Literary Las Vegas: Vincent Kethen

"Delmonico: The Life and Times of Kinson Denton" shares the tale of a black family growing up in 1970s North Las Vegas. Author Vincent Kethen writes that the story is about motherly love and tribulations combined with the irresistible lure of drugs, alcohol, gangs, prostitution and gambling. "Here is my story," he writes in his book's introduction. "My brothers and I, plus our parents fought every battle together to make it the best way we knew how ... with love and understanding and knowing that everything happens for a reason."

Excerpt from "Delmonico: The Life and Times of Kinson Denton"

No passes were given out to come through Delmonico and there was never a dull moment from then on for the rest of the year. Even the police would get pelted with rocks when driving through the neighborhood. All of the big homies had made it a point to travel to other neighborhoods to serve notice that Delmonico as a whole was upset, and like packs of wolves we were ready to devour everything and everyone that did not agree with our way of thinking. Instead of congregating together to assemble a football game or the selection of basketball teams for friendly basketball games, when we all got together with 10 or more people we would be gathering to go to another hood for "gangbangs" or to flex our muscle by walking over to other hoods in packs starting trouble.