To answer some questions that I have been getting lately about showgirls and what they meant to Las Vegas.

In the early days we had gambling and shows. We brought in the best talent from nightclubs from around the US.

At the El Rancho (the first place on the highway) you had such nightclub talents as Soffie Tucker, Durante etc. They would also bring in Burlesque talent like Lilly St Cyr. She was a big draw here. So the town started getting the reputation as a place to go to gamble and have a good time and be a bit naughty.

Girls and gambling go way back to the days of the nightclub gambling days.

The Dunes had the Minsky's Burlesque show with comics and topless girls. Went over big.

The Stardust brought in a show from Paris, The Lido De Paris. The Lido had a complete show. Great dancers who were actually from England. The famous Blue Belle girls. They were girls who where ballet trained since their early teens and appeared in shows throughout Europe. These were highly trained dancers. The stayed in apartments on Boston Ave, here in Vegas which is where I had my first apartment. I got to know most of them.

Very hard working and very well trained. I used to go to the afternoon rehearsals and watch them work. The lady that ran them was a tough task master. Even after the show opened they did afternoon rehearsals every day. These kids worked hard and were so good. They did two show a night, 8pm and midnight. And they did stretching between each show.

They were so glad to be in America. They played Elvis records by the pool all the time. I learned to swing dance with one of these girls. That girl was the first love of my life.

Now this show had Showgirls. They are different than dancers. They are the tall and beautiful girls who wear all those elaborate costumes at times and at other times will be topless. They don't have to know how to dance. They are usually tall and long legged with soft balanced shoulders and beautiful breasts. The original Lido girls were all from Europe.

This show went over very big here. Everyone wanted to see it. Many times my players at the Sands, who had seen Sinatra, now wanted to see the girls at the Lido.

The Tropicana had the Folies Bergere show. Same idea. The girls all from Europe, from the Paris show. The Folies dancers were also so very good. The kicking and all that stuff. This show too had the showgirls, who went topless. It was very big in those days. But all ok because it was European culture. Of course.

The Lido and Folies show were both very well done. Great dancing, beautiful showgirls, the very best speciality acts. The speciality acts were changed each year, but the girls remained. Sometimes name stars fronted the show. In the 60s I remember Eddie Fisher at the Folies.

At the Sands, we started out with a chorus girl line to open each show. The original was The Copa girls. These were all girls from Texas brought here to dance. Maybe not the dancers like in the Lido, but much more beautiful. All great looking. Sweet and nice. For a while Steve Rossi was the boy singer. Right before the Rat Pack era, the chorus line was disbanded and opening acts were used. Comics etc.

By the way, most of all the Copa girls stayed on as cocktail waitresses. Boy did we have great looking girls. Jeannie, Toni, Bobbie, Norma...   Sinatra has a crush on Jeannie.

Can you imagine that scene. Right after each show lets out, you will see the showgirls and dancers walking around and all the stars who are in town heading towards the lounge and in a few minutes strolling through this will be Sinatra and the waters part and he goes to table in the lounge and the partying begins. Those were the days!!

Showgirls were very important in the feel we had here. Where else could you go see a show of beautiful woman, some nude and later see them walking around the casino or sitting in the lounge. I know you read that we ordered them to sit with players after each show, but that isn't quite right. We did suggest to them they could do that if they liked. Most of the girls, especially the showgirls, loved being around the casino and the players and the big stars that were around.

Now of course it was our job in the casino to manage and handle all this. You never walked up to a player and the woman with him and say hello Mr and Mrs. — might be his wife or a girl friend or his secretary or a local showgirl. If a player is in alone, well he is going to be a bit naughty while he's here. We handle all that. These players loved to have a showgirl on their arm.

Mr W., whoever, will bring his girl over to me and she is so excited. He has bought her a new very big Teddy Bear. She is so happy. "Look at the big Teddy Bear he got me." Now when he leaves Sunday to go back to New York, she will take the bear back to gift shop in the lobby and give it back to them and receives $50 for herself. Because — in a few days she will be rushing towards me with Mr. K. and will be so excited about the big Teddy Bear he has bought her. Yes, that bear gets to do a lot of work.

Now of course we look out for the wives, too. If a player won't take her into a show, I whisper to him, "take her to see Sinatra and next trip come out alone and I get you into the LIdo show."

Some times we have to get tough, and a beautiful girl can be of great help. I have a player who is not very honorable and I know he is going to try and stiff me and get away with it. I see it coming and call "Jane," tell her I'm going to introduce her to someone in the casino, he'll be here for a couple of days. "Find out his fantasy and make it happen."

Well the player goes home and does not pay his debt. I call him and remind him and he tells me that gambling is illegal and he doesn't have to pay. I put "Jane" on the phone. "Hi, Mr L. You remember me, I had the schoolgirl outfit on so you could keep me after school and give me a spanking. I missed you. I think I will fly in to see you. Should I come by the house?" He is of course yelling to put me back on the phone. "Alright I will send it out tomorrow, no I'll do it tonight." And he will.

We did what we had to. I hope you don't think worse of me. It is the world I grew up in and operated in.

Vegas was and is an interesting place. But most of my memories are of the early days at the Sands and like I said, the show lets out and the place is filled with showgirls and celebrities and stars and the gamblers and all having a fun time.

I don't think we will see the likes of that again.