Pirates to Pyramids: Las Vegas Taxi Tales

by Carlson, JJ

  Me: "Vegas has 18 out of the 25 largest hotels in the world."

  He: "How many rooms are in them?"

  Me: "They have thousands of rooms. Many hotels have 3000 plus rooms. One even has 5000 rooms."

  He: “At an average occupancy of 80 percent and two per room, how does this volume compare to populations of cities?"

  Me: "Some of these hotels are bigger than many towns in America."

  He: “What kind of crime happens in towns and cities in America?"

  Me: "All kinds of crime occur.

  He: "Exactly. Why would hotels be any different?"

  Me: "You are saying felonies even like murder?"

  He: "You are the one figuring it out. Does murder occur in towns and cities in America?"

  Me: "Yes."

  He: "You just answered your own questions."

  Me: "People can get violent in a fun place like this?"

  He: "Don’t assume all people are happy here. For example, some people have a painful break up happening. They sometimes come to Vegas to recreate the good times and save their marriage. When mending doesn't work, blaming can start and then anger can follow."

  Me: "Well, that's a real buzz killer for those of us who like this fantasyland."

  He: "Security never gets to relax and we don’t live in a fantasy."

  I was bummed out about this when I first heard it. Then it dawned on me. This is exactly why we have these security officers. Even before 9/11 we needed them in places even as sweet as Disneyland. We have all seen it. If it can go wrong, one day it will go wrong. These guys are schooled to watch out for funny business and thereby, keep the fun in place for us. God bless and help them.

  MOVIE MAKING IN VEGAS

  A lot of picture taking happens in Las Vegas. Most cameras are for personal fun, but some are for the movies and TV shows. For example, casinos that are scheduled to be imploded make for great locations for spectacular shooting. The first casino I saw do this was the Sands Hotel, famous for its relationship with the "Rat Pack." We all saw Nicholas Cage crash his "Conair" plane into that casino lobby in a stunning scene that, of course, never really happened. But since this was before computer-generated filming Hollywood manufactured a scary scene on The Strip.

  The set decorators brought a huge airplane fuselage to the real front door of the closed Sands Hotel and crammed it in. Fake police cars littered the driveway in a realistic way and that is how it all sat for weeks and weeks. Things were a lot slower in those days of real film, so I guessed they didn't want to "strike the set" until the movie re-takes were absolutely done.

  But many times poor unsuspecting tourist driving by the hotel almost had a car accident from shock. I tried to avoid all other drivers in that area just to be safe. Sometimes I would get shocked by the police cars again ,just like the first time.

  I had to catch my runaway mind, "Get a grip. It's that movie and you've been fooled again." I was taken in so many times, that I was getting pissed that they left the set there so long. Finally, it dawned on me. Filming was done but now it was an advertising device for the millions who come to Las Vegas. Finally they removed their scenery and soon after, the Sands got imploded. Two years later the beautiful Venetian Hotel opened on that spot.

  ++++

  Steve Wynn learned from the Sands Hotel experience that the implosion of a hotel is an excellent publicity device. When he bought the Dunes Hotel his creative light bulb went on in a way that has never been topped. He warned the people of Las Vegas and all the media that a special event would happen on New Years Eve, and he did not disappoint.

  At exactly 9:00 PM/12:00 AM Eastern he let the pirates and the English man-of-war do their normal battle in Buccaneer Bay at his Treasure Island Hotel. As usual the English captain warned the pirates to surrender and when they didn't, he fired his cannon. But this time, to the amusement of the Strip and television audiences, the imaginary canon ball flew up the street hitting the Dunes Hotel, causing it to collapse.

  In reality, he had shrewdly timed the Dunes implosion to occur exactly when the cannon fired. Down came the hotel on cue, and on national TV. The fireworks and the giant dust ball were a great visual for New Years Eve.

  ++++

  Steve Wynn had another great idea when he bought the Desert Inn Hotel. He planned another implosion and a new hotel, but first he let Hollywood transform it into "The Red Dragon." The movie Rush Hour II needed a casino to wreck. So one day there was a new sign out front that said, "Red Dragon Casino,” and it would light up because principal filming was at night. How cute, at first.

  But soon riders, particularly Asians, insisted that they be taken to the brand new casino on the Strip. This was getting complicated because Vegas opened a new casino every year, so telling them that it was a fake for a movie didn't slow some of them down. They wanted to see proof for themselves and/or see if they could be in the movie.

  Many cab drivers were glad when the movie was done. But Steve Wynn opened his art gallery for two years at the Desert Inn site, further confusing a whole different group of riders. The Wynn Hotel was finally opened on that spot.

  ++++

  The movie, "Oceans 11" caused quite a stir at the Bellagio when it was filmed there. But the hotel took things so well in stride that it always appeared routine. This was surprising since the actors arrived early to prepare for filming and ended up having some fun, too.

