Del Webb had friends in high places and low, and was not yet sure where he should count Ben Siegel, his new client. Webb, a Phoenix construction man with a can-do reputation, had taken on an unfinished Nevada hotel as a favor to a banker friend with serious money at stake. Before he knew it he found himself bound by contract to a man of doubtful repute.
And before very long, Siegel would remove all doubts. Siegel bragged that he had personally killed 12 people. Now another mob figure was getting under his skin. “I’m going to kill that S.O.B. too,” Siegel added.
Webb’s face must have reflected his shock, for Siegel then reassured him:
“Del, don’t worry. We only kill each other.”
Webb walked a thin and dangerous line with Siegel, but it was all in a life’s work. Construction contracting was inherently risky. Somebody in his company once pointed out that it was a business where things do not even out. Bid too low, you lose money. Bid too high, you don’t even get the job.
Continue reading… “Who Was Del Webb?”
