‘Housewives’ star expresses outrage

Eva Longoria Parker flew into Las Vegas on Saturday to address her restaurant staff after a minority partner at the CityCenter venue was ousted by a security team.

A source said the "Desperate Housewives" star gathered employees from Beso, her Latin steakhouse, and Eva, the upstairs nightclub, about 5 p.m. and told them she wanted to "personally express her outrage" over recent events.

Longoria Parker said she was "very upset" to hear that the husband of the minority partner/manager had "abused" staff and management.

She said the individual "who caused all of the problems was never an owner, never a manager and will never be allowed on the premises again."

Vegas Confidential has learned the evicted couple is from Israel. According to several sources, the minority partner's hot-tempered husband physically assaulted some patrons, verbally abused staffers and threw at least one champagne bottle at a chef.

Loud applause was heard after Longoria Parker told the gathering, "My name is on the brand, but your hard work is what makes us all shine."

She was accompanied by her remaining partner, Jonas Lawrence, and attorney Don Campbell, a former organized crime prosecutor who led a security team into Beso during a Cinco de Mayo celebration and served legal papers on the husband and wife.

ARPAIO LET ELVIS SKATE

Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sheriff Joe Arpaio, back in his days as a Las Vegas cop, said he let Elvis Presley off the hook for driving 100 mph.

Arpaio made the claim in an interview with KXNT-AM, 840 morning host Alan Stock.

Arpaio told Stock "my best arrest was Elvis Presley, but I let him go. I took him down to the police station. I guess he conned me out of giving him a ticket. That was in 1957."

Asked if Elvis gave him tickets to his Vegas show, Arpaio said, "No, but he gave 10 Cadillacs to narcotics detectives around the country, but I never got one."

Arpaio was in town to meet with local conservatives at Stoney's Rockin' Country bar and dance hall. About 200 people showed up to protest Arpaio and a new Arizona law directing police to question people about their immigration status if there is a reason to suspect they are in the United States illegally.

SIGHTINGS

Ray Romano, playing craps for $15 to $25 a pop at The Mirage into the early hours Saturday. A shooter at the table got hot and Romano walked away about 3 a.m. with a couple of thousand dollars. At one point actress Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") was seen giving Romano a big hug. ... Dean Martin's daughter Gail Martin, dining at Sinatra (Encore) on Friday and later seen playing "Dean Martin Wild Party" slots. ... At Tao (The Venetian) on Friday: Kim Kardashian and Kelly Rowland, hosting a bachelorette bash for TV personality La La Vazquez, who is marrying Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony. Also there: singer Ciara and crews from Vasquez's VH1 reality show and "Entertainment Tonight." ... Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir and Cher's choreographer/director Doriana Sanchez, at Matt Goss' Caesars Palace show on Friday. ... U.S. Sen. John Ensign, looking a lot skinnier these days, during an appearance Friday at the YMCA charity, the Y-Not, at Siena Golf Club. ... At the kickoff of Ditch Friday at the Palms Pool & Bungalow, featuring Sean Paul: comic book creator Stan Lee, TV personality Maria Menounous and boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. ... At N9NE Steakhouse (Palms): members of the boy band New Kids on the Block, the Cleveland Browns' No. 1 draft pick Joe Haden and Earl Thomas, the Seattle Seahawks' 2010 first-round pick. ... At Moon (Palms): C.J. Watson of the Golden State Warriors. ... At the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday: Motocross star John Hopkins and surfing star Ian Walsh. ... The Dingo of the reality show, "Danny and the Dingo," spotted at Vanity (Hard Rock).

THE PUNCH LINE

"British Petroleum is planning to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico by lowering a box down over the leak. Who thought of this, Wile E. Coyote?" -- Jay Leno

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.