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.
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