December '08 Notes from Norm — Norm Clarke Column

Saturday 11-29-08

Phelps galpal gets exposure on Web

Michael Phelps, the golden boy of swimming, may be up to his neck in a dating scandal.

The celebrity Web site TMZ.com ran photographs on Friday in which Phelps' girlfriend, Palms cocktail server Caroline "Caz" Pal, appeared to be posing topless in a series of photos.

Phelps, who had become the most sought-after celebrity endorser after delivering a record eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics, reportedly took Pal home to meet his mother over Thanksgiving.

The Web site purportedly shows Pal, 26, in provocative photos both alone and with other girls. In one photo, she is on a bed sandwiched between two girls in short shorts that read "Got Ho's?" on their rears and "My ex-girlfriend is a stripper."

Phelps, 23, has been a Las Vegas regular since his record haul of gold medals, which earned him a $1 million bonus from Speedo. He has been taking poker lessons in hopes of playing in the World Series of Poker here next year.

He has been seen partying and making out in public with Pal, who works at Moon nightclub in the Palms Fantasy Tower, where actor George Clooney's former girlfriend, Sarah Larson, used to work.

Pal's MySpace page lists her hometown as Long Beach, Calif., and indicates she attended Cal State-Northridge.

On Oct. 23, Phelps was seen partying in a hoodie with Pal at Tao nightclub at The Venetian after attending a pool-side event at Simon at Palms Place. He was media-shy at Palms Place, ducking reporters during a red carpet appearance.

At Tao, he jumped up on a DJ stand and was "mouthing words to a rap song," a source told Vegas Confidential. "He went from being real low key to being kind of out there. He acted like a dumb kid."

According to Davie Brown Entertainment, a Los Angeles talent agency that tracks the endorsement appeal of celebrities, Phelps ranked No. 1 in the first index compiled after the Beijing Olympics. He beat out basketball legend Michael Jordan, who earns $45 million a year in endorsements, and movie star Tom Hanks.

'TOP CHEF' CHALLENGERS

Two contestants with Las Vegas ties remain in the hunt among the 15 vying for Bravo's "Top Chef 5."

Stefan Richter, a former executive sous chef for the creative team that opened Bellagio in 1998, won the first episode, which bodes well. Three of the last four winners won the opening competition.

Born in Finland and raised in Germany, he now operates Stefan's Catering in Santa Monica.

An early fan favorite is Hawaiian Gene Villiatora, one of the participants in the history of the show who didn't attended culinary school. Villiatora, who lives in Las Vegas, rose from dishwasher and worked through the ranks to become an executive chef and consultant.

Three Las Vegas competitors have finished first or second: Tiffani Faison of Tao Asian Bistro was runnerup in Season 1, Marcel Vigneron of Joël Robuchon at the MGM was runnerup in Season 2 and Hung Huynh of Restaurant Guy Savoy won Season 3.

The Scene And Heard

Ellen DeGeneres' variety special, "Ellen's Even Bigger Really Big Show," includes an opening with DeGeneres playing the Pied Piper as she makes her way to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. She leads a troupe of dancers, living statues, employees and even a Centurion or two, through the front door, into the hotel lobby, down the conference center escalators, across the casino and into The Colosseum to open her show. Filmed during the Comedy Festival last week, it airs tonight on TBS, 9 p.m. Here's the YouTube.com link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HZNd0yZcaQ.

Sightings

"One Life to Live" soap star Catherine Hickland, ex-wife of David Hasselhoff, attended "Mesmerized" at the V Theater (The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort) on Thanksgiving Day. ... Mirage headliner Terry Fator is appearing on "Regis & Kelly" on Tuesday and the CBS "Early Show" on Wednesday.

Sunday 11-30-08

Wynn coveted cathedral's land

Luxury hotel developer Steve Wynn is known to move heaven and earth to make things happen. But he couldn't convert the Vatican.

Wynn has confirmed the rumor: He not only offered to buy the Guardian Angel Cathedral, across the Desert Inn arterial, but the deal included building a new one.

During the design process for the $2.6 billion Wynn Las Vegas, which opened in April 2005, Wynn envisioned a solution to a parking lot problem. He coveted the church site, which includes offices for the Diocese of Las Vegas, for employee parking.

