Trump look-alike among auditioners

Motivated by the game-changing opportunity to join Donald Trump on "The Apprentice," one early bird stayed overnight outside at Trump International Hotel.

Another pitched a tent, reportedly to be No. 18 as the line of hopefuls began forming near a famous avenue of broken dreams. By noon, 250 had shown up for auditions.

When single-mom Realtor Kimberly Poindexter arrived at
8 a.m., she thought she would be among the earliest arrivals.

She got a plastic bracelet with the number 201.

"I lost $278,000 and two years of my life working on the Streamline Tower for a company that filed bankruptcy and walked away," she added.

She added, "I gave up going to one son's violin recitals and another's lacrosse games because I believed in the rehabilitation of downtown."

Marshall Marder, an older man in a gray herring-bone suit, approached me holding a magazine to his chest, displaying the cover. He explained it was the first issue of Milton magazine, a partnership he launched in 1997 with show business giant Milton Berle.

"It combined the gaming culture with cigar and lounge cultures," said Marder, No. 200. "Our motto of the magazine was everything in moderation including moderation."

With Trump looking for 16 candidates who have been rocked by the recession, Marder said he would be perfect. He moved here two years ago, just before "things fell apart."

"I saw Trump say on TV, 'If you haven't made it by 50, you won't make it.' Well, I'm over 50. I made and lost it twice, and I want to prove him that he is wrong."

No. 177, Robert Ensler, 59, was dressed as a Trump impersonator, his new persona for corporate gigs, after years of doing Dean Martin and Bobby Darin.

He was hoping to generate some business.

"I'm here because I wanted to get on TV and in the newspapers," he said. He was booked 2½ weeks ago at the Trump tower here as Trump for a small Pennsylvania pharmaceutical company.

"They wrote a speech for me, and I spent the rest of the time schmoozing." Other bookings hire him, he said, to deliver Trump's famous line, "You're fired."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

A Twitter account has been removed by the Aria casino host who ran tweets and photos over the weekend of a high-roller party featuring huge bottles of champagne at Haze nightclub. One photo showed his $182,000-plus receipt, but not any sensitive information. Probably a case of too much information in an industry known for its discretion.

Sightings

Chef Barry Dakake of N9NE Steakhouse (Palms), getting booed Wednesday as he departed the pitching mound after taking part in first-pitch festivities before the Los Angeles Dodgers-Cincinnati Reds game at Cashman Field. The boos came after he took off his chef jacket and revealed a Reds jersey with No. 14, Pete Rose's number. Reds fans applauded Dakake. Rose is a regular at the steakhouse, and Dakake believes he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

MAY I RECOMMEND ...

Holly Madison emcees the Smokin' Hot Bachelorette Auction tonight at the Palms for the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youths.

THE PUNCH LINE

"This Jesse James story keeps getting worse. Now, his fifth mistress says she's planning to go public. And I guess Tiger Woods is feeling the heat of competition. He just announced that he's quitting golf again so he can concentrate on his affairs." -- Jimmy Fallon

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