Every Crooked Nanny

Sue-Ellen Beauregard

In Arizona it was known as Azscam, and by the time it was over, tough-talking former Las Vegas TV talk show host, ex-con, and FBI informant Stedino had doled out more than $500,000 to Arizona politicians for votes to legalize gambling in their state. Posing as a high roller with Mob connections, Stedino (who was known as Tony Vincent for this "Desert Sting" operation) easily infiltrated state politics, throwing around big bucks to eager, seemingly naive state senators, representatives, and lobbyists. Stedino worked for the Maricopa County organized crime bureau, and all his conversations and actions were copiously recorded on audio- and videotape by local authorities. In this sometimes tedious account written with "Quitting the Mob" coscribe Matera, Stedino spotlights all the money-grubbing politicians as he details the entire operation. Even though the book gets bogged down in irrelevant details, expect high interest wherever Azscam received wide publicity.

Kirkus Reviews

Grimly hilarious expos‚ of Arizona pols on the take; by Stedino, a former mobster writing here with Matera (coauthor, Quitting the Mob, 1991, etc.). "Desert Sting" required imagination and about a million dollars, and it worked: Stedino, a three-time loser posing as Tony Vincent, set out ostensibly to legalize gambling in Arizona—by buying votes. With the skill of a Vegas con artist, Stedino made his contacts and proceeded (on videotape) to purchase legislators of every variety—men, women, white, black, Mormon, Hispanic, Native American. The cast is pure Damon Runyon in the desert: A covey of cops in the room next to Stedino's bugged office direct him by phone and high-five him after a score; a local mafiosi- wannabe drops in and loses his moll to Stedino, who uses her as a lure for legislators; an iron-pumping policewoman babbles to everyone about her new undercover job; a Porsche-driving porn-film hustler hustles Stedino; a demented one-legged deputy moonlighting as a contract-killer offers his services. There's a potent authenticity in this detailed account of venality, sex, and corruption, powered by a driving, hypnotic narrative as Stedino climbs from the periphery of power up through a cast that includes the top power-brokers in the state. Politicians, judges, and lobbyists push and shove each other out of the way to get at the money, while over all looms a mature corruption, heritage of S&L- king Charles Keating, who already owns as many players as he needs. The Phoenix police come off as shrewd, gutsy, honest, and eventually unnerved by the enormity of Stedino's success. Stedino and Matera seem made for each other, creating a narrative voice that's halfwise-guy, half collegiate philosopher. Very hard to put down. (Eight pages of b&w photographs—not seen.)