THE PASSION OF JULIO One can almost see it watching him perform
THE SPA THAT LOVES YOU The Spa at ARIA is pure bliss
THE HOUSE THAT LEFTY BUILT
The home of Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal
LV QUICK BITES Flavors of Vegas
CONTENTS
2
VID Snapshots
Upfront with Holly Madison. Vinnie Favorito shoots from the hip. A four-prong recipe for success—Vocal Soup.
7
LV Quick Bites
Flavors of Vegas brings you hot summer venues and a killer BBQ sauce By Barbara J. Nosek
3
The Passion of Julio
Julio Iglesias professes to think with his heart and deliver with his brains. One can almost see it watching him perform By Bobbie Katz
8
Shopping
11
13
The House that Lefty Built
An exclusive tour of the home of Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, the organized crime figure who secretly ran the Stardust and other casinos when they were controlled by the Chicago Outfit By Bobbie Katz
Night Heat
Tao takes nightlife to new levels
Editor Bobbie Katz (bobbie@vegasinsiderdaily.com) Associate Editor Ginger Tafoya (ginger@vegasinsiderdaily.com) Writers Barry Berlin Lark Ellen Gould Bobbie Katz Barbara J. Nosek Susan Stapleton Ginger Tafoya Photographers Jeff Green Photography (jeffgreenphoto@mac.com) Design Brand, Ltd. (virginia@brandltd.com) Web Implementation Grant Dunmire, Attention Media Group (grant@attentionmediagroup.com) Publisher Vegas Insider Daily, LLC (www.vegasinsiderdaily.com) Member/Advisor Ron Slay
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The Spa at ARIA is pure bliss and there’s no fooling Mother Nature here By Lark Ellen Gould
9
Capo’s is a dining experience you can’t refuse
The ever-expanding Forum Shops at Caesars adds trendy, new boutiques By Susan Stapleton
The Spa that Loves You
Fashion Restaurants
10
5
Architect Frank Gehry and Tiffany’s create a sterling partnership By Susan Stapleton
12
Attractions
MGM Grand’s Mane Attraction & Valley of Fire—a Natural Site with No Match
15
Borderline
Just outside of Vegas, you can bathe in the glorious wonders of Tecopa Hot Springs By Barry Berlin
Vegas 365 is published monthly. Reproduction of any portion of Vegas 365 is prohibited without prior authorization in writing from the publisher. Vegas 365 is not responsible for the views of contributing journalists. All editorial correspondence should be addressed to bobbie@vegasinsiderdaily.com For advertising inquiries for Vegas 365, Vegas Insider Daily or Mobile Vegas Insider Daily, please contact: Barry Berlin at barry@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.271.4541 Tom Raspanti at tom@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.528.0718 Judy Robinson at judy@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.308.3633 Vegas 365 assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions appearing herein. All Rights Reserved. Vegas Insider Daily, LLC, Copyright 2010.
