‘Pawn Stars’ brings bookworm fame

Rick Harrison of the hit reality show "Pawn Stars" can't go anywhere without getting the celebrity treatment.

Still a bit uncomfortable with his newfound stardom, Harrison walked into the DMV office on Decatur on Thursday hiding behind some Ray-Ban shades.

His disguise didn't work. His bald head gave him away.

"If you didn't want to be recognized," one fan told him, "you should have worn a wig."

Another person ribbed the pawnbroker with: "You want $1,000? I'll give you $100."

A lady in the DMV line saw the hubbub and was convinced Bruce Willis was in the building.

That's funny, Harrison said when I reached him by telephone. "When I was at Terry Fator's show, this guy came up to me and said, 'How's it going? Remember when we did that charity event five years ago?'"

When the brief conversation ended, the man told Harrison, "Nice talking to you, Bruce."

All this fame from 40-some episodes has Harrison, 45, shaking his head in disbelief. "I've been a bookworm my whole life. Just worked hard. Never thought anything like this would happen," he said.

"A friend of mine in junior high called," said Harrison, who grew up in San Diego before moving to Las Vegas in 1981. "Cousins who I didn't know existed."

Business at the family-run Gold and Silver Pawn at 713 S. Las Vegas Blvd. has been booming so much that a $400,000 expansion is in the works to double the size of the showroom. It's costing a lot because his two structures are among the oldest on the Strip, he said. They were built in 1935, the year before Hoover Dam was completed. Las Vegas had all of 8,500 residents.

How popular is the show? This month, it drew a record 5.3 rating on the History Channel and 5.8 a week later.

Harrison said Jessica Simpson chalked up terrible ratings for her VHI reality show, "The Price of Beauty," to going head-to-head with "Pawn Stars."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Rino Armeni is closing Pips Cuchina & Wine Bar at Aliante late Saturday after a 16-month struggle. "At my age, family comes first." The former Southern Wines exec and Caesars Palace food and beverage vice president said business fell to the point that he couldn't afford managers, sous chefs or a hostess.

MAY I RECOMMEND

Barry Manilow is back on the Strip for a two-year run at Paris Las Vegas. Media night was moved to tonight after a $150,000 fire delayed Manilow's debut by a day. He will be performing mostly weekends for 78 shows a year. Tickets go for $95, $125, $175 and $250. They are available at the Paris Theatre box office, through Ticketmaster or by calling 800-745-3000.

SIGHTINGS

Two-time Olympic gold medal snowboarder Shaun White, celebrating his Rolling Stone cover spread Wednesday with friends at Lavo (Palazzo). ... President Barack Obama's chief technology officer, Aneesh Chopra, touring the Vegas PBS Educational Technology Campus on Thursday with Vegas PBS general manager Tom Axtell. ... Garrett Morris of "Saturday Night Live" fame, joining Flamingo headliner George Wallace on stage Wednesday. ... Windell Middlebrooks, the face of Miller High Life beer, partying Wednesday at ghostbar (Palms) and drinking MHL.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Who'd have ever thought Tiger Woods would have more mistresses than endorsements?" -- Jimmy Kimmel

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.