Wise Guides

Before Jennifer Togliatti was a District Court judge, she was a recent business graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas agonizing over what to do next. Her father, an FBI agent, arranged a meeting with his friend, Judge Nancy Oesterle, at the old courthouse in 1990.

"I saw her in her courtroom and then she took the time to talk to me," Togliatti said.

Not long afterward, Togliatti found herself at California Western School of Law, her sights trained.

"Looking back, knowing Nancy, she does that for any young person interested in knowing what she does," Togliatti said. "But she did it for me, and it carried through."

Mentors -- experienced adults who volunteer their knowledge and time without regard for self-benefit -- make a vital difference to those who seek their advice or encouragement.

"Often, it takes just that one more adult in their life, caring about them and paying attention to them, that can help a young person have a great future and make good decisions about their lives," said Molly Latham, vice president of program services for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, which pairs 400 adults with children for one-on-one mentoring.

It was Harry Houdini for most magicians. But Monte Carlo headliner Lance Burton credits Harry Collins.

"Without Harry, I'd probably be driving a tractor back in Kentucky," Burton said.

A salesman at the Frito-Lay plant in Louisville, Ky., where Burton's mom worked making potato chips, Collins also was an amateur magician. At the company Christmas party in 1965, Burton volunteered to let Collins yank silver dollars out from behind his ears. The 5-year-old was more than freaked out; he was permanently altered. For months afterward, whenever his mom came home from work, he demanded a full Harry report.

"Every now and then, she would say, 'He pulled a quarter out of someone's ear and put it in a soda machine,' " Burton recalled. "To me, that was fantastic!"

By age 10, Burton was staging his own shows in his basement, which Collins would attend after dining with Burton's family. Eventually, Collins took Burton under his cape, offering him lessons in the fundamentals of magic and, just as importantly, business.

"He said, 'You should be performing at children's birthday parties and charging five or 10 dollars a show," Burton said.

All mentoring starts with good parental role models, according to Latham. However, not every family has the expertise to address the budding interests of their offspring.

"And families are busy and have all that family stuff going on," she added.

Togliatti said Oesterle assisted at every step of her legal career.

"For me, here was a woman who I respected immensely, who had achieved the success I was hoping to achieve," Togliatti said.

When Togliatti achieved that success (her first judgeship), the mentoring only increased in step with the complicated ethical issues.

"The questions aren't the same as when you're a lawyer," Togliatti said, citing as an example whether to recuse yourself from a trial if the defendant contributed to your election campaign.

"Knowing the answers comes with experience," Togliatti said, "and she was always my go-to person."

Felix Rappaport, president and chief operating officer of Luxor and Excalibur, hangs his success on MGM/Mirage chief marketing officer Bill Hornbuckle, who in 1991 hired him as hotel operations director for The Mirage. Not only did Hornbuckle uproot Rappaport from Atlantic City, he provided him with advice that saved his tail only six months into his Mirage tenure: how to act when called into the hotel chairman's office.

" 'Look him in the eye,' " Rappaport recalled, " 'answer the question to the best of your ability, and if you don't know the answer, never try to b.s.' "

Rappaport had made the mistake of scheduling some work without properly notifying then-owner Steve Wynn.

"Bill was out of town when the you-know-what hit the fan," Rappaport said, laughing. "Listen, I was new. Bill told me that sooner or later, I'd have that opportunity to hear Mr. Wynn's philosophies.

"And it happened sooner than later."

A year after he hired Rappaport, Hornbuckle segued to the Golden Nugget in Laughlin. The two didn't work directly together again until 1998, and then only briefly. But the relationship continued via phone calls and catch-up dinners. Their wives also became friendly, and their kids grew up together.

"Bill has been a constant for me," Rappaport said.

All of our interview subjects take pleasure in paying their mentoring forward. Togliatti said two or three newer judges regularly seek her ethics advice.

"Being a judge is an honor and a privilege, but it's also very isolating," she said. "It's not like you can call up a lawyer and say, 'Hey, let me run a legal issue by you.' "

For about 20 years, Burton has sponsored the youth program at the World Magic Seminar. The magicians convention, held annually in Las Vegas, now includes a lunch for 50 kids at Burton's house.

"You can learn magic from books, DVDs and watching other people," he said. "But the most important thing is being able to talk to a guy that's doing what you want to do."

Rappaport currently is mentoring two young executives, both of whom he oversees at Luxor and Excalibur: food and beverage director Jason Shkorupa and senior hotel operations vice president Eric Fitzgerald.

"My mother raised me to always help people," Rappaport said. "I think it makes good business sense, but it's also something I believe in."

Contact reporter Corey Levitan at clevitan@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0456.