January '09 Notes from Norm — Norm Clarke Column

Saturday 12-27-08

Norm took the day off

Sunday 12-28-08

Deadbeat leaves his mark on Strip

A Fry's Electronics executive who has been making headlines for embezzling more than $60 million to support his gambling habit isn't close to being the No. 1 deadbeat high roller.

Former Fry's vice president Ausaf Umar Siddiqui of Palo Alto, Calif., was fired last week after Clark County prosecutors said he has failed to pay casinos since 2001.

But the King of the Deadbeats, a source confirms, is a former Fortune 500 executive from Omaha, Neb., who blew through $116 million in two years and left a small mountain of unpaid markers up and down the Strip.

"I haven't seen anyone in his league," said a source familiar with the case.

The whale from landlocked Nebraska, who recently sold off a multimillion-dollar estate, owes Harrah's Entertainment more than $15 million and recently fired his Las Vegas attorneys when they couldn't settle the debt for half that.

Harrah's had issued a one-of-a-kind players card to the whale, who had to have permission to play from Harrah's honcho Gary Loveman, I'm told.

Meanwhile, local casinos continue to aggressively pursue a soaring number of deadbeats, including celebrities Joe Francis and Charles Barkley, who paid off big debts to Wynn Las Vegas under the threat of prosecution.

The Scene And Heard

Up in the air: Daredevil Robbie Knievel was such a mess when he showed up at The Mirage volcano relaunch earlier this month, we hear the powers-that-be want assurances he's going to be clear-headed for his New Year's Eve motorcycle jump over the roaring flames. ...

When KVBC-TV, Channel 3 meteorologist John Fredericks pulled a Britney last week and had his head shaved, his version of the story was that he fell asleep during the haircut, woke up to find a "hatchet job" and had it all taken off. My Eye Spies at Supercuts at Rampart and Lake Mead boulevards have a different account: "He came in and said, 'Cut it all off.' Everyone around him said, 'Don't do it.'" When the hairstylist finished, Fredericks looked into the mirror and said, "That'll work," an eyewitness said. Fredericks' 12-year run at KVBC will end next month, it was announced last week, so he can pursue a book about his beloved golden lab Jordan, who died in August 2007.

Sightings

Rock singer Pink, at UFC 92 on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden, her first major fighting event, UFC or championship boxing. Her father was a fighter, she said, and she learned Muay Thai, one of the martial arts. Also at the event: Greg and Mike Maddux, and Major Leaguers Michael Barrett and Shane Victorino, plus Sarah Larson, George Clooney's ex-girlfriend. ... Josh Brolin, who has been receiving Oscar buzz for his portrayal of President George W. Bush in "W," and his wife, actress Diane Lane, dining Saturday at SW Steakhouse (Wynn) on their way to "O" (Bellagio). ... Former UFC Champion Chuck Liddell, racing at Pole Position Raceway on Saturday afternoon. ... The Pointer Sisters, Ruth Sayles, Anita Pointer and Issa Edwards-Pointer, spotted in the VIP section of Krave Nightclub after their Friday show at the Silverton. ... Leyla Milani, model No. 13 on "Deal or No Deal," at LAX (Luxor) on Friday.


