A chilling story: big losses and suicide

[Alan Mendelson]

I just met an old friend and we chatted for a while... and then the subject turned to Vegas. He said he was leaving for Caesars in the morning, and then he asked me if I've been there. "A few times," I responded.

Then he said "oh, you must know ___________ because everyone knows the family. They're high rollers." My friend knows the family well.

Apparently big high rollers who get several rooms for their staff that accompany them.

No, I don't know them. (I don't travel in the super suite circle.) But my friend told me the story about how about six years ago one of the sons in the wealthy family dropped $17-million in one night playing roulette and baccarat and then that night killed himself in his room.

I had a lot of questions including, how do you lose $17 million in one night... and why would anyone who had $17 million to lose and came from a very wealthy family wouldn't want to keep living?

We all wonder from time to time about why most high rises in Vegas don't have balconies (some casino hotels that were originally intended as condos do have balconies) and why casino hotels have windows that can't be opened.

But there are other ways to stop gambling permanently besides jumping. But then there is always one more gamble -- are you going to heaven or hell?

[Count Room]

Unless you're a true rarity such as Kerry Packer, most people are going to experience an immense amount of psychic pain at losing $17 million in one night, even if that person's family is very wealthy. Many wealthy families carry high expectations to further the family dynasty by having the kids be as smart at money management as their parents, grandparents, etc. Can you imagine the embarrassment, shame, and guilt at your family discovering you lost $17 million if you are tasked to carry on a family financial dynasty?

Probably lots of pain in this story, he probably just wanted the shame-filled pain to stop.

I'm surprised guys like Terrance Watanabe (Oriental Trading) even show up in public after losing $100 million of family money. The shame factor must be super intense.

As for heaven or hell....Are you sure there is anything at all after death? It may simply be a dark maw of eternal not knowing where you never have an awareness you were even alive. (ie. Death could be the same as being under general anesthesia on the operating table, only it's permanent.)

[a2a3dseddie]

I think I brought up earlier in a thread that I believe the media in Las Vegas do not report suicides. Something like this would be big news anywhere else in the country and certainly be reported. That is sad.

[Alan Mendelson]

I think I brought up earlier in a thread that I believe the media in Las Vegas do not report suicides. Something like this would be big news anywhere else in the country and certainly be reported. That is sad.

Generally the news media does not report suicides unless a celebrity is involved. There are of course "news worthy" suicides when someone stands on a freeway, unfurls a banner protesting something or another, blocks traffic and shoots himself with a shotgun. This actually happened in LA about 15 years ago and was covered LIVE by several TV stations. However, the stations that were quick cut away from the man blowing his head off.

I did a Google search and sure enough Vegas is the city with the highest suicide rate in the USA, on average about one a day, but many are residents.

[Perdition]

I remember being told about "clean up crews" from people in the know. When someone would jump, shoot themselves, or whatever, these guys would of course come with pressure hoses, vacuums, buckets, whatever to get the stuff up fast. If you were a "lucky" bystander that saw someone splatter themselves on a sidewalk from 200 feet up, you got comps and other freebies to keep quiet and just go back to your normal Vegas day.

It sounded pretty grim but suicides do happen and there needs to be some sort of response for it. I always wondered how these crews would interact with law enforcement because in some cases couldn't it be tampering with a crime scene if in fact it was foul play?

Maybe a regular poster here knows more about the inner workings of that.

[Count Room]

I think I brought up earlier in a thread that I believe the media in Las Vegas do not report suicides. Something like this would be big news anywhere else in the country and certainly be reported. That is sad.

I personally knew someone who committed suicide at a Laughlin casino parking garage a few years back. No mention anywhere in the newspapers even with intense, thorough searching. Completely sanitized. You would probably have to go to the local police department to find the report (if that's even possible).

[Alan Mendelson]

I personally knew someone who committed suicide at a Laughlin casino parking garage a few years back. No mention anywhere in the newspapers even with intense, thorough searching. Completely sanitized. You would probably have to go to the local police department to find the report (if that's even possible).

I don't think this is a case of something being "sanitized." In the news business that is not considered to be a valid news story. People commit suicide every day in cities other than Vegas and it also is not considered to be news.

