Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, and Welcome to Life is a gamble. My
guest today is known as Cowboy Buzz. But before we
get into that, I just want to say you can
always reach me at Life is a gamblepod at gmail
dot com or find me on Twitter at RWM twenty one.
I always appreciate hearing feedback or ideas for interesting guests
and things like that. So our guest today, as I mentioned,
is Cowboy Buzz, and cowboys are usually thought of as
being from the Southwest, and Buzz is from the southwest
side of Chicago. Buzz, Welcome to Life is a gamble.
Speaker 2: Well, great to be Richard, I really appreciate it. I
hope I can give you some good life stories here.
But before I start, just so you know, all the
stories I'm going to be telling today are true and
accurate to a fact. I know you have a lot
of integrity on your podcast. However, my stories are kind
of in the vein of the legendary whyat irked You
remember him, the guns in the law man, of course,
so he spent most of his life telling a story
about what really happened at the Old K Corral. He
told it over and over and over millions of times.
So one day a reporter interviewed him. He said, mister ir,
how did you deal with having to tell the same
story over and over and over? He goes, well, Son,
I just told him the way it was, and then
I finished with this exact statement and I quote, and
that's exactly the way it happened. Give or take a
liar too.
Speaker 1: Right, right, Well, you have had quite an unusual life,
which is why I wanted to have you on. But
let's start with how you got how and when you
got from Cicero to Las Vegas.
Speaker 2: Okay, So I grew up outside Chicago, Cicero.
Speaker 1: My father was.
Speaker 2: Very, very well known. He was one of the largest
vending machine operators in Chicago. You know, read through the
lines on that one. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: The vending machine business in Chicago was very much like
the trash hauling business in New Jersey.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, that's a good analogy, I guess.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Anyway, I was a pretty good athlete in high school.
I played baseball. Was very fortunate. I was offered a
scholarship at Southern Illinois and at LSU. But my dad's
dream was for me to go to the Southwest, where
we vacation and go to Arizona State and play baseball there.
So I turned down the two scholarships to walk on
at Arizona State. This would be in nineteen seventy, and
I got very fortunate. I got there the first day
and there were twelve other catchers trying out.
Speaker 1: Twelve. Wow, I was the.
Speaker 2: Only one from the Midwest. And I thought to myself, Buzz,
what did you do? Make a long story short, I
made the team I started. I played there for two years,
and after the sophomore year, they were gonna select the
varsity team, which meant if you got selected for ASU's
varsity team they had just won the national championship in
sixty five, sixty seven, sixty nine. Now it's nineteen seventy,
you're going to sign the pro contract. Well, at the
end of the sophomore year, they do this evaluation and
if you're not gonna make the varsity, they offer to
send you to almost anywhere in the country you want
to go play baseball, with the exception of their art
tribal you know, sc in Arizona and Texas Flora Flora.
You can't go there, but anywhere else. And I made
the determination. I took a shot. I was really good,
but I didn't make it. On my freshman team, there
were twenty three players. Twenty two of the twenty three
made it to the major leagues.
Speaker 1: That's how. Yeah, I was the only one who didn't.
Speaker 2: So I was a little bunned out and I figured, well,
a new path and I said, you know what, screw
might really did. My thing here baseball was I'm going
to transfer to UNLV, get into the hotel administration school,
and just start over in Vegas.
Speaker 1: Now was part of that because your dad said, hey,
I know people in Vegas and can get you a
job when you're there.
Speaker 2: Or never once said anything until twenty years later, I'm
going to tell that story. But he never pushed me,
he never guided me. And here's how it really works.
So I was a lifeguard and one of the most
exclusive resorts in Arizona right behind Camelback Mountains called Mountain Shadows,
and Dell Webb owned it with a bunch of other properties,
and we had was a lifeguard there for a year
and a half during my college days, and they had
this program where you could transfer to any other Dell
web property and get a job. So I went to
the guy, and they got me a job as at
the Mint Hotel, the old Mint, as a casino cage cashier.
So you know, when I go to move up there,
I got a job already. Basically I moved up there.
I was a Sigma chi at Arizona State and they
had a big Sigma Chai chapter at UNLB, so I
met a few frattorney brothers. But so now I'm going
to work at the Mint and learning how to you know,
cast people out. I got really good with my hands
with checks, which we'll lead to dealing craps later on.
But they had all kinds of rules they ever have
cell phones, you know, one of the rules you can't
take a personal call unless it's you know, a deathly emergency.
So I was only there about three months and the
cage manager, her name was Rusty, just just a pit.
She comes up to me and she goes, Buss, you
got a personal phone call? And I go, Russie, what
is this like a test, because you know I can't
take personal phone calls. She goes, you'll take this one.
I go okay. So she hands me the phone and
there's a guy on the other end and goes, hey,
buzz yeah, this is Russ Dazio at the Stardust Hotel
and Casino. I go, great, mister Dashio, what can I
do for He goes, well, we kind of heard about
you and we would lock for you to come down
and work with us here at the start us and
everybody can hear what's going on, and everyone's like, oh,
I'm going, uh, well, sure, i'd really like that. I go,
you know, I'll talk to my manager Rusty here, I'll
give her my two weeks rest resignation notice, and I'll
be right down.
Speaker 1: It'd be great. He goes.
Speaker 2: Yeah. He goes, it doesn't really work that way, Buzz.
We need you down here tomorrow at New. He goes,
you gotta suit right like gray black, something conservative? Right conservative?
I go, yes, sir, I got all that. He goes
for your conservative tie on your coat and be down
here at about five to new and he goes, and
don't worry about Rusty. She's gonna understand. I'm going, okay,
So everything's all set to go. I hang up the
phone and the Caja employees start applotting. They and I'm going, okay,
because you know, I'm twenty one years old. I don't
you know that much yet. So Rushy comes up and
he she goes, wow, who's your juice? And I had
no clue what she was talking about. I go, juice,
what do you mean juice? She goes, who's your juice?
Speaker 1: Who do you know? I go, well, I don't really
know anybody.
Speaker 2: I know you. She goes, no, you know somebody, you
just don't know who it is, and you better find
out who that is. The starterist hotel doesn't call them
mint and invite someone to go to work for him
doesn't have so I'm off to the starter So I
put my suit on. I walked into the dice pit
and there's mister Russ Dass you go, oh, boss Buzz,
come on in, and he goes, just give us a
couple of minutes. Here, we got something going on. This
is the shift boss, Bernie Purlow was his name. He goes,
how are you doing? And he goes, we got some
stuff going on, and mister Dazio disappears. I didn't see
him for another two hours. So now I'm standing next
to who turns out to be the shift boss, and
he looks at me and goes, okay, I want you
to stand right there. Keep your face forward, keep your
mouth shut, don't answer any questions, don't talk to nobody.
Just stand still. I'll be with you in a few minutes.
I'm going, okay, now, keep in eyeing. I don't even
know what the job is. I don't know what I'm
I pay a heel so anyway, so I'm standing there,
and luckily for me, being an athlete, I have a
pretty good periphial vision. So down the pit there's this
guy walking down, big tall guy, six, beautiful, magnificent suit on,
and he's saying hi to almost everybody. Dealers, the patrons,
all the floor men. Every one of them is shaking
this guy's hand. I'm going, okay, I don't know this
guy is, but he's somebody. So he comes up to
the dish and not standing at the main desk, and
right next to the main desk is a little podium
that maybe one or two people could stand at. So
this guy walks up, and the shift boss walks over
and the guy's going, uh, Bernie, how you doing. I'm
saying you, well, how's your wife feeling, how's the kids?
