Poll : 22 September - 05 October 2010

Analysis

Q: What do Cher, Harry Reid, and Paris Hilton have in common? A: They tied with five votes each in an LVA Reader Poll, which made our day! This was a really interesting poll, and we really had no clue who would win, although Ole Blue Eyes is no big surprise. Here's some of your great feedback:

• "WHAT?! I only get to choose ONE?! No fair!"
• "By far this is the toughest poll you've ever had - in the end I voted for Steve Wynn. Las Vegas to me means opulence, glamor, comfortable rooms, architecture that makes you ooh and ahh, lavish restaurants that serve the best food you've ever had, and incredible shows."
• "My vote goes to Anthony Curtis! Heck, if you put that tramp Paris Hilton on the list, Anthony should be on it (not that he's a tramp or anything like that)." [Ed: LOL.]
• "While Frank Sinatra was the face of Vegas for a long time, I think Siegfried & Roy were the people who started with something small and built their act to the most outstanding show on the Strip. I was lucky enough to see their act about a year before the accident and was totally blown away with what they did. They were the absolute gentlemen of the Vegas acts and seemed so dedicated."
• "I really, really wanted to pick more than one person that means Las Vegas to me.But let's be real here for me and my husband, Anthony Curtis and his staff mean Viva Las Vegas to us. Thanks for all you do!" [Ed: You're most welcome. Thanks to all of you for being a part of it.]
• "I chose 'Other' because I wanted to nominate Maude Frazier. She, in my opinion, is THE personification of Las Vegas. Not only as the first woman Lt. Governor; but also as the person who helped further education in Southern Nevada by helping raise money to build what is now Las Vegas Academy, and, most importantly UNLV. There is MUCH more to Ms. Frazier than what I have written here, but truly she, to me, is who I think of when I think of Las Vegas." [Ed: Interesting choice. You can read about her, and many of the other movers and shakers, male and female, in The First 100.]
• I let my wife answer this one. Las Vegas changes so much that to me there is no single personification of the city or its experiences. (That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned) My wife chose Ann-Margret. She was THE face of girlish things Las Vegas."
• "Elvis – and here’s why – glitz, glamour, fame, fortune, talent, star-power, entertainer, legend – the rise and fall (and a troubled life beneath it all). And, I’m not even an Elvis fan – but he IS (or was) Las Vegas wrapped up in one man. [Ed: It was a LOT of man, though : ) ]
• "What, no Anthony Curtis on the list?!" [Ed: We initially included our leader in this poll, but he modestly demurred from self-inclusion.]
• "I vote for Jean Scott, who taught me how to play video poker. She is Las Vegas to me."
• "I was surprised not to see Moe Dalitz as a choice. To me, he is the epitome of Las Vegas. Moe transformed himself (or at least his image) from gangster to legit., much like Las Vegas transformed from being run by gangsters to being run by corporations.
• "I think either Bill Bennett or Frank Sinatra. Bill, regardless of his insanity, absurd politics, and the little drinking problem, DID give us the remake of Sarno’s Circus-Circus and, at very least, triggered the pyramid and Mandalay Bay. Mr. Bennett was truly a transition figure with one foot in each of those worlds (while Wynn was only new world)."
• "I chose other: Guy Laliberté - the founder of Cirque du Soeil. Even though their shows are in abundance, Mystère and O changed the entertainment scene of Las Vegas. I come to Las Vegas mainly to see Cirque shows."
• "I think Frank Marino (La Cage) was Vegas for me. We have made at least 15 trips to Vegas in the last 10 years and we always made sure we saw his show at the Riviera. We never got tired of the glitz. One of the worst things the Riv did was get rid of his show." [Ed: You know he has a new show, Frank Marino's Divas Las Vegas, at the IP, right?]
• "Bugsy, because he started it all, but Steve Wynn is close second because he reinvented it."
• "Tough question! Las Vegas is such a melting pot that picking one name to personify it is rough. However, I noticed that Sam Boyd was missing from your list of suggestions. I might not have voted for him, but I certainly would put his name on the list before Harry Reid’s LOL."
• "Wow -- Sinatra? Liberace? Elvis? Wayne? -- they all represent the entertainment "building" of Vegas. The physical building of Vegas would go from Bugsy to Hughes to Wynn. How do you choose? Oscar Goodman has been in Vegas for all of it (well - maybe not ALL of it but for quite some time!), from being a lawyer for the 'mob' to now being an often-seen mayor - he's had his hand in many years of Vegas. So, maybe he didn't build it, but he's helped at many of the turns. I realize that folks that don't spend much time in Vegas might not recognize the name or the face, but for those who do spend time there or have read the history - love him or hate him- Oscar will be the choice!" [Ed: If you haven't read about our colorful mayor, you can catch up with John L. Smith's excellent bio, Of Rats and Men.]
• "This is the toughest choice since I've been answering polls (about 3 years). [Ed: Wow, thanks for your loyalty.] A shame only one can be picked. This should be a very close poll. Even though I'm not a fan of Wayne Newton, he's the one." [Ed: Almost!]
• Jackie Gaughan has been involved with Las Vegas for 60+ years and has passed along his knowledge to so many people. From the people he first worked with like Mel Exber and Benny Binion, to his recent partners and of course his kids and grandkids.He ran a casino well and treated his customers fairly." [Ed: And next weekend is his 90th birthday – head down for free cake!]
• "Edward O. Thorp"
• "I believe the 'Rat Pack' together as a group represent classic Las Vegas; you can't really say that just one of them personifies it. Mention any one of their names and I see it in lights over the Strip!" [Ed: Fair point.]
• "Bob Stupak was Las Vegas. He was a gambler who bet—and won—and lost—and won again—and lost again. He changed the lives of those he met, and he changed the skyline of Las Vegas forever. He wasn’t a saint, but he had a bit of gold in his heart—and he would bet that gold whenever he knew the odds were in his favor. We need a Bob Stupak movie. We already have a Stupak monument." [Ed: And a Stupak book – check out No Limit, the movie rights to which have been negotiated a few times, but no one's quite come up with a good enough offer yet...]
• "Steve Wynn, for sure. I like what he likes." [Ed: You actually like tofu?!]
• "Anthony Curtis because he looks at Vegas the same way I do, from the standpoint of getting the most fun and value for your money!" [Ed: Yep! And that seems a fitting note on which to conclude this one.}