Item! High up on the 55th floor of the Fiesta, at the uber-exclusive Ghostbar, casino giant George Maloof hosted a soiree for best pal and Sin City's fave gossip-monger Norm (Norm!) Clarke, and all of the city's glitterati were in attendance, as well as your devoted scribe!
It was all a big hip-hip-hurray for the launch of the Review-Journal's columnist's new book, in which he dishes the dirt and tosses the salad on all the star-studded goings-on in Vegas! (I have no idea what that salad comment means, but I'm told it's the hip, new phrase with all the kids!)
The guest list was impressive! Master cartoonist Mac King was seen chatting with Joan Collins impersonator Frank Marino, and Vegas publisher Michael Carr congratulated TV star Kate Maddox on her recent marriage to Tony Bennett's son, Cab! "I've been thinking" I saw funnyman and ex-governor George Wallace, not to not mention bad-boy magician the Amazing Johnathan Penn, comic genius Marty Allen (Young Frankenstein) and legendary Vegas lounge performer Cook E. Monster!
Our own Gov. Lorraine Hunt was also in attendance, as was Sigmund & Ray's manager Bernie Newman! (I even think I saw Sigmund himself at the elevators, looking 100 percent recovered from that terrible lion attack, but I was being escorted out by security before I could be sure!) And, of course, it wouldn't be a true Las Vegas party without Jeff Bleacher of the Hard Rock's smash-hit Bleacher's Mad Comedy House.
But the biggest attention-draw was the delightful brain candy presented by the Fiesta Girl finalists, a cadre of leggy blondes, brunettes and redheads in those nearly-not-there skirts made popular by pop diva Brittany Murphy. Grrrowf!
Robin "Champagne and Camembert" Leach and R-J publisher Sherm Frederick delivered speeches, both praising Norm, and I join them! It takes more courage than I've got, loyal readers, to be the country's only sightless gossip columnist! Norm's book, 1,000 Naked Stories, is sure to be hit with both the locals and tourists, chock-full of lists of the best places to wine, dine and "game," as well as juicy spoonfuls of gossip as only Norm can report! My personal favorite is how, during the filming of Con Air, actor Nicholas Cage insisted on sleeping each night in Liberace's old bed, in honor of his marriage to the King's daughter, Lisa Marie!
Everybody there was delighted with the gift bags being handed out, which included a copy of Norm's book, a Norm bobble-head doll, coupons to order more Norm books for your friends (they make perfect stocking stuffers!), and an official Norm folding white cane! I certainly got a big chuckle seeing New York-New York casino boss Felix Rappaport using his cane to fight a mock duel with super PR man Frank Lieberman!
A great time was had by all—with hors d'oeuvres made from fresh venison flown in from Norm's hometown of Davenport, Connecticut, and the assembled eminences enjoying the free bottles of Crystal Champagne—though I'm sad to report no one got drunk, there were no "wardrobe malfunctions," and no one danced on the tables! A good thing, too, since shaking your boogey is strictly verbooten according to a sign on the wall: "Ghostbar is a lounge where dancing is prohibited. Rain is our nightclub where dancing is openly and actively encouraged."
And that, dear readers, is the hidden truth!