‘Ralph Lamb’ TV series in works
Former cowboy-turned-sheriff Ralph Lamb can still keep a secret under his hat. For three or four years, Lamb, 84, has been quietly meeting with Nicholas Pileggi, the author behind the classic mob movies "Goodfellas" and "Casino."
They were teaming up on what CBS Television Studios hopes to turn into a drama series titled "Ralph Lamb."
Lamb was having dinner Thursday at The Palm steakhouse in the Forum Shops at Caesars, when I caught up to him with the breaking news out of Hollywood.
"That's wonderful. I've waited a long time fer this," he said in his country drawl.
The Hollywood Reporter and Hollywood insider Nikki Finke broke the news, including word that director James Mangold ("Walk the Line") is on board.
Lamb's take-no-guff reputation is right up Pileggi's alley. "Casino" was set in Las Vegas and was shot here in the mid-1990s.
By Lamb's estimation, they met 15 to 20 times in Pileggi's suite at Bellagio.
Pileggi could hardly contain himself as Lamb shared his stories from a gritty era when he called the shots, not the mob.
"He got so excited," Lamb said. "He said it was the gawd-darndest thing he ever heard. He said this is the greatest thing he ever wrote."
Lamb was Clark County sheriff from 1961 to 1979 after joining the department in 1947.
"Those were tough times," he said.
Finke said Pileggi will co-write the scripts with TV writer Greg Walker ("Without a Trace").
DREAM SCENE
Jamie Greenwald, a member of Palo Verde High School's first graduating class (2000), has landed a dream job in New York City after rising through the Las Vegas restaurant ranks.
Just 29, she is one of the youngest maitre d's in one of Manhattan's hottest eateries.
A disciple of Las Vegas food and beverage ace Elizabeth Blau, Greenwald moved to New York a year ago to work in Robert De Niro's TriBeCa hot spot Locanda Verde. That worked out so well Locanda Verde's partners asked her to open The Dutch in nearby SoHo with chef Andrew Carmellini.
When the New York Times gave the boisterous gastropub rave reviews last month, "we closed five hours early, broke out 20 cases of champagne, cooked everything in the kitchen and partied until 6 a.m.," Greenwald gushed while stopping by our table last week.
She previously worked at Postrio and Valentino before moving to the Wynn to open Daniel Boulud's Brasserie. That led to five years of opening restaurants as Blau's top lieutenant.
If you get to The Dutch, don't miss the Asian White Boy Ribs. They're destined for the Foodie Hall of Fame.
MAY I RECOMMEND ...
The Las Vegas version of the Playboy Mansion's Midsummer Night's Dream returns to the Palms Pool & Bungalows on Saturday. For the uninitiated, it's a wall-to-wall masquerade party featuring budget-busting lingerie and Hef-like silk PJs. Adding to the scene: live performance art and wandering performers dressed as mythical characters in the form of fairies, magicians, water creatures and mimes. Resident headliner DJ Pauly D of "Jersey Shore" is among the spinners. Tickets start at $140. Information: PalmsPool.com
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Among those auditioning for the 3-6 p.m. KXNT, 840 AM, time slot formerly held by Alan Stock: morning deejay Chet Buchanan, who has been at KLUC, 98.5 FM, for 10 of the past 12 years. His three-day tryout wraps up today.
THE PUNCH LINE
"With the stock market in flux, the price of gold has shot up to almost $2,000. In other words, Flavor Flav's mouth is now a millionaire and about to retire." -- Conan O'Brien
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.