SNAPSHOTS
Upfront with Holly Madison: Bo Peep Isn’t Sheepish Anymore
Sometimes a girl just has to get something off her chest. Ok, so in the case of Holly Madison, Playboy Playmate and star of the reality show “Girls Next Door,” who recently renewed her contract for another year as the star of PEEPSHOW at Planet Hollywood, that something is her clothes. But the 30-year-old is excited about starring in the topless adult revue at the hotel and it might surprise onlookers to know that, when Madison talks, there’s definitely much more to her than meets the eye. In speaking with the actress/model, whose reality show “Holly’s World” debuted on E! Entertainment in May, one discovers that she is intelligent, focused and upfront about her life and the direction in which she wants to go. She continues performing the role of Bo Peep, which was originally a three-month gig, in PEEPSHOW—which she describes as a modern, sexy classic on the scale of a Broadway show––and is amazed at how perfect the character is for her. “Bo Peep is very, very shy initially but she comes out in the last number,” says Madison. “Both sides are 100 percent me—even in the opening sequence where Bo Peep is sitting and reading with her faithful dog beside her and is then seen drawing hearts on the shower door.” There’s no doubt that Madison is the true definition of sugar and spice. On May 21, she unveiled her new line of signature candy necklaces at Sugar Factory at Miracle Mile Shops inside Planet Hollywood. Eye candy personified! VID
The Quick and the Dead: A Four-Prong Recipe for Success: What it means to be in the Soup Let’s see now, if you take an acclaimed seasoned entertainer named Clint Holmes; blend in a “salt of the earth,” former Foreigner lead singer Dominick Allen; add the spicy vocals and persona of celebrity Susan Anton, and pepper the mixture with the voice of one of the Philippines biggest stars, Martin Nievera, what do you have? Simply put, a very eclectic Vocal Soup—one that’s guaranteed to cause quite a stir at the Orleans this coming weekend, June 12-13. “Clint had the idea for doing this for several years,” explains Allen. “He kept saying, ‘What if you got three or four headliners—all lead singers—together and put them in a situation that was rehearsed but off the top of the head at the same time? If you put that much experience into the blender, what would come out?’ Everyone talks about the Rat Pack and those shows and how amazingly ad-lib they were. But they weren’t. They were constructed with room for ad-lib within a skeletal framework of a presentation.” “Our show’s put together so that we each have a moment—about 10 minutes,” Holmes says. “But we’ll be singing together a lot, displaying our harmonics. Vocal Soup was written by Dominick and me. We wanted it to be friends—people we knew could put egos aside and be part of a group rather than worry about billing. We’re friends first.” One thing’s for certain: It’s an evening that promises a full plate of music for every taste. VID
Vinnie Favorito Shoots from the Hip “Buckle Up” ‘cause it’s going to be a bumpy night. Well, hey, it isn’t often that you get the opportunity to be taken on a roller coaster ride—by a motorized tongue. Meet Vinnie Favorito, the hilarious, quick-witted, wise-cracking, insult-style comedian who goes up and down and around and around the Flamingo showroom nightly in his offthe-cuff audience participatory show. Yes, he may try to make mincemeat out of you, but it comes with so much “ham” that you can’t help but eat it up…or just plain eat it, as the case may be. One thing is guaranteed— you’ll be laughing with his mouth-full. Favorito, who has a reputation for being one of the quickest guys on his feet, possesses a phenomenal memory. He can talk to 40 people during his high-energy, unpredictable show and refer to each of them throughout his evening, calling them by name and recalling pertinent details about them. Celebrating his fifth anniversary with Harrah’s properties, Favorito says, “I do just a few jokes upfront to talk about the show and earn people’s trust. It sets the stage. Once I have their trust, I can get away with anything—and I do. I never talk to anyone who doesn’t want to be talked to and I can tell instantly who they are. If someone goes after me, I know how to finesse it. I buff things up and make it fun. It’s like someone punches you to the ground then picks you up and asks if you’re all right.” If you’ve got a sense of humor, don’t leave home without it. VID
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The Passion of Julio Romance Returns to Las Vegas By Bobbie Katz
