Remember Pia Zadora? The Golden Globe Awards does

  Personally, I always liked Pia Zadora. She was perfect for Las Vegas. First, she was the gorgeous wife of a Las Vegas casino mogul with billions of wealth on paper and the keys to the Riviera, Mr. Riklis. (You know, Michael Milken's big influence in the years leading up to the Junk Bond era.)

  Second, she fancied herself as a singer-entertainer. You know, Charo without the guitar licks.

  In a brief meeting with her many years ago I found her charming. She was also so surrounded by people employed to keep outsiders at a safe distance that it was hard to get to know her. I liked the fact Pia and her husband named the Riv café after their child, Katy. She obviously loved her baby, and that scores big points with me.

  Anyway, I’m way out of my element with the gossip stuff, but someone in that world should cinch it up and present Zadora’s link to the Golden Globe awards. As ever in Vegas story, there’s something that smells like controversy.

   A hint: “Management of tallying the awards was taken out of HFPA members' hands after the Pia Zadora scandal of 1981. There was such an uproar over her winning the award for best newcomer after her tycoon hubby flew members to Las Vegas to see her sing at his casino that CBS refused to telecast the kudofest live the next year.”

   No, not in Las Vegas. We’d never be accused of fixing an awards show, a Mrs. Universe pageant, or the odds that day follows night.