How are the grandkids? And when that's all done, he
kind of stops from right in the Mill looks at
me and goes, who's the kid, and he goes, oh, yeah,
it's his first day. Phil Diogardi brought him in. His
family's from Cicero. He goes, oh, who's this sponsor. He
goes Louis Sileerno. He goes, oh, well, Louis from Melrose Park.
That's right next to cit that'll get along great. He
turns around, he looks at me and he goes, hey, kid,
first day.
Speaker 1: And I said yes, sir.
Speaker 2: He goes, well, I want you to keep your eyes
open and your ears open and your mouth shut, and
I want you to listen to these guys right here.
You might learn something. And I looked him right in
the eye and I said, yes, sir, I can do that.
He gives me this staring look, and all of a
sudden he breaks into a chuckle and he goes, kid,
I think you're gonna be okay. And that's the first
time I met Frank left the Rosen thought.
Speaker 1: So now he.
Speaker 2: Goes back to business and he leaves the pit, and
Bernie Purlow, the shift boss, comes up and stands next
to me and he goes, kid.
Speaker 1: You did really good.
Speaker 2: He goes, but get ready Frank nicknamed you himself. Now
the whole joint's going to be calling you the kid.
And that's exactly what happened. In fact, for the time
I was there, I don't think that many people even
knew my name because they would just call me the
kid because I was the youngest guy in the pit
at age twenty one. So that's how it kind of started.
Speaker 1: I'll get back to what was your job? Your job
was pit boss?
Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, I had no idea. So so
finally this Dazzio guy comes back, you know, because the
shift boss is Busyders, you know, Shrine. So I go okay.
So mister Dazzer goes, you can call me Russ. Actually
you can call me the Duke. That's my name, the Duke.
I go, okay, Duke, What am I going to be doing?
And he goes, well, you're gonna be in charge of
credit on the casino.
Speaker 1: Floor, and I freeze. I don't know any think about credit?
What are you talking about?
Speaker 2: You'll say, ah, I don't.
Speaker 1: Worry about it. We're gonna teach everything.
Speaker 2: It's not really that hard. You's gotta enter a figure
here and a figure there, no problem. So really, what
the job was is when someone wanted a marker, want
a credit, uh to verify it. They would call from
the twenty one pitter the bakrock to table and I
would answer the phone and they say, kid, mister g
wants two grands. So I'd look them up and everything
was in pencil in a notebook. There were no computers
at that time. It's all in a notebook. So you
marked down two grand. Now he's got eight grand. Company
had a ten grand line. So that's what I kind
of did all day long. I was the guy who
approved the markets.
Speaker 1: And it seems like.
Speaker 2: A real simple thing, right, hard to get into a
jackpot as they would call it, you know, a stress situation.
As time went on, they started grooming you and teaching
you all the different things. Well, here's what the job
really morphed to. Not only were you handling the credit,
but here's what would happen, maybe not on a daily basis,
but every other day, sometimes twice a day. So they
recalled buys mister gez here and I go, okay, he's
got a fifteen thousand dollars line and he wants fourth out,
Go ahead and give.
Speaker 1: It to him. He's good night.
Speaker 2: You know, tell him you just got here. Don't let
him speak, you know, I mean, play too fast too early.
A couple hours later, mister G wants another four k.
He can can't he can have it, and I was
at half his limit. You know, he's only been here
two hours. Okay, Now I calls back and I go, man,
you got to stop this guy from speeding.
Speaker 1: You know he's obsessed. You know it's mister G.
Speaker 2: You know, mister G is. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't,
didn't matter. I can only give him what I could
give him. So now I get to his limit and
here comes to call. Mister G wants another four grand,
which would make it nineteen grand, and he has a
fifteen thousand dollars line. So I got to tell him, no, no,
he can't have it. He's at his limit. That that's
all we're gonna.
Speaker 1: Do right now today.
Speaker 2: And he goes, you do know this is mister G. Right,
I go, yeah, it doesn't really matter who it is.
I can't give him money that that isn't there to give.
He goes, okay, get ready. So about thirty seconds later,
here's some guy screaming down in the twenty one pit.
Speaker 1: Yeah, do you know what.
Speaker 2: Sure, Now if here comes mister G. Like I said,
this would happen all the time, every week, not with
one guy, but a lot of different guys. So here
he comes storming down the pit to the dice pit,
which is the headquarters for the cause. And he's not
looking for me. He's looking for the oldest looking guy
in charge, the shift boss.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 2: So he finds them and it's not quite upset yet,
and so he starts to talk to the shift boss
about his credit line and bitcher, they love this, they
look forward to this. To the shift boss, this look
like entertainment to that because he would stop him dead.
And they're trying to go whoa, whoa, whoa, Wait a minute,
I'm a shift boss, I run all the game. I
got nothing to do with credit. You got to go
over there. You gotta go over there and talk to
the kid. And he's pointing at me twenty one years old,
that that kid, I gotta talk to him. So here
comes mister G. You little amm ab, who do you
think you I'm And you're not thinking I'm good for them,
And they would just rant and ran. So part of
the job was letting him rant. And then then finally
it stop him. Now, keep in mind, as he's ranting
at me, he's also looking over my shoulder just a
little bit, because standing about six seven paces behind me
is buster Buster is about six' four six foot, five
one of the largest cut black Men i've ever seen
in my life in a start as security uniform. Packet
he's standing behind. Me so it's never really gonna get
out of. Control but sooner or LATER i hadn't, said,
look mister G i know you're a little upset right.
Now but here's the. Thing you, know we told you
not to, speed you kind of did.
Speaker 1: It.
Speaker 2: Anyway we're not going to give any more money here.
Tonight but if you want to go see the, Show
i'll put you in the front. Row you want dinner
At Moby, dick stay, whatever you want to go see
the lounge show, Over i'll put you up for. You
you want to BROAD i can help you out with.
That but we're not gonna give you any more money.
Tonight so what the job really became was part of
the job was cooling down the people that were at
their limit who wanted more money because they didn't want
to deal with all that because there's nothing you can
either do it or.
Speaker 1: NOT i, mean you know WHAT i.
Speaker 2: Mean and if you couldn't do, it you couldn't do.
It but they appreciated you handling that. Heat so there
was no scene in the casino that they had to
be part. Of and that was kind of one of
the real challenging parts of. It AND i got to
tell you my whole experience.
Speaker 1: There these.
Speaker 2: Guys you've heard a lot about these guys and the
mob and all that, stuff but literally they were. Geniuses
they really. Were they were so good at taking care
of people because back then room, food boot, booze it
was all. Cocked wanted you at the, table, period, cigarette,
cigar whatever you. Want you gotta put your time in
at the, table.
Speaker 3: Right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, actually now that you say, THAT i remember they
used to have cigarettes on the table in some.
Speaker 3: Place.
Speaker 1: Yeah you just ask them for a pack of whatever
you smoked and they would just give you. Back. Yeah,
Yeah SO i GOTTA i gotta tell you a brief.
Story SO i moved To vegas in seventy seven AND
i got a job breaking in, blackjack dealing blackjacket the golden,
Nugget and you, KNOW i learned like you people were
LIKE i would, say, man how do you get to
a job on the, Strip and they would, say you
got to have? Juice and like, YOU i was, like what's?
Juice you? Know and uh and and you learn right
that it's your connections and all. That and and one
DAY i Was i'd been dealing about eight nine, months
AND i had this regular older woman who would come
in and play with me all the. Time and she
says to, me how come you're not dealing on the,
Strip AND i, SAID i don't have. Juice you. Know
everybody tells me you got to have, juice AND i
don't have. Any and she looks at me Like i'm an,
idiot and she, goes your father's a lawyer In, chicago
and you think you don't have any? Juice and like
the thought had never occurred to. Me AND i called
my dad AND i was, like, hey you, know would
you talk to your friends and see if any of
them know anybody that can get me a job on the.
