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Dig A Hole: Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, inspiration for “Casino’s” Ace Rothstein

October 22nd, 2008 by Scott Marks

Frank Lawrence “Lefty” Rosenthal, the former Las Vegas casino executive, mob-connected sports handicapper and inspiration behind the Robert DeNiro character in Casino has died at his Florida home at age 79. Rosenthal had been living in Miami Beach and died of a heart attack Monday. No funeral services have been scheduled.

He was born into a Jewish family on Chicago’s West Side, where he developed a close friendship with mob enforcer Anthony Spilotro (played by Joe Pesci). The often arrested, seldom convicted sports gaming pioneer dodged numerous indictments for gambling crimes, including bribing players to fix football, basketball and other games. Rosenthal secretly ran the Stardust, Fremont, Marina and Hacienda casinos when they were controlled by the Mafia and was the first person to ever operate a sports book from within a casino. Lefty also came up with the idea of female dealers and in one year doubled the Stardust’s take.

In 1976 when it was discovered that Rosenthal was running casinos without a state license, the Nevada Gaming Control Commission held a hearing to determine his legal ability to obtain a gaming license. The board refused to license Rosenthal as a casino employee until years later when Rosenthal appealed the state’s decision to Judge Joseph Pavlikowski and succeeded. The Judge had been given a write off of $2,800 — the cost of his daughter’s wedding two years earlier — at the same hotel at which Rosenthal had been working as a publicity director.

In 1988 the decision was overruled and Lefty’s name became writ large in Vegas’ notorious Black Book, which banned him from being in or near any casino in Nevada.

Legend has it that Rosentahl was nicknamed “Lefty” because, during a Congressional subcommittee hearing, he pleaded the Fifth Amendment 37 times, not even answering the question of whether or not he was left-handed. In truth, he had the nickname since childhood because he was left-handed.

Rosenthal married Geraldine McGee (the Sharon Stone character), and the movie more or less followed the facts. They had two children together, not one, and the marriage ended in divorce due to McGee’s inability to kick her booze and drug addictions. She stole a huge chunk of cash and died at a motel in Los Angeles on November 9, 1982, at age 46. Her death was attributed to an “accidental” mix of Valium and cocaine with a Jack Daniel’s chaser.

Mr. Sinatra guesting on “The Frank Rosenthal Show.”

Lefty miraculously escaped an assassination attempt in 1982 after his Cadillac El Dorado was wired with explosives. He survived because the car had a metal plate under the driver’s seat (GM installed it to correct a balancing problem) that ultimately saved his life.

Continue reading Dig A Hole: Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, inspiration for “Casino’s” Ace Rothstein

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Filed Under Obituaries

Jerry Lewis gun case dismissed

September 20th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Schtick ‘em up!

The marvelous, marvelous Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Karen Bennett-Haron has dismissed the nutty firearms charge against Jerry Lewis.

On July 29, the 82-year-old legend was caught carrying an unloaded gun before boarding a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit at Las Vegas’ McCarran airport. Officers confiscated the 22-caliber Beretta and cited Lewis for having a concealed weapon without a permit.

Jerry said the handgun was a engraved gift given to him during the 2007 Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. “I had a gun in my carrying case … which was given to me by a marvelous engraver,” Lewis said. “Last year, at the telethon of ‘07 he presented me with this gorgeous gift. I put it in that traveling case and I hadn’t traveled since that telethon.”

Lewis recalled, “when (manager Jeff) Low asked if I had a gun, I said, ‘I know what I packed, Jeff.’ Then it all flashed, a whole year flashed in front of me,” The gun was confiscated and Jerry was ordered to attend a court hearing in order to get it back.

On Friday, the case was dismissed after attorneys agreed to let Jerry off without fines. Lewis’ lawyer, Ross Goodman, says Lewis was forced to surrender the engraved gun. Goodman calls the quick resolution “a good result for great guy.”You said it!

My review of Riotous…I mean Righteous Kill somehow managed to turn EC regualr Matt Wilson’s thoughts to the R rated outtakes from the Martin & Lewis laff parade The Caddy. I thought that it would be marvelous to celebrate Jerry’s liberty by posting the notorious, NSFW blooper reel for your listening pleasure. So, come on and join the fun and hear profane radio spots from Paramount’s The Caddy…with a big GLOCK on it!

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