THIEF! The Gutsy, True Story of an Ex-Con Artist

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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Slick's Las Vegas Then & Now: 24th in Series





Vegas Institution: The Cocktail Waitress

Not all Las Vegas showgirls were in the Follies. Some women with as many charms as showgirls served drinks to customers.

In old Vegas, cocktail waitresses were the most beautiful in the world. Considering that one of their main jobs was to attract and retain customers, they had to be beautiful to compete with all the other bars in Las Vegas. They also dated some of the most powerful men in the world. In some cases, the girls became millionaires themselves. After slinging drinks for 30 years, a few could even win beauty contests. I figure that walking all those miles serving drinks kept them in great shape. From a guy’s viewpoint, can you imagine a girl pretty enough to be a model serving you drinks? By the way, drinks while gambling are meant to keep you at it. The happier you are, the longer you play and the more money you drop.

Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimmer, is dating a cocktail waitress at the Palms. Right now it’s beginning to look serious. But who knows by the time this is published. And then there was George Clooney’s ex- girlfriend, also a gorgeous cocktail waitress at the Palms. During my early days in Vegas, a cocktail waitress from the Stardust became the first woman blackjack dealer on the Strip. Another girl who worked with her became owner of the largest privately owned security company in Las Vegas. In those days, it was standard to bring home $250 a day in tips. Others made a lot of money writing their stories.

I know a cocktail waitress named Lynda Allen who worked at Palace Station for 31 years. She’s the hottest senior I know.

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