Strip he calls me back the next day and he, goes,
yeah go see this Guy Frank rosenthal at the. Startest
AND i had been in, town you, know eight nine.
Months by that POINT i KNEW i did not want
to go work at the Startest SO i, said you know,
What i'll. Pass i'll work on finding my own. Job so,
YEAH i didn't, go AND i kind of WISH i,
had just Because i'm sure the stories would have been
amazing about, this because you, know that was like nineteen seventy.
EIGHT i remember when his car blew. Up but, now
what years were? You how long did you stay there
at The?
Speaker 2: Stardust, okay SO i was there from nineteen seventy three
to nineteen eighty, one but intermittently because And i'll get
to the, story because they sent me to The Sundown
west to breaking in twenty ein. Blackjack then they sent
me to The fremont to break into. CRAFTS i actually
dealt baccarat at The, starts so they were Sending SO
i wasn't at The start the whole, time but pretty
much if three years in a row and then maybe
every other, YEAR i came back to deal crafts way later.
On that's a different. Story but back to their. Genius oh, yeah, yeah,
yeah let me tell you how they built their gambling.
Speaker 1: Database it was.
Speaker 2: Genius So i'll take mister g fifteen thousand dollars line
and he's over by three grand or. Whatever so before he,
leaves you, know we have a little set down with.
Him it was actually a stand up in the dice.
Bit but, okay mister, JAY i see your three thousand
over your. Limit don't worry about. Nothing just pay off the.
Markers we'll send another plane back and we'll do it
all over. Again i'll tell you. What you know that
extra three, granules don't worry about. That we're not gonna collect.
That just just just pass the fifteen. Thousand that'll be.
Good just you, know are kind of good wishes to, you,
right and the guy, goes of, course he, goes, yeah well,
THANKS i really appreciate. That and they, go oh, yeah
one other. Thing so let me send the plane out for.
Speaker 1: You next.
Speaker 2: Time you got to bring a friend with. You he's
got to have your same credit your same credit. LINE
i don't care if it's your, brother brother in law and,
neighbor it doesn't. Matter but you got to bring somebody with. You,
sure and we'll comp. Everything so now that guy comes back,
in mister G now he is shilling off to his
brother in. Law, right come, Up, oh you got to
meet the. Kid you got to meet the, kid you got,
oh you can get you whatever you.
Speaker 3: Want.
Speaker 2: Yeah so same thing happens To, bobby and we Bring bobby. Aside,
okay but we're gonna forgive this twenty five. Hundreds, uh
but next time you, come you got to come to
someone else and someone different than mister. G you all
can come, together but you gotta have somebody With and
that's how they built their. Database not only did that
assure good credit and, collection but they were also targeting,
uh specific areas Like, Chicago Kansas city where the people
that were coming from those places they were not a
risk of any, kind you know What i'm. Saying and
they had, money they were most of them were business. Owners,
yeah that's how they built their. Database you imagine how
that multiplies over. Time they, were they, were they were.
Speaker 3: Geniuses and now the other thing, is so those years
that you were there for everybody who's seen the Movie,
casino those were also the years Of Tony, spilatro who
was getting his fingers into the stardust and causing some.
Speaker 1: Problems so did you have any run ins with?
Speaker 2: HIM i know this is maybe hard to, believe BUT
i never saw, HIM i never met. HIM i cannot remember.
Him being in the casino WHEN i was there, anyway
AND i worked really SO i worked all three shifts
throughout the. Week now there were, rumors they were probably,
true that he used to go back in the poker
room and he had a poker gang and they, would you,
know rip off the. Tourists you, know they ain't going
to be that. Game so there was, That but actually
have a conversation or seeing, THEM i ONLY i take it.
BACK i saw him one time at a social, function
but it was from forty yards. Away yeah you know
WHAT i. Mean but so my recollection from WHAT i
in the, movie they had him running everything and, YEAH i.
DIDN'T i didn't see that. Happening ye, left he was
running everything every day Period and what kind of guy was?
HE i, mean did you spend much time talking to
him or interacting with? Him and what kind of guy was?
He after a, WHILE i guess he kind of liked
me because one day he might have Been yeah it
Was Bernie pearlov. Again on day. Shift he, Goes, Bernie
i'm going to take the kid with me for a
couple hours and he, Goes, OKAY i didn't know what that.
Meant so what that really meant WAS i would walk
behind him about five paces and we'd walk through the
casino and all, day law not all, day for the
two or three hours a. Day SOMETIMES i would do.
This he would, say, kid go get me that, kid
go get me that. Report, kid let me know What
tommy up on phone number four said about The creton.
Speaker 1: Game that's SO i was like his gopher.
Speaker 2: Then SO i got to know him pretty. Good he
was a. Genius he. Was it's so smart it was.
Unbelievable and compared to the, MOVIE i would say he
was way more in control of his. Emotions he could get,
emotional no doubt about, it but not like most of
the rest of the pit, bosses who could go off
any second for any reason for, hours like, Huh frank wasn't.
Speaker 1: Like that's exactly WHY i didn't want to go work,
there because they had that.
Speaker 2: REPUTATION i mean one of the bosses' nickname was Little.
HITLER i, mean come. On so then one DAY i
only did this one about three different, times but he,
said he, said can't. Coming we're going on. Tour so
what that meant was we all into all these. Properties
we had the, startist we had The. HACIENDA i think
we had a secret interest in The tropicana because we
would go. There then you had the Old sundance In.
FITZGERALD'S i think that's the d.
Speaker 3: Now, yeah the D, YEAH i Mean sundance In fitzgerald's
was the same.
Speaker 1: Place they just changed. Names.
Speaker 2: Now The Sundance west was the old carousel across the
street from The fremont. There, anyway it was very small
casino used to be called The, carousel and right next
to the carousel what they call the jam. AUCTIONS i
don't know if you remember. Them, No, yeah that's a
whole different. Story, anyway we would go and do the
same THING i was doing for him at The, starts
but at The. Hacienda SO i got to know like
pretty much everybody in the, family being his. Gopher and
then at one point in time he, said you, know
you got to learn how to. Deal he, goes you
ain't going to go. Nowhere you got to deal all the.
Games so then they sent me to The, sundance send
me The fremont to learn all the. Games and that
was my road kind of into being a boss, basically so.
Speaker 1: To kind of.
Speaker 2: Continue that because that came on En i'll get there in.
Second AFTER i learned the, DEAL i came back to
the Start us And dell craps because if they knew
IF i could handle the game at The startus because big.
CRAP i, mean you had to be. Good if you
could handle the game, there you're good.
Speaker 1: To, go.
Speaker 2: Basically and then SO i was actually dealing craps and my,
Sponsor Luis, lerno he, goes kids are lucky. Day we're
gonna take you out of. Here we're gonna send you
down to a place Called Foxy's.
Speaker 1: Firehouse oh, yeah cross from The.
Speaker 2: Sahara, yeah So i'm twenty four years old now, RIGHT i, go, okay,
yeah what do you want me to do? There he,
Goes you're going to be graveyard shift?
Speaker 1: Boss?
Speaker 2: Was he, goes?
Speaker 1: Yeah did they even have table games at that?
Speaker 2: Time at that time they had nine blackjack, tables one crap.
Table they had a poker room with one. Table they
had keno in probably four or five hundred, slots so
they had pretty much all all the. Games and so
the other partners they probably had major interests were two
guys Named Earl wilson And Mel. Wolzina sure you heard those?
Names Earl wilson's name is on top of the stadium AT.
Unlv they Owned United Coin company back when you had
to use tokens for the, machine And Noel wolsinger became
the majority stockholder at The Golden. Nugget so that's WHO
i was working. FOR i, mean you talked about connected
and they were all, great and, really you, know you
hear about all the emotions of all the bosses and all.