In 1492, Columbus discovered America in the name of Spain. Eight days past 1982, America discovered a Spaniard by the name of Julio. Those visiting the Las Vegas Hilton June 10-12 will discover why, in the name of love, so many people think that America got the better deal. While Columbus had thought that the world was flat, to Julio Iglesias it has always been in perfect pitch, with love being the force that makes it go ‘round. The romantic caballero has earned more than 1,500 gold and platinum awards and has sold well over 220 million albums in numerous languages on every continent on earth. So, what does he feel accounts for his success and for his getting so under the skin of an adoring global public? While it may just be scratching the surface, it could ostensibly boil down to a more than 40-year case of the goose bumps—his. “The most important thing for an artist is the goose bumps,” explains Iglesias from his home in Miami. “I get them when I sing, and when you get them, you know that the audience will never forget. When you feel that happiness on stage and the privilege of an artist, it’s for life. Being on stage is a great need for me. It is a way to understand my life. It’s where I live. Music is my life and will always be my life. Even though most of my life is established and beautiful, I still keep a very strong passion for the stage and the public.” “When I go on stage, I feel younger,” he adds, in his thick Spanish accent. “I feel younger mentally and in every other sense. I am much more alert. It’s the passion and the stimulation of your brains and your heart and all the pumping that goes through your system. There is nothing like the connection with the people. You can have the worst headache and go on stage and you forget about that. The stage is the biggest cure for any situation that a person can have. It’s the biggest high. When that adrenaline comes to your body, you feel much lighter.” The father of eight, including star Enrique Iglesias and five young children with his 20-year partner Miranda Rijnsburger, notes that his children have changed his life but that his family understands the need in his soul and his passion for the stage. So in 2010, Iglesias is doing a fivecontinent tour entitled “Starry Nights,” which has already taken him to Australia, Asia, South America and Africa and will see him performing in Europe this summer. He is also working on an album to be released in the fall, which will be a 5-CD set consisting of the 115 most important songs of his career re-recorded with a new modern sound in several languages. It wasn’t always like this, however. Born in 1943 to a prominent Madrid gynecologist and the daughter of a
famous writer, Iglesias studied law at Cambridge University, though his ambition lay on the soccer field. He became a pro goalie for the Real Madrid soccer team but, in 1963, a car accident severely injured his spine and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Though his doctors told him that he would never walk again, the determined Iglesias rejected a wheelchair and would crawl around his parents’ house while they were asleep. After a year, he was able to walk with two canes. Because of his accident, he doesn’t believe in destiny but rather in fact, strength, learning and circumstance. “To be alive after an accident like I had means pushing your strength to the limits and disciplining your life,” Iglesias muses. “You have to learn about your life and your body and your psyche more and more so that you cannot get down. It’s not easy for me to be on my feet. I really had to discipline my legs after the paralysis. But going through that made me who I am today and changed the direction and philosophy of my life. All that pain gave me sensitivity to everything around me. I became a poet without writing, a singer without singing.” During his 3-year convalescence, a nurse gave Iglesias a guitar, which at first he used for therapy to exercise his fingers. But then, the music came to him “like a storm” and he began writing songs. In 1968, he won first place in a prestigious Spanish song festival with a song he composed. It became Spain’s Number 1 song within two weeks. By 1973, Iglesias had sold 10 million albums; by 1983, he had six albums on the charts, matched only by the Beatles and Elvis Presley. He was in the Guinness Book of World Records as the artist who had sold more albums in more languages than any artist in history before he ever became a star in America with his multi-platinum 1984 album, “1100 Bel Air Place” (his first Englishlanguage album). Iglesias professes to think with his heart and deliver with his brains. One can almost see it watching him perform. “Not only do I close my eyes when I sing, but occasionally, I even lose my balance on stage,” Iglesias admits. “Sometimes I feel like I’m far away, like I’m in the galaxy. I put my toes on the floor very strong because I want to really feel the floor; I need it. I don’t know why that happens. The only thing I know is that I can’t survive without singing. It’s the most important part of my life because I feel completely free on stage. There is nothing but myself and the public and the public and myself. I have no thoughts that bother me up there. It’s a straight situation between me and the audience. It’s incredible. It’s something you can never have in another situation.” Nor the goose bumps. VID
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THE SPA THAT LOVES YOU
The Spa at ARIA is
Pure Bliss There’s no fooling mother nature here By Lark Ellen Gould
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ARIA comes up large in just about every category. It’s the largest hotel
meditation music flowing through private earphones for that extra Planet
in the CityCenter bunch; it’s certainly the largest LEED-focused casino
Vegas effect. Across the hall, a room of Ganbanyoku stone beds—literally
property ever built, and its rooms—all automated by bedside consoles—
hot slabs of granite marble—invites guests to relax via another detoxifying
are certainly among the coolest in Vegas. But when it comes to spas, this
process taken from ancient Far East traditions.
place rocks! Think waters, woods and walls of rock, be they salt, marble or sand.
