THE HISTORY ClaSSIC VEgaS, If wE’RE TalkIng abOuT THE RaT PaCk and cold martinis and Steve and Eydie, is alive and well at Piero’s, so much so that it was a natural location to shoot several scenes for Martin Scorsese’s Casino. It hasn’t changed much since Tony Spilotro and the boys used to hang out when it was its previous incarnation, Villa d’Este. The dark woods, oil paintings by Jose bellver, lithographs from aldo luongo and white tablecloths convey a certain era that Piero’s still occupies. It was a time when a handshake still meant something and under-the-table deals were commonplace. The restaurant is named for its original chef, Piero broglia. Soon after its opening however, broglia left, but the name stayed the same. glusman opened the original Piero’s in 1982, and five years later he would relocate it to its current location on Convention Center drive. The city’s power brokers, accustomed to the discretion of the servers and the comfort of knowing that no one would be bothersome, came along with the move. names such as al Sachs of the Stardust and Sid Chaplin of Southern wine & Spirits made their mark on las Vegas, and as regulars at Piero’s, they left their stamp there as well. as a tribute to Vegas icons who have passed and were regulars, Piero’s has their names engraved on plates on their booths. growing up, Evan never wondered why Sachs, one of the most connected men in las Vegas at the time, was always at the restaurant. “busing and waiting tables, I grew up with what I thought was a super sweet nice old man, and he was, but I didn’t know what he did,” Evan admits. “It was always ‘uncle al.’” Sachs, it turned out, had loaned the elder glusman $100,000 to purchase Villa d’Este to turn it into the new Piero’s. freddie told Sachs that not only would he pay the debt back, but Sachs would eat for free at the restauarant for the rest of his life. “He ended up living another 20 to 30 years,” Evan laughs. “It was a great deal on his end!” Carl Thomas, who started bingo Palace, (which is now Palace Station), was another fixture at the original Piero’s, which Evan remembers fondly. “I was 3 or 4 years old, my mom and dad would be busy, and I’d get left at a table to fend for myself to some extent,” he recalls. “I’ve always loved eating clams, but at that age they’re a pain to eat. [Thomas] would sit next to me and shuck clams for me. I would eat two bowls of these things.” “People in town didn’t fuck with these guys, and they’re taking the time to talk to a 4-year-old or a 16-year-old, and they have nothing in common with me. They’re just being genuine guys.” Evan pauses. “The town was better then—people looked out for each other.”
joe pesci, longtime patron
a note from former mayor ron lurie
still shot from casino
66 / vrated.com