Monday 12-29-08

Record numbers of strippers seen The worst economic crisis in decades has record numbers of strippers showing up in Las Vegas. "We've had as many as 400 working at one time," said Shai Cohen, director of marketing for Sapphire, which is billed as the world's largest gentlemen's club. An even larger turnout is likely next month when 140,000 convention attendees show up for the annual porn trade show and the Consumer Electronic Show. "We have seen a lot of new faces," said Cohen. Before the economy started diving last summer, 250 to 300 girls would arrive at the 70,000-square-foot club. "Girls who were in our system from long time ago are returning," he said. The majority of newcomers are driving in from Southern California, he said, with two and three sharing a motel room to cut expenses. Tipping is down, he added, and more patrons are using credit cards instead of cash. Cohen has heard scuttlebutt that a number of local strip clubs are struggling, but Sapphire's business has remained robust, he said. "We have 10 sky boxes that go for $500 an hour and they're being used. We hear people talking about the economy all day, but we haven't noticed a big difference. "Las Vegas has been an escape that's been around forever. People need to be entertained." The Scene And Heard "Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven," an HBO documentary about the legendary Maccioni restaurant family in New York, airs tonight at 8 p.m. The film goes behind the scenes to cover Le Cirque's move from the Palace Hotel after a 2004 New Year's Eve party to a rebirth two years later in Bloomberg Tower. The family empire founded by Sirio and Egidiana Maccioni and carried on by his three sons includes Las Vegas spinoffs Le Cirque and Osteria del Circo at Bellagio. The Las Vegas eateries are operated by oldest son, Mario. For more on the family, go to: www.nypost.com/pagesixmag/issues/20081221/Empire+Sons+Battle+Over+Le+Cirque Sightings At LAX Nightclub (Luxor) on Saturday: Pink, UFC star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (after his first-round knockout of Wanderlei Silva in UFC 92), UFC president Dana White, LAX investor Wilmer Valderrrama, Luxor headliner Criss Angel and Holly Madison, and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. ... Pink, dining with friends at Company American Bistro (Luxor) in a group that included Valderrama. Also in: UFC owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, with White. ... Beijing Olympics silver medalist gymnast Alicia Sacramone, celebrating her recent birthday with champagne at Privé on Saturday night. Her birthday was Dec. 3. Also at Privé on Saturday, Rashad Evans, the new light heavyweight UFC champ after a victory over Forrest Griffin. Celebrity bodyguard-actor Chuck Zito, who attended UFC 92 earlier, served as door host. ... Spotted in VIP seats at UFC 92: Japan's Satoshi Ishii, who won the heavyweight judo gold medal in Beijing. According to UFC.com, he's in "exclusive" negotiations to join the organization. ... Adam Levine, lead singer for Maroon 5, in a sky villa at the Palms Fantasy Tower on Saturday.... At Christian Audigier The Nightclub (Treasure Island) on Saturday: Las Vegas' own The Higher after their concert at the House of Blues; C.B. Dollaway, who was celebrating his first-round technical knockout of Mike Massenzio in UFC 92, along with fellow fighters Efrain Escudero and Ryan Bader, recent winner of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show. Also in the house: Professional boxer Zab Judah. ...Comedy icon Jerry Lewis having dinner with his daughter Saturday at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Forum Shops). ... Jackson, one of the UFC 92 winners, partying at Wasted Space (Hard Rock Hotel & Casino) Saturday night with friends Tito Ortiz and wife, Jenna Jameson, and Jason Giambi. Also at the Hard Rock: French UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo, dining with friends at Mr. Lucky's.

Tuesday 12-30-08

Norm took the day off

Wednesday 12-31-08

Not all daredevils are created equal

Don't ask Robbie Maddison, Australia's Evel Knievel, to compare himself to Robbie Knievel or their dueli"There is no comparison," a fuming Maddison said Tuesday.

"He is a disrespectful drunken bum, a no talent who is making a joke of a jump," he said.

Their feud isn't being manufactured for TV ratings: Maddison is on ESPN and Knievel is on a Fox special.

Maddison, who grew up idolizing Knievel's father, told him so at the iconic daredevil's funeral a year ago in Butte, Mont.

"We sat down and drank into the night, talked, and he told me how much he respected me," said Maddison.

The wheels came off their friendship when Maddison learned Robbie Knievel "tried to sabotage me." The bad blood involves a confidential conversation Maddison said he had with Robbie Knievel's stunt coordinator about bringing him on board for Maddison's New Year's Eve jump.

"After he (Knievel) found out, he went about planning to kill my thunder," said Maddison, who will attempt to race his bike 100 feet straight up a ramp and land on top of a replica of the Arc de Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas and freefall into a safety net.

Down at The Mirage, Knievel will soar 200 feet over the refurbished volcano.

"There are thousands of guys in the world who could make that jump," Maddison said. "There's ... only one guy who could do this jump."

"New Year, No Limits" airs on ESPN beginning at 8 p.m.

Fox's "New Year's Eve Special" begins at 11 p.m.

HOLLY'S CONFESSION

Hugh Hefner's ex Holly Madison said she had a "crush" on illusionist Criss Angel more than a year ago.

Madison made the confession to CNN's Larry King during an appearance with Angel during an interview that aired Monday.

They met in Hollywood when Angel was taping the NBC show "Phenomenon." Madison and her "Girls Next Door" galpals Kendra and Bridget served as assistants.

"I had been a fan of his show, 'Mind Freak,' and wanted to meet him," Madison told King. "We just kept talking." She was still at the Playboy Mansion during that time, but "we did not start dating until recently."

Madison, who still works for Playboy, defended Angel's embattled show "Believe," saying "it's absolutely brilliant and I don't want to know what they're thinking. I think they're haters."

Angel said he "could care less about what critics think. Critics, in my opinion, are wannabes that have never -- will never be."

He added, "Critics are people that have never created a show, never directed a show, never acted in a show. So -- and, quite frankly, there's a period called previews. And that's meant to evolve and develop the show." He said, "People were reviewing the show that never even saw the show."

Angel told King the show, a collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, "is 99 percent to 100.8 percent capacity every show." He added, "We are the number one show in Las Vegas."

Unsaid was that local ticket outlets offer two-for-one deals, and some tickets have been discounted up to 40 percent.