  George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and the rest were housed in the Bellagio Bungalows. They are reportedly palatial and separated from the main building and housed some partying before filming started. However, the gossip was tame compared to Vegas standards because the fun was friendly and above board. Still, when you watch the movie you can see some devilish glances in many scenes and it reminds you of the bungalows.

  When the filming began, Las Vegas locals were surprised to read reports that movie shooting was being done right in the open, among the guests.

  Are you kidding me? I can see Julia Roberts in person? I parked my car and went into the hotel to find out where they were shooting that day. I was stunned to find that the previous day's filming occurred right next to the buffet line, in front of everyone.

  That was extremely casual. "Where are they today?" I asked. Filming was scheduled for somewhere in the garage and I was parked in the garage. So off I went to my car but I saw no filming. I drove around every floor in the garage and found no film crew, which was sad. So I did not get to see "pretty woman" in person, which may have been a good thing. I could have embarrassed myself.

  ++++

  Watching CSI being filmed at the Orleans Hotel once, I learned that I don't want to be in the movies. They had laid down tracks to allow the camera a smooth roll across carpet and the actors were walking and talking, just like real life. But "real life" took 3 to 4 takes with significant delays in between just to get a few words on tape. I exited after ten minutes, bored silly.

  ++++

  There were no boring parts in the movie "Casino," especially for the locals who lived here during the real action. Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro play the true story of two mob guys, Anthony "the ant" Spillotro and Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. When the movie says "they killed the goose that laid the golden eggs," they could have said "geese." Yes, the mob built the big casino hotels on the Strip after the war (WWII) because who else would.

  The movie itself is a re-creation of the documentary done by a local investigative reporter, George Knapp. George is also famous for revealing Area 51's Groom Lake secret U.S. Air Force Base. Casino’s story was totally accurate, except for hotel names. It was not the Algiers Hotel. It was the Stardust Hotel.

  The real Rosenthal started the first sports book because he was awesome at setting the odds on sports. He was so famous for his odds making skills that other sports books in the city would send a spy down to confirm their own odds..

  This continued for decades after Rosenthal was black-booked from Vegas. If you are black- booked you cannot enter a casino in this state.
Just before his death in 2009 he was living in Florida and despising the Nevada Gaming Commission. He really missed Vegas.

  Spillotro was suspected of murder and other crimes and mayhem which drew unnecessary attention to the otherwise secret mob activities. This behavior attracted the FBI who bugged conversations and collected evidence for trials. The mob action got publicized even more and Vegas’ reputation for fun and fairness was being threatened. I am told that the Nevada Gaming Control Board took severe action and visited every hotel/casino, far fewer then, and terminated employment of every Italian at every location down to the kids that park cars.

  It was a purge, yes, but according to them it had to be done.

  So, if you wink and ask me if the mob is really gone from Vegas, I have to remind you what Mario Puzo wrote in the book "The Godfather". In one scene Marlin Brando is so upset that Michael was dragged into the violent side of the business because he had planned to take the family legitimate..

  Today they can own a casino without any violence. They can just buy and sell stock anytime.

  Fans of the movie Casino can see the place where Rosenthal's car was blown up on Sahara Ave one mile east of the Strip at what is now the Tony Roma's Rib joint. Spillotro’s body was eventually found buried in an Indiana corn field.

  Today, Spillotro's former attorney is the mayor of Las Vegas. Coincidentally, he, Oscar Goodman, is pushing for a Mob Museum to be built here. He says,

  "Where else should a mob museum go?”

  PORNOS ARE MOVIES, TOO

  Speaking of movies, I had a porno movie maker in my car one time. He was surprisingly young, pleasant. He was covered with tattoos which was odd because this was before "tats" were so popular. His car had broken down at the California border and he needed a 40 mile ride to get into town. I was surprised how much I liked him even though I wasn't thrilled with his career choice. He told me how it happened.

  He got into the business by mistake after UCLA film school graduation gave him high hopes for a job in Hollywood. His hopes were dashed eventually by the amount of competition in that industry. His mistake began by answering an ad in the classifieds for a director/ film student. When he found out what it was, he made his second mistake. He accepted the job shooting a porno movie for one week.

  The mistake, he told me, was that the legitimate film industry cannot risk using you once you have done porno. You are branded for life, just like the tattoos he wore. I asked him how his career was doing now that the decision had been made.

  He said, "I am trapped in a thankless job. It never stops. I do four pornos per month, which means non-stop. I am so tired I could scream but nobody cares. You produce or you are out."

  He went on to say he couldn’t wait to retire. Good luck.

  ++++

  Another film maker was in my car with even greater angst. He didn't give his name but said he "had a movie coming out in two weeks." Which movie? According to him it was the sequel to a famous horror flick he had produced and it would soon be all over America and he would be rich. But would he be happy? Not so much.

  According to him he was miserable because he was losing his wife. Apparently this was killing him because he put an incredible numbers of hours for years to get this film property, get it made and get it distributed.