"I sent someone to Rome. I had Sig Rogich help me on it," Wynn said.

The Vatican abstained, apparently wanting, ahem, nun of it.

It worked for the best, Wynn said. He ended up building a parking garage next to the first of his hotels, which offered closer proximity.

The cathedral, at 302 Cathedral Way, was founded in 1963. It was designed by Paul R. Williams, an acclaimed black architect whose work included the arched signature theme building at Los Angeles International Airport.

He also designed the La Concha Motel. The motel's lobby was recently moved from the Strip to the Neon Museum.

The land was donated to the church in 1961 by mob associate Moe Dalitz, who ran the Desert Inn and the Stardust and built the Las Vegas Country Club.

At the time, there were no Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon Masses. According to published accounts, a manager at the Stardust and Desert Inn asked that the local diocese offer a 4:30 a.m. Mass for Catholic "graveyard workers."

Williams designed numerous celebrity homes including the current home of famed hotelier Barron Hilton. Williams' client list included Frank Sinatra and his notorious push-button house, Lucille Ball, Tyrone Power and Danny Thomas.

The Scene And Heard

Bravo's ratings-grabbing "Real Housewives of Orange County" led to recent spinoffs in New York and Atlanta. Now there's buzz that Las Vegas may be following in their Manolo footsteps. The concept: Five women share the spotlight, revealing their daily drama, the Vegas party scene and their ultra-privileged lives.

Sightings

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, along with his father, Mike Agassi, and singer Tony Bennett, at the Stirling Club on Saturday for the Nevada Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Mike was one of the inductees. ... Professional dancer Julianne Hough of "Dancing With The Stars" fame, with her family at Lavo (Palazzo) on Friday night to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and her sister Marabeth's birthday. Julianne attended Las Vegas Academy during her mid-teens. Hough and her boyfriend, Chuck Wicks, stayed in a penthouse at Palms Place. ... Actor Corey Feldman, who starred in the hit 1980s films "Stand By Me" and "The Goonies," at Tryst (Wynn) on Friday with wife/Playboy model Susie Sprague Feldman and reality TV star Daisy De La Hoya, runner-up on the hit VH1 show, "Rock of Love 2." Earlier on Friday, they had dinner at Nove Italiano in the Palms Fantasy Tower.