Cirque du Soleil publicist Merri Hagan recently confirmed to R-J entertainment writer Mike Weatherford that there "certainly are some discounts out there" but they are for "specific audiences ... very targeted incentives," not a fire sale at the box office and not part of the locals offer for Cirque's other shows "Ka," "Mystere" and "Zumanity."

The Scene And Heard

XS, the nightclub scene's new 500-pound gorilla, opens tonight at Encore with a monster debut. All the tables -- inside and outside, yes outside -- are sold. Even the $3,000 cabanas on the second level overlooking what will soon become, I predict, one of the world's most talked-about pool parties are sold. The only thing left: day beds for $1,500 each.

Sightings

At Playboy Club (Palms) on Monday night: Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria, who was named the American League's 2008 Rookie of the Year, at the Hugh Hefner VIP table with a friend. At another table: David Cook, the "American Idol" winner of season seven. ... Maddison, having dinner at N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) on Monday with fellow daredevil Rhys Millen and ESPN reporter Jamie Little, who is covering the event. She grew up in Las Vegas and was introduced to dirt biking by Carey Hart when she was 14. ... Olympic swimming ace Michael Phelps, drawing a crowd Monday while playing poker with some big boys at the Palms. He showed up at Lavo (Palazzo)Tuesday with girlfriend Carolynn "Caz" Pal, the Moon cocktail server. Earlier this month, Phelps told Kelly Ripa on "Regis & Kelly" that he was "single" when she asked whether he was dating.

Thursday 01-01-09

Fergie recalls feeling 'normal'

Here's a classic for the "Before They Were Stars" file.

On New Year's Eve 1998, a bunch of show business kids on the cusp of the big time were celebrating on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Limping along in a foot cast was Stacy Ann Ferguson, now better known as Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas. At 24, she was the oldest of the group. 'N Sync was in the group as well.

One of the youngest was Britney Spears, who had just turned 17. Her debut single, "Baby One More Time," would reach No. 1 a few weeks later. For now, she was the opening act for 'N Sync at a New Year's Day concert at Thomas & Mack Arena.

"I was friends with 'N Sync," Ferguson recalled in an interview with the Review-Journal's Doug Elfman.

"This is after Justin (Timberlake) and I dated," said Ferguson, who was with girl group Wild Orchid at the time. "This is right when Britney and he were starting to date. We were also friends. We had common friends. We went to a lot of things. We went to the Pro Bowl. I have a friend, Pantera Sarah, she's the one I introduced 'N Sync to because she knew all the hot clubs in L.A., the club promoters, so she kind of introduced the Orlando boys into the club scene.

"So we used to all go on these vacations. That time, I had a cast on my (left) leg. It was actually from me practicing gymnastics flips. But I still went to Vegas," said Ferguson, who is in town for a New Year's Eve concert at The Venetian and to perform the midnight countdown as host at Lavo in The Palazzo.

"They were performing, and I just thought, you know what, screw it, I'm gonna go anyways with my one legged-dance. It was funny, 'N Sync actually -- part of one of their songs -- they started doing this dance with one leg, because they were making fun of me. It was quite funny. Britney was adorable and young. They were all young."

'N Sync and Britney "were coming into their fame," she said. "It was starting to really get big for them. Nobody cared about me, walking down the Strip with a cast on my leg. I was just a friend. We were all just having fun. I just felt normal.

"I was a normal partygoer, walking down the Strip, screaming 'Woo!' For them, that was their time, and now I can't imagine, after I do the countdown at the club, that I'll be walking down the Strip. I don't know if it would be quite the same this time."

The Scene And Heard

The verbal deal is done: Crooner Harry Connick will be the featured entertainer for the VIP opening of Steve Wynn's Encore on Jan. 24. It's being called the Chairman's Ball, as a wink to Frank Sinatra, who was known as the Chairman of the Board. It'll be a birthday blowout for Wynn, who turns 67 three days later. It will be another private affair, similar to the opening of Wynn Las Vegas on April 28, 2005, the day of Elaine Wynn's birthday, when Hugh Jackman and opera singer Rene Fleming capped the night. ...

There are rumblings that MGM Mirage is close to announcing the status of the beleagured City Center project, including whether several buildings will be completed. There's talk that The Harmon, the Light Group's boutique condo-tel, with 400 hotel rooms and suites and about 200 luxury condominiums, will be delayed. The bigger concern, I'm told, is the central iconic tower, which was designed to lean about 22 degrees but is now almost double that because of a cabling issue. ...

If MGM Mirage goes ahead with the sale of more Strip properties, á la Phil Ruffin's purchase of Treasure Island for $775 million, there's buzz that Kirk Kerkorian's longtime aide Alex Yemenidjian, former CEO of MGM Studios, might be interested. ...