That in, reality the vast majority of these guys were
pretty good. Guys they were classy, guys well, dressed well.
Spoken they weren't the the. BRUNOS i, mean they really
weren't like. That they were. Classy you.
Speaker 1: Know you, know, now were you when you first started
at the? Starters was this still the era when they
would whack people? Out in other, words bring in a
dealer to cheap players that were winning too?
Speaker 2: Much okay to my knowledge, now they they would change.
Dealers you, Know, NO i don't. KNOW i.
Speaker 1: WASN'T i wasn't one of those.
Speaker 2: Dealers, yeah SO i don't really recall. That they could
have been probably did do, that and you wouldn't, know
it's just another dealer coming. In but they weren't talking about,
it especially to. Me you, know the youngest kid in the,
pit and what does the kid you even know about?
That you, Know, yeah WELL i didn't really see, that
AND i DIDN'T i didn't know about them taking anybody
in the back room and breaking their. Knuckles it could have.
HAPPENED i personally didn't see any of. That and they
didn't really talk about. That there was no pride in.
That if they did it to these, guys they just
didn't talk about.
Speaker 1: It and none of.
Speaker 2: That you, know you learn first thing about what you
want to know and what you want to don't. Know, Right, no,
seriously you have to be. Careful you, know you say
the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong,
time in the wrong, situation you might lose more than
just your.
Speaker 1: Job.
Speaker 2: Dude, yes so you got very smart at reading, people
so you didn't find yourself and what they called the.
Jackpot so there's a, great great learning experience and they
and they knew you were young and they were bringing you. Along,
well Here i'll give you this is a good. Story in,
FACT i got the way out on my bedroom. Wall
So i'm gonna charge of. Credit and we have this
guy From, Texas Dallas. Texas name Is Bob. McLean never
forget him any one hundred thousand dollars credit. Line, okay
so we're at that's as big as you get at that.
Speaker 1: Time that was just like the seventy.
Speaker 2: To, me it's seventy three or early seventy. Four wow, yeah, Wow.
Okay so, anyway this guy starts playing crabs and he's
down NINETY. K i thought he was actually down one
HUNDRED k BECAUSE i forgot to make an. Entry so
he's at his, limit, Right, Yeah So foeman comes, over
he goes he wants another ten, thousand SO i thought
he was at, ninety SO i, go, yeah.
Speaker 1: Give it to, Him.
Speaker 2: Richard this guy takes the ten grand and rolls it
up to a little over nine nine hundred. Thousand you
are a statistical mathematical. Genius at the, time you could
only bet five hundred dollars a, number five hundred on the,
line one thousand on the. Back now they let him
go five thousand on the back five, times not like
today would go ten or. Twenty but just think of
those increments and how to get ten thousand to a. Million,
yeah he was at the table for thirty one. Hours
they kept bringing him food and. Everything SO i go.
Home BEFORE i go, Home frank shows up and they're
talking to, him AND i hear him say from the little.
Podium he, goes, well who gave him the? Money and
this Ship westler's right at. Me he goes the kid And,
frank And frank turns and looks at me and gives
me this look and just starts shaking his head back and.
Forth but he didn't say a. Word very. Unusual you.
Know they were, GOING i watch, This he's gonna but
he didn't say a. Word SO i go. HOME i
didn't sleep all. NIGHT i got to double back to
do the day shift BECAUSE i left at four in the.
Morning this is at the end of the. Swing, shit
So i'm coming back at. Noon so NOW i didn't
sleep at. All i'm, Wondering, okay what's gonna? Happen SO
i walk in the end of the twenty one AND
i can see that the guy still rolling. Dice, Man
i'm going, on he probably owns the joint right. Now
so coming by me was one of the old. DUDES
i think it was from The Purple. Game you can
look him. Up his name Is Milton. Jaffey probably was
part owners some, way somehow out OF i believe it Was.
Detroit an old, guy he's probably eighty years. Old they
called him The magician because he could do all these
things with his.
Speaker 1: Hand he was a.
Speaker 2: Crow so, anyway he comes up and Dream he, goes, hey,
kid how'd you. GOING i haven't seen you a. WHILE i, go,
well Mister, jeffy, Honestly i'm not doing so. GOOD i
didn't sleep all. Night you, go, oh, OKAY i, go,
WELL i see MISTER g is still over there rolling.
Dice you, know he had me for almost a million
dollars last. Night and he looks over there and, goes
you mean that. GUY i, go, yeah MISTER. G he, goes,
oh that. Guy we got the million back and he's
into us for two hundred thousand. Now AND i was
so relieved, because you, KNOW i, said you know they're firing.
You you, know they just forgot last. Night, anyway so
he looks at me and he, goes so what did
you learn here?
Speaker 1: Today?
Speaker 2: Kid because they loved and TEACH i. FROZE i didn't
know what to. SAY i said something, dumb like you
just got to keep a positive, attitude and he, goes,
no that's not what you learn here? Today here's what
you learned, today and he sticks his finger right in
my face and, goes don't sweat the, money just keep
me at the.
Speaker 3: Table wow, wow because, there you, know the reputation was
that they sweated the money like crazy there at.
Speaker 2: Least but he told me and then he finished because
this happened too many a lot with the chuckle, GOING
i think you're gonna be, okay, Kid, WOW i got
Another milton Jeff daphne story like this one. Unrelated but
so he comes up to me in the pit and
he's got this string in his hand about a foot.
Long then he takes with his right, hand he takes
a string and he puts a knot in it with one.
Hand then he puts the rope into the little string
into his left, hand and he ties another knot in
it with one, hand and then he puts a third
one in.
Speaker 3: It.
Speaker 2: Right so he does all this stuff with his hands
in proof that baby is. Gone you, know no, Clue he,
goes so where do you think it? WENT i, have Mister,
JEFFY i had no. Idea he, goes, well what did
you learn here? Today AND i, GO i guess that
the eye the hand is quicker than the.
Speaker 1: Eye he, goes, good he, goes what else did you?
Speaker 2: Learn AND i go he, goes here's what else you.
Learned don't let people get too close to. YOU i
didn't know what that. Meant he, goes reach into your
right hand suit.
Speaker 1: Pocket SO i did guess what was in?
Speaker 2: There the? Stream, yeah he, goes someone nudges, you bumps.
You you immediately go to your pockets for your. Cash
immediately he goes that, Way you're not gonna ever get.
Ticked don't let people get that closed. On we don't
do the hugging. Thing so you're teaching me how to not.
Pickpocket so that's How that's how these guys really. Were
SO i just had the the greatest experience with those
guys and the way it, is it was a pretty good.
Story so my father was in the restaurant. Business BENDING
i had the dream of having An italian restaurant In Las.
Speaker 1: Vegas of all Police so, wait, Wait i'm, sorry your
father had An italian restaurant In Las.
Speaker 2: Vegas he had, restaurants cafeterias inside of these big industrial
complexes mostly that made stuff for the, military bombs and all,
That and he would have restaurants inside those, places. Cafeterias,
yeah he. Had he Made italian, sausage he had his
own sausage company's Own Jarden air, Company. Pepper's, yeah he
had a lot of.
Speaker 1: Stuff but did you say he had a restaurant In? Vegas?
NO i wanted, To oh you want, okay.
Speaker 2: OKAY i wanted to follow his swit. Set so anyway that.
HAPPENED i hooked up with a couple fraternity brothers and
we're gonna put this thing together called The Untouchable Sound.
Shop and keep the. Brief it was a salmon shop
and each sandus was the name of the, game The Frank,
Nady italian sat Al, Capone italian Beach, Leg's diamond cornbe you.
