Anyone here remember a place in Vegas called

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

Spent many a day in the Castaways playing poker, low limit...bad thing was that the rake was 3% This was around 1984 when I owned the Tastykake Distributorship in Vegas...

 

[Anti-liberal]

Fishhead...I vaguely remember a strange runner frequently at Little Caesers who was nerdy with coke-bottle glasses who wore a cheap suit jacket and carried RAW bacon with him, which he snacked on from time-to-time. Did you know someone like that?

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

Sounds like Montana Mel to me..was he drinking Budweiser at 8 in the morning?

 

[Anti-liberal]

I never was in there that early. All I remember is the coke-bottle glasses, greasy hair and raw bacon.

 

[CoachLT]

Fishhead...I vaguely remember a strange runner frequently at Little Caesers who was nerdy with coke-bottle glasses who wore a cheap suit jacket and carried RAW bacon with him, which he snacked on from time-to-time. Did you know someone like that?

. Jolly Joe Sarno, maybe? Was he the same guy that was killed and his body dumped in the desert a few years ago ?

I was introduced to Jolly Joe by Mike Lowe who was with Gary Austin when they started their sports service The Austin Edge.

Gary still owes me money.

 

[G.MONEY]

. Jolly Joe Sarno, maybe? Was he the same guy that was killed and his body dumped in the desert a few years ago ?

I was introduced to Jolly Joe by Mike Lowe who was with Gary Austin when they started their sports service The Austin Edge.

Gary still owes me money.

Gary owes alot of people money..You are not alone trust me!

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

Gary owes alot of people money..You are not alone trust me!

And they are spread all over the world...don't feel like the Lone Ranger...

 

[kermit16]

Keep the stories coming guys ! Best thread ever ! Nevada Palace will be closing Feb 29 BTW. That's where my wife and her family have gambled at for the last 25 + years. They are replacing it with a new Casino which will be "The Cannery East ". As always I'm sure all the old Keno machines and 9/6 slot machines that still take and pay with nothing but actually putting quarters in and out will disapear. I hate them because my hands get dirty but my wife's mother loves them.:nopityA:

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

I was 28 when I moved to Las Vegas and my first job was a beer truck driver for Bonanza Beverage..I hung around a place called the Bingo Palace which now is The Palace Station..I was a very small bettor, playing 25 cent craps and my biggest bet was maybe a 20 parlay at the sports book..but during these times, everyone was family and the casino personnel really cared about the players, large and small...My Mom, sister , and brother came to see my and we were dining inside the Palace Station at the Italian restaurant...the Casino Manager Bob Wheeler came to our table and introduced himself to my Mom and said that the dinner was on him..I felt ten feet tall after that and never forgot him..Bob Wheeler was just one of many Las Vegas people that made an impression on me when I was young...but that's the way it was back then, everyone in most casinos were your friend and did favors for you, no matter if you were a high roller or not...other guys like Jasper, Tony DeCaesar, Tony Alamo, Frankie Mastorana, Kieth Glantz, Bobby Bredice, Speedy Newman, Mugsy, Chuck Sharp,Joey Boston, Richie Saber, Donny Bader, Lee Pete,Bobby Baseball, and numerous other characters were always pleasant to everyone...All sportsbooks back then were customer friendly and not afraid to take a bet...every casino was like going into a Cheer's bar, everyone knew your name and all the celebrities had no problem betting horses with the locals, especially Shecky Greene and Pat Foster...just a few memories for me...

 

[JustWin]

just read this whole thread, great read.

 

[Anti-liberal]

Viejo...How about Artie B, and Richie the Fixer and that fucking Magic Johnson? Did you know any of those guys? I used to help Richie get down on some of those dog-shit chalk quinellas even so often.

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

Knew all three, but only Artie well...where did you get most of those Q's? The Mirage and Caesar's were probably the easiest...I helped Little Johnnie out at times with those dog-shit chalk quinellas...

 

[Fishhead]

Fishhead...I vaguely remember a strange runner frequently at Little Caesers who was nerdy with coke-bottle glasses who wore a cheap suit jacket and carried RAW bacon with him, which he snacked on from time-to-time. Did you know someone like that?

As mentioned, that was the one and only Montana Mel......

 

[Fishhead]

I spend alot of times on the forums and this is a terrific thread.

