Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: Specialist who treated Roy dies

David Brenner will help with benefit. Morgan Fairchild at The Venetian. Amy Grant's show visits Las Vegas.

Roy Horn's stem-cell specialist, Dr. Albert Scheller, died of severe heart disease, according to assistant coroner John Fudenberg.

Scheller, who was found dead in his room at The Mirage on Aug. 29, was in Las Vegas to visit Horn, who had undergone stem-cell treatment with Scheller in Germany in June.

Scheller also was suffering from liver cirrhosis, which usually is related to heavy alcohol use and high blood pressure, Fudenberg said.

His body was identified through family and the German consulate in Los Angeles on Thursday and was released from the coroner's office for shipment back to Germany.

According to European TV reporter Daphne Barak, Scheller called her Aug. 27 from Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden at The Mirage.

She told the TV show "The Insider" that she also had a telephone conversation with Scheller on Aug. 25. Barak said Siegfried and Roy told Scheller that they might postpone Roy's next stem-cell treatment "because of a meeting with Kirk Kerkorian (MGM Mirage majority-owner)."

Scheller was confident Roy would walk a few days after the next round of treatment, Barak said. Horn, in fact, walked a long distance unassisted Thursday night at the VIP premiere of "Avenue Q" at Wynn Las Vegas.

Barak told "The Insider" that Scheller mentioned that he had also visited another patient of his, Liz Taylor, the day before he flew to Las Vegas. "He was not happy about her health condition!" Barak said.

Scheller told Barak that Horn endured a rough five weeks of detoxing from painkillers before the June treatment.

Asked to confirm that, Bernie Yuman, Siegfried and Roy's manager, said, "I would never address his medical condition specifically, but he's gone through quite a bit."

The rest of the story

There's a spicy story behind the $100,000 jackpot won by Light nightclub owner Andrew Sasson over the weekend in the Bellagio poker tournament.

While Sasson was declared the winner of a field that included 10 of the top players in the world, he took home the title on a technicality. He actually finished third, behind Bill McBeath, president and COO of Bellagio, and Gabe Hunterton, Bellagio's director of marketing.

It was McBeath's comeback that was the talk of the tournament.

Late in the game, Sasson had $600,000 in chips to McBeath's $60,000. A short-stacked McBeath wasn't short of confidence. "Don't start polishing that trophy just yet," McBeath told Sasson.

McBeath roared back to knock out Sasson and Hunterton to win bragging rights. Tournament rules, however, prohibited Bellagio execs from participating in prize monies.

The Scene and Heard

The KKLZ-FM, 96.3 morning crew of Kahuna, Jim Tofte and Dennis Mitchell is teaming up for the "Hard Rock Hurricane Auction" from 5 to 10 a.m. Thursday from the Hard Rock Hotel. Among the items up for bid: the Hard Rock's high roller suite, which normally goes for $12,000 a night. Special guests include David Brenner, Robert Schimmel, Paul Rodriguez and John Earl and the Boogeyman Band.

Sightings

Morgan Fairchild, spotted in The Venezia Tower of The Venetian. ... Horn, walking with a cane at Mimmo Ferraro's Italian restaurant on Sunday. ... NBC's "Three Wishes" came through town on Monday to grant three wishes at Albertson's at 10250 W. Charleston Blvd., Smith's at 5564 Camino Al Norte and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The series, starring Grammy winner Amy Grant, airs Sept. 23 (9-10 p.m., KVBC-TV, Channel 3). ... Dan Haggerty of "Grizzly Adams" fame, with pals at the Rainbow Bar & Grill. ... At "Avenue Q" (Wynn): songwriter Paul Williams and actress Jenna Elfman.

The Punch Line

"At the vice president's press conference, a heckler kept yelling obscenities at him and had to be taken away. Let me tell you something: This time Hillary has gone too far." -- Jay Leno

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.