Lefty’s former digs right for insecure
With features that include a bulletproof picture window and a hidden gun compartment, the former home of mobster Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal is up for sale.
The owners of the Las Vegas Country Club residence are listing it for $725,000, real estate agent Aaron Auxier said.
At least one assassination attempt was made at the home, located at 972 Vegas Valley Drive, Auxier said. The floor-to-ceiling picture window overlooking the golf course has what appears to be a splintered effect from a bullet, he said.
The home was built in 1970 and purchased new by Rosenthal, who lived in it until shortly after his most serious brush with death: the October 1982 car bomb that incinerated his Cadillac in the parking lot at Tony Roma's on East Sahara Avenue.
Rosenthal ran the Stardust for the Chicago mob until he was placed in the state's Black Book, which barred him from working or entering Nevada casinos because of alleged ties to organized crime.
Rosenthal, whose character ("Ace" Rothstein) in the 1995 mob classic "Casino" was played by Robert De Niro, died Oct. 13, 2008, in Miami Beach, Fla. He was 79.
Auxier said the secret gun compartment is located in a closet where Rosenthal's wife, Geri, kept her fur coats. Sharon Stone, cast as the wife of De Niro's character in "Casino," was nominated for a best actress Oscar.
When a fire at a neighbor's house badly damaged Rosenthal's in the mid-1970s, the Stardust reportedly remodeled it for about $500,000. The door to the master bedroom is extra thick and opens out, not in, so it would be more difficult to kick in, Auxier said.
At one time, he added, the bedroom walls featured nine video screens that allowed Rosenthal to watch his house and keep tabs on the Stardust.
The homeowners are connected to mob hit man Tony Spilotro's family, Auxier said, but are not willing to be identified or interviewed. They are selling Rosenthal and Spilotro artifacts, including keys to a Cadillac owned by Rosenthal, to the mob exhibit going into the renovated Tropicana.
The home "has the feel of a 1970s Vegas mafia nightclub," Auxier said. "There's a lot of gold, mirrors, ornate features."
Mayor Oscar Goodman has said he spent a good amount of time in the house repping Lefty and Spilotro.
"It's a killer opportunity," Auxier said.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Food lovers poured into the Garden of the Gods pool area Friday, making the Grand Tasting a grand success for Vegas Uncork'd, presented by Bon Appetit.
Organizers said that the turnout of 2,300-plus foodies bettered last year's record of 1,600 and that more than doubled the inaugural Grand Tasting four years ago. The growth was evident, as well, in the number of participants: from 30 restaurants and 25 wine brands the first year to almost 60 restaurants and more than 100 wines this year. Most impressive, perhaps, was the chef lineup, with a record number of the world's most-decorated chefs among the 70 who participated.
SIGHTINGS
Singer Pink, at a Supercross after-party Saturday hosted by her husband, Carey Hart, at Wasted Space in the Hard Rock Hotel. ... Also at the Hard Rock: "The Price is Right" host Drew Carey, Olympic snowboarder Louie Vito, Fat Mike, lead singer of NOFX, and Joe Haden, the Cleveland Browns' 2010 No. 1 draft pick. ... At the Palms on Saturday: Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee at the Playboy Club after the Las Vegas premiere of "Iron Man 2" and his celebrity star presentation at Brenden Theaters. ... Actress and TV correspondent Maria Menounos on Saturday, with a group that included singer Jordan Knight at N9NE Steakhouse.
THE PUNCH LINE
"When your child won't stop crying, say, 'Enough, David, you're 63!'" -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Pieces of Advice for Being a Good Mother
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
