Justice Department antitrust case, 212, 215–16, 233
Kirk’s compensation, 209–10
Kirk’s day labor job at, 4
Kirk’s opening offer for, 155–57
Kirk’s second offer for, 161–62
liquidation campaign, 173–79, 191, 198, 200–201
Metromedia merger, 344–45
potential sale of, 342
sale of distribution operations, 197–99
Sony deal, 347
split of production and casino units, 217
Transamerica and, 157, 159–61, 232–33
Western Airlines bid compared with, 156–57
MGM/UA Entertainment Company, 232–33, 236, 256
merger with Pathé, 273–74, 291
Turner acquisition, 235–36, 247–55, 266
Military Air Transport Service (MATS), 90
Milken, Michael, xiii, 105, 247–48, 249–51, 265, 266
Miller, Bill, 61
Millionaire, The (TV show), 260
Mills Field, 50, 54–55
Mimieux, Yvette, 190, 230, 233, 244, 277, 295, 359
Mirage Resorts, 322–29, 334. See also MGM Mirage
Kirk’s buyout, 326–29
Kirk’s interest in, 322–23
Miranti, Louis, 221, 223, 224
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (movie), 212
Moelis, Ken, 250
Montebello, California, 45–48
Monument Valley, 47
Morris, Bobby, xv, 148
Morton Air Academy, 32–33
Mosley, Shane, 362
Mount Whitney, 25–26
Mrs. Miniver (movie), 200
Murdoch, Rupert, 274
Murren, James, 347, 350, 351, 355
Nellis Air Force Base, 183, 184
Neuharth, Allen, 250
Nevada National Bank of Commerce, 125
Nevada State Athletic Commission, 302
Nevada Gaming Commission, 95, 168
New Deal, 25
New Frontier Hotel and Casino, 46, 58, 59, 61, 115
News Corp., 274
New York Auto Show, 279
New York Giants, 114
New York Post, 166, 326, 365
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), 101–2
New York Times, 142, 185, 197, 282, 284, 347
NFL Championship Game (1946), 114
Nishon’s, 194
Niven, David, 176
Nixon, Richard M., 145
Normandy landings, 41
North American Aviation, 11
North American B-25 Mitchell, 11
North Atlantic crossings, 10–13, 34–37, 39–42, 159
Kirk lost over Scotland, 39–41
Northeast Airlines, 67
Nuclear testing, 120, 125–26, 129
Oborn, Kenny, 214, 220
O’Brien, Pat, 73
October Rose, 277, 278, 288, 316–17
Odekirk, Glenn, 56, 69
O’Flaherty, Ted, 15–16, 28, 29, 30, 51–52
Oil embargo of 1973, 203, 205
O’Neal, Ryan, 189
Orion Pictures, 342
Orleans Coffee House (MGM Grand), 219, 221, 222
Ottoman Empire, 17
Pacific Northern Airlines, 136, 144
Pacino, Al, 179
Pacquiao, Manny, 362
Palm Beach Breakers, 332
Parade Magazine, 189–90
Paradise Road, 117–18, 119, 129
Paramount Studios, 178, 179, 197, 251
Paret, Benny “the Kid,” 80–81
Parker, Tom, 151–52
Parretti, Giancarlo, 273–74, 291–92, 342
Pasadena Rose Parade, 24
Pascal, Sonny, 115
Pathé Communications, 273–74, 291–92
Patterson, Floyd, 80
Pay-or-play deals, 177–78
Pellicano, Anthony, 343, 353–54
Perenchio, Jerry, xiv, 216, 241–43, 293, 320
Persian Gulf War, 275
Pierre Hotel, 4, 325
Pilot’s license, 29, 31
Piper J-3 Cub, 16–17
Pittsburgh Steelers, 100
Poker, 42–43, 44
Politics, 77–79, 267
Polk, Louis “Bo,” 161–62
Polo Lounge, 292, 333, 364, 365
Ponti, Carlo, 177