But again, the difference is whether or not it was a "private citizen" or a celebrity. And if a private citizen, did the private citizen do something that made it a newsworthy event.

Using the casino, again, as an example:

If a casino player shot himself in the head in his room it would not be newsworthy. But if the casino player shot himself in the head at the craps table after he threw a 7-out it would be considered newsworthy.

[Rob.Singer]

See Alan, someone who lost more than my $33k in one night. Now think about that the next time you gag over such a small loss. I didn't kill myself because I had waaay more to live for than that bozo, and at face value, $33k made no difference one way or another in my life.

[Alan Mendelson]

$33k made no difference one way or another in my life.

Of course not, Rob, you could file for bankruptcy again.

[Rob.Singer]

Or....I could have done what you've had to do umpteen times, in the clear spirit of living in California, and gotten divorced! Oh wait--that's not a tool people use to improve their personal wealth.

Oh well, I tried.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob you failed to see the importance of my point:

You can file personal bankruptcy. But someone from a family of great wealth is obviously embarrassed or humiliated by the failure. Count Room made an excellent observation.

There is no shame in divorce, Rob. Sometimes things don't work out and it's more important to move on in your life for your own benefit -- and for the benefit of your kids and even for your ex -- than to stay in something that isn't right. Of course, someone as shallow as you with no regard for anyone else but yourself, would not be able to comprehend that.

[Rob.Singer]

You're right Alan, my experience with divorce is very shallow. I've been able to stay married without even a lot of effort for 35 years. It's called mutual respect and understanding built on a strong basis of love. So divorce to me is a million miles of inexperience away. But I do know quite a few vp players who also have been divorced multiple times, and most of them are people I've met while training them at machines. I don't claim to know the true cause in anyone's failed relationships, but one thing is a constant in the group I'm talking about: gambling. And of course, denial. These people--and the majority of them were divorced females--were all nice folks who no one would ever guess had such issues. That's why I associate gambling with divorce issues, even if it doesn't apply to you.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob... my first divorce came years before I ever set foot in a casino. There are probably millions of people who were divorced even before casino gambling became legal in most states and gambling probably had zero to do with it.

Sometimes you need to take those blinders off.

[Rob.Singer]

You again didn't read what I wrote. No matter though. Divorce isn't my bag. Part of that has to do with my not being consumed with everything casino. The other part is my knowing how to be interested in other things. Like taking the wife on VACATIONS....and not to Vegas.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob: I've met you. Stay with your wife.

[quahaug]

YEAH! I've got Rob beat, 37 years of wedded bliss and I'm only 57. I'm a
lucky guy!

[Vegas_lover]

Another poor effort from Robbie in the "divorce insult department". What a smuck!

[redietz]

Losing 17 million in a night -- let's rephrase that. The casino took 17 million from him in one night. The whole idea that people should automatically be immune to casino environments and pressures, and should somehow be able to manage their own behaviors in a casino environment, is ridiculous. A lot of R&D went into designing an environment that is capable of extracting 17 million from a presumably rational human being. Why would anyone assume the fault or responsibility for the loss resides in the person and not the designed environment?

The casino killed him. His host killed him. Just as assuredly as he killed himself.

By the way, Perdition, I was in the Luxor in the middle of the night 20 years ago when someone took a swan dive off the 14th or 15th floor and splattered into an Asian restaurant down below. A lot of yellow tape and clean-up crews. No mention in the paper the next day.

Welcome to Las Vegas --

[Alan Mendelson]

That incident at the Luxor would be newsworthy. Are you sure it was never reported? I will check some archives when I am back at my office.

EDITED: Back at my office and a simple Google search finds the local papers covered the suicide of a woman and the fall of a man who may have been drunk. One of the suicide reports: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/1996...-inside-luxor/

[redietz]

The incident I saw (the aftermath) happened somewhere between 2 AM and 5 AM. I did not actually see the dive. I went over to the restaurant after the crash.

Given the design of the Luxor railings, I'm surprised this hasn't happened more often. I was later told that the guy had lost a bundle and had been drinking. So maybe that's the incident.