"tutall" > wrote in message
...
On May 24, 10:51 pm, "Steve B" > wrote:
> "bbq" > wrote
>
> > Vegas is not what it once was..
>
> > BBQ
>
> Ya got that right. I still go once or twice a month, and that's for
> business. Love it when I clear the city limits, and head back up to Utah.
> Many forces at work in Vegas now that weren't there five, ten, twenty
> years
> ago.
>
> Steve

Be interested in hearing what you think those might be?

And how, presumably, mob influence was, in some ways, maybe
preferrable, or better? But I thought that was more like 30 years ago.

But you could well be speaking about other things.

>>>>>

The Gaming Control Board became populated with Mormons in the early 60's,
and that was the beginning of the end for the mafia. I guess some of the
last to go was the gang at the Stardust, as in the movie, Casino, which was
based on the Stardust. I worked at the Stardust as a parking attendant from
'68 to '70, when I went to the Dunes. A 300# man with a trench coat and
fedora would come out about 8 AM carrying a brief case, flanked by two
security guards with guns. They would put him in a cab. He was going to
Kansas City to take the skim from the casino to the KC boys. It was like
that all over town.

Back when, the town was 60,000. If you could haul bags or count to twenty
one, or were a decent looking chick, or was a polite clean man, you could
make from $40 to $100 a day in tokes when minimum wage was $1 an hour.
House payments were from $40-$150 a month. A new Caddy was $,3,000. Gas
was $.25 a gal. And for $200, you had a 3,000 sf house on an acre with a
pool. A nice apartment was $150 a month in a complex filled with car
parkers, dealers, cocktail waitresses, hotel employees. The pool was always
jumping, and the doors were open. It was one continuous party. There was
no IRS bite out of your tokes. Breakfast was a buck, and a prime rib dinner
was $3, and two people could go to a dinner show, and with tab, tax, and
tokes, get out for $30, and see top name entertainers and shows.

The mob were fair kind monarchs. The attitude was, "do your job, make the
customer happy, don't steal, and you will receive your fair slice of the
pie." The big bosses roamed freely over the whole hotel, and knew everyone
by their names. At Christmas, money, booze, and turkeys flowed freely.
Special envelopes for doing special favors were all over the place.
Supervisors were chosen from people who had good people skills, rather than
just being the nastiest one who would enforce corporate policy, or just the
last one standing.

I used to go back to the time shack and say, "Punch out all the parking
attendants." Now you have to go there, and be on video, and do it yourself.
I worked as an extra parking cars for two years before I became permanent,
and I'd go to the time shack, and say, I'm punching in for Ralph Smith, and
they would do it, and Ralph would get paid for that day, and I'd get the
tokes.

Comps (complimentary drinks, food, rooms, limo service, and hot and cold
running women) were given to almost anyone. If someone blew their money,
they'd send them home in a cab, and pay the driver, tip and all. They took
care of their "whales", the heavy players. A guy would drop a good chunk of
change at the tables, and when he went to pay his bill for the hotel, it
was, "Oh, that has been taken care of from Mr. XXXXX in the pit. Thank you,
and hope you had a good time." Of course, they flew him out, and flew him
back home, too.

Benny Binion said it, "Just get them in here with food and booze, and I'll
get their money on the tables."

If someone had a sick child, the insurance would pick up the tab. If there
was something special to be done, the hat was passed, and I have heard of
times when $5,000 was raised, and that's probably worth 50 today. I know
many times when people were paid and taking care of a sick child at home,
not being docked.

Common sense prevailed. Friendships were honored, and if someone
recommended you for a job, that's usually how you got in. If you had a good
reputation, you were set for life. If you were a screw up, you didn't do so
good. One phone call could find out all they needed to know about you, and
word traveled fast as to whether or not you were "good".

The bosses knew everyone's name, and spoke to you like your Uncle Lew.
EEEHHHHHHHHH............ Howya doin? Wife okay? You need anything? You
come see me if you need annyting. Take care. See ya. And, you could go
see the man if you had a problem.

The town was smaller. Easier to get around. Lots of cross town rivalry
among the high schools, and the obligatory fist fights at football games,
and all. But nothing like today. The police were fair, but were not averse
to thumping some guy and dropping him at the city limits sign with a warning
not to come back. The hotel security were not above thumping people and
putting them in a dumpster, but you had to be like a third time offender to
get that. Binnions Horseshoe got sued as late as the 80's before they
finally quit. You could leave your keys in your car, and your door
unlocked. If you didn't have a job, it was just because you were lazy, or
taking a break between construction projects, because you could find work in
one day.

Today, there's over a million, maybe a million and a half in the whole
valley. It is dangerous on the streets, and I carry pepper spray. I did
not have my CCF renewed because of the reciprocity law with Utah, but could
get one. I had four over the years. There is a totally different mindset
in Las Vegas now, both the workers and the monarchs.

Steve