On the Corner of Main Street

Jonathan, Lisa and Gary get a thorough education in sports betting with a three-decade veteran of the business, Station Casinos Vice President of Race and Sports Jason McCormick.    Jason shares his lifelong fascination with sports betting, how it brought him to Las Vegas and how - unlike most in the business - he's been able to stay with one company for so long.    Hosts: Jonathan Jossel, Lisa Me...

It's a wild time with Las Vegas native and third generation pawnbroker Corey Harrison. He takes us behind the counter of Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, the home of one of the highest rated TV shows of the past decade.   Corey talks about how he thought the show would never be the phenomenon it is. And he shares how he suddenly discovered how wrong he was, and how famous he'd suddenly become in a place h...

House of Blues. Blush. Bare Pool Lounge. Daydream. Surrender. Encore Beach Club. Andrea's. On the Record. Those are just a few of the clubs and venues that Sean Christie has founded or managed during his more than 20 years in Las Vegas.  He joins us to talk about all that, and what's new: Carversteak, a spectacular steakhouse scheduled to open in December at Resorts World.  Hosts: Jonathan Jossel,...

We're back with highlights from another Oscar Dinner Series event. This time, Oscar told stories about his first client  - a pro bono murder case that involved a lie detector and a prosecutor who wasn't living up to his deal.   Then Oscar talks about the cases that cemented - rightly or wrongly - his reputation as a "miracle worker" among those in the Las Vegas sports betting community.   Oscar, J...

Lip Smaking Foodie Tours is your ticket to sample some of the best restaurants in downtown Las Vegas, The Strip, the Arts District and more.   Owner Donald Contursi and tour guide Tom Svoboda talk to Lisa and Gary about how the business started, how it's recovered from Covid and what's next!   Hosts: Lisa Melmed, Gary Vickery, Jonathan Jossel

Jonathan, Lisa, Gary and producer Rich Johnson look back on the challenges of the past year: closing the hotel during the pandemic, figuring out how to operate once it reopened, dealing with ever-changing and often-conflicting rules and guidelines, and setting a course for the future.    All this as Plaza gets ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary!   Hosts: Jonathan Jossel, Lisa Melmed, Gary Vic...

In a town with a reputation as a transient media market, Jason Feinberg is an exception. He's been here for 15 years. He anchors the morning news at Fox5, and often covers the biggest events, parties and openings here in Las Vegas.    Jason shares his career path, which included stops in Palm Springs, West Texas, Seattle and Los Angeles.    And Jason tries again to get the fact that a Brit with ne...

He's back with more tales of old Las Vegas. Oscar Goodman, our steakhouse namesake, former mayor and legendary lawyer talks with Jonathan about the last Oscar's Dinner Series.   At the dinner, Oscar tells the story of how he and Carolyn came to Las Vegas and recalls a couple of his early cases  -- including the  one that cemented his reputation as Las Vegas's premier 'mob lawyer' (his words!).   ...

While the image is still "Sin City," the reality is that Las Vegas is "Convention City." And the man who makes that work is Steve Hill, CEO and President of the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority.    That's the organization that brings all the huge gatherings to Las Vegas - shows like CES, World of Concrete, the National Association of Broadcasters and countless other smaller events.    The...

What is a casino host? We've discussed it in the past, and interviewed one of the most famous hosts in Las Vegas. Now we get "up close and Plaza" with our newest host, Aquarius Wilkinson. He shares the path he took to hosting - and to the Plaza. Aquarius also talks about his work week, his joy in dealing with Plaza guests, and how he prefers the Plaza to a higher-end property on The Strip.  Hosts:...

We're departing from our usual format this episode to bring two guests and a small slice of one of our favorite events: Oscar's Dinner Series. Oscar Goodman, himself, is on hand to talk about the first dinner in 14 months, and he's joined by Ben Jenkins, Executive Chef of Oscar's Steakhouse. Ben talks about his career and the changes he's made at Oscar's. Then you'll hear highlights from the dinne...

If a picture is worth a thousand words, Paul Ryu's body of work is reaching to infinity and beyond. He's the guy behind RyuSauce, and can rightly claim the title of "food influencer."     As head of the social media company JMPforce, Paul and his team help restaurants up their social media and digital marketing games.   But his personal story about coming to America alone at age 13 will grab you -...