Monday 12-01-08

Web site shows life of Mazzeo A new Web site that seeks contributions for Chrissy Mazzeo's lawsuit against Gov. Jim Gibbons and others sheds light on how she dropped from sight afterwards. The site, vindicatemazzeo.com, which was copyrighted by her attorney, Robert J. Kossack, includes the claim that the former cocktail waitress was "run out of town," but is taking on "four of the most powerful men in Nevada" to clear her name. Mazzeo, 34, filed a lawsuit in federal court in October alleging her rights to due process and equal protection were violated during a 2006 incident with Gibbons and the following police investigation. The lawsuit names Gibbons, political consultant Sig Rogich, Las Vegas police, former Sheriff Bill Young, attorney Don Campbell and former friend Pennie Mossett-Puhek as defendants. In the lawsuit, she accuses Gibbons of assaulting her on Oct. 13, 2006, in a parking garage near McCormick & Schmick's restaurant in Las Vegas. Revelations on the Web site include her childhood health battles while growing up outside Flagstaff, Ariz. A rare condition when she was 3 years old led to complete hair loss, a setback that forced her to wear a bandana to cover her head and made her "an expert in the application of wigs and false eyelashes." As a teen, she had a malignant thyroid removed. When her first marriage didn't survive, she refused alimony and assumed all of the couple's debts, out of gratitude for all that her former husband had done for her during her cancer treatments, according to the Web site. Unable to get pregnant during her eight-year marriage, she moved to Las Vegas and subsequently had a daughter she named Parris. She worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Thomas Puhek, where she befriended Puhek's wife, Pennie, according to the Web site. Mazzeo on the Web site goes on to criticize Pennie Mossett-Puhek. Mazzeo left her cocktail serving job at Bellagio in 2005 to become the first cocktail server hired for the opening of Wynn Las Vegas, the Web site says. A year later, when the story broke and almost cost Gibbons his big lead in the polls, the controversy caused her to be "blacklisted" from local jobs, the Web site says. She avoided the media glare by moving to Highland, Calif., where she worked as a cocktail server at Indian casinos near Riverside, Calif., before moving in with a boyfriend who owned a security company and lived in Huntington Beach, Calif. The Scene And Heard Restaurateur and chef Louis Osteen took a double hit when the economy went south. "To have opened and closed two restaurants inside of 12 months required a 'perfect storm,' a term being used a lot these days," he said in an e-mail. Osteen, who specialized in low-country cuisine, recently closed Louis' Fine Dining in Town Square not long after shuttering sister eatery Louis's Fish Camp. "They were good restaurants, made a lot of people happy -- just not enough," he said. He's hoping to stay in Las Vegas -- "a cool place," he said. ... Kuldeep Singh, the new chef at Origin India, called the general manager of the historic Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in Mumbai, India, over the weekend to check on friends. Singh said three Taj chefs were among the first to die when the terrorists began their coordinated attacks that left more than 170 dead. Singh worked in the kitchen at the Oberoi Hotel, another target, for seven years before moving to the London area. He did not know any of the victims. Sightings Backstage with the Jonas Brothers after their second concert Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden: Las Vegas actress Meaghan Jette Martin, who co-starred with them in The Disney Channel hit "Camp Rock." ... Rapper Too Short, pulling up to the entrance of Poetry Nightclub (Forum Shops at Caesars) on Saturday in a brand new Mercedes CL 700. Later, he gave an impromptu performance to a sold-out crowd at Poetry. ... Cast members of the HBO series "True Blood," including Ryan Kwanten, Kristin Bauer and Alexander Skarsgard, co-hosting at Privé (Planet Hollywood Resort) on Friday. They were celebrating Bauer's birthday and the finale of their first season. ... Skarsgard, dining in Strip House at Planet Hollywood Resort on Saturday.

Tuesday 12-02-08

Norm took the day off

Wednesday 12-03-08

Knievel will try jump at Mirage

Back in July 1999, after jumping 25 new cars at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado, daredevil Robbie Knievel was asked what was next on his list of things to jump.

"I'm looking for a volcano," said Knievel, who had already jumped the Grand Canyon on his motorcycle.

Well, Knievel, at age 46, has found his volcano.

Sources confirm Knievel will jump the redesigned volcano at The Mirage at 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

The feat will be part of a Fox television special and will come 41 years after the unsuccessful attempt by his father, Evel Knievel, on Dec. 31, 1967, to jump the water fountain in front of Caesars Palace.

The horrific motorcycle crash broke 40 bones and left him in a coma for 30 days but propelled him to pop culture stardom.

Thirteen years later, stuntman Gary Wells attempted the same feat and also was seriously injured.

Young Knievel conquered the fountain in 1989, soaring a personal record 170-foot.

He'll be flying over fireballs this time, drawing attention to the $25 million renovation of the volcano, which is being unveiled on Monday.

His Las Vegas resume includes the 1999 building-to-building jump from the 13-story Jockey Club to another Strip high-rise tower.

X Games gold medalist Mike Metzger set a world record in 2006 when he became the first rider to successfully perform a back flip over the fountains at Caesars Palace.

The Scene And Heard

The wide swath of economic cutbacks recently cost every department head at the Imperial Palace their jobs, including longtime vice president and general manager Ed Crispell. They were informed on a Thursday and gone by Friday. They weren't alone. Scores of other longtime employees were let go. Many of the hotel's 2,700 employees survived the Sept. 11 aftermath, when then-owner Ralph Engelstad refused to lay off employees, or cut their benefits, at a time when others were reducing their staffs. Engelstad, who opened the Imperial Palace in 1979, died a year later at Thanksgiving ...

With occupancy tumbling at local hotels, we hear the next shoe to drop will be the closure of some tower areas to cut electricity costs and housekeeping expenses ...

Steve Wynn's ad campaign for his new hotel Encore is out and so is the footage of how the commercial was shot atop the 48-story building, with his feet dangling over the edge.