Powell, Jane, 204
Power, Tyrone, 56
Presley, Elvis, 3, 80, 149, 150–52
Presley, Priscilla, 295
Press, 2, 3–4, 148–49, 167–68, 189–91, 208–9
Prestwick, 9, 10, 12, 13, 35–36, 40, 41
Price, Elliott Paul, 114, 117
Pritzker family, 168
Project Beta, 280
Promise, The (movie), 369–71
Pryor, Roger, 32
Queen Mary, RMS, 43
Raft, George, 59, 60, 81, 166, 203–4
Rainey, Flint, 179–80
Rain Man (movie), 256, 342
Raisins, 18
Ransohoff, Martin, 177
Rat Pack, 3–4, 78
Reagan, Ronald, 244
Regency Hotel, 166, 333, 334
Reid, Harry, 267
Reno Gazette-Journal, 209, 235
Republican Party, 77
“Retroactive policy,” 230–31
Reynolds, Debbie, 175, 193
Rich, Lee, 256
Riggs, Bobby, 242, 293
Riviera Hotel, 98–99
RKO Pictures, 70, 127, 155, 186
Robertson, Dale, 364
Rocky (movie), 342
Rogers, Ginger, 158, 191
Rohde, Jason, 219–20
Romero, Cesar, 56
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, 358–59
Roosevelt College, 97
Rosenfelt, Frank E., 200, 208, 212
Roth, Harold, 84–85, 87
Rothkopf, Bernard, 213
Rothman, Frank, 195
Roxbury Drive house, 359, 364, 367, 371
Royal Air Force Ferry Command, 2–3, 9–13, 34–37, 39–44, 159
Kirk lost over Scotland, 39–41
Royal Wedding (movie), 204
Ruby, Howard, 244
Rutherford, Ann, 193
Rwandan genocide, 267
Sahara Hotel, 111–12, 126, 127, 137
St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church (Las Vegas), 109–10
Sakura, 316
Salerno, Anthony “Fat Tony,” 117
Sands Hotel and Casino, 78, 124, 125
Kirk’s acquisition and sale, 274–75, 360
San Joaquin Valley, 21, 105, 241
San Mateo Times, 55
Santa Monica Bay, 56
Sarafyan, Angela, 370
Sargsyan, Serzh, 360
Sarno, Jay, 93–95, 103, 113–14, 132
Saroyan, William, 369
Sassounian, Harut, xiii, 261–65, 309–18, 361
Savala, Katherine, 332
Schoeppler, Otto, 160
Scholl, Steve, 334, 339–40
Schwabacher, Albert, 100–101, 104
Schwartz, David G., 73
Scorsese, Martin, 241
Scoshie (dog), 233
Seagram Company, 156
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), 141–42, 153, 165–66
September 11 attacks (2001), 337
Sequoia National Park, 25–26
Seven Network, 312
Shampoo (movie), 212
Sharp, Walter, 46, 66, 85–86, 103, 121, 131, 345
Shatto, Stanley R., 139, 144–45
Shernoff, William M., 236–39
Shoofey, Alex, 111–13
background of, 112–13
Benninger and, 137–39
at Flamingo, 127–28, 137–38, 164
at International, 148, 151–52, 169
International financial projections, 111–12, 116–17
at Sahara, 111–13, 127, 137
Siegel, Benjamin “Bugsy,” 3, 57–61, 158–59
Flam
ingo and, 59–60, 128, 158–59, 164–65, 166
Kirk’s flight to Las Vegas, 57–61, 62
murder of, 62–63, 159, 164
Siegfried and Roy, 206
Sinatra, Frank, 3–4, 78, 102, 208, 243, 244
Singleton, William, 139, 167
Six, Robert, 102
Skelton, Red, 148
Smith, Liz, 277
Smothers Brothers, 148
Sonny and Cher, 257, 321
Sony, 274, 347
Sorkin, Andrew Ross, 347
Souza, Buddy, 28–29
Spader, George, 180
Spitak earthquake of 1988, 259–65
Sports betting, 76, 79, 81
Stallone, Sylvester, 257, 370
Standard Oil Company, 20
Stanford Cardinals, 100
