Wishna embraced the art of the deal

Jack Wishna discovered early that he had a knack for moving easily in celebrity circles.

Streetwise beyond his teen years, Wishna schmoozed A-listers as the house photographer at Studio 54 nightclub during New York City's raging disco era.

He had a gift of making fast friends, and it served him well. Later, the many celebrities he met served as valuable contacts as he made his ascent through the entertainment world.

I met Wishna shortly after we both arrived in Las Vegas in the late 1990s. The introduction came at Wayne Newton's news conference in the Stardust showroom. Wishna said he had secured a 10-year, $250 million deal for Newton.

I didn't quite know what to make of him at first, but Wishna was just warming up as a mover and a shaker.

To get Donald Trump's attention, he hired a helicopter and a photographer to capture a panoramic view of the Strip from the site where Wishna thought Trump should build his first tower in Las Vegas.

It worked, and soon Wishna brought billionaires Trump and Phil Ruffin together for the deal.

He worked similar magic in gaining Michael Jackson's trust. On Christmas Eve 2006, I got a call from Wishna saying he had a blockbuster world exclusive: Jackson was ending his self-exile abroad and landing in Las Vegas within hours. Sure enough, when Jackson and his family stepped off the airplane, Wishna and his wife, Donna, greeted them. The King of Pop's comeback was under way, with Wishna positioned as the architect.

But the tide quickly turned. When Jackson was wooed by entertainment giant AEG Live, Wishna moved to his next big plan: develop a global social media website, RockCityClub.com, for musicians and their fans.

With input from Jackson, Wishna partnered with music mogul Don Kirshner and big-time producers Ron Dante and Phil Ramone.

An uber-confident Wishna told it me would be the next big thing in music.

But his dream suffered a setback came when Kirshner died about two years ago.

Sources said Wishna had been under recent financial strain involving investors.

He died early Tuesday after being found in his garage at his home in Anthem Country Club. The Clark County coroner ruled Wishna's death as a suicide, by way of carbon monoxide. He was 54.

CLOOBECK'S ENCORE

Stephen J. Cloobeck, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas-based Diamond Resorts Corp., returns to "Undercover Boss" on Friday (8 p.m., KLAS-TV, Channel 8).

He has the distinction of being the first boss to return to the hit series.

Cloobeck, who operates 220 time-share properties in 29 countries, is giving away
$1 million to employees.

After wearing a wig in the first show, he has taken his new disguise to a wilder level.

Here's a hint: When I ran into him last week at Honey Salt restaurant in Summerlin, he made a point of touching an ear lobe and noting "the piercings have healed."

SIGHTINGS

The 2012 Sprint Cup NASCAR champ Brad Keselowski, at the Foundation Room (House of Blues), taking photos on the balcony with his winning trophy.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Food Bank for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie." - From David Letterman's "Top Ten Charities Under Investigation"

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 and norm@reviewjournal.com (Twitter: @Norm_Clarke). For more info, go to www.normclarke.com. His weekly segment, "Norm Clarke's Vegas," airs during "Morning Blend" on KTNV-TV, Ch. 13, every Thursday.