The Godfather of Macau

Macau is tiny, yet it is a world-famous gambling capital where adventure and excitement hang in the very air. The gambling industry is Macau's economic mainstay, reaching into almost every corner of the city. Gambling made Macau unique, and it also produced Macau's three godfathers—the Saint of Gambling, the Cunning Gambler, and the King of Gambling. Close as lips and teeth in good times, sworn enemies in bad, each fought for his own domain, waging life-and-death battles in the casinos and in the underworld. Three gambling kings, each belonging to a different era, their ages separated by more than a decade: Fu Lo-yung was the first generation, Yip Hon the second, and Stanley Ho the third. Each excelled in his own way—some in strategy, some in gambling skill, some in business acumen—bestriding Macau and dominating his generation. The gambling industry built their brilliant lives, and as Macau's three godfathers, all of them lived lives of dramatic ups and downs and unexpected turns. Running a gambling business demands risk and is full of excitement. All three relished the thrilling tests this trade set before them, and relished using their grand strategies and willpower to overwhelm such challenges. The wise must win, the bold must prevail. Drawing on authentic historical sources and vivid details, this book records the blood-soaked rise of the three godfathers and the grudges and passions between them. At the same time, it presents nearly a century of Macau's development.