VV2

Tricks of the Trade
By: Stu Cooper / Happy Adventures
We’ve just returned from a very successful
Mexican Riviera cruise. Over 120 Vegas Voyagers
had a fantastic time and the Discovery Princess is
a wonderful brand new ship.
We liked the ship so much that we are
returning to that vessel March 9 – 16 on a
Coastal California itinerary. And we will be
cruising with the Folk Legacy Trio as we “folk
music” our way along the west coast. There is
still space available if you want to join us, but
time is running out.
As our Vegas Voyagers know, our group is
primarily “Seniors.” Most are vibrant and
very active. We also have a fair number of
participants with mobility issues.
We encourage those with these issues to
bring walkers, wheelchairs or electric scooters
with you. We can accommodate these on the bus and they are very
helpful during the cruise.
Here is a little trick of the trade. If you have
these mobility issues you should seriously
consider bringing along
your walker, wheelchair or
scooter. The cruise line will
not provide these devises for you
on the trip.
And while
there are wheelchairs to assist you on and off the
ship upon embarkation and disembarkation,
it could be a while before porters arrive at our
bus or in the terminal to help in getting you
on the ship.
Remember, close to 3,000 passengers are
boarding the ship (with their luggage), so
passengers with mobility issues can take a
while to embark. And, without your own
mobility equipment on the ship, there will not
be wheelchairs available for the length of the cruise.
Hope this little travel tip helps.
By: Kathy Manney / Around Our World
When I first heard then Las Vegas Mayor
Oscar Goodman, (himself a former Mob
defense attorney) was
suggesting saving the looming sandstone
downtown post office, by creating a mob
museum in the building, I thought the
suggestion was absurd. Who would visit a
mob museum?
No longer having use for the former post
office and historic courthouse inside, the
federal government sold it to the city for $1
in 2000, with conditions that the building be
restored to its original appearance and be
used for cultural purposes.
Following work on the beautifully wellbuilt
post office, the Mob Museum, officially
the National Museum of Organized Crime
and Law Enforcement opened on February
14, 2012. It marked the saying, “Build it and
they will come,” true.
Opening as a world-class destination in downtown Las Vegas, it is
an interactive tour through true crime events, from the Mob’s birth to
current crime headlines. The Mob Museum is a repository for objects,
records and other items that tells the story of the Mob in America.
Art meets life. If you have seen the movie Casino you saw former mob
38 February 2024
The Mob Museum
attorney and Mayor Oscar Goodman reenacting his role representing
mobsters like Meyer Lansky, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and Anthony
Spilotro. Snatches from the movie make up some museum displays.
Another reenactment from the movie is the late Frank Cullotta,
a former mob hitman, killing a fellow
mobster. Cullotta was the real hitman and
after serving time for his crimes, became
an advisor and actor, playing himself in the
movie.
Frank Cullotta entered the Witness
Security Program, which offers gangsters
who turn informant and take the witness
stand a way out of their life of crime, but
picking up and starting over isn’t easy. Many
now qualify for Medicare.
Prior to his death due to Covid, Collotta
become a minor celebrity appearing as
a guest at the Mob Museum and offered
Casino (the movie) tours while reviewing
his former gangster life.
Visiting the basement and the
Underground Speakeasy is a must. During prohibition, speakeasies
faced with the risk of raids, served bourbon in teacups, though lawmen
were seldom fooled.
Kathy draws her articles from a diverse personal background. She
hopes readers enjoy her column as much as she enjoys the writing and
sharing.