Click here for the commercial: http://www.encorelasvegas.com ...

Longtime Las Vegas resident Farah Carter is among the contestants in Lifetime Network's "Blush: The Search for the Next Great Makeup Artist" (Tuesday, 10 p.m.) Habitues of the Outside Inn, 9941 W. Charleston Blvd, knew her before she was famous. She's a part-time bartender there.

Sightings

Ozzy Osbourne, backstage Monday after seeing "Love" at The Mirage, part of his 60th birthday celebration with family and friends. The cast serenaded him with "Happy Birthday." Accompanying him was wife Sharon and kids Aimee, Kelly and Jack. After dining at SW Steakhouse (Wynn), the kids headed off to Privé (Planet Hollywood Resort) with Jeff Beacher and ended up at Jet (Mirage) ... Caesars Palace headliner Bette Midler, dining Monday at just-opened Sea Harbour, Caesars Palace's newest restaurant. Midler is hosting a book-signing of her best-selling children's book, "The Saga of Baby Divine," tonight in front of The Colosseum entrance immediately after her show there ...

At the Orleans on Monday for a dinner honoring Marvin Roy, "Mr. Electric," for his 50 years of performing magic: Lance Burton, Siegfried Fischbacher, Mac King, Jeff McBride and Nathan Burton.

Thursday 12-04-08

Pal calls publicity sensationalism

Carolynn "Caz" Pal, the cocktail server whose risque photos threatened to tarnish the golden image of Olympic swim star Michael Phelps, says she's a victim of sensationalism.

She's "never shot topless photos, ever. No topless, no stripping," Pal, 26, said in her first interview since the furor erupted since spending Thanksgiving with Phelps and his mother in Baltimore.

Pal agreed to the interview under one condition: that she would not discuss Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics for an unprecedented 14 in Olympic competition.

All that she revealed about him was that she didn't know who he was when they met at the Palms pool while she was having lunch with a girlfriend.

Someone delivered a "message," she said. That was as far as she would go.

The storm of publicity "has been really hard," she said, referring to numerous photos of her that made a splash on Web sites across the world.

"Those photos are not a statement of who I am," she said. The provocative shots, taken four or five years ago, were part of a photo shoot for Beverly Hills Pimp & Hos, a popular urban clothing line favored by celebrities such as Nick Cannon, Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman.

People "think my implied photos are topless photos and they are not. They are not nude. They are just implied."

The photos were sensationalized, she said, with stars placed over parts of the body that were not revealed.

She added, "In one, I was holding my arms across myself (breasts), and they put a big bar across my arms to make it appear I was full frontally topless."

She's convinced a friend betrayed her by sending photos from her Facebook and MySpace sites.

Some stories suggested that the Palms Moon nightclub, where she has worked since it opened two years ago, was a topless club.

Worse, her parents and friends have been "bombarded" by "lying" publications that said "they talked to me," she said.

"My parents are very conservative. I was testing their limits by being crop-top, miniskirt-wearing waitress."

She returned to her job and hopes to keep it.

"It's been like living in a fish tank the last couple days, with people tapping on the glass and me just trying to swim in little circles, like Nemo."

When I asked whether Phelps has supported her since the story broke, she pursed her lips and scrunched her shoulders, body language that screamed "no comment."

And yes, Playboy and others have contacted her.

She's not interested, she said.

The Scene And Heard

Chet Buchanan, host of "Chet Buchanan & the Morning Zoo" on KLUC-FM, 98.5, is living on the ledge again. Starting today, he will live atop a 30-foot scaffolding at NV Energy until Dec. 15 to promote the station's 10th toy drive. Mayor Oscar Goodman will attend today's kickoff. Last year the drive filled 13 50-foot Albertsons trucks, collected 2,392 new bikes and more than $67,000 in gift cards. They also accept cash. All the toys are distributed through HELP of Southern Nevada. ...

Longtime Las Vegas food and beverage executive Rino Armeni has added restaurateur to his title. He's recruited Gerald Chin, former executive chef at The Mansion at MGM, and opened Pips Cucina & Wine Bar at Aliante Station Casino, 7300 Aliante Parkway. "We call it traditional Italian cuisine with a youthful twist," said Armeni, a native of Rome. He came to Las Vegas in 1989 to work as vice president of food and beverage at Caesars Palace. After six years, he joined Southern Wine and Spirits, where he worked as executive marketing director until earlier this year. I'll be signing my new book, "Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales," there Friday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. ...

