Friday, October 19, 2007
RIP: Rat Pack
Twin Towers of Swingin' Lifestyle go down in the same week
The Sands Casino in Atlantic City bit the dust last night about 9:30pm EDT. Back before indian slot parlors and government propagated gambling, when AC was just the first east coast location getting into "gaming industry" racket, The Sands was the jewel. Imported from "Sin City" Las Vegas itself, the name had the financial backing and imprimatur of Frank Sinatra, and trailed a heady scent of Rat Pack-era swingin' memories in its wake.
Last night it went down; its demise was preceded by a fireworks display that showed how much casinos have devolved from their swanky, swingin' roots to pure whorishness.
The original Sands in Las Vegas met the same fate as its AC offspring in 1996. This was the hotel of Sinatra, the one to which fictional Michael Corleone signed Johnny Fontaine (fictional guess who?) and 'his friends' to exclusive performing deals. Where the less-than-fictional, bigger-than-life Rat Pack (Sinatra, Martin, Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) convened when they did their landmark shows, two sets a night, while filming Ocean's Eleven.
So fitting then that as the last light set upon RatPack-era backdrops, the last member of the Rat Pack would himself succumb. Joey Bishop died just about 24 hours before the AC Sands collapsed. He was the last of the crew, as far as I know the last surviving member of the Ocean's Eleven cast let alone the Rat Pack.
So rest well Joey (an adopted Philly guy like me). What's to do? Maybe just sing "Ee-Oo-Eleven!"
Twin Towers of Swingin' Lifestyle go down in the same week
The Sands Casino in Atlantic City bit the dust last night about 9:30pm EDT. Back before indian slot parlors and government propagated gambling, when AC was just the first east coast location getting into "gaming industry" racket, The Sands was the jewel. Imported from "Sin City" Las Vegas itself, the name had the financial backing and imprimatur of Frank Sinatra, and trailed a heady scent of Rat Pack-era swingin' memories in its wake.
Last night it went down; its demise was preceded by a fireworks display that showed how much casinos have devolved from their swanky, swingin' roots to pure whorishness.
The original Sands in Las Vegas met the same fate as its AC offspring in 1996. This was the hotel of Sinatra, the one to which fictional Michael Corleone signed Johnny Fontaine (fictional guess who?) and 'his friends' to exclusive performing deals. Where the less-than-fictional, bigger-than-life Rat Pack (Sinatra, Martin, Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) convened when they did their landmark shows, two sets a night, while filming Ocean's Eleven.
So fitting then that as the last light set upon RatPack-era backdrops, the last member of the Rat Pack would himself succumb. Joey Bishop died just about 24 hours before the AC Sands collapsed. He was the last of the crew, as far as I know the last surviving member of the Ocean's Eleven cast let alone the Rat Pack.
So rest well Joey (an adopted Philly guy like me). What's to do? Maybe just sing "Ee-Oo-Eleven!"
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