A third-story room is shown during a media tour of the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement (the “Mob Museum”) in the former U.S. Post Office and Federal Courthouse building in downtown Las Vegas Tuesday, May 25, 2010.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010 | 10:32 a.m.
The Mob Experience at the Tropicana
The Tropicana announced today that the Mob Experience is set to open at the end of 2010 in the 25,000-square-foot Pavilion Center. The family members of former mobsters made an appearance at Tuesday's unveiling and were thanked for providing access to personal stories and more than 1,000 artifacts from the glory days of organized crime that helped shape Las Vegas.
Clockwise from top left: Jan Sachs, widow of Allan Sachs; Millicent Rosen Siegel, oldest daughter of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel; Meyer Lansky II, grandson of Meyer Lansky; and Cynthia Duncan, stepgranddaughter of Lansky.
A sign outside the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement (the "Mob Museum") in the former U.S. Post Office and Federal Courthouse building in downtown Las Vegas Tuesday, May 25, 2010.
This morning I write yet again from the Tropicana, and like a would-be sniper I'm concealed by a large, temporary construction wall at Havana To Go (which proudly serves Starbucks coffee). Soon will be the formal announcement that the Mob Experience will be moving into the onetime jewel of the Strip as part of the hotel's $165 million makeover.
Of course this is not the only mob-type attraction in the city. Just Monday, a day before the formal announcement at the Trop, officials representing the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement (the shorthand title of which is The Mob Museum) announced several familiar names linked to artifacts planned for the project when it opens about a year from now.
"Interactive exhibits," and "experiential" in nature — terms now embraced by both attractions — are used to described some of the some of the personal belongings and documents from such mob-related figures as Alphonse Capone, Dion O'Bannion, George Moran, Charlie Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Ben Siegel, Sam Giancana, Joe Bonanno, Frank Rosenthal, Mickey Cohen, Tony Cornero and Tony Spilotro. "To name just a few," as the news release promises.
The timing of this announcement from the downtown contingent, along with many of the family names specified, likely is no accident. This information was made public about 24 hours before today's long-planned announcement at the Trop. Mob Experience representatives have been touting the direct involvement of members of the Giancana, Spilotro, Siegel, Lansky and Al Sachs families who have sold their collections and signed on as paid spokespeople and consultants. Both sides keep claiming not to be in competition with the other, which is sort of like the Celtics and Lakers claiming they're just working out on opposite ends of the court. Like anything else connected to the history and culture of organized crime, it'll be fun to watch.
Tempest Storm, Dixie Evans, Mayor Oscar Goodman, Holly Madison and reigning Miss Exotic World and Las Vegas resident Kalani Kokonuts during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum Grand Opening at Emergency Arts on East Fremont Street on June 4, 2010.
Storm aftermath
A few questions, with answers, regarding Tempest Storm's fall Friday night at the Plaza during the 20th Annual Burlesque Hall of Fame reunion show. I spoke with the 82-year-old burlesque legend Monday morning, as she was recovering from having surgery Sunday where pins were inserted in her left hip:
Does Storm plan to return to the stage: "Yes," she said. "There is no question. I'm already planning my big comeback."
Does she have medical insurance? Yes, Medicaid and Medicare.
Has she ever fallen onstage before? "Never. In fact, I've never fallen, ever. Even as a kid."
Does she think this will lead officials to take a second look at staging the reunion show, where many of the performers are in their 70s and 80s? "No, I doubt that. We all have to be insured to perform."
What's next for Storm? She's involved in a production show titled, "Burlesque Cruise," scheduled to be a resident show for the cruise company Holland America Line. She's also writing her second autobiography, "Queen of Burlesque," a follow-up to her first such literary effort, "Tempest Storm: The Lady is a Vamp," released in 1987. As she says, "Now I have a new chapter."
Mayor Oscar Goodman, center, and the Pawn Stars cast.
Trade show
On Monday night, "Pawn Stars" launched its third season on the History Channel. This is the reality-based program centered on the guys at Gold & Silver Pawn on Las Vegas Boulevard just north of Charleston Boulevard. Through its first two seasons the show has become a stunning hit for the network as the highest-rated such show on advertising-supported cable TV.
In Monday's episode, we saw none other than Cornell Gunter's Coasters frontman Charlie Duncan attempting to pawn an old wooden prosthetic leg — a peg leg, if you will. Duncan is a longtime friend of Richard "Old Man" Harrison and Rick "Spotter" Harrison. Several weeks ago he said that his continued prodding of the Harrisons finally led them to include him in an episode. The way it played out, however, was that Rick and Charlie had not met, with Charlie telling Rick something Rick already knew — that Charlie was indeed a member of the Coasters.
No matter. Charlie tried to pawn the old leg, which dated to the Civil War, for $7,500. Not bloody likely — it had just been appraised for $1,000. "How about $5,500?" Charlie asked, defiantly. "How about $500?" was Rick's response. No deal. But they should make Charlie a recurring character, because he is ... a recurring character.
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.
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