Know and then we delivered all Those So i'm at
the start us back and this is after A. FOXES
i went back AND i actually Deult crafts for a little,
bit and they promised me we have something else, coming
meaning in the, stardust you know WHAT i. Mean so
Now i'm gonna quit to open up the. Restaurant, well
you just don't. Quit you got to go to the
casino manager about who at the time Was Bobby stella
the same timeframe as what was the comedian who played
him in the.
Speaker 1: Movie Don.
Speaker 2: Rickles. Yeah so SO i went to Mister stella AND
i explained the situation and he starts taking it and he, goes.
Chit he, goes, Wow i'm really kind of. Surprised he,
goes you, know we invested a lot of time and
money in, you and now you're telling us you want
to go do the restaurant. THING i know your dad's
in the. RESTAURANT i get. It he, Goes if you
really have your heart set on, that go ahead and do.
It you have our Blessed you don't have to, worry
feel guilty or. Nothing something goes. Wrong you, know it's
a tough business. Restaurant you can always come back here
and work for, us but you can't be a boss.
AGAIN i go. Okay he, goes oh, yeah and one other.
Thing we're gonna support. You but the cops money is no.
Good And i'm looking at what. Huh, yeah the cops
money is no. Good so when they come, in you.
Come that's how we do. It so that's the only
FAVOR i. Wanted you don't worry about. It we'll set
all kinds of people down. There so NOW i got
to go back to my partners that, go we get
we're caving the cops, boys and't it anyway to make
a long story short on that when it is the
best thing that ever. Happened we were open twenty four,
hours high density. Thing where was the Shot it was
on just one block Off Maryland parkway on twin and
right behind it were something crazy like twenty thousand. Apartments
yeah that's right WHERE i. Lived, yeah, yeah that's. So you,
know they would call in and order and we would. Deliver,
now the delivery boys.
Speaker 1: Had a hat what do you call? It fedora?
Speaker 2: Hat and they had a real, lightweight short trench coat
on and they carried a violin case and inside the
violin case were the.
Speaker 1: Sandwiches that's.
Speaker 2: Funny so when they went up to the, door they'd. Open,
now you, know the biggest PROBLEM i had was getting
the delivery boys back because they were all getting it
down with the. Girls i'm telling you it was hard
to get him. Back but they made a. Fortune, yeah
and they. Did they came. In we had a cop
card a lot at all. Times we never because it
got out real. Fast oh, yeah the cops worked there
and the Start us owned, it so nobody messed with. Us,
yeah you, know it's kind of, like you know at
that time to Start ust, opinions you just didn't get
out all, night right he. Did in, fact this is
a little, Gruesome But i'll tell you a quick story
because EARLIER i SAID i didn't see anybody getting beat
up or. Anything but so When I'm i'm breaking in
crafts at The Fremont, graveyard get off at, noon and
every DAY i would go right across the street To
Bidion's horseshoe because they had the main bar and it
was fifty cent. Drains they had no slots on the
bars back, then you. Know so you, KNOW i was
there for a little over a. YEAR i got to
know the, Bartender, luise who wound up staying there forty
two years or.
Speaker 1: Something got to know him real.
Speaker 2: Well and it's right ACROSS i mean it's eight feet
from the, crab it's from the dice, pit And louis
points over at the you, know something's going, down AND
i look over. There you Got Jack, binyon a guy
who's probably the shift boss and probably the casino, manager
and they're hawking this. Game SO i kind of stood
up to look at the, game and it ain't that
big a. Deal it's, like what are you looking?
Speaker 3: At?
Speaker 1: Man you know WHAT i?
Speaker 2: Mean it's, like, huh.
Speaker 1: Not a lot of money on the.
Speaker 2: Table, YEAH i, know there's standard. Stuff and there's these
three high powered, guys Including Jack benyon, himself watching the.
Game all of a, Sudden benyon himself puts his hand
out over the, table stops the, game takes his hand
and reaches it down inside of the boxman's suit gilt
and pulls out a handful of green.
Speaker 1: Checks.
Speaker 2: Wow now this boxman used to be a boxman at The.
STARDUST i actually knew the, guy not very, well BUT
i MEAN i knew he was you get him. Up
and at that, time you heard all kind of stories
about you do something At benyons and they take it
down the, stairs and you heard all that, stuff, RIGHT.
Speaker 1: I and two friends that they did that, too actually
beat them half to.
Speaker 2: Death, okay SO i Guess i'm verifying. It the bathroom
at The freemont is right across the street from the
entrance To, benyons on the side of the the first
street or whatever it. Is so BEFORE i go up
to my. Car AFTER i, LEFT i go into the
bathroom at The fremont AND i walk in and in
one of the bathrooms stall you can see a guy's
laying down his feet are like out, Right i'm going On.
NO i opened the, door take in and it's the
box man and he's bleeding from. Everywhere it's all. OVER
i freaked, out SO i went out AND i got you,
know he had house. PHONES i got the. HOUSEHOLD i,
called not THINKING i call Stick charity to save the.
Guy but THEN i, figured, well it's Not bingon, security It's.
Freemont they probably don't, know and you can't let the
guy just lay. There and THEN i got out of
there as fast AS i. COULD i never said a.
WORD i don't know what. Happened he was in bad.
Speaker 1: Shape. Wow. Yeah you know what's funny is WHEN i
was a, dealer maybe three or four people got caught
stealing from joints and you, know and got, fired and
every single one of. Them the next TIME i saw,
them they were dealing at The horseshoe AND i asked
a boss THAT i worked, with kind of an old timer,
guy AND i was, like all these guys got caught
stealing and the next TIME i see, him they're dealing
at The horseshoe and and he, says, yeah they'll hire
him because they figure like nobody's going to have the
balls to try to steal from. Them.
Speaker 2: YEAH i, mean, well you, know there were some real ironclad.
Rules first of, all all these old they used to
call the mustache. Pets, yeah their work ethic was beyond.
Believe these guys are. Old they never ever missed the
day of. Work they were never late. Ever it was.
UNBELIEVABLE i mean they had to be going to the
hospital before they would miss the day at. Work all
these old, guys it was. Unbelievable so you couldn't this.
Work you had to be on time because the whole
casino ran on on the.
Speaker 1: Clock you.
Speaker 2: Know you, know you couldn't steal, obviously but we would
never even think of. That it never even crossed my
mind once working for at The, stardos you, know you
know What i'm, saying Yuh And and what was the other. Thing,
yeah the other thing was you couldn't wear white, belts white,
shoes and you couldn't have any facial.
Speaker 1: HAIR i remember, that no facial, Hair BUT I i
never heard the white belt or. WHITE i, mean we
always had to wear black shoes and black pants and you,
know so.
Speaker 2: And then, yeah they had another weird one at the
start us no peanuts in the pit because they were
so superstitious about, everything is.
Speaker 1: It, yeah you, KNOW I i worked with a lot of,
those not a, lot but some of those old Must
Stash pete. Guys and my big regret is THAT i
didn't spend more time talking to those. Guys guys who
worked in illegal joints In, Newport, kentucky Or Hot, Springs,
arkansas and you, know really came Into vegas like in
the fifties and, sixties.
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah and and most of those, GUYS i DON'T
i don't. KNOW i don't know IF i was smart
enough at the time or IF i just did. It
but they liked talking to younger. People you, know they
don't got nothing to, do they're in charge of. It,
yeah they loved talking to young people and kind of teaching.
Them as long as you kind of proved to them
that you were actually listening and you had you know
WHAT i, mean that you weren't some wise guy trying
to be funny all the. Time they would pick you
out just on THAT i gotta go back to my.
