Casino Rat Pack
2 days ago Sinatra’s next move would create the legend of the Rat Pack — and cement the Las Vegas Strip as an international party destination. “Before the Rat Pack’s arrival, Vegas was all Jimmy Durante.
The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers. The Wolf's Bane. Theme Park: Tickets of Fortune. Tomb Raider- Secret of the Sword. Treasure Skyland. Treasures Of the Pyramids. Twin Spin Deluxe. During its heyday hosted many famous entertainers of the day, most notably the Rat Pack and Jerry Lewis. The hotel was established in 1952 by Mack Kufferman, who bought the LaRue Restaurant which had opened a year earlier. The hotel was opened on December 15, 1952 as a casino and hotel with 200 rooms. During its heyday hosted many famous entertainers of the day, most notably the Rat Pack and Jerry Lewis. The hotel was established in 1952 by Mack Kufferman, who bought the LaRue Restaurant which had opened a year earlier. The hotel was opened on December 15, 1952 as a. Ever since Sinatra’s first appearance in the Copa Room of the Sands casino in October 1953, the venue became the regular hang out for the Rat Pack. They were the insiders of Las Vegas, the group that had the most exclusive access to Sin City’s ins and outs.
The “Rat Pack” will forever be associated with Las Vegas.
We decided to learn more about this merry band of miscreants, and quickly realized there’s a lot we didn’t know. Some of these Rat Pack facts might surprise you, too.
1. Originally, the Rat Pack was a group of friends centered around the group’s leader, Humphrey Bogart. The original members included Errol Flynn, Nat King Cole, Mickey Rooney, Jerry Lewis and Cesar Romero.
In “Casablanca,” Humphrey Bogart wore platform shoes so he wouldn’t have to look up to Ingrid Bergman.
2. Nobody’s sure where the “Rat Pack” name came from, but most attribute it to Lauren Bacall. Bogart and Bacall lived in a neighborhood called Holmby Hills, so their house and the original group were sometimes called the Holmby Hills Rat Pack.
3. The original rat pack had a coat of arms, a rat gnawing on a human hand. The group’s motto was “Never rat on a rat.”
4. Later, the name was used for a variation of the group with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. The group didn’t call itself the Rat Pack, though. They used “The Summit” or “The Clan.”
Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop are the ones you don’t recognize.
5. The Rat Pack had several “associate” members, called “Rat Pack Mascots,” including Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Shirley MacLaine, Lauren Bacall, Juliet Prowse and Judy Garland.
6. The Copa Room at the Sands was considered the “home” of the Rat Pack. The Sands was opened in 1952 and was imploded in 1996. The Venetian now stands on the former site of the Sands.
7. In Las Vegas, when a member of the Rat Pack would be scheduled for a performance, the rest of the Rat Pack would turn up for an impromptu show. The multi-talented performers sold out almost all of their appearances, and visitors would stream into Las Vegas, often sleeping in their cars if they couldn’t find rooms. Hotel-casino marquees were known to tease the Rat Pack’s appearances. For example, the Sands marquee read: “Dean Martin, Maybe Frank, Maybe Sammy.”
8. Peter Lawford was John F. Kennedy’s brother-in-law. Kennedy would sometimes hang out with the Rat Pack in Vegas, and when they did, they referred to themselves as the “Jack Pack.” A falling out between Sinatra and the Kennedys about Sinatra’s links to the mob got Peter Lawford booted from the group.
9. Frank Sinatra once ordered 300 Bloody Marys from room service for a Rat Pack party.
10. Dean Martin’s son, Dean Paul Martin, died in a plane crash in 1987 on the San Gorgonio Mountain in California. Frank Sinatra’s mother, Dolly, was killed in a plane crash 10 years earlier on the exact same mountain.
Dean Martin’s real name was Dino Paul Crocetti. He changed it to Dino Martini, then to Dean Martin. Martin only read one book in his lifetime, “Black Beauty.”
11. Among the Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr.’s nickname was “Smokey.” While not commonly known, he was an accomplished quick-draw artist. When Davis was denied entry into the Copacabana, Sinatra used his clout to ensure he got in the next time. When Davis wasn’t allowed to stay in the Las Vegas hotel where he was performing, Sinatra helped Davis sidestep the racist practices so prevalent in Las Vegas at the time.
12. Rat Pack member Dean Martin would often deal blackjack at Las Vegas casinos.
13. The first movie all five Rat Pack members appeared in together was “Ocean’s Eleven.” It was released in 1960. Frank Sinatra played Danny Ocean.
That’s right, they “blew all the lights in Las Vegas.” