Picture a lawman: That’s Ralph Lamb
A SWAT team showed up on fashionable Pinto Lane on Friday, dressed to impress. Their mission was to get a photograph of a legendary hombre with a long history.
They got their man, former Clark County Sheriff Ralph Lamb, who was celebrating his 84th birthday at a private residence.
Former cop and longtime real estate broker Kevin Buckley gathered about 60 friends, including many of Lamb's colleagues from his 17-year run from 1961 to 1978 as Metro's first sheriff.
Buckley said Sheriff Doug Gillespie sent the SWAT team to get a photo of Lamb with the SWAT unit to put up in the new headquarters building at Alta Drive and Martin Luther King Boulevard.
It wasn't easy to get Lamb pinned down for a party, said Buckley, who co-hosted with his wife, Sylvia, and mother, Barbara.
"He doesn't like crowds. He's great one to one," said Buckley, who was 17 when Lamb gave him a job with the department.
The hard-nosed, no-nonsense lawman is famous for staring down the Hell's Angels motorcycle club and putting a riot-control plan in place when the Fab Four came to town at the height of Beatlemania.
Many of the sheriff's former wingmen were on hand, including Lt. Don Rowe (they were roommates in 1958), John Moran Jr., Rex Bell Jr. and Steve Scholl (Kirk Kerkorian's longtime bodyguard).
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman showed up. So did County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, running for mayor against Goodman's wife, Carolyn.
No word on whether the SWAT team was called back for that chance meeting.
NOT HIS GAME
Professional gambler Bill Walters' Midas touch doesn't apply to his real estate investments.
Walters, king of Las Vegas sports betting, admits taking bad bets on eight homes he has owned in the San Diego area.
He told the Wall Street Journal that losing streak is likely to continue with the beachfront Carlsbad mansion he has listed for $29 million.
"We've lost money on every home we've bought and sold here," he said.
"It's not what I do for a living," said Walters, who says he has made $15 million a year wagering on sports. "If it was, I'd be in trouble."
Walters, 64, said he is selling partly because his wife, Susan, who handles all the interior designing, is ready to move on to another project.
Only six homes have ever sold for more than $20 million in San Diego County, according to Brian Guiltinan, a local broker.
If you're interested, the 10,000-square-foot home has a movie theater, an 1,800-square-foot guesthouse, two master bedrooms and an 85-inch TV.
According to the Journal, Walters owns a Gulfstream 200 jet, six homes (with a seventh under construction), eight car dealerships and a Las Vegas-based company that operates golf courses, shopping centers and commercial properties.
SIGHTINGS
Las Vegas Playboy Playmate Destiny Davis and Chad Elie were married Saturday at Little Church of the West. ... Reality show wannabes showed up Saturday at Anthem Country Club for what was believed to be auditions for "The Real Housewives of Las Vegas." ... Actor Jeremy Piven, at the Mumford & Sons concert Friday at The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan. ... Bill Cowher, who coached the Pittsburgh Steelers before taking an NFL analyst job with CBS, at Eiffel Tower Restaurant (Paris Las Vegas) on Friday. ... Kourtney Kardashian, celebrating her 32nd birthday with boyfriend Scott Disick at Sugar Factory American Brasserie & Bar at Paris Las Vegas on Friday. Also there: "Real Housewives of Orange County" star Alexis Bellino, with husband Jim, before heading for Chateau nightclub. ... Later, Kardashian and Disick hosted the opening of Gallery Nightclub at Planet Hollywood Resort. Also there: Holly Madison, along with "Peepshow" co-star Josh Strickland, Paris Las Vegas headliner Barry Manilow, Alexis Bellino, "Pretty Little Liars" stars Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell and Ashley Benson, and recording artist Lance Bass. ... Bass was spotted later at Tao . ... At Lavo (Palazzo) on Friday: Tyler Blackburn of "Pretty Little Liars." ... At N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) on Friday: Antonio Cromartie of the New York Jets, with friends. ... At Marquee (Cosmopolitan) on Friday: rapper Nas, spotted with former NBA star Chris Webber and Damien Marley.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Charlie Sheen says he wants his old job back on 'Two and a Half Men.' Thank God he didn't burn any bridges." -- Jay Leno
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
