Pit Boss: Dean & The TV Set

Hey pallies, likes thanks to our pallies over at "Blue-Eyes.com" we gets 'nother wonderful installment of Pit Boss by Mr. Ed Walters. You're gonna love this Dino-riffic tale of our beloved Dino showin' the hugeness of his generous heart.

Gotta 'fess up that I loves to read these Dino-remembrances from his time in 'Vegas, Baby, 'Vegas and hearin' first hand accounts of just how wonderful our King of Cool is. Thanks to "Blue-Eyes.com" and Mr. Walters for sharin' these heart-warmin' Dino-tales with us. To view this in it's original format, just click on the tagg of this here Dino-gram. Dino-hearted, DMP




Pit Boss: Dean & The TV Set

by Ed Walters on July 21, 2010


Pit Boss Wednesday at Blue-Eyes.com.

Today’s installment is among the funniest of the entire series of Ed’s Pit Boss posts. This one never fails to make me laugh. – RA

It’s around 1967 or so. Dean is starring in The Copa Room at night. I’m on the day shift in the Casino. On my break I go to see the guys in the Dealers room. This is the room where the dealers go on every break to rest or eat. It is located at the end of the long hallway that goes between the showroom and the kitchens. The entertainers all come in the back way through this hall. It leads out to the pool and grounds. The famous steamroom and Health Club you read about is next to the pool.

So it’s afternoon and I go to the dealers room to see how the Dodgers are doing in the World Series. I’m standing in the doorway, watching the game with the dealers and the waitress who serves them.

It’s tough to watch because the TV keeps screwing up. This is before cable, so the picture keeps going in and out. I’m about ready to leave when Dean comes up behind me. He watches it for awhile. One of the dealers keeps hitting the side of the TV to straighten out the wiggles.

Koufax throws a ball. Then another ball. One dealer yells “Koufax is going wild.” Dean says “Stop hitting the set. Your throwing the ball off.” Everyone laughs.

Dean starts walking out, down the hall. Dean says, “Eddie, get a TV that works, something in the modern age.” He heads out. He had been rehearsing something in the showroom. Yes, he did rehearse once in awhile. He was actually in much more command of his material than people think. I’ll talk about that another time.

Next day, I come in around noon to start the shift. Dealers comming in from their break are smiling and talking about the big, new TV that is now in the dealers room.

I check into it. Front desk tells me, Dean Martin came to them this morning and asked one of the bellhops (he knows them all, they know him) to go with him. They take the Sands station wagon and Dean asked, “Where do you get TV around here?” Guy says “I know a place.” Dean, says, “Let’s go there.”

The bellhop who went with Dean tells me the story of Dean going in the store and like only he can says to the salesman. (Can you picture, Dean saying this?)

“You got TV?”

“Do they get baseball?”

“What size do I need for baseball?”

The salesman, astonished this is Dean Martin is doing everything to be helpful. He asks Dean, “Do you need an antenna?”

Bellhop asks Dean if they should get an antenna. Dean tell him to get whatever he needs.

The salesman brings over a nice big antenna with all the rods sticking out. Dean is looking at each antenna stem (whatever you call it) Dean says to the salesman, ” Which one is for baseball?”

The poor salesman is just not sure if Dean is serious or not.

I’m laughing out loud listening to the bellhop tell me this. A typical Dean story.

The salesman gives Dean the bill, Dean laughs and says “Oh, you want money too!”

On the way out of the store, the salesman finally get enough courage to ask Dean, “Are you Dean Martin?”

Dean says, “No.” and walks out.

So later that day, I’m back watching the game and Dean comes by. All the dealers give him a standing ovation. He had been playing golf and just wanted to make sure it has been set up as he asked.

The game is going well. The Dodger pitcher is doing well. You hear strike and strike etc. One of the dealers says to Dean, “He’s pitching good, right Dean?” Dean says “Of course, he can see the plate now.” Everyone laughs. The waitress thinks Dean is serious, and asks “Really, did the TV make a difference?” He replies, “Yes with all those squiggles, he couldn’t see the plate. Now he can.”

He smiles at me and starts heading out of the room. He purposely bumps into me. Says “Get back in the Casino, before they rob the place.” I laugh and yell back, “Where you going?”

He answers, (picture Dean, golf slacks, golf sweater, beautiful tan, and that wonderful smile and in that drawl we all know, says,)

“Hey buddy, I just saved the World Series. This is hard work. I need to go and get some rest.”

He laughs and is out the door to get some rest before the first show of the evening.

Yes, the dealers and all of us at the Sands really loved Dean.

We still do.