JUICE i gotta finish that. Story oh, yeah so about
twenty or twenty five, years twenty years after the, starters
so we're talking about Late i'm gonna say maybe ninety,
five ninety four somewhere in. There, anyway so we're at
the table and my father's tired down In, arizona and
we're at the table talking about the old days In,
vegas and you, know, so you, know how'd you get
to the stardust came up AND i, said, well you,
KNOW i GUESS i must have done pretty good because
these guys just discovered me out of. Nowhere, MAN i,
MEAN i THINK i was Really. Sully to my dad's
looking at, me he, goes what he, goes, yeah THAT i,
mean you, KNOW i think they found me and discovered,
me and you, KNOW i was.
Speaker 1: Lucky he, goes that's not what, happened and he.
Speaker 2: GOES i Called Phil, diogardi who was the twenty one
BOSS i think for forty two years at THE.
Speaker 1: Startus he was a.
Speaker 2: LEGEND i Called phil Dio. GUARDIAN i, told, look my
son's in. Town could you give him a job and
kind of look after. Him so it doesn't get in.
TROUBLE i don't want any. Problems And phil hired you.
Again he, Said phil Dear gott he brought. UP i
didn't know Who phil Dear gott he was until. Later
and then the same With Luis, CLENA i didn't know
who he, was you. Know so twenty years LATER i
actually found out who my juice. Was and my father
never said anything those whole twenty. Years it was pretty.
Amazing but so.
Speaker 1: What happened after the sandwich? Shop you you opened the sandwich?
Speaker 2: Shop, yeah that's a bad. Story by, TIME i just
blew it with my, partners lost my, share AND i
went back to, dealing and then from, DEALING i got
into the telemarketing. BUSINESS i became a really big telemarketer in.
Town that's a story for a different time, Maybe BUT
i got one other STORE i think your folks will.
Like it's about my, Sponsor Louis celenna From Milrose. Park
so he's the graveyard shiftwa wash and we really hit it.
Off he really liked, me and he was. Interesting and
as all these guys, were they Were sharper's tax they really.
Were they could read people like no One i've ever
seen since ofs so. Anyway out of the. Blue one
Day louis, goes, so, KID i think it was there
three or four months, maybe and he, GOES, o, kid
where are you? Living AND i told, him, Well i'm
living off on the other side of The tropicana Country
club there. OFF i can't remember the name of the.
Street i'll think of it the. Second but he had
these apartments on one, side and he had the golf
course with the condos on the other, side right past
The maxim what's the name of that street right behind
where the, yes thank You Coo cobo. Lane SO i
told him. That he, goes you're staying in those? PLACES i, go,
yeah it's. Okay so it's a studio type of. THING i,
go that is an. SHOLE i, go, no it's, Okay.
LOUIS i Mean i'm here six days a.
Speaker 1: Week you.
Speaker 2: Know he Goes, No he, GOES i will not have.
It he will not be standing. There and he goes
tomorrow after the, ship twelve, THIRTY i want you to
Meet bruno across the street at those. Comps you're gonna
know Who bruno. Is trust, me twelve thirty you be, there, yes,
SIR i mean and say no the shift, boss you,
know so get off work twelve. Thirty sure, enough there's
this giant dude with all the gold chains on Named.
Bruno oh you must be the. Kid, yeah let me
shut me coming. Down so, yeah let me show you
in the. Pad so he opens up the door and
it's a totally tricked out two. Bedroom what DO i
need two bedrooms for two? Bedroom sweet on the golf.
Course i'll never forget walking in the bathroom and they
had one of those brass lion heads where the water
came out the.
Speaker 1: MOUTH i was, like that was it for, me you.
Speaker 2: Know so the guy comes. Back he, says come, on
let's go look at your. Backyard so he opens up the,
curtains opens up the door and it's just grass all
the way to the eleventh eighth hole of The Tropicana Golf.
Course there's no. FENCES i mean you just walk out
by twenty feet twenty thirty.
Speaker 1: Feet it was.
Speaker 2: Incredible So louie told, me he, goes when you're done
With bruno at one, THIRTY i want you to go
and check out the. POOL i, go, sure, okay, yeah
one thirty. Okay Well bruno was pretty efficient and we
were done at like, Wan, so, oh, YEAH i got
to check out the. Pool SO i go down to
the pool and look at the, pool and it's a.
Pool you, know it's really, nice very, clean all the chase,
lounges you, know but it's a, pool you, know.
Speaker 1: Beautiful.
Speaker 2: Okay SO i get to work the next day and, goes,
SO i, mean even go, bro it's all. Great and he,
goes how did you like the? POOL i, go it was.
Beautiful crystal cleare. Clean they really have good in, maintenance you.
Know he, goes, yeah but how did you like the?
Pool LIKE i was supposed to be in it or,
something you, KNOW i didn't. NOTICE i, go, yeah it's a.
Pool it's, like it's really nice AND i appreciate. It he,
goes when did you go down? THERE i, GO i don't.
Speaker 1: Know we were down to like five to.
Speaker 2: ONE i probably one. O'clock he, GOES i told you one,
thirty DIDN'T. I i told you to go down there
at one. THIRTY i didn't say one. O'CLOCK i said one.
Thirty he's, like at, It i'm going, okay. Okay he, goes,
TOMORROW i want you there at one, thirty not one twenty,
nine not one thirty one one. THIRTY i, go, yes.
Sir next day rolls. Around i'm looking at my, watch
it's one twenty, nine almost one. Thirty i'm off to the,
pool and right in front of the gate is the
same guy from the pit buster is his knee six,
five three hundred pounds hut packing with a startist security uniform.
ON i, mean just a huge. Dude AND i walk
up seeing this guy and he, goes, yeah Kid louise
said to be coming. Today he, goes have a good
time in. There And i'm looking at this guy like,
okay AND i opened the gate and my jaw drops
AND i freeze BECAUSE i don't.
Speaker 1: Know what to.
Speaker 2: Do there are five of the most beautiful women you
have ever seen in.
Speaker 1: Your, life and all five of them are.
Speaker 2: Naked fuck, naked nothing there walking around or in the
chaise lounge. CHAIRS i didn't know what to. Do so
one of them comes, up never forget name Of. Sherry she, goes,
oh you must be the Kid louis said you were
gonna come. Down and she, goes, yeah don't worry about all.
This she, goes you're gonna get used to. This you,
know we're dancers in The lido and we can't get.
Tamline so we come out here a couple of days
at you, know we don't got to worry about anything
because we Got buster, here you, Know and SO i
met the. Girls here's what here's what What buster's role really.
Was it was. INSANE i used to watch us all the.
Time so we're on the. Fifth uh, no, yeah, athol
it's a par, Five so they're tee off and then
these jokers would intentionally duck hook their second shot by
the pool so they can walk by and see the,
girls right because they knew they Were, well guess you're
standing out there on the edge of.
Speaker 1: The, fairway Old, buster.
Speaker 2: Did you see a ball come? By? Here he goes see.
It it's way out of, bounce lost. Ball you, Know,
well can we come in and that ball's? Gone now
the green's only one hundred and twenty yards from. Me
you can drop one right.
Speaker 1: Here.
Speaker 2: Yeah but he was there to keep the riff raff
away from the.
Speaker 1: Girls but, Yeah, so now were they paying for this
new apartment or?
Speaker 2: No, no, no, NO i paid for. It because that's another
shock to. ME i, go, ah you don't worry about.
It you're making good. Money you'll be able to afford.
It don't worry about.
Speaker 1: Nothing and he was.
Speaker 2: Right it was totally. Affordable SO i don't know about
the because the girls looked there, too AND i. Didn't
they were down a little bit for, me AND i
don't know what their situation, was because once, again you
know something you don't want to, know don't need to,
know just LIKE i never went out with any of
them because you didn't do. That you didn't mess with
anything at the casino, property you know WHAT i?
Speaker 1: Mean, yeah, yeah, sure just.
Speaker 2: Not there were so many babes you didn't need to do,
that you.