You can end the spa journey in a hot steam room or don a bathing suit and step into the co-ed super Jacuzzi pool on the balcony, which is a
Spa ARIA spreads a notable 80,000 square feet through 62 treatment
geometrically alluring wedge of warm water pouring over an infinity edge
rooms (with a treatment menu to match). A best bet treatment is the
that overlooks CityCenter’s stunning landscape and beyond. Relax, pre
Scalp, Hand and Foot Bliss massage that blends acupressure in just the
or post treatments, in the fireside lounge.
right spots with gentle Swedish-style strokes, capped by the sensations of a hot oil scalp treatment and followed by a cold marble face massage for
The $30 daily facilities fee takes care of all amenities (waived with treatment). Three-Day Facility Passes are available for $80. VID
a clean tingling all over. Then follow that bliss to the Shio Salt Room, where walls of salt and
The Spa at Aria
filtered light do a detoxifying dance down to the very DNA of the dermis.
877.312.2742
Immerse in Zero Gravity loungers that vibrate in sync with the
www.thespa@arialasvegas.com
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QUICK BITES
Hot Summer Venues And A Killer BBQ Sauce By Barbara J. Nosek
More upmarket burgers in LV, this time from rockin’ celeb chef Kerry Simon who will open KGB—no not that one, but instead and happily Kerry’s Gourmet Burgers—this summer at Harrah’s, serving from lunch to late night. His “Iron Chef”-winning burger will top a menu of Simon-esque tater tots, strawberry shortcake push pops, et al. Russia does join the fun, though, taking form as décor flourishes and a vodka hostess. www.kerrysimon.com Some like it very hot. And ready to please that kind of asbestos palate is the new habañero hot wing plate at Tacos & Tequila inside Luxor. A touch of lime adds another flavor dimension as it also tries to counterbalance the heat (good luck with that). Served all summer, $10. www.tacosandtequilalv.com When Wynn/Encore’s award-winning mixologist Patricia Richards is stirring up her summer specials, the results are doubly green, as in organic and also field-fresh. Sip into something made with such farmer’s market bounty as cukes, honeydew, raspberry, pineapple, mint, sage, honey, agave, even hibiscus liqueur. All served in Encore’s kicky
Eastside Lounge, complete with gaming and super sound. www.encorelasvegas.com Learn from the best . . . or just gaze wideeyed at the gallery worthy pix. Pastry chef extraordinaire Megan Romano is now sharing her world-class confection secrets in her new cookbook, It’s A Sweet Life. Diners at Aureole in Mandalay Bay and Charlie Palmer Steak in Four Seasons, where her designer desserts rule, know this will be a first-class treasure trove. Find it at the restaurants, Amazon, and on her site, which also lists outlets in other cities. $40. www.chefmeganromano.com How cool is this—eat and drink and earn points good for future eating and drinking in the “Beer & Bites Club” at Sierra Gold taverns. Best of all, that other Romano, Megan’s platinum-credentialed chef/husband Joe, is the exec force here behind the first-rate steaks and seafood, gourmet side dishes, pizza even a Chicagoan will love, and the world’s best “junk food,” also—of course!— made with upscale groceries. PT’s pubs all around LV are also part of Romano’s culinary realm. www.sierragoldlv.com
Top BBQ maven Chef Les Kincaid shares this yummy summer recipe . . .
BLACK COFFEE BARBECUE SAUCE: 1/2 cup very strong black coffee, espresso preferred •1 cup ketchup • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar • 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar • 1 onion, peeled/chopped, about 1 cup • 2 cloves garlic, peeled/crushed • 2 tablespoons dark molasses • 3 fresh hot chili peppers, jalapeno or hotter, seeded • 2 tablespoons hot dry mustard mixed with 1 tablespoon water • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire • 2 tablespoons ground cumin • 2 tablespoons chili powder. Combine all ingredients and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Cool, then purée until smooth. Yield: 1½ cups. Can be stored, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. www.leskincaid.com. VID For more foodie delights, Barbara Nosek’s blog, Celebrity Chef Connection, can be found on the bottom right of this homepage.