Charlie Sheen's ex, Denise Richards, will join guest DJ and hip-hop legend DMC as co-hosts of New Year's Eve at Prive (Planet Hollywood Resort). Since her messy breakup with Sheen, she's had her own reality show, "Denise Richards: It's Complicated" on E.

Friday 12-05-08

Getting a jump or two on New Year

A national television audience may need split screen TVs on New Year's Eve to watch what could be twin motorcycle jumps over Las Vegas landmarks.

Vegas Confidential has learned that ESPN is negotiating a still-confidential motorcycle jump involving the Arc de Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Fox television is airing a special that would feature daredevil Robbie Knievel attempting to jump over billowing fireballs to draw worldwide attention to the redesigned volcano at The Mirage.

A source said it is likely that both jumps would occur at 9 p.m. Pacific time to ring in the New Year on the East Coast.

LITTLE NIPPER

Weatherman John Fredericks' golden lab LJ is in the doghouse again at KVBC-TV, Channel 3, this time for biting an employee.

LJ, short for "Little Jordan," has been banned for the second time in eight months. In March, he was sent home over a contractual dispute.

He is a replacement for Fredericks' longtime sidekick, Jordan, who died in August 2007 at age 11. Both dogs were popular with viewers for their cameo appearances during Fredericks' 5-7 a.m. weather reports and the noon telecast.

Lisa Howfield, general manager at the NBC affiliate, said LJ bit a female employee the day before Thanksgiving "without being provoked, and for the safety of employees and the public we made an arrangement with John that he will no longer bring LJ into the station."

Howfield said tours often include children, "and I have an obligation" for their safety.

Fredericks seemed a bit lost the next day without his companion. He told viewers he would be taking some turkey to Jordan's grave at the pet cemetery on Craig Road. Fredericks said Thanksgiving was "the one day of the year" he would share his dinner with Jordan.

Sources said LJ was taken off the air in March when Fredericks' sought to have the pup compensated for the use of his image.

Howfield said Fredericks was asked to provide occasional LJ video updates.

An e-mail to Fredericks seeking comment was not received by deadline.

The ban won't apply to Sparkle, a 6-month-old longhaired miniature dachshund owned by KVBC entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs. Howfield said the beret-adorned Sparkle comes in only a couple days a week and is kept in one of his five faux fur dog carriers when he's not on the air with Jacobs.

"I don't want to give LJ a bad rap," said Howfield. "But he is not a small dog anymore. When some dogs grow, they are still puppies inside."

She'll revisit the question of LJ's return after he "matures a little more."

The Scene And Heard

Sean Klush, the BBC's "World's Greatest Elvis" in 2007, will have The King's right-hand man at his side for his Dec. 12-13 appearances at the Nicholas Horn Theater., 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. in North Las Vegas. Joe Esposito, best man at Elvis' 1967 wedding to Priscilla at the Aladdin, will host. Klush's shows start at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

May I Recommend

It will be wall-to-wall Santas at the Fremont Street Experience on Saturday for the Las Vegas Great Santa Run. Legendary illusionists Siegfried and Roy will join head Santa and honorary chairman Mayor Oscar Goodman. Zowie Bowie will entertain at the event, which starts at 10 a.m. A total of 7,269 Santas participated last year.

Sightings

UFC legend Chuck Liddell, at Thursday's opening of the National Finals Rodeo (Thomas & Mack Center). ... During Nathan Burton's magic show at the Flamingo on Thursday, one of his illusions had Donnie Osmond hopping out, asking "This isn't my dressing room?" ... Ozzy Osbourne, celebrating his 60th birthday with family members backstage after Bette Midler's "A Showgirl Must Go On" (Caesars Palace) after dinner at Il Mulino (Forum Shops at Caesars). A mini Ozzy from Beacher's Madhouse tagged along. Kelly and Jack Osbourne and Jeff Beacher went on to LAX (Luxor).

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