Speaker 1: Know. You, well, listen we've been going for about an hour,
here but there are a couple of THINGS i still
have to ask you before we, Go and the first
one is how did An italian kid From cicero turn Into?
Ay how did? That because every Time i've seen, you
including right, now you're wearing a cowboy hat and we're
always in western, garb and so how did that transformation?
Speaker 2: Happen, Okay So i'll go back in, time so get To,
vegas AND i guess it really started on one of
the tours With. Frank he didn't, know but we wound
up going to the hacienda and the guy running the
twenty one kid was this tall six' to. Three guy
he looked like a.
Speaker 1: Movie star he looked Like A robert redford.
Speaker 2: Kind of but he had a really expensive but a
cowboy yolk, cut jacket, you know and he had boots on. Exotic,
boots now he was the ONLY one i saw in
any of our properties wear. Cowboy, boots ever you just didn't.
Wear them he didn't. Do it, so anyway after about the,
second tour and his Name WAS. Big d they so
about two or three months after, That tour i'm Off,
ON monday i go across the Street On Convention. Center
drive there can. SILVER something i can't remember what, it
was but it was a cowboy, place actually, You know
AND so i kind of started, liking it and all
of a sudden in comes. This guy ed, the toe
got the, hat on, the boots, the buckle the, whole
deal And IT'S. Big d now the guy's about thirty
years older than he maybe more maybe. Thirty, five well
we became friends and we. Started partying when this guy,
walked in every head in the bar looked at.
Speaker 1: This guy that's.
Speaker 2: Kind of the persona, he had being. The cowboy so
that's kind of where.
Speaker 3: It.
Speaker 2: Started uh and to finish, that story check. This OUT
when i got into one of my, telemarketing businesses there's
a girl about fifteen years younger, than me and she
used to Joke, About sonday i'm going to. Marry you.
Speaker 1: Yeah joke not.
Speaker 2: Happy anyway to make a long, story short ten, YEARS
later i did.
Speaker 1: Marry her.
Speaker 2: So she came from a family where the father was
here and the mother was there and they're all over,
the place totally dysfunctional kind of at. That TIME but i,
didn't know, you KNOW so i.
Speaker 1: Figure out, you know we got to do the.
Speaker 2: PROPER thing i got to introduce myself to your father
wherever he is and get. His permission and, she, Goes
okay so she writes down this address and it's In
the winterwood Area Of, las vegas by the. Golf course
AND so i got. To THINK so i get out of,
the car, walk up a knock on the door Looking for. Kathy's,
father right guy opens the door And it's big D and, i, go,
okay dude, he, goes kid where have? YOU been i
haven't seen it for? Ten years how YOU doing, I
go i'm. Doing great, he goes what? BRINGS you, i,
GO well I think i got the wrong. Address here
i'm looking for some Guy Named. Don, galuska yeah that's
ME and i once again my, jaw Dropped and, i'm
going this is the guy he used to party. Hard
with and he gives me one of those looks like
he's gonna, kill me and then he. Starts laughing, he
goes you must be.
Speaker 1: The Kid that's.
Speaker 2: Mary and my youngest daughter come. On it and we became.
Best FRIENDS but i didn't Know THAT big d was
gonna be.
Speaker 1: My father. That's Funny small so where were we going?
Speaker 2: Before that what did you ask?
Speaker 1: Me about how does how the? Cowboy? Transition, oh, yeah
okay so that's where. It.
Speaker 2: Started then, you know Me And max rubin had the
band and it was predominantly custom country, western music so
that kind of contributed to it and, the rodeos, you
KNOW so i just kind of got. INTO it i
really wasn't a, real Cowboy although i'm, getting THERE but
i was used to wear a country western stuff. On stage.
You know for the twenty five years we played all
the lounges and all the bars and.
Speaker 1: All that but where it really.
Speaker 2: Kind of proliferated is At The black jab because everybody Had,
a monica everybody, had Nickname and max Called Me. Cowboy
boss so that's how it really got kind. Of entrenched
but when it really took effect WAS when i moved
and retired Here to FLORIDA because i got this job
running a. PARKING lot i so. Parking, ATTENDANT no i
don't get in the car and. DRIVE it i move
a cone and. Parking there it turns out to be
one of the most lucrative jobs on the. Whole, ISLAND
anyway i would wear the cowboy HAT and i would
wear this and the belt buckle and my bat my
thing would say cow. Boy bus so on a, Daily
basis i'm still, WORKING there i will meet and greet
anywhere from about seven hundred to eight hundred people. A
day that's howbody walk, by me because you got to
walk by me to get To The bridge street into.
The beach so set. Cowboy BUS so i turned the
whole deal Into a vegas lounge. Show, act oh first
time Here On. Bridge, street okay let me tell you
how they get the most out. Of, it okay when
you get out there On. The street whenever you. Get
there it doesn't matter where. You go when you, get
there you just tell them cowboy bus set you and
they'll take care, of you or they'll charge.
Speaker 1: You double.
Speaker 2: So what these people, would do these twuris would go
whatever shop, they're in they would go in and, they say,
cowboy bus, send me and it kind of. Caught on
so then the whole island started calling me. Cowboy bus to,
THIS day, I think, I again i'm not trying, to
ARROGANT but i was written up last year one of
the top, five personalities but nobody knows.
Speaker 1: My name, right now you perform? Still right you played guitar,
and SING and.
Speaker 2: I performed twice a week at the world famous one
hundred year old, drift in which is the it's kind
of like the World Famous jimmy buffett style bar on
the beach Here On Ana. Maria island really really, good
musicians and so they let me get up. And sing
AND now i sing twice. A week He's on, Friday afternoon,
saturday afternoon but it's it's one hundred five star. Dive,
Bar again i'm the only one with they. Had on but.
Speaker 1: So there's one LAST thing i just want to ask
you about that IS so i met You Through max
Rubin And, anthony curtis who you guys were on a
rugby team together for a. Long Time and max tells
me that you are still. Play.
Speaker 2: Rugby Yees so, i'm saying how old? Are you i'm
seventy three And this, december twelfth which is what about
ten days? Or, WHATEVER yeah i will start my fifty
third consecutive. Rugby season NOW sometimes i only play two games,
a year, but SO and i. Don't know my wife
is trying to get me to retire after. This one
it's Down In fort lauderdale At The rugger fist.
Speaker 1: Down there i'm? WHAT about, i mean how old are
the people you're?
Speaker 2: Playing With so i'll play one game over fifties and
one game. Over, Sixties wow now the fifties game is.
A CHALLENGE i m not only pay ten or fifteen minutes. In,
that yeah maybe, we'll See but i'll go a good
half the in the over sixties OR until i can't.
Go see because the way you, do it, you know you, Would,
Think okay i'm gonna save MYSELF so i don't. Get hurt,
you Know just. E's, Out, no no.
Speaker 1: You will get hurt.
Speaker 2: For sure that way we have balls out from the
very get go until you can't, go anymore and then
you don't. Play them then you, come out and that
way time and. Come out.
Speaker 1: You, know yeah that way they're more afraid of them
getting hurt. By you so, you, uh.
Speaker 2: Oh if you, go halfway you just. Get, hurt yeah
you're just gonna. Get hurt, you know we got no.
Pads on you can only hit somebody so hard with
no pads on before you. Hurt yourself so, you know
you just gotta go all out or you will. Get
hurt plus then like, for me the deal's over in.
Eighteen minutes so what. It's great we're gonna tell you
the last one if you. Got, time yep this is a.