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RESTAURANTS
Who’s the “Boss?” By Bobbie Katz
Granted, with its famed history, there may be no more appropriate place than Las Vegas to experience some true “family”-style dining. Still it has taken the creativity of restaurateur Nico Santucci to turn his two locations of the mob-themed Capo’s restaurant into bona fide culinary “hits.”
Mobster-chic décor meets “to die for” Italian cuisine in venues that collectively speak to the fact that Santucci has gone to the wall with the special touches that are the mark of an era. At the Tropicana Avenue Capo’s (which means “mob boss”) are the “family” pictures of “Uncle Al” (as in Capone), “Uncle John” (Gotti), and other G-Men and Rat Pack figures that peer down at you. Also featured are private booths with curtains that close, an upstairs “gaming” and smoking/ cigar lounge and a real Tommy gun hanging over the bar. There are also pictures of some of Santucci’s relatives, who, according to urban legend, were descendants of the Genovese family from Chicago, where Santucci was raised. The second Capo’s, located on Sahara Avenue and which opened in January 2009, continues the theme with plush red, leather banquettes, chandeliers, a bar, a private “roulette room” that seats 10 hidden behind a huge picture of Al Capone as well as a private theater/dining room that seats 20 and an outdoor smoking/cigar lounge It is softly lit and very intimate and sexy. Larger than Capo’s on Tropicana, which seats 75, it seats 110. At both locations, guests enter by ringing a buzzer
and are “checked out” by the maitre d’, who slides open a speakeasy-style window in the disguised door. “The menu is all authentic Old World recipes from my family,” Santucci says. “My father’s family, all of whom cooked, was from Abruzzi, Italy, and settled in New York and Chicago and my father’s brother owned a restaurant called Santucci’s in Chicago. It’s central Italian cooking, which combines a little of the northern and southern Italian cooking. But it’s not as heavy as either of those and it consists of a lighter and sweeter red sauce. The food is from the heart and is what I grew up with in Chicago.” Santucci describes his food as “straight-up authentic East CoastItalian comfort cuisine” and cites the meatballs, Chicken Parmigiana, and Shrimp Scampi as three of his signature dishes. The creative menu is a four-page tribute to the mob theme with headings such as Temptations (appetizers), Bathtub Gin Soups, Syndicate Salads, Made Man Pastas, House Specialties You Can’t Refuse and “The Last Ride” (desserts). There are similarly named items such as Chicken Luchese, Spilatro Spiedini, Nathan Nails New York Strip and so on. Both venues also have old-style Las Vegas entertainment. It’s an evening you can’t refuse. VID
Mobster-chic décor meets “to die for” Italian cuisine
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FASHION
Build It and They’ll Wear It Architect Frank Gehry and Tiffany’s create a sterling partnership By Susan Stapleton What do the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and Tiffany & Co. have in common? Famed architect Frank Gehry designed the Lou Ruvo Center and used the structure to influence his new Gehry Grid collection for Tiffany & Co. The line consists of two pendants and a cuff with overlapping sterling silver rectangular pieces that form the outline of Gehry’s initials, F.O.G. The concept of overlapping pieces of rectangular grid is incorporated in the exteriors of his most recent architectural works such as the Lou Ruvo Center. The F.O.G. pendants and cuff were inspired by the handcut sheets of silver that Gehry used to form his initials. The letters overlap to create a grid, while the thumbprint texture creates the signature. The pieces are interpreted in white bone china and silver. In 2003, Gehry established a partnership with Tiffany & Co. to custom an exclusive jewelry collection, which was launched in 2006. The Gehry Grid is the latest jewelry line resulting from this partnership that has included pieces based on his design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain. A: The FOG pendant is designed in sterling silver with a brush finish on black rubber cord by Frank Gehry for Tiffany & Co., $300. B: The FOG pendant in sterling silver with a brush finish by Frank Gehry for Tiffany & Co. goes for $225. C: The FOG cuff in sterling silver with brush finish by Frank Gehry for Tiffany & Co. sells for $550. All three pieces are available at the three Tiffany & Co. locations: Via Bellagio, 702.697.5400, Crystals at CityCenter, 702.545.9090 and The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702.644.3065. VID
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SHOPPING
More, More, More Boutiques at The Forum Shops at Caesars expand and add on By Susan Stapleton
Things are about to change at the Forum Shops at Caesars. The retail center that produces the highest dollar per square footage annually, totaling more than three times the national average, plans to introduce eight new retailers and restaurants by fall. In addition, six current retailers are expanding and remodeling their spaces. Among the new retailers are P.J. Clarke’s, a New York institution with a 125-year history that has entertained the famous, the infamous and everyone else who appreciates the ambiance and food of a real saloon, and Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man, which considers that chocolate is not just about taste; it also represents romance, sensuality and decadence. The new location will be the largest with two levels consisting of 9,400 square feet and housing enormous white vats mixing chocolate that will flow into pipes that run throughout the entire space. H&M will open its largest store in the United States at nearly 60,000 square feet and three levels. This new flagship store will offer the latest trends and updated basics for ladies, men, young ladies and young men, including accessories.
