LAS VEGAS, NV — Having commuted weekly from San Francisco to “Sin City” for roughly 15 years while working for the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino, it’s still something of a “rush” hitting the ground at the former McCarran Field which is now the Harry Reid International Airport.
NOWADAYS “THE RUSH” IS QUITE DIFFERENT
Part of this may come off as verbiage penned by an old man who bristles at change, but that’s not the case. The transition Las Vegas has taken since the 1990’s when remnants of the Mob still ran things, is like the metamorphosis of the crawling Caterpillar into the air born Butterfly. You can’t recognize the current as having been the former!
PEDRO & VISITORS BOTH MISS “SIN CITY MAFIA
Unless you were a “Muck Up” with an “F,” it was the “Mafia’s hospitality” that made sure everybody had a good time. The exception were the folks who “Gambled with Markers” or Casino Credit. That could get you “planted” in the Mohave Desert that Las Vegas is built on.
ONE “ALMOST FATAL” MAFIA STORY
Chicago born Mobster Tony “The Ant” Spilotro, born Anthony Spilotro in 1938, RAN the Las Vegas Mob UNTIL he and his brother were found in June 1986 buried in an Illinois cornfield.
BEING A DRUNK FOOL “CAN GET YOU KILLED”
Located mid-strip, the Stardust Hotel & Casino was Spilotro’s headquarters here and although it “wasn’t a common occurrence,” the short 5’2 Mafia Don dubbed “The Ant” had people killed AND on occasion Tony did it himself!
PR GUY HAD “HILTON & DON KING” TIES
When I met Jim Hunter, he was the PR guy for boxing employed by the Las Vegas Hilton. On a few occasions, Hunter got away with being sauced even though he “tilted” when drinking. One night he pushed his way to the Stardust main bar and “plopped” down.
BARTENDER SAYS “YOU GOTTA’ MOVE!
“Pal, if you don’t get out of that seat right now, you might not leave here tonight breathing.” Drunk and rude, Hunter resisted. THEN the barkeep grabbed Jim’s arm and said. “You gotta’ *ucking move man, NOW.”
JIM WAS SITTING IN MAFIA BOSSES CHAIR!
Hunter’s first reaction was to “resist” the bartender’s assertions. But for some reason, Jim got up, turned around and Tony Spilotro is “smiling ear to ear.” Hunter realizes who Spilotro is and nearly “shits his pants” before begging for an opportunity to apologize, apologize, and then head for the men’s room.
MY ONLY SORTA’ BAD MAFIA ENCOUNTER
Training for a fight in Arizona, I came here to Sin City to allow Main St. Gym owner Johnny Tocco to put “eyes on me” and “train in the desert heat.”
PEDRO’S LAIR IS THE “WESTWARD HO” HOTEL
Bored one night, having boycotted the girlfriend for a month with 2 weeks to go before a fight in Tucson, AZ, I can’t sleep! So I start playing single deck Black Jack and went on a 45 minute run that saw me win better than $4K.
TONY’S GUY OFFERED “FEMALE FLESH?”
In the midst of this astonishing win streak, the Stardust “Pit Boss” who had a “dented” Mobster-like nose, offered me free drinks, dinner, even suggested some female “companionship” should I “call it a night.” I politely decline and continued to win big!
“LADY NAMED MARK” JOINS GAME!
When a seat opened up, a woman that looked like an Asian grandmother sits down and I repeat my famous Black Jack line. “Lady, we don’t have to get 21, we just have to let him (the dealer) lose.”
SHE HITS ON 19 WHILE THE DEALER’S SHOWING 12?
At first I thought this Chinese lady was “Black Jack stupid” and tried to coach her. With around 60 x $100 chips, I’m betting $500 a hand. When she went against my call and “HIT ON 19,” I freaked before realizing she was a “Casino Mark” that was purposely placed in the game to throw off the cards and make me lose!
BENT NOSE GUY HAD “DROPPED HINTS”
“Maybe, maybe, you should call it a night” said Tony Spilotro’s Pit Boss, who put his hand on mine, much like the bartender did Jim Hunter. I then realized he “wanted me gone” and so I went next door to the Westward Ho where I had a poolside apartment.
“WESTWARD HO” & THE JEALOUS CHICK SAGA
There wasn’t one woman I was with during my boxing run of 4 Golden Glove Championships and a #13 National ranking, that went along with me “not practicing baby making” while in training.
INSECURITY, JEALOUSY & BOOZE A “BAD COMBINATION”
SO when I told my girl I was “staying at the Westward Ho” this chick with a penchant for Vino “instead” heard, “I’m staying with a Westward Hoe” and hung up the phone. Less than 10 days later we “were done” and I boarded a flight to Tucson!
Pedro Fernandez
Note: Pedro Fernandez is a multi-award winning writer whose career in journalism has taken him to 34 countries. He is also a former San Francisco Policeman and was a Nationally Ranked 4-time Golden Gloves boxing champion.
Pedro is the creator and host of “Ring Talk Worldwide” a syndicated radio talk show with 41 years of airtime on Sports Byline USA. You can watch it Sat & Sun @ 11:06 AM PT on YouTube or Twitch.TV.