Atlantic City's hucksters have changed over the years; Boardwalk pitchmen having given way to casino moguls.

Investors, who have lost heavily over the last two years in the stock market, have decided to hedge their bets on Steve Wynn, the casino mogul whose properties revitalized Las Vegas in the 1990's.

He built his empire through acquisitions and a devotion to cost-cutting, eschewing the opulent theme hotels built by some other casino moguls.

(The casino mogul Steven A. Wynn of Bellagio fame was the purchaser who backed off after local preservationists protested the sale.)

Like the new casino moguls, Raymond liked his profit-and-loss statement with his morning cafe con leche.

According to later reports by local observers, Siegel's "maniacal chest-puffing" set the pattern for several generations of notable casino moguls.

Series of Departures Wynn is part of the new breed of Las Vegas's casino moguls.

True, he follows in the footsteps of the casino mogul Steve Wynn, who opened the Bellagio in 1998 at a cost of $1.6 billion.

Must travel, work long hours, have strong personal ethics and even stronger political connections, be fluent in legalese and financialese, and be able to tolerate millionaire casino moguls with the manners of spoiled children.

The Players: Impresarios And Empire-Builders Only one casino mogul "really knew the game," Mr. Plackter said, "and that was Jim Crosby."