Sahara: The End of an Era, May 16, 2011
[dcs_p]I turn on the television, and I see the the Sahara is done, and I start thinking about the old days in Vegas. I used to stay at the Sahara in the sixties and seventies–I think I first saw “The Checkmates” with Sonny Charles and my late buddy, Sweet Louie, in the lounge there, but I can’t remember exactly. It might have been Caesars or the Frontier or the Sands. Names synonymous with Sinatra and the rat-pack. There was a glamor to Vegas then that doesn’t exist today, and no matter what they do–how much money they spend on the hotels or the comps they give–it can’t be duplicated because the class is gone and it’s all a cheap imitation.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Back when the boys ruled Vegas you wore a jacket in the casino and a dinner jacket when you took your lady to a show. And your girl wore a sexy pantsuit or mini-skirt during the day and a slinky, sparkling gown at night. When you checked into the hotel, they knew who you were and where you from and what you did or didn’t do for a living. They sent booze to your room and arranged for a driver or a girl or whatever it is you were looking for, and you were glad to put your money on the table.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Today you check in and they don’t know who you are, and they don’t care. The games are the same and the casinos are bigger, but the people are all different. I guess I was part of an era and never knew it. But I sure miss it.[/dcs_p]
