I chatted with room service clerk Gene Plaid the other day about his impending retirement from the Riviera Hotel and Casino after 41 loyal years of service at the legendary property.
In a city with a transient population unlike any other, Las Vegas has been home to the 78-year-old Plaid for the past 42 years, but his association with "The Riv" is scheduled to end later this month.
August 18th marks Gene's final day of service at the Riviera.
"I started at the Riviera in the early 1970's when the Mob ran the town," said Plaid, a St. Louis native. "Those were the glory days of Las Vegas when gamblers were truly respected by the casino operators."
"I always was pleased with my job in room service so I declined any promotions within the department. My battle cry was simple. I tried to make every customer feel as if there was no other casino in Las Vegas other than the Riviera."
Plaid watched Liberace perform in the Riviera showroom, he watched Dean Martin informally entertain gamblers in the casino area and witnessed long-running shows like Splash and Crazy Girls delight tourists from every part of the world.
He also remembers the movie Casino was filmed at the Riv in 1995, mostly during the graveyard shift.
Named the fictional Tangiers Hotel, the Riviera Hotel and Casino served as the backdrop for the wildly-successful film, which was based on the life and times of Frank Rosenthal, a well-connected mobster who ran the late, great Stardust Hotel for the Chicago Outfit during the 1970's.
Gene Plaid has agreed to appear on an upcoming episode of The EOG Sports Hour to talk about his glorious career at the Riv and his thoughts about the past, present and future of Las Vegas.
Stay tuned.
HESZ IN THE HOUSE.....Noted Southern California horseplayer Aaron Hesz will join yours truly and David Glisan tonight for an hourlong discussion on playing the ponies and baseball handicapping.
The EOG Sports Hour is heard weekday evenings at 10:00 Pacific on KLAV-AM 1230 here in Las Vegas and the show can be accessed through a live Internet audio stream at www.klav1230am.com.
Past editions of the popular program are archived at www.eogradio.com.
TIJUANA TWENTIES......Why is it Caliente sports books in Tijuana welcome large race and sports wagers yet when it comes time to pay the customer, the house hoards the Benjamin Franklins and pays out only with $20 bills?
I'm assuming there's a nefarious reason for this unusual practice.
FALLING ANGELS......The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are the biggest disappointment of the 2013 Major League Baseball season.
Mike Scioscia's listless team seemingly underperforms on a nightly basis.
Before the season started, expectations in Anaheim were high with the betting markets installing the Angels as the 5/9 favorite to win the American League West and a regular-season win total set at 92.
At their current pace, the Angels are more likely to lose 92 games than win 92 games.
If they continue at their winning percentage of .451, the team with seventh-highest payroll in MLB at $142 million will finish the season 73-89.
The Angels in the betting marketplace own the dubious distinction of baseball's biggest moneyburners over the first four months of the season, more inept than struggling squads like fellow American Leaguers Chicago and Houston.
For the second straight season, the Halos landed the biggest prize on the free agent market, first with 2012 offseason prize Albert Pujols and then with big fish Josh Hamilton last winter.
With a season-ending injury to Pujols and the ongoing struggles of the star-crossed Hamilton, the hopeless Halos will miss the postseason for a fourth consecutive season.
FRIDAY'S BEST BET.....Play 920 CLEVELAND INDIANS -115 over the Los Angeles Angels.
Kazmir over Weaver.
The Indians are glad to say goodbye to the streaking Tigers, winners of 12 straight games, and welcome a Los Angeles team that struggles against left-handed starters (11-19 vs LHP this season).
Kazmir is in excellent form, allowing only four earned runs in his last four starts and striking out 23 hitters versus only seven walks over the same time frame.
COMING MONDAY.....My chat with EOGMike, the website's executive coordinator.
In a city with a transient population unlike any other, Las Vegas has been home to the 78-year-old Plaid for the past 42 years, but his association with "The Riv" is scheduled to end later this month.
August 18th marks Gene's final day of service at the Riviera.
"I started at the Riviera in the early 1970's when the Mob ran the town," said Plaid, a St. Louis native. "Those were the glory days of Las Vegas when gamblers were truly respected by the casino operators."
"I always was pleased with my job in room service so I declined any promotions within the department. My battle cry was simple. I tried to make every customer feel as if there was no other casino in Las Vegas other than the Riviera."
Plaid watched Liberace perform in the Riviera showroom, he watched Dean Martin informally entertain gamblers in the casino area and witnessed long-running shows like Splash and Crazy Girls delight tourists from every part of the world.
He also remembers the movie Casino was filmed at the Riv in 1995, mostly during the graveyard shift.
Named the fictional Tangiers Hotel, the Riviera Hotel and Casino served as the backdrop for the wildly-successful film, which was based on the life and times of Frank Rosenthal, a well-connected mobster who ran the late, great Stardust Hotel for the Chicago Outfit during the 1970's.
Gene Plaid has agreed to appear on an upcoming episode of The EOG Sports Hour to talk about his glorious career at the Riv and his thoughts about the past, present and future of Las Vegas.
Stay tuned.
HESZ IN THE HOUSE.....Noted Southern California horseplayer Aaron Hesz will join yours truly and David Glisan tonight for an hourlong discussion on playing the ponies and baseball handicapping.
The EOG Sports Hour is heard weekday evenings at 10:00 Pacific on KLAV-AM 1230 here in Las Vegas and the show can be accessed through a live Internet audio stream at www.klav1230am.com.
Past editions of the popular program are archived at www.eogradio.com.
TIJUANA TWENTIES......Why is it Caliente sports books in Tijuana welcome large race and sports wagers yet when it comes time to pay the customer, the house hoards the Benjamin Franklins and pays out only with $20 bills?
I'm assuming there's a nefarious reason for this unusual practice.
FALLING ANGELS......The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are the biggest disappointment of the 2013 Major League Baseball season.
Mike Scioscia's listless team seemingly underperforms on a nightly basis.
Before the season started, expectations in Anaheim were high with the betting markets installing the Angels as the 5/9 favorite to win the American League West and a regular-season win total set at 92.
At their current pace, the Angels are more likely to lose 92 games than win 92 games.
If they continue at their winning percentage of .451, the team with seventh-highest payroll in MLB at $142 million will finish the season 73-89.
The Angels in the betting marketplace own the dubious distinction of baseball's biggest moneyburners over the first four months of the season, more inept than struggling squads like fellow American Leaguers Chicago and Houston.
For the second straight season, the Halos landed the biggest prize on the free agent market, first with 2012 offseason prize Albert Pujols and then with big fish Josh Hamilton last winter.
With a season-ending injury to Pujols and the ongoing struggles of the star-crossed Hamilton, the hopeless Halos will miss the postseason for a fourth consecutive season.
FRIDAY'S BEST BET.....Play 920 CLEVELAND INDIANS -115 over the Los Angeles Angels.
Kazmir over Weaver.
The Indians are glad to say goodbye to the streaking Tigers, winners of 12 straight games, and welcome a Los Angeles team that struggles against left-handed starters (11-19 vs LHP this season).
Kazmir is in excellent form, allowing only four earned runs in his last four starts and striking out 23 hitters versus only seven walks over the same time frame.
COMING MONDAY.....My chat with EOGMike, the website's executive coordinator.