Stardust Hotel, 62, 129
Stark, Ray, 217–18
Streisand, Barbra, 147, 149, 150–51, 277, 326
Strelich, Steve, 27
Studebaker Corporation, 89–91
Kirk’s buy back of TIA, 102–4
Kirk’s sale of stock, 100–102
TIA acquisition, 89–91, 100
Stutz, Howard, 276
Stutz Bearcat, 18, 19
Summa Corporation, 360
Summer, Donna, 206
Sunset Fields Golf Course, 24
Surplus plane business, 47–56, 67–71, 85–86
Sweeny, Bert, 223–24, 225
Taipan (movie), 177
Takoradi, 42–43
Tandem Productions, 216
Tapia, Rigoberto, 337–38
Taylor, J. Judson, 145
Teamsters Union, 73, 87, 93, 94, 114
Tele-Communications Inc., 254
Tennenbaum, Michael, 271–73
Tennis, 98–99, 257, 278, 293–94, 344–45, 358
Teterboro Airport, 227
Texas National Bank of Commerce, 160
Thalberg, Irving, 256
Thalberg Building, 176
That’s Entertainment (movie), 207
Thobe, Jaclyn, 372
Thomas, Danny, 150
Thompson grapes, 18
Thunderbird Hotel, 69, 70, 74–75
Tisch, Laurence, 241–42, 265
Tisch, Preston, 241–42, 265
Tokmajyan, Levon, 314–15
Top Gun (movie), 251
Toronto International Film Festival, 370
Tourine, Charles “Charlie the Blade,” 81, 83, 84, 85, 166–68
Tracinda Corporation, 195, 209, 214, 256, 260, 273, 281, 284, 285, 365, 371–72
Tracinda Jean, 169–70
Tracy Investment Company, 153
Transamerica Corporation
MGM Studios and, 157, 159–61, 232–33
Trans International and, 119, 121–24, 143
United Artists and, 157, 232–33
Trans International Airlines (TIA), 79
DC-8 purchase, 83–90
Kirk’s buy back of, 102–4
public offering, 104–6
Studebaker buyout, 89–91, 100
Transamerica sale, 119, 121–24, 143
Trans World Airlines (TWA), 68, 69, 70, 127, 186
Travis Air Force Base, 87
Treasure Island Hotel & Casino, 322–23
Tropicana Country Club, 276, 367
Tropicana Hotel’s Gourmet Room, 97–98
Trump, Donald, 4, 323, 350, 355
Forbes 400 List and, 235, 265–66
Trump Entertainment Resorts, 350
TT Corporation, 275
Turner, Lana, 158, 191
Turner, Ted, 235–36, 266, 342
MGM/UA deal, 247–55
Turner, Velma, 219–20
Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS), 235–36
MGM/UA deal, 247–55
Twain, Mark, 7
Tyson, Mike, 301–7
UBS AG, 371
UCLA Foundation, 361
Ullmann, Liv, 176
United Armenian Fund (UAF), 263, 361
United Artists (UA), 162. See also MGM/UA Entertainment Company
Kirk’s acquisition of, 232–33
Kirk’s domestic distribution deal with, 197, 198–99
Transamerica and, 157, 232–33
Universal Studios, 21
University of Nevada-Las Vegas, xii, 73, 127, 237
University of Southern California, 22
US (magazine), 255
V-1 flying bomb “buzz bombs,” 12, 41, 42
Vail Field, 45–46
Valley Commercial Corporation, 84–85, 87
VanDerKloot, William, xii
Van Nuys Airport, 296, 334
Vasectomy, 296
Venetian Hotel, 351
Viacom, 250
Vincent, Francis T., Jr., 216–18
Viner, Mort, 333, 338, 345
Von Sydow, Max, 176
Wall Street (movie), 333
Wall Street Journal, 167, 168, 200, 212, 217, 285, 286, 370
Wanda Park estate, 257, 271, 293–94, 321
War Memorial Auditorium, 80
Warwick Hotel, 81, 166
Washington Armory, 78
Watermelon, 22