In my younger days I was at the Little Caesers because it was cheap and the hot dogs were awesome. I made three plays and the ticket said 1) 1) and 2). I was freaking out because I paid 440 for the ticket and it looked like I wagered 4 dollars. The writer said don't worry about it they would take care of it.

They paid the full amount on the winning wagers and I guess it had to do with avoiding with the wagering tax that they wrote the wagers at 1/100ts h of the value. I guess after I was in Little Caesars for a month they thought I was a regular.

Fishead is one of my favorite posters of all time, wonder how many times he and I spoke at the Castaways without knowing each other. Castaways was a great joint.

No doubt...........can't believe we have never formerly met.

Are you attending this years bash?

If not, if you ever make it to Tampa, make a shout out and we can hit up the local poker rooms together(abreast of most all the best promos).

Wish I were a better writer, could tell some great stories in and around most all of the sportsbooks of the 80's.......spanning out as far as Toms Sunset and the Alystra in Henderson.

 

[Dr.Knowitall]

Did Montana Mel die?

That's what I heard. He was a funny person and not bad at all unless you were Scotty Shithead from the Dust who hated him.

 

[Anti-liberal]

Did Montana Mel die?

That's what I heard. He was a funny person and not bad at all unless you were Scotty Shithead from the Dust who hated him.

"Scotty"...the name alone makes him sound like an asshole. The only "Scotty" I ever knew that was worth his salt was a runner named "Scotty" from Scotland, who worked for a group out of Vegas and later ran around the Reno and Tahoe area.

Remember the circus that used to go on over there for the openers, all these runners drawing from a deck of cards, every degenerate in town packed in there,fights breaking out between dickheads with clipboards, etc. ?

 

[Dr.Knowitall]

"Scotty"...the name alone makes him sound like an asshole. The only "Scotty" I ever knew that was worth his salt was a runner named "Scotty" from Scotland, who worked for a group out of Vegas and later ran around the Reno and Tahoe area.

Remember the circus that used to go on over there for the openers, all these runners drawing from a deck of cards, every degenerate in town packed in there,fights breaking out between dickheads with clipboards, etc. ?

______________________________________

Yes I do and I probably bet as much money there as anybody INCLUDING Sam Brown as he would wait for the HAND OUTS that came later in the day.

:money8:

 

[Anti-liberal]

I don't know what the climate is now as far as Vegas sportsbooks go, but in the era we're talking about, it wasn't too hard to find a sportsbook manager that would go on the take for $1000 to $1500 a week. They didn't even have to give you stuff too out of line. Just half-runs on baseball totals and the like, and take a little extra on certain numbers. Auditing wouldn't even notice anyways because most of them didn't even know what "7.5 over -120" means, as opposed to "7 flat". All you had to do was get the sportsbook manager, assistant manager, and a writer for it to be a go. They'd split the payoff up.

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

I don't know what the climate is now as far as Vegas sportsbooks go, but in the era we're talking about, it wasn't too hard to find a sportsbook manager that would go on the take for $1000 to $1500 a week. They didn't even have to give you stuff too out of line. Just half-runs on baseball totals and the like, and take a little extra on certain numbers. Auditing wouldn't even notice anyways because most of them didn't even know what "7.5 over -120" means, as opposed to "7 flat". All you had to do was get the sportsbook manager, assistant manager, and a writer for it to be a go. They'd split the payoff up.

If you were a sportsbook manager back in the late seventies thru early nineties and didn't build up a nice bankroll, then shame on you...knew a few that got paid well...the late Ronnie Hirshhorn had the Palace Station in his pocket and nobody can convince me otherwise that the Mirage had clerk/supervisors on the take...wish I was in some real lotteries that were held before the lotteries at the Stardust, Excalibur, and Palace Station..

 

[Sincitysl1121]

There were two different Royals, side by side. The Royal Casino I worked at & The Royal Inn where Jim V worked owned by Mike Gaughn. My Royal was owned by Joe Slyman and was the epitome of a sharp joint, we never saw a square dollar. The money we handled was legendary and eventually led to the loss of Joes license. I was working in Reno when that happened. Our sportsbook was a burlesque theater at night and in the daytime we rearranged it into a very basic, spartan sportsbook. Joe NEVER turned down a bet, no matter how large, and would look at you with his sad eyes and ask "you want some more". Thats as far as I can go with this since the principals are still around.....ScottyS

Joe Slyman is a good man and has always spoken good about you Mr. Scotty