Berkley father recovering from surgery

WASHINGTON -- The father of Rep. Shelley Berkley was recovering Thursday from surgery following a heart attack earlier this week in Las Vegas, the congresswoman said.

George Levine, 86, will be recuperating over the next few weeks following a procedure performed Wednesday at Desert Springs Hospital, Berkley said.

"The doctors say the surgery went well and feel positively about his recovery," Berkley, D-Nev., said in a statement. "My family and I appreciate the overwhelming support from people in Nevada and across the country."

Levine suffered what Berkley called a "mild heart attack" on Monday. Further information on the surgery and the attack that made it necessary have not been disclosed.

Levine was a longtime maitre d' in the showroom at the Sands hotel-casino before retiring after the resort closed in 1996. He moved his family from upstate New York to Las Vegas in 1963 in search of work as a waiter.