UGG plans to open a shoe store in the fall that will feature shoes constructed of leather, suede and sheepskin. Christian Audigier opens its first Las Vegas store this summer. This new location from the French designer behind the popular rhinestone-encrusted Ed Hardy brand will feature street-wear apparel and accessories for men, women and children. True Religion Brand Jeans brings its line of denims, T-shirts, Western shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants with a vintage feel to Vegas in fall. The 25-year-old Inglot brings its line of beauty products to Vegas this fall. La Martina, a designer of polo equipment and casual attire, opens in June. Other stores plan an expansion this year. Burberry is growing from 4,640 square feet to 6,700 to include the full line of Burberry Brit merchandise. Cartier is building a new store that will double the size of its existing store. St. John plans a new location with all-new store design. Ermenegildo Zegna has nearly doubled its square footage with a new store design that opened in April. Gucci Increased its square footage from 4,315 to 6,217 with a new store prototype concept that opened last November. Versace opened a new location with an all-new design last September. VID
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NIGHTLIFE
Paves a Path to Nightlife
There are a lot of “stories” in the Neon Jungle, as Las Vegas is often called. But TAO’s four-level presence at the Venetian is truly multi-faceted, bringing to life, an “Asian City” that shines with a restaurant, lounge and nightclub, and banquet facilities in 44,000 square feet. Since its celebrity-filled opening in September 2005, TAO has become one of Las Vegas’ hottest spots, as its sister venue has long been in New York City. Meaning “The Path” or “The Way,” TAO leads guests into an illuminating experience, from the stars that come out to play to the nightclub with hundreds of hand-carved monks and candles and the plates filled with luminous culinary delights from China, Japan and Thailand in the 400-seat restaurant. Lush velvets and silks, waterfalls and century-old woods and stones transport
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guests to the Pacific Rim where an extensive collection of Buddha statues watches over every corner of the $20-million, designdriven venue. Included in the collection is TAO’s signature 20-foot Buddha that “floats” peacefully over an infinity pool containing Japanese koi. There is also a unique reclining Buddha while, upstairs, the nightclub is highlighted by a moat bar adorned with red chandeliers and a Monk Bar decorated with a wall of almost 300 hand-carved monks and candles. Executive Chef Mark Andelbradt is responsible for TAO’s Pacific Rim menu items. Signature dishes include offerings from sea, sky and land, including Chilean Sea Bass Satay with Wok Roasted Asparagus, a preparation of Peking Duck that consistently receives accolades, and Kobe Beef Shabu Shahn, along with a full sushi bar. TAO also offers an extensive menu of delicious specialty cocktails including the Tao-tini, Tao Love Potion #9, the Fiji Apple Martini and the Tiger Lily, as well as sake
flights, specifically designed to complement Tao’s menu or to be enjoyed on their own. Managing partners of the Tao Nightclub, Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg of New York City’s Marquee fame, ensure that nightlife and celebrity-filled events reign supreme at TAO. Downstairs, a chic lounge serves as a gathering spot for cocktails and conversation, with DJs spinning eclectic beats nightly. For those craving a high energy, DJ-driven atmosphere, the 10,000-square-foot TAO Nightclub is the place to see and be seen, with three full-service bars, two main rooms playing a variety of hip hop, house and rock ‘n’ roll music, and state-of-the-art audio and lighting systems. The ultra-VIP treatment is also available at the nightclub, which offers eight private skyboxes, each featuring European bottle service, a mini-bar, an espresso machine and banquettes with secured purse drawers. The nightclub also boasts a 40-foot outside terrace with awe-inspiring views of the famed Las Vegas Strip. VID
ATTRACTIONS
MGM Grand’s Mane Event
