‘Pawn Star’ Harrison swaps honeymoon plans
Rick Harrison of the “Pawn Stars” had exotic honeymoon plans in mind after today’s wedding at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Beach, Calif.
“I wanted to take her to the south of France. Or Fiji,” Harrison said.
But bride-to-be Deanna Burditt talked him into trading five-star luxury for back-country leisure.
“She said, ‘Let’s just go camping,’ ” Harrison recalled.
So that’s the plan. He’s not saying where. “Just say somewhere in the West.”
Harrison’s three sons, including fellow “Pawn Star” Cory, are co-best men. Burditt will have her three daughters by her side for the ceremony.
Officiating will be a reality show star and Las Vegan Danny “The Count” Koker, who became an ordained minister for the occasion. He’s the star of “Counting Cars,” a show about his car restoration business.
Handling ring bearer duties will be Austin “Chumlee” Russell, Cory’s childhood pal and “Pawn Stars” sidekick.
During an interview, I asked Rick Harrison to identify the biggest challenge, since he was in charge of wedding plans.
Cory, who was invited to join the interview, couldn’t resist.
“Had to be getting the Ritz Carlton to allow Steel Panther to play at the wedding,” he said, cracking up his dad.
“Not exactly politically correct,” Rick explained.
Their world forever was changed on July 19, 2009, when the first episode of “Pawn Stars” aired on the History Channel, now known as History.
Rick knew fame had arrived when they returned from a Christmas filming break that year “and we had lines out front” of the Gold & Silver Pawn and he got mobbed when he walked onto the showroom floor.
For Cory, the realization hit “when I had to move because people were showing up at my house with stuff to sell. It’s kind of weird when some guy shows up holding a chain saw and wants to know what I’d give him for it.”
While they were aware the show was gaining traction around the world, nothing blew them away like the trip to Argentina a year ago when 15,000 people showed up for a news conference that was meant for 300.
“We show up and there was a total of five security,” Cory said. “They actually had to keep us in a car until Argentina police or whatever they were could block us.”
“You know those tall Dodge vans?” Rick said. “They pull up and 10 guys in military fatigues with M-16s jump out. Everybody’s saying, ‘This is getting weird, man.’ ”
WYNN, WIN SITUATION
After attending Team USA’s gold medal runs in Beijing and London, hoops fan Elaine Wynn wasn’t going to miss the chance to see the Miami Heat repeat as NBA champions.
The former Miss Miami Beach attended her first NBA championship game last month when the Heat beat San Antonio 95-88 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
“It was exciting because of our history of hosting USA Basketball for the last two Olympic teams,” she said. “Having Miami win was certainly sentimental as well.”
Through her host duties, she became a big fan of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat’s Big Three.
After Team USA’s gold medal win in Beijing, NBA veteran Jason Kidd gave his medal to Wynn for her support. “I’m just a borrower,” she said in 2008.
Starting Monday, Wynn Las Vegas will serve as the official training camp home of USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team for the seventh time in the past eight summers.
The Blue-White intrasquad game is Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Twitter wit: During Friday’s storm, @Mitzula tweeted: “I think I just saw animals lining up two by two on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Flamingo.” Later he added, “The entire storm in Vegas tonight was just a @D_Copperfield illusion.” David Copperfield approved and retweeted it.
SIGHTINGS
Among those out on a scary night: Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, taking in Matchbox Twenty’s concert at Mandalay Bay; Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty and his wife, Marisol, dining at Border Grill (Mandalay Bay) and Darren Rovell, ESPN sports business reporter, at Jaleo (Cosmopolitan). Thomas got a tour of the “Pawn Stars” home Thursday from Rick Harrison.
THE PUNCH LINE
“A key prosecution witness in the racketeering and murder trial of Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger was found dead this week. Who could have seen that coming? What, a witness in a mob trial dead? Turned out the guy suffered an allergic reaction to a baseball bat.” — Jay Leno
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke. “Norm Clarke’s Vegas,” airs Thursdays on the “Morning Blend” on KTNV-TV, Channel 13.
