Thursday, Dec. 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
LOCALS and tourists alike were packed like sardines -- make that crawfish -- for the opening of the Orleans hotel-casino.
The doors to the $173 million resort at Tropicana Avenue and Arville Street swung open at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and within two hours there was hardly a parking space to be had or an unattended video poker machine to be played.
Security guards estimated there were more than 15,000 people in the casino area by 9 p.m. Even if that was a high estimate, the place was more crowded than the real French Quarter during Mardi Gras.
And many people seemed to be winning, adding a little truth to the legend that slot machines are loosened up a bit on opening night to bring in more business.
The legend goes back to 1946, when Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel reportedly suffered huge losses the night he opened the Flamingo.
"If you walk around, you see all the jackpots being paid," said Bonnie Inman of Las Vegas. "I've never seen so many royals on video poker machines. You see all the lights on top of the machines going off -- all except the one I'm playing."
The biggest winner of all Wednesday night seemed to be Michael Gaughan, president of Coast Resorts, who along with major shareholders Tito Tiberti, Jerry Herbst and Frank Toti, gambled $173 million that the Orleans would be a success.
"There are just too many people here," said 21-year-old Jose Martin, who was seated at the Crawfish Bar. "It takes 20 minutes to get a beer."
While Martin waited for his next drink, he and his friends took in the scenery -- including cocktail waitresses wearing black nylon stockings and trussed bustiers.
"Whoever designed those outfits knew what they were doing," Martin said with a smile.
Sitting next to Martin was 24-year-old Troy Lucarelli, who was one of the thousands of people who built the Orleans.
"This is a well-built place, believe me," Lucarelli said. "And it was one heck of a job."
An onlooker gazing across the rows of clanging slot machines and packed 21 and baccarat tables would find it hard to believe that only weeks ago there were five-gallon buckets of paint and work benches throughout the casino.
Few of those seated at the gaming tables took their eyes off the cards or the dice long enough to gaze up at the Bourbon Street-style facade a full five stories above the casino area.
And even fewer left the casino area to stroll along the second floor and peruse the wedding chapel wall scones, the convention area chandeliers, and the elaborate mill work and trim.
But then, the major shareholders of Coast Resorts surely prefer it that way.
Even the card room was packed.
"Obviously, I'm very happy with the whole situation," said David Hricsina, poker room manager. "Just look around. The room is overflowing."
Jocelyn Treadwell, a Reno poker tournament coordinator, said she thinks the Orleans card room will do very well.
"It has lots of room, and it's very professional," Treadwell said. "The floor supervisors can't smoke cigarettes while they're on the floor and they wear coats and ties."
About the only room at the Orleans that wasn't packed Wednesday night was the Branson Theatre.
That's because the showroom doesn't open until Christmas Day.
"It's going to be a great show," said Rex Allen Jr., the Nashville Network "Yesteryears" star who will headline at the Orleans.
Allen explained that his 90-minute show will be a tribute to the growth of country-western music.
"There will be a tribute to the singing cowboys like Tex Ritter, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers," Allen said. "After all, there wouldn't be any country-western without them. They used to sing in their movies in the '30s and '40s and they also gave us the first music videos."
Although the country-western show will start at 7:30 p.m., the doors to the Branson Theatre will open an hour earlier. And before each live show, a black-and-white early cowboy film will be shown on screens over the showroom stage.
But is a country-western show appropriate for a New Orleans-styled resort?
"I've been asked that question before," Allen said with a smile. "And my response is always the same: What does 'EFX' have to do with the MGM Grand? Why is 'Mystere' performed at a resort called Treasure Island?"
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