Good one this IS how I MET max rubi check this,
out now kind of bring you through rugby and the
band and the. Whole Thing SO i'm i got the
job at the at. THE minute i got a fraternity
brother who Lives In, las vegas and He knows max
because they're OLDER than i am in. The FRATERNITY so i, say,
Him yeah i'm Going, to Vegas but i'm gonna go
Check Out lake. Tahoe too i'm all Set. In vegas, he,
goes well if you're going, up there here's this guy's name,
and number give him. A call you need to meet.
This guy he's, a brother, older guy and It Was.
Matt TRUMAN so i drive up to the lake going
To The Old scotties Castle and max is dealing blackjack
and the. Game's DEAD so i. Introduced myself, he goes,
oh yeah and, he, GOES so i got another three.
Hours here why don't you take my car and drive
all the way around. The lake this way you get to.
See EVERYTHING and, I go i got, A car. I'm good, he, goes,
no no take, my car and he wipes his hands like,
a dealer looks at. The, floor men those are, his
pocket out, his keys and throws him. At me, i'm, going,
Okay OKAY well i. Didn't KNOW so i go out
to parking lot number fifty four and it's a. Light
convertible poor never driven a portion in, My LIFE so
i drive all the way around. The Lake couldn't THAT'S
how i first.
Speaker 1: Met, HIM so, i mean that's pretty amazing to just
hand his portions to a guy he's never.
Speaker 2: Met BEFORE don't i Don't think i'd spent a minim with.
Speaker 1: Him yet it was.
Speaker 2: That past, so anyway so then he winds up moving
back down To to vegas and he was dealing blackjacket.
The frontier and because we were, for training brothers who
got to know each other and this, And that and
it TURNS out i got the band Started and max
could actually. PLAY harmonica i mean you.
Speaker 1: Actually.
Speaker 2: Could yeah now he will tell you he's a. GREAT
singer i would put him as a. Great entertainer we
do actual or playing. The harmonica so we put it
in the band, and wow we played sharows together for twenty,
five years everywhere you can think Of. In vegas along,
with that.
Speaker 1: He was just a.
Speaker 2: Stud man he, was fit and turns out he was.
Lightning fast the boy, could run this little.
Speaker 1: White, boy.
Speaker 2: Yeah BABY so i invited him to play rugby football
because we had just we we started the team in nineteen,
SEVENTY five i think, it WAS and I think max
got there in seventy six, or seven something.
Speaker 1: Like that and he.
Speaker 2: Was good he was. Really good, in fact he played the,
outside winger which means the kind of the goals get
the ball out, to him so you can move and
shake because one on one tackling a guy that isn't.
Gonna happen, so anyway he wound up scoring a lot.
Of points he's. Really good and then Along Came, anthony
curtis some this wrestler guy FROM somewhere i, can't Remember,
zash yeah some. Were, Famous yeah and this guy, was
fast like Faster Than. Max megalong story. Short Again anthony
curtis went on to break every single scoring Record For
las vegas rugby until another guy by the Name Of
mike rude. Came Along But anthony curtis was as good
as rugby player as you're. Gonna, see seriously he was.
That Good so I'm at max there and we did the.
Speaker 1: What do you?
Speaker 2: Call it, the band and we did. RUGBY together i
could tell so many, rugby stories but we're run out
of time a little.
Speaker 1: Bit here and OF course i was at the very
first blackjack ball in.
Speaker 2: THE basement. I was i was ACTUALLY the mc reading.
Speaker 1: THE questions i didn't REMEMBER that i was, there TOO
but i didn't remember you were the one reading.
Speaker 2: The, questions well they were asking such they were so over.
MY head, I mean i learned so much about blackjack
you know from you guys, And Others but i'm not in.
Your league i'm not one, of you, YOU know, i
KNOW but i remember like. THE question i didn't even understand.
The QUESTION little i know how to. Answer it it
was something like on a six deck Using a miraj's
show for fifty two percent of the way through the
deck counted plus four USING a calli betting system to
win fifteen hundred dollars in? An hour what's the? Proper
bet and all you guys set seventy five dollars. Or
whatever it was, no, computer no not that, it's like
who are? These? Guys oh but there's so?
Speaker 1: Much fun, All, right, well, buzz look this has. BEEN
great i just love hearing these stories from the old
Days in, vegas ESPECIALLY and i just want to thank
you again for. Doing, this well.
Speaker 2: Thank you it was, a treat, YOU know i really appreciate,
it because believe it, OR not i don't get to
tell these stories too often for. Two reasons, number one
a lot of people won't, understand them and you have
to explain. Too much, number two they're not going to,
believe this that all this stuff could happen to. ONE guy,
I mean i was a clown Diver At. Caesar's palace
what a? CLOWN diver i used to do clown dives
during The high roller parties in the summer at the
season's palace pool with what was, his name the guy
original guy Who, Played Tarzan. Johnny, wisemulo, yeah wait what
is a? Clown, diver okay so here's THE thing i
hired me. To do another. Another story SO when i Got,
to VEGAS number i was a Lifeguard. In, arizona yeah
and our off times we would go To the they
still had three, meter boards the, big hygeboard and we
would practice what we call, hog dives and they were
these really weird looking dives that nobody, could do and
you would land like you had a severe, belly flop
only we developed a way to land to make it
look like a, belly flop but you weren't. Getting hurt
there was a, talent. Too ANYWAY so i would go
To the sahara pool sneak, in there zoot the guys,
tip THEM and i would practice my. Hog diys, one
day the guy who owns, the concession who owned about
five other concessions at, other, hotels says, YOU know i
got something for you Here At. Caesar's palace you should
go over there in audition and do your dives for
The big iroller Party At. Caesar's palace it's an all.
Water shill so he set me UP and i went.
Speaker 1: Down here so here was.
Speaker 2: My role they had a bunch of different things, going
on but they had these three precise Precision divers i'll
never forget From the University, of oregon and they would
go on the three boards simultaneously doing the. SAME dives,
i mean they were, very skillful. You, Know yeah and
they would go through. Their routine so, after that they
would put me on a chair right next to the
pool with A big panama hat one of those fake
cigars that's about a, foot long With A CAESARS palace,
t SHIRT and i had these special chef pants with suspenders,
on THEM and i would ACT like i, was, drunk,
like oh anybody can? Do that YOU got i, watched
THIS and i would walk Up and i'd fall through
the Ladder because i'd practice all, this before get back
on get on There and i'd do it dive and
just LOOK like i absolutely. Killed MYSELF then i dip
backed out Right and i'd do. Another stumba one of
my best TRICKS is i would jump from the high
dive to the low dive them do a dumber a
double summersaw with a cannonball right next to, the edge
so it got everybody on that. Edge wet but the,
last stunt this is, the greatest and it was one of,
the girls one of the, naked girls gave. Me that
she gave me a silver. Sequin, jockstrap like WHAT am
i gonna do? With THAT so i did it. With
IT so i put that ON and i had these
chef pants with. The suspenders well halfway through, the show
OF course i was rid of, the hat, the cigar.
This shirt SO now i just got the pants and the. Suspenders,
on well the LAST time, I did i would jump
on the high dive about seven, eight times and on
the EIGHTH time i, REACHED down i would flip, the
suspenders the pants would come, straight off stay on, the
BOARD and i would do a swan dive in the
big spotlight in the silver. Sequin JOCKEY when i did
that show for, two summers it was but THE point
i was trying. To make and again, nothing IMPRESSION but
i just did so many different. Things there it was
just like, you know people won't believe it IS where i.
Speaker 1: Was going, You know vegas was so much more fun.
Speaker 2: Back then it was, IT was, i mean it was,
the GREAT but i got so many other show and
they will do. It again i'll see if they. CAN
recollect i hope they. Enjoyed this AND like, i said
and just remember why it are and that's exactly the way.
It happened you ever take a liar, to y'ell.
Speaker 1: That's the perfect place. To end, thanks, again buzz have a.
Speaker 2: Great day