Sarah Todora puts music, troubles in past

With Hurricane Katrina bearing down on New Orleans, Phil Todora loaded up his aging car and headed to Las Vegas with his 17-year-old daughter, an aspiring rhythm and blues singer. That was 10 years ago this week.

The amazing story of how Las Vegas embraced Todora's daughter, Sarah, made national news. Las Vegans opened their hearts to the Todoras after hearing Sarah sing the blues at Bootlegger Bistro.

A mystery man who met the Todoras at a benefit turned over his condo in the ritzy Turnberry Towers to them for six months.

The breaks kept coming: Eight months after arriving, Sarah became a headliner at the historic Sahara hotel. She was to open for soul legend Al Green.

But fame came too soon, and it was overwhelming. Sarah disappeared with a boyfriend. She got hooked on crystal meth, she told me in July 2008.

"You have all these things, and within two months they were gone," Sarah said then. "I was just totally unplugged from everything and everyone."

To make ends meet, she wore an M&M costume in 100-degree heat, greeting visitors at M&M World's store on the Strip.

Two years after Sarah dropped out, she reached her father and said she wanted to sing again.

After a brief comeback, she quit singing, Phil said Sunday, and went to school in Las Vegas, where she still lives. Sarah is married and working as a massage therapist and for an app company, he said.

"She's never had any more problems," said Phil, who gave up his part-time music pursuits and management of Sarah and returned to his shoe repair business.

"She walked away from an unbelievable gift," he said, "but we're real proud of her. I don't have any regrets."

He does, however, miss that bluesy voice.

"I want to hear her sing again. Maybe at Christmas," said Phil, who found love and got married after returning to Louisiana without his daughter about six years ago. "When you hear her voice, you understand why I did what I did for so long."

A telephone message to Sarah was not returned.

100-day bash for Sinatra

One of Frank Sinatra's old hangouts is throwing a 100-day celebration during the run-up to what would have been his 100th birthday on Dec. 12.

The host site, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, had a long history with Sinatra. He partied there, performed there and filmed some of his movies there, including "A Hole in the Head," "The Lady in Cement" and "Tony Rome" between 1959 and 1967.

One of the epic events hosted was the 1960 "Welcome Home Elvis" TV special for "The Frank Sinatra Timex Show." It was a star-studded tribute marking the return of Elvis from his 18-month Army stint.

The hotel has thought of everything in the name of Frank: suite and spa packages, breakfast and brunches, a photo exhibit and even a "Live Like Frank" $1,915 stay (after the year he was born).

That includes two nights in a junior suite, breakfast for two, tandem 50-minute "Fly Me to the Moon" massages at the spa, a $250 dinner credit, a CD of Elvis' greatest hits and a bottle of select whiskey from Jack Daniels, Sinatra's brand of choice.

A birthday-night concert also is planned.

The scene and heard

Wayne Newton's reopening of Casa de Shenandoah will include suits and costumes from his yesteryear shows. The soft-opening tours begin in early September. I mistakenly stated the name of the estate would be changed to Sunset Springs Ranch. That was the planned name of the previous owners.

On this day

August 31, 1989: Moe Dalitz, a prominent Las Vegas gaming figure and philanthropist who denied having mob ties, died at age 89 in his penthouse in the Regency Towers at Las Vegas Country Club. Dalitz, a former bootlegger, reportedly ran the Desert Inn for the Cleveland syndicate from 1950 until it was sold to billionaire Howard Hughes in 1967. (Thanks to Mike Precker)

Sightings

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who owns the parent company of The Venetian and Palazzo, in the front row of "Frank: The Man, The Music," featuring Bob Anderson, on Saturday. It was his first time at the show and he took part in two standing ovations. ... Casino mogul Steve Wynn, spotted at Big & Rich's performance over the weekend at 102.7 Coyote's "Countryfest" at Orleans Arena. Wynn's presence and rumors that John Rich has interest in getting involved in Las Vegas has tongues wagging. ... Among the celebrity turnout at the Aid for AIDS of Nevada Black and White Party at The Joint at the Hard Rock on Saturday: TV personality Ross Mathews, Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller, Pia Zadora, Carrot Top, Maren Wade, and Legends in Concert performers. More than 3,000 people attended the event, which raised more than $145,000. ... Priscilla Presley and Terry Fator, with his fiancee, Angie Fiore, visiting Celine Dion before her Saturday show at the Colosseum (Caesars Palace). ... NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, posing for photos with fans at Tao nightclub (Venetian) on Friday.

The punch line

"Right now in the U.S. the most popular name for baby girls is Emma. The least popular names are Ashley and Madison." — Conan O'Brien

Norm Clarke's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow him: @Norm_Clarke