Just in case life has been too tame for you lately, you can get your lion’s share of excitement at the MGM Grand where the Lion Habitat offers a rip-roaring good time—right in the middle of the casino. Located next to Studio 54, the Lion Habitat showcases up to six African lions daily for public education and appreciation. The venue is a true surround-soundand-sight experience. There are lions up, down and all around as they romp throughout the three-story glass-enclosed structure with a see-through walkway tunnel. Encased with skylights, the habitat has walls reaching heights of 35 feet to allow guests the opportunity to watch these animals’ every move. The glass is bulletproof safety glass, 1.5” thick, and can take the weight of an adult lion running at 25 mph. The lions are owned by Keith Evans, a trainer of exotic felines for more than 35 years. All have been raised from birth by him and his wife, Beverly. Comfortable in front of a camera, the cats are very much at home with the public. There are two or three trainers inside the habitat at all times, and, in general, there is one trainer per animal. There are between one and five lions in the habitat at any given time; no group is in there for more than six hours. The females are not spayed, so they are kept apart from the males. There is usually only one male in the habitat at a time because they fight—the exception being when they are brothers. It’s a wild experience. VID
Valley of Fire is a Natural Site with No Match
If you’re looking for an experience that is truly out of this world, you only have to travel about 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas via I-15 to see the first signs. Follow them and you might think that you have landed on Mars in your car when you first gaze upon the jagged limestone mounds of fiery scarlet, vermilion and mauve that rise out of the Mojave Desert to comprise the Valley of Fire State Park. Dedicated in 1935 as Nevada’s first state park, the 56,000-acre Valley of Fire takes its name from its distinctive coloration. The red sandstone formations that make up this surreal scene were formed by great sand dunes during the Jurassic period. Complex uplifting and faulting in the region, followed by 100 million years of erosion, have carved this 6-mile-long and 4-mile-wide, crimson-hued valley in the desert. In the process, water and wind have shaped the land into arches, domes, spirals and serrated ridges. Many of the area’s rock formations have been weathered into unusual shapes resembling elephants, beehives, ducks, cobras and even people, pianos and more. Valley of Fire is famous for its petroglyphs, ancient rock art left behind by the prehistoric Basketmaker people and Anasazi farmers—believed to be North America’s earliest inhabitants—who lived along the Muddy River between 300 BC and AD 1150. At Petroglyph Canyon and Atlatl Rock, visitors can see the rock art up close. Another point of interest is Mouse’s Tank, named for a local Native American who hid from the law there at the turn of the century. The large rock catchment, or tank, at the trail’s end, catches and preserves rainwater, providing an oasis for wildlife. VID
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The House That Lefty Built
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It’s a part of the foundation from which Las Vegas grew By Bobbie Katz / Photography by Jeff Green Photography From the outside, the house in the exclusive Las Vegas Country Club appears to be par for the course—just another home on the green built during the 1970s that possesses an Old Vegas charm all of its own. But once inside, the details or “bullet” points emerge. Things like hidden compartments in the tops of closets, bulletproof glass windows, 150-pound doors made of metal and triple-thickness wood, a steel staircase, remnants of a state-of-the-art monitoring system and more denote that this was once the home of Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, the organized crime figure who secretly ran the Stardust and other casinos when they were controlled by the Chicago Outfit. Currently up for sale with an asking price of $725,000, it is concrete proof of the real inside story in Las Vegas history not depicted in the movie Casino, of which Rosenthal, played by Robert DeNiro, was the subject.
