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Default What cut of beef is this?

On May 25, 9:31*am, "Steve B" > wrote:
> "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


Sounds like Vegas was the place to be back then. I haven't been there
since '92. I did enjoy it though.