  Now he was finally done with the hard part he could see the finish line. But he had exhausted his wife's patience and now she was leaving him. He started crying as he finished the story.

  Open, loud crying was coming from my back seat from a grown man in pain. I never felt so clueless so I quietly wished him well and kept on driving.

  The movie later came out like he said, and it did very well at the box office so he was obviously blessed about that. God knows the rest of the story.

  WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN?

  My friend RJ just entered a hotel elevator to go up and see some friends who'd come to town.

  But he got much more than that. He got the quintessential Vegas gambler story.

  RJ was in the elevator by himself and its doors were almost closed when this arm reached in and yanked it back open and in stepped a lady, followed by a man. They were so chilly with each other that the whole enclosure frosted up immediately, with my friend trapped inside.

  “Oh, great, please don't start in on each other until I am out of here,” RJ said to himself. He wasn't due to get off until the 15th floor. His chances were slim but they were not talking so he could hope. Every floor went by in stony silence until the elevator stopped at the 10th floor.

  “Good, this is working out,” RJ thought, but no. God has such a sense of humor.

  The man spoke out, loudly.

  "I cannot believe you lost five hundred dollars on the slot machines," and then stormed off, theatrically.

  RJ hoped she was going, too. “Go, please, go,” RJ prayed. But, no such luck.

  She held the door open and didn't move, and didn't speak.

  “Ma'am, could I have my door back, please?” RJ silently thought but not reacting.

  Instead she yelled at the man, "Are you just going to leave it like that?

  RJ thought, “Yes, please just leave it like that. I don't need to know anything more, thank you.”

  "He lost ten thousand dollars on the tables, yesterday." she said, and continued to stand there in the door, with her arms folded. Tick tock tick tock. She stood there, staring up the hallway at him.

  Finally, after almost an eternity, he returned to the elevator to have the last word.

  "Yeah, but I know how to gamble."

  After his theatrical exit, she turned slowly to RJ and gave him that look. You know "that look."

  RJ had never uttered a word and he didn’t start now, thank God.

  ++++

  Now this all reminds me of a story that did not involve me but is now famous. A woman in a Nevada casino had won some money. It was little money but more than she ever thought she would win. She was so nervous about getting back to her room that she tried to choose an empty elevator. But after diving into one she looked up in horror to see three black guys enter and stand beside her. She was shaking in her boots when the doors closed and then one man spoke.

  "Hit the floor, Lady. Hit the floor." She froze and again the voice said,” Hit the floor, lady."

  She slowly got down on all fours, totally terrified at what was next. Gentle hands reached down and quietly lifted her to her feet. The voice now said,

  "Lady, I wanted you to hit the button for the floor you wanted."

  The story goes the next day the woman could not wait to check out of the hotel hoping no one would ever find out about her embarrassing mistake. But the clerk stopped her and said,

  "Your room charges are taken care of already, ma'am." "But how can that be true?" she asked.

  "I don't know but Mr. Eddie Murphy, the comedy movie star, insisted he pay your bill in total."

  POKER GOES ALL IN

  When I moved to Las Vegas in 1990, I would see busy casinos taking people's money as fast as they could make a bet, everywhere except the poker rooms. Those rooms were sleepy and eerily quiet, like a morgue. I kept wondering why casinos had that game at all, since so few players showed up. Years and years and years went by and so did the poker players, too. Until it got so bad some casinos shut down their poker rooms. Nobody complained much, they just went somewhere else. I thought poker was a goner.

  Then a little old man in his 80's suggested to the right people that they put tiny cameras in the bumper of the poker table. Some people wanted to televise the World Series of Poker and other tournaments too, if it went well. But it was so boring to watch players stare at each because we could not tell who was winning until they showed their cards, if they ever did. What an idea.

  Poker pros hated cameras. It was going to telegraph their cards to someone else. They started to band together to fight the change until they saw the money. Talk about money. Before the cameras made the games suspenseful, a big game might have tens of thousands of dolla
rs at stake. Amarillo Slim, a famous old-time poker pro, won the WSOP title by beating the 16 players he faced. A $5,000 buy-in earned the winner $80,000 thousand.

  The cameras raised so much interest in poker to the point that the World Series of Poker Tournament in 2008 had 6,840 players and the winner took home 12 million dollars. Eight other top finalists became millionaires also, which was a huge jump.

  Because TV was let into the game, viewers could now see the hands of the leading players and millions of dollars in chips. The outside audience was now in the drama of the poker game.

  Many people became players for the first time after learning about the game‘s best moves and skills. This was no longer a scene from a cowboy movie.

  Then Internet Poker was born and took off like a rocket, allowing anyone in the whole world to play in the comfort of their pajamas at home. Soon millions of players were betting so much money that one of the British companies offering internet poker got very concerned. What they observed was tremendous abuse by addicted players some of whom could be underage..