Thirty episodes after his first appearance, Scott Roeben is back! The man behind the Vital Vegas blog shares some of his strong opinions about the region's post-Covid resurgence.   Scott and Jonathan also take a deep dive into the history of Plaza's fractious relationship with the Fremont Street Experience - especially regarding construction of "Slotzilla," the zipline that terminates right on the...

Tony Hsieh wouldn't join a startup company called Shoesite unless Fred Mossler came along. Fred Mossler said he wouldn't sign on until Tony Hsieh did. Despite barely knowing each other, both said yes, and both turned Shoesite into Zappos -- and helped turn downtown Las Vegas into what it is today. Fred was also a co-founder of The Downtown Project and owns Nacho Daddy. Fred shares stories from tho...

Running the region's largest distributor of wine and spirits inevitably makes Larry Ruvo a player in Las Vegas. But Larry never rested on his wealth. After his father died from Alzheimer's Disease (which had been mis-diagnosed), Larry decided to do something about it. That "something" is the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, a world-class research facility in downtown Las Vegas. In this very speci...

He's an Emmy winner, a veteran of more than 40 years making people laugh, and the former resident comic at the Plaza. He is comic legend Louie Anderson! Louie talks about how much he loved playing Plaza's showroom and how he coped with the past year. And he drops a few hints about his future projects. Also: Jonathan, Lisa and Gary remember March 18th, 2020 - the day that Plaza and every other hote...

What's it like to make your living playing cards? Anthony Curtis did it for nearly two decades. Along the way, he became a publisher of gaming-centric books and a collector of great deals and value in Las Vegas. He shares stories of both counting cards and diving into discounts in this packed episode.  Hosts: Jonathan Jossel, Lisa Melmed, Gary Vickery  

In the early 2000s, nobody was going to East Fremont St. But veteran New York hospitality executive Paul Devitt saw something there, and decided to become the area's nightlife pioneer. Devitt opened Beauty Bar, a Vegas version of his successful New York bar and music venue. Other bars followed, inspired by Beauty Bar's success. While Beauty Bar is gone, Devitt is looking for new Las Vegas opportun...

Lawyer, by day, foodie by night. And morning. And afternoon. And pretty much every waking hour. John Curtas has been blogging about the Las Vegas food scene before most people knew there WAS a food scene! John shares his thoughts about how downtown has improved, details his most memorable Vegas meal ever, and is not so kind when discussing how covering the food scene has now devolved into "influen...

Why does one casino property flourish while the one next door flounder? That's one of the many subjects that Oliver Lovat has tackled in more than two decades of research into the business of Las Vegas and its unique real estate market. Along the way he's also become a Vegas historian and expert in how it all gets done. Oliver also shares some insights from his latest project: a deep dive into the...

For more than 30 years, Steve Cyr has defined and re-defined the job of Las Vegas casino host. He's still at it, taking high rollers and 'whales' on gaming adventures around the world. He shares how his plan to finish his degree at UNLV then manage the family motel in Salina, Kansas was suddenly derailed by meeting casino legend Michael Gaughan. From there, Steve took casino hosting to levels neve...

Jonathan and Gary spend a fast-paced 40 minutes with Vegas icon Frankie Scinta (pronounced SHIN-tuh), who's been performing since childhood. For nearly 20 years, Frankie's been headlining rooms from the Rio to the Sahara... to The Plaza.  Frankie shares great stories from those wild times, gets serious about losing his brother and dealing with the Covid shutdown -- and caps it off with a  performa...

It may be a party every night in Las Vegas, but making those parties happen is hard work for Jason Strauss, one of the Managing Partners of Tao Group Hospitality. Jason shares his journey from organizing a party for fellow high school seniors in New York to running one of the most successful hospitality companies in the country.  Hosts: Jonathan Jossel, Lisa Melmed, Gary Vickery  

Wanna buy a casino? Do you have one to sell? If so, Michael Parks is your guy. He's put together some of the biggest casino deals in Las Vegas, Reno and beyond. Michael takes a deep dive into the complex, intriguing world of gaming properties -- including the sale of The Las Vegas Club.  Also, Jonathan shares some thoughts about Vegas legend Sheldon Adelson, who died earlier this month.    Hosts:...

Is it a wolf? Is it a dog? You'll find the answer to that question, and more about one of the huge murals on the North Tower of The Plaza from the artist, himself. Jonathan, Lisa and Gary dial up New York City and talk to Patrick McNeil, half of the art collective known as Faile. Patrick recounts the fun - and peril - of painting one of the three Plaza murals that are visible for miles. Hosts: Jon...