The Man who Knows Vegas' Secrets
December 12, 2005 | 7:19
am
I don't remember when I first met Ira David Sternberg. But one of the first times was the day he introduced me to Frank Sinatra Jr. To describe what a fan of Frank Sinatra I am would require an essay of such length and fanaticism that it would fall for most of you under tl;dr (that's Internet slang for too long;didn't read, O Tempora O Mores! ). So, meeting his son in a penthouse suite at MGM Grand to discuss his father's music was an incredible thrill. I remember Frank Jr. mostly looking out his suite's huge windows with binoculars at arrivals and departures from the airport noting everything about the planes he saw, and I mean everything: from the make and model to the luggage capacity. He was so fascinated by the airplanes that even getting him to answer questions proved difficult.
Anyway, though his voice is eerily similar to his father in personality (and, of course, take the huge grain of salt that Sinatra's personality I know only from books about him and interviews I've done with those who knew him)the two could not be more different. If his father was famed for being explosive and emotional, his son seems more--- for lack of a better word--- an intellectual, a person who seriously considers the art of music having spent years under the tutelage of folks like Nelson Riddle. Anyway, the thing I remember most about interviewing Frank Sinatra Jr. was his enthusiastic recommendation that I NEEDED to read books by the singing comedian Allan Sherman. Of course, this item isn't about Sinatra, I was supposed to be telling you about his publicist that day: Ira David Sternberg.
Sternberg is currently an executive at the Las Vegas Hilton and he is an invaluable encyclopedia of Las Vegas entertainment history. Since we are on different sides of the industry I don't really consult him often on stories and that is a shame because I am sure that my knowledge of this town in the years before I got here would grow exponentially if Ira were to tell me even a fraction of what he knows. But that will never happen since especially these days all roads seem to lead to the Hilton (formerly the International where Elvis Presley reigned) in Ira's stories. But fortunately for me (and, for you) I can now partake in Ira's knowledge without having to hear a Hiltoncentric pitch about Barry Manilow (the Hilton's headliner) and, of course, the latest Hilton acquisition Reba McEntire who starts in May.
Ira has begun doing a radio show: "Lunchtime with Ira, Live from the Las Vegas Hilton." broadcast live on a local AM station every Monday at noon. More importantly, it is also archived on the casino's website: www.lvhilton.com. The guests this morning include old Vegas legend comedian Shelley Berman and Nevada's Lt. Governor/lounge singer Lorraine Hunt, who is running for governor. Sternberg has been hosting the show for years, but moving it to the Hilton a few weeks ago seems to have really stepped things up.
I talked to Ira briefly a week ago trying to fact check something I was writing that touched on the Hilton, and he asked me to drop by his radio show. I was really flattered. I generally don't like doing interviews. It feels like publishing rough drafts,and I rather ask questions than answer them, etc. But I decided that I would enjoy being on Ira's show, and was ready to agree. The only problem was that it turned out I wasn't being invited to be an "on-air" guest at all. Ira only wanted me to watch the broadcast. Sniff. No hard feelings; I still highly recommend checking out the web version of "Lunch with Ira" if you are interested in stories from the days of yore or what is going on today.