“This historical property is more than a home. It’s a lifestyle,” says Celebrity Real Estate agent Aaron Auxier, who has the exclusive private listing. “It’s an opportunity you can’t refuse.” Although Rosenthal, who died in Miami at age 79 on October 14, 2008, was forced out of Las Vegas in 1988 after being placed in the persona non gratis “Black Book”–– and surviving the infamous car bombing assassination attempt in 1982–– the house he left behind still resonates with the spirit of the era. “Rosenthal bought the house brand new in 1970,” says photographer Jeff Green, the house’s current owner. “In 1976, the house next door caught fire and it spread to this house. So Frank had the Stardust redo it the way he wanted it. He spent $500,000 back then. It had sophisticated equipment with which he could monitor his office at the Stardust and the front and back doors of the house. There were also pressure plates so that he could hear someone coming up the stairs.” The 3,266-square-foot house retains the original entryway, bar, mirrored ceilings, wood ceilings, built-in, upstairs catwalk, sunken rectangular bathtub, door handles, faucets, key box, pool, art pieces by Bill Barnes, some wallpaper and other things. It was designed by famed designer Steven Chase of Palm Springs. Rosenthal, who made $250,000 a year at the Stardust, but made millions as a renowned sports bettor and handicapper, spared no expense. “He had an outside box to hook up a telephone, which is still there,” Green notes. “He also had the balcony outside his bedroom removed for safety reasons. At one point, in the early ‘80s, it was said that he had guards on the golf course. The curved 2-story window in the back of the house is cut into the brick and there is a mark on it that they say is from a gun during an assassination attempt.” Phone aside, when this house “talks,” people listen. It’s a chapter of Las Vegas’ unique past you won’t find anywhere else—a true mob scene in its finest sense. VID
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Bathe in the Wonders of Tecopa Hot Springs A delight just /outside of Las Vegas By Barry Berlin When Tecopa Hot Springs is mentioned to local Las Vegans, there is one of two reactions: a blank stare and a “huh?” or “I love that place! What a great weekend getaway.” It all began when Spanish explorers discovered Native Americans— Paiute and Shoshone tribes—utilizing the hot springs. After World War II, Harry Rosenberg, a site foreman for T&T Railroad, developed the property where Tecopa Hot Springs Resort now sits. He used railroad ties to erect the original building. Following Rosenberg’s death in a flash flood in 1969, two couples bought the resort, expanded the RV space, bathhouse and more. After the death of one of the owners, the place lay dormant until Amy Noel, a former art student with an interest in geology, took it over July 2001. Today, there is a “new face” on this intimate historic resort with 12 remodeled rooms,four rustic cabins, three private baths in the main building, two more on the hill, full RV hookups, an exhibit by local artists and more. Aside from the silky baths (high magnesium content pulls toxins out of muscles), there is a gourmet restaurant on the premises. Pastels Bistro can compete with any fine dining establishment in Las Vegas. The chef,
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John Muccio, not only graduated first in his class from the Culinary School in Manhattan but was head chef at Ferraro’s as well as at Mama Jo’s and the now defunct Romeo’s. Pastels’ menu highlights seasonal food with dishes changing each week. All this while eating outside on the bistro’s patio and marveling at the sky that rivals a planetarium! In fact, the resort usually has a stargazing event once a month, normally on a weekend close to the new moon. There is an 11-inch Celestron telescope with a computer that allows you to see into deep space and images can be projected onto a monitor or screen. The sky’s the limit when it comes to relaxing fun. Call 760-852-4420 or visit the Web site at www.tecopahotsprings.org.
DIRECTIONS: Take Route 160 (Blue Diamond Road) west and after you come down the mountain, go a few miles and look for a sign on your left that says Tecopa. Take this road about 34 miles until you come to a “Y” in the road at the town of Tecopa. Take the road to the right (sign says Tecopa Hot Springs Resort) and you will see the resort on your right. There is one stretch of hair pin turns on the way, so slow down when approaching. VID