A Final LV Visit To Some Interesting Places Before Escaping The Heat

[Rob.Singer]

Tomorrow we're going to town so we both can get our bi-annual eye exams. They have that capability here in Pahrump, but it's in the local Walmart Supercenter, and just going near that local slug hangout turns my stomach. Just last weekend two drugged up 21 year old tattooed & nose-ringed punks were arrested inside for joy-riding store owned motorized scooters thru the aisles, smashing into as many displays and running down as many shoppers as possible in the process.

Events like these happen over there all the time over there in this Obama-loving entitlement town of greater than 40% unemployment. The best part of Pahrump are the RV parks of course because for 7-8 months a year they're loaded with oldies. There's never any incidents of crime by these creeps that I've heard of in these parks, and I'm told it's because they fear all the old folks pack iron inside their rigs, and it is a classic "stand your ground" state. Right they are: I have a half dozen handguns in here myself.

So after the eye exams we're heading downtown to the new Mob Museum, then to a Thai restaurant we both like that's located in Park Plaza on Paradise pretty close to the LVH. Afterwards we're checking into the Rio, because I'm 100& W*P, and the 2012 San Gennaro Feast is being held there. We 've never had the chance to see this event until now.

The next day we're just gonna walk the Strip starting at Mandalay Bay as far as who knows where. We'll also do something I've always wanted to try if it's still running: ride the monorail. For dinner we're going out to an old hangout of mine when I used to play professionally--the Rampart in Summerlin. Haven't been there in at least 3 years. Its ownership keeps changing hands, so I'm hoping it hasn't gone downhill any.

[Alan Mendelson]

No one was offended by the derogatory term? I was, and I edited it. Just as I would with derogatory terms used for other religions or races.

[redietz]

No, not offended. I'm not that delicate. One thing I learned is that being referred to as ni**er on a basketball court, when you're white, is a compliment. So many things are contectual. If a guy's Italian, and wants to refer to himself, that's cool with me.

Nice segui to -- Rob, give us some feedback on the mob museum, if you would.

[Rob.Singer]

I will redietz.

I use W*P all the time to describe myself because, up until myself and my sister & cousins, my entire family was born in Italy. I didn't realize it meant something bad.

Maybe I'll read about an ancestor wiseguy or two at the Mob Museum....and maybe I should have planned to go to dinner at Oscar's new Beef, Booze, Broads, & Baked Lasagna (or something like that)

[Alan Mendelson]

The term originated from the phrase "without papers" as the Italian migration into the United States took place. I grew up in New York and spent years in upstate New York, Syracuse to be exact, where there is a large Italian population. You never said W*P, nor would you use the derogatory terms for Jews or Blacks or Irish or any of the minorities.

I think it was Barbara Walters on The View that got into a heated discussion about Blacks using the N-word in their music. CNN reporter Susan Candiotti was severely criticized for reading the N-word on the air as an exact quote.


There is no reason to use those terms. And I too am interested in the Mob Museum. Any of my relatives featured in the displays? And please give us a review of Oscar's. It's been open for several months and I am yet to see a real review.

[vpguy]

Hope you have a great time. I need to get downtown and see all of the new things and changes my next trip out. Thanks for any updates you can provide.

[Rob.Singer]

The Mob Museum was fun nostalgia, and it had a lot of old school Vegas artifacts everywhere. Most interesting were the videos of old Vegas and all the hoopla surrounding the Mob days of the city. I'd recommend it to any LV affectionado who's capable of traveling. But make sure you know where you're going in the downtown area first. It's surprisingly under-advertised, even a block away. Go, and you will easily forget about why you didn't make Chairman level on you slot club card when you feel you should have, or why those stupid peenie-weenie nickel discounts are no longer available at Rebel gas stations.

[redietz]

It's the old post office building, right?

Can't wait to see it. One of my first weeks in LV was when "the boys" tried to blow up Rosenthal, and the story was Page One news. It occurred outside a restaurant, not outside the Stardust as shown in the movie Casino. Looking forward to seeing it.

[Rob.Singer]

Ha! When I moved to the Phoenix area in 1976, the very first BIG news story there that seemed to never end was the LV mob blowing up Az. Republic investigative reporter Don Bolles' car with him in it.

Those were the days....

[Alan Mendelson]

...when "the boys" tried to blow up Rosenthal, and the story was Page One news. It occurred outside a restaurant, not outside the Stardust as shown in the movie Casino.

I was hoping to find the movie clip on YouTube but I couldn't. I recall the movie scene as outside a diner. In fact it did happen outside a Tony Roma's. I looked up the movie script and the script called for the bomb scene outside a restaurant.

This script excerpt is at http://sfy.ru/?script=casino_1995

EXT. RESTAURANT PARKING LOT, LAS VEGAS, 1983 - DAY

SAM 'ACE' ROTHSTEIN, a tall, lean, immaculately dressed man approaches his car, opens the door, and gets inside to turn on the ignition.

ACE: (Voice-over) When you love someone, you've gotta trust them. There's no other way. You've got to give them the key to everything that's yours. Otherwise, what's the point? And, for a while . . . I believed that's the kind of love I had.
(Suddenly, the car explodes. Flames, smoke and metal rise into the sky covering the view of the Las Vegas casinos and their signs.
Music in: J.S. Bach - 'St Matthew Passion'.
Ace's body comes flying in - extreme slow motion. His body twists and turns through the frame like a soul about to tumble into the flames of damnation.)

Update: I found the movie clip on another website. And if you look closely, you will see it is in the parking lot of Tony Roma's.

http://www.anyclip.com/movies/casino/car-bomb-5/

[redietz]

I'm going to stretch my memory here, but here goes. if you can verify it, Alan, let me know.

At the time "Casino" was being filmed, the Stardust actually had a Tony Roma's restaurant that it did not have back in Lefty's day. When they shot the car blowing up, the scene was outside Tony Roma's but also outside the Stardust.

The actual hit attempt took place at a Tony Roma's on Sahara somewhere. At the time, no Tony Roma's was at the Stardust.

And I know the bulk of "Casino" was shot at the Riviera. They did do exteriors and parking lot shots at the Stardust, however.

I remember seeing Lefty the first time -- and he looked nothing like DeNiro. Yes -- he did wear canary yellow silk suits and a yellow fedora. I saw him the first time and thought, "Who the hell is that, and who is his tailor?"

[Alan Mendelson]

I found this website which compares the movie to real events. Further down the page is a paragraph about the bombing, a photo of the car, and the restaurant was said to be on East Sahara:

http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/casino.php

It even gives an explanation for the metal plate.

edited to add: I checked the Tony Roma's website for an address on East Sahara: http://www.tonyromas.com/locations/r...ry=us&distance[postal_code]=&distance[search_distance]=&distance[search_units]=mile&province=Nevada

I tried to call, but it went to a voice mail. Since it's Mothers Day, they are probably too busy for phone calls. But I guess a phone call there would answer the question if that is the same place where the movie scene was shot?

I'm curious if they had the car explosion there too, of if that was edited-in from a shot at a separate location?

[Alan Mendelson]

Just got an email from their customer relations department: they confirm that the Sahara restaurant was where the scene was shot, but I sent them a follow-up email about the explosion. Did the explosion actually take place in the parking lot or was it edited in from another location?

[redietz]

Good job, Alan!

I have never been to the Tony Roma's on Sahara, but I will make a point of locating it and eating there. And, I guess, parking there.