Wayne, John, 47–48
Way We Were, The (movie), 217
Webb, Del, 137
Weight lifting, 245, 344, 358
Weisz, David, 173–75
Welch, Raquel, 1–2, 148, 193, 194
West Africa, 42–43
Western Air Express, 45–46
Western Air Express Airport, 15, 45–46, 133
Western Air Lines, 129, 131–36, 186
American Airlines merger talks, 179–81
Drinkwater’s feud with Kirk, 134–36, 139, 143–46
Drinkwater’s resignation, 180–81
Kirk’s bid for, 131–36
Kirk’s block sale of, 207
MGM bid compared with, 156–57
Shatto on board of directors, 139, 144–45
Westlake Park, 28
Westwood Village, 245
Westworld (movie), 199
Wilkerson, Billy, 59, 158–59
Williams, Andy, 115, 189
Williams, Esther, 175
Williams, James “Bad Boy Jimmy,” 61–62
Williams, Jerry, 46–47, 52, 54, 58, 72
Windtalkers (movie), 342
Wizard of Oz, The (movie), 157, 173–74
Wood, Natalie, 148
Woodley, Arthur G., 136, 144
Wooldridge, John D., 10, 378n
Woolf, Larry J., 304
World War I, 18
World War II, 33–34
attack on Harbor, 31
Normandy landings, 41
Royal Air Force Ferry Command, 2–3, 9–13, 34–37, 39–44
Wright, Wilbur and Orville, 68
WTBS, 235, 236
Wyler, William, 200
Wyman, Eugene, 159
Wyman Bautzer, 159
Wynn, Elaine Pascal, 115
Wynn, Steve, 324–29, 346
Bellagio Hotel and, 322, 327, 328
at Caesars opening, 115, 322
Kirk’s buyout of Mirage, 326–29
Kirk’s interest in Mirage Resorts, 322–23
Yellow life raft, 53, 56
Yemenidjian, Alex, xiii, 350
Armenian philanthropy of Kirk, 262, 263, 360–61
background of, 275
Chrysler deal, 272–73, 281–82, 285–86
death of Kirk, 367–68
Desert Inn deal, 274–75
Ford Motor deal, 353
Kirk’s funeral, 372–73
MGM Grand and, 271, 274, 275–76, 303–4
MGM Studios and, 342, 347
York, Jerry, 286–87, 288, 351–52
Zarowitz, Jerome “Jerry,” 114–15, 117
Zax, Stanley, 170–71
Ziegfeld Room (MGM Grand), 204, 206, 225
Zinnemann, Fred, 176–77
About the Author
WILLIAM C. REMPEL is a veteran invest
igative reporter and editor who specialized in foreign and national projects. During a thirty-six-year career at the Los Angeles Times, he produced groundbreaking reports on subjects ranging from oil tanker safety prior to the Exxon Valdez disaster to the menace of al-Qaeda prior to September 11, 2001. He has received numerous journalism honors, including a shared Overseas Press Club Award for international terrorism reports and a Gerald Loeb Award for financial writing. He was also a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.
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Also by William C. Rempel
Delusions of a Dictator: The Mind of Marcos As Revealed in His Secret Diaries
At the Devil’s Table: The Untold Story of the Insider Who Brought Down the Cali Cartel
Copyright
the gambler. Copyright © 2018 by William C. Rempel. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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Digital Edition January 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-245679-3
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