Anyone see Elvis Live ? - Page 2

tabs · 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

My dad had some pretty serious juice in LV even though he never went there. He was a criminal defense lawyer and was friends with Morris Shenker who owned the Dunes at the time. Shenker was Jimmy Hoffa's lawyer. All of the main characters in the film, "Casino" were real people that my dad knew.

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Hmmmm...Really....my cozins wife was Jimmys legal secretary and after Jimmy went away she became Buffalinos (exec council) Secretary...in the Teamsters Union. She even took the 5th before Congress...and she told me she knew RFK and that "He was a REAL DOG." Her car was even in the background of a CBS eveneing news segement from Detroit after Jimmy disappeared..it had NV license plates which I could read.

The book Casino got a coupla things wrong about who was involved ...cause I was there about the time that a meeting in the book happened. I was even introduced to the major principle in that particular meeting and to the VP at the Stardust who was played by Don Rickles in the movie. The major players in the book Casino were in reality minor or on the fringe players in the scheme of things..Anthony The Ant Spilotro (Joe Peschi Character) was nothing more than a low level soldier in a Chicago family.

My Great Uncle and Aunt were good friends of that VP at the Stardust. After the Stardust went over to the dark side my Uncle never went back there...nor talked about it. It was 65M USD of Teamsters Union Pension Fund money that bought the Stardust... That Stardudt VP later got to own 5 LV hotel/casinos before his gaming license was revolked in the early 80's. But I really don't know anything more than what I read in the newspapers or in the book.

speeder · 03-11-2012, 11:35 PM

My dad definitely did not know Jimmy Hoffa, just his lawyer, Morris Shenker. And Tony Spilotro's lawyer, Al Krieger in Miami. He knew the guy portrayed by DeNiro, (Rothstein?), because he was Oscar Goodman's client. Goodman was in the movie playing the defense lawyer in the courtroom scene, he later of course became the mayor of Las Vegas. He and my dad are good friends.

I should not have implied that my dad knew all of the characters in the movie, just the key guy and all of the lawyers. Most of the top defense lawyers in the U.S. know each other through professional organizations as well as just personal connections.

Zeke · 03-12-2012, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabs

H But I really don't know anything more than what I read in the newspapers or in the book.

Yeah...yeah. Shouldn't that have been in green?

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

I saw fat Elvis once.....I also had an Uncle that was his drummer in a movie. 'Double Trouble'....Met him then.

tabs · 03-12-2012, 10:36 AM

Al Sacs was the VP that I met and Unkle knew...Glick was the front man (owner of record) at the Stardust. Rosenthal was his name.

The Dunes was another MOB joint and Shenker was a front. I have a good friend that was a Dancer in the Main Room at the Dunes in those days.

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

My parents took my older sister and I to see him in Madison about a year before he died. I wasn't very old then and couldn't understand why all the women wanted his sweaty "scarfs" as I thought they were at the time.

vash · vash's Garage

i admit, i do not understand ELVIS music.

the BEATLES, yes!!! Elvis, no.

Jim Richards · 03-12-2012, 12:30 PM

I saw him at lunch today. Oh wait...

I'm with Cliff on this. I do not understand (the attraction of) Elvis.

McLovin · 03-12-2012, 01:43 PM

I agree with both of you.

Other than a spectacular voice, perfect tone and timing, well written songs with popular appeal, tremendous charisma and presence, and devastating good looks, he had nothing going for him as an entertainer.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

We were traveling from Upstate New York to Oklahoma City (or maybe the return trip) when he died. My middle sister (about 14) was devastated. She really liked his music. My oldest sister was into the Beatles...

Me? I liked neither since my sisters liked them. I did come around on both, but I wouldn't call myself a "fan". I certainly can appreciate what he did for music.

Zeke · 03-12-2012, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLovin

I agree with both of you.

Other than a spectacular voice, perfect tone and timing, well written songs with popular appeal, tremendous charisma and presence, and devastating good looks, he had nothing going for him as an entertainer.

Too bad Elvis was sold out by "Colonel" Tom Parker. He wasted a lot of his best years pandering to the "entertainment" industry.

I'm glad Elvis sort of found himself before he died. But even then he was lost. I'll never understand why his father had no influence. Maybe he did. Or Priscilla. However, Priscilla proved her foundation after Elvis died.

Jim Richards · 03-12-2012, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLovin

I agree with both of you.

Other than a spectacular voice, perfect tone and timing, well written songs with popular appeal, tremendous charisma and presence, and devastating good looks, he had nothing going for him as an entertainer.

meh.

nota · 03-12-2012, 03:55 PM

live on TV in 56 when I was 6 on ed's show
remember dad saying they could only shoot him from the waist up

speeder · 03-12-2012, 04:03 PM

Anyone who does not recognize or appreciate the talent or contribution of Elvis simply doesn't know anything about contemporary music.

I got slapped hard, figuratively speaking, by one of my musical heroes when I downplayed Elvis's influence once. Because my friend is a super great songwriter, I mistakenly thought that he would agree or not mind if I criticized EP for not writing any of his material. Boy did he let me have it.

"Elvis invented schit" was how he put it. Songwriters are a dime a dozen in comparison, was the gist of his message.

vash · vash's Garage

not saying Elvis wasnt talented..i just didnt like his music. or didnt get it.

he contributed to the music i like today. ironic, i know.

scottmandue · 03-12-2012, 04:48 PM

I was too cool in HS to be into Elvis... he did one of his come back things and a bunch of local kids went and I "didn't get it" and didn't go.

Now I much broader appreciation of music (beyond Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd) I wish I had.

Much later in life some friends and I went to a big show at the Hilton where they had one guy do a set of young Elvis, another guys did a set of comeback Elvis, and they finished with a guy doing a set of older Elvis. It was a pretty good show.

targa911S · 03-12-2012, 05:08 PM

I think the coolest thing about him is that he died on the crapper and his colon weighed in at 40 lbs when they cut him up. SO awesome. Now THAT'S a hunka hunka burnin something..Never was a fan of his, never really a beatle fan either.

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

My mom said I was in the womb in 1956 when she saw Elvis at the Toledo Sports Arena. I have been getting mileage out of this story my whole life until recently when I used Google and found the concert was three months after I was born.

Elvis Presley Backstage at Toledo, November 22, 1956

Trust no one.

Zeke · 03-12-2012, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

not saying Elvis wasnt talented..i just didnt like his music. or didnt get it.

he contributed to the music i like today. ironic, i know.

vash, it was the timing in the era that made the King what he is. He didn't write songs but he sure sang them...his way. He put gospel and rockabilly into his versions as no one else could. There's more to the story, but I'll leave it at that.

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

vash, it was the timing in the era that made the King what he is. He didn't write songs but he sure sang them...his way. He put gospel and rockabilly into his versions as no one else could.

That sums it up nicely.

Check out the full Forrest Gump 38 seconds in.

Elvis Presley - Promised Land - YouTube