The wildest rumor of New Year's Eve: Michael Jackson had checked into a suite at Encore, with a monkey tagging along. Not true, said a Wynn rep.

Sightings

Australian daredevil Robbie Maddison, with friends at Poetry (Forum Shops at Caesars) on Tuesday. Also in the club: Oakland Raiders running backs Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Vargas and "Dreamgirls" actor Keith Robinson. ... "American Idol" winner David Cook, grabbing an early dinner at Margaritaville at the Flamingo on New Year's Eve. ... Maddison, at Pole Position Raceway on Wednesday for a second time this week, taking in laps just hours before his live TV jump on Paris Las Vegas' replica of the Arc de Triomphe. Earlier, motorsports stars Travis Pastrana and Marco Andretti raced at the indoor venue. ... Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis at the Playboy Club. ... Bruce and Kris Jenner of the Kardashian clan, having lunch Wednesday at the bar at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Forum Shops).

Friday 01-02-09

2008 headliners good, bad sports

Sports stars led the way in our annual recap of celebrities who made headlines in Las Vegas, usually for out-of-bounds behavior or finding trouble.

The Five (Hundred) Diamond Award: Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker, no stranger to mugging in NFL secondaries, ran into some really bad characters in June. He was found unconscious in a driveway behind the Strip hours after spraying bottles of champagne into a crowd at the Hard Rock Hotel's Body English. The No. 1 theory: All the bling he was wearing made him a target.

The Rescinded Knighthood Award: Partyhound Sir Charles Barkley has been veering off the rails for some time. It's never a good idea to go after two of the most powerful men in Las Vegas. That's what happened in July when he told KWWN-AM, 1100 he was going to "get" Clark County District Attorney David Roger for the way he handled the collection of a $400,000 gambling debt with Wynn Las Vegas. Barkley said he "didn't appreciate" Steve Wynn taking the debt to Roger. "They will get theirs at some point," said Barkley, who was arrested Wednesday in the Phoenix area on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Champagne-on-Ice Over-Confidence Award: O.J. Simpson was so confident he was going to beat the rap for armed robbery and kidnapping that a victory party was planned. He was convicted.

Our On-the-Brink Award: Mike Tyson has made a career of courting trouble. He's been under court-ordered sobriety since a Maricopa County judge gave him three years probation for drug possession and driving under the influence about a year ago. There have been sightings that he's fallen off the wagon and hitting the club scene again. A reader sent Vegas Confidential a photo of Tyson at Luxor's LAX nightclub holding a glass with a towel over it. Who covers their drink if they're drinking Red Bull? The photo by R-J reader Aaron Perez was taken well past 1 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, hours before Tyson knocked down a gate with his Escalade.

If an Oregon man is truthful, Pete Rose gets The Uncouth Award. Jim Scornerston of Talent, Ore., said he approached the baseball great on Oct. 4 at Field of Dreams sports collectibles store in the Forum Shops at Caesars to "let him know I was a fan." Scornerston said Rose mocked his lisp, saying, "Did ya thee me on Thaturdayth? With your thithter?" After leaving the store, Scornerston said he looked back and saw Rose staring at him and make a wincing expression. Then Rose waved his hand behind him, liked he had passed gas.

May I recommend

The pajamas-optional Sunday brunch at Simon at Palms Place confirms chef Kerry Simon's approach to fun dining: The carb-loaded menu includes fried chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, barbecue ribs and corn muffins, egg dishes and coffeecakes. Food servers wear everything from Hugh Hefner and Bart Simpson-style jammies to flannels. Sexy nurses, on call for the hung-over crowd, await in the bar, where vodka bottles hang with IV's attached. The kids menu includes peanut butter and jelly "sushi" and Mickey Mouse pancakes. $38 for adults, $12 for kids and $7 all-you-can-drink Bloody Marys.

Sightings

Carmen Electra shopping at Annie Creamcheese in The Shoppes at the Palazzo on New Year's Day. She ended up buying a pair of vintage red boots. ... At Carey Hart's Wasted Space (Hard Rock) on New Year's Eve: Pink, singing from her album "Funhouse." She was joined onstage by Hart for the midnight countdown. They were spotted later at Nobu. ... At the Kid Rock show in The Pearl at the Palms: Olympian Michael Phelps and Denver Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. Afterwards, Phelps headed for Moon nightclub at the Palms with girlfriend Caroline "Caz" Pal. ... At Simon at Palms Place for a private New Year's Eve dinner with Palms owner George Maloof: Phelps, rocker Benji Madden, Indy racer Marco Andretti and Hollywood hunk Brody Jenner, who brought along girlfriend 2008 Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole and his mother, Linda Thompson, Elvis Presley's former girlfriend.

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