Las Vegas is an inspirational city. Just ask Tom Breitling, who along with native son Tim Poster, is turning the Golden Nugget around player by ever-loving player.
The duo who earned their money the dot-com way when they sold Travelscape to Expedia in 2000 for $95.5 million make no secret of their strategy: embrace the old Vegas ways. To those of us who have been around long enough to remember—or for those who wax nostalgic through other people's memories—that means beautiful girls, fine cars, nice suits, quality play, headliners and a clean joint. In a word, glamour.
Tom recently marked this return to glamour with Vintage Vegas Golden Nugget 2004, a self-published coffee table book full of amazing photographs of some of this town's top beauties, who have come to include Tom Breitling's stunning new love interest, actress Jaime Pressly; Vegas.com's on-camera spokeswoman Brandi Williams; and the Palms Twins, Ruth Quinn and Ryan Wahrenbock. Other interesting subjects include Bally, the Nugget's beloved canine mascot, and the hotel's Hand of Faith, a $425,000 gold nugget.
Photographer Scott Duncan shot the material inside Tom's luxury high-rise home or at various locations in and around the hotel-casino. Duncan has quite an eye for models in various stages of dress and undress. (There is no total nudity per se, but he comes close.)
Also peppered throughout are great quotes from Vegas icons old and new, like "You only live once and the way I live, once is enough" (Frank Sinatra), and "Frank and Dean, Scotch and soda, Cadillacs and Vegas—some things just go together" (Tim Poster). There are plenty of collector shots of the casino-front circa 1946 through today, too, with overviews of the pool and artsy shots that include table games, showgirls and bright lights.
Ultimately, Tom creates a beautiful serenade to the Golden Nugget, and he seems to be giving it everything he's got.
The inaugural press run was a scant 2,500, and are available at the hotel gift shop for $50. If you don't see the book immediately, ask the cashier; she knows where they are.
It makes a great gift for that hard-to-shop-for Vegas lover, especially those of the male persuasion.
Anne Kellogg is a native Las Vegan who has a thing for purchasing stuff. E-mail her at
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