s details such as those, along with his many references to life in Las Vegas, that sets his work apart from others that mention the city, he said. Because he has lived in the area for 36 years, Rouff said he “feels I know what makes us tick as a community.” He said it’s his goal to have his works become synonymous with Las Vegas.

It is his third book; the other two, “Dice Angel and “Money Shot,” are also filled with details of life in the city.

“It’s the reason I started writing books in the first place,” he said, noting how annoying it can be to read works by people “who come here for a week or two, are kinda arrogant and think they understand us.”

Rouff said his intention is to comment on life in the city in an entertaining way and let his readers know what it’s like to really be a local.

Rouff will appear at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, where he did a lot of research, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, as well as participate in a panel and book signing at noon Saturday, Oct. 21, at the 16th annual Vegas Valley Book Festival. He also will discuss his work during “An Evening with Brian Rouff” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Clark County Library.

Published by Huntington Press, his book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
Summer is a time to be safe

It’s a safe bet that the one thing we all have in common every summer is managing the extreme heat and our body’s reaction to the excessive temperature prevalent in our geographic location.

Free fishing fun

Logan Davis, along with his kids Winter and Maverick, tried their best to catch a fish Saturday, along with all the many others who enjoyed the city’s free fishing day at the pond at Veterans Memorial Park.

Ordinance promotes cleanliness, accessibility of public places

Individuals camping in public spaces has increased dramatically in the past few years across the nation. On May 27 the city of Boulder City joined the cities of Reno, Las Vegas, Henderson, and Sparks, along with Clark, Washoe, and Nye counties in passing a measure to expand the prohibition on camping in public places within city limits. The new ordinance goes into effect on June 19, 2025.

And all that jazz (in the park)

A relatively small but appreciative crowd turned out Saturday evening for Jazz in the Park, sponsored by the Boulder City Parks and Recreation Department and the Las Vegas Jazz Society. The evening featured the Marlane Coker Quintet and guest at Bicentennial Park.

Flushing faux pas may lead to clogs, costly repairs

When it comes to plumbing clogs, we can definitely apply the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”…or in this case, a quart of Liquid Plumr.

Art exhibition to showcase work of Connie Ferraro

Connie Ferraro has worn many hats in her life. They have included Broadway dancer, actress, wife of longtime Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro and these days, artist.

Year ending on high note at Mitchell Elementary

From the first day to the last, it takes a great deal of energy to get through a school year. The students, staff, and families are ceaseless in their efforts to ensure that we have a great year from beginning to end. We are successful because we are supported by our community.

Mental health in an aging population

The American Psychiatric Association defines mental illness as health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking, and behaviors.

Sunflower Breakfast celebrates King’s parent volunteers

Boulder City’s commitment to community was on full display at this year’s annual Sunflower Breakfast, a heartwarming event dedicated to honoring the incredible volunteers who help our school thrive.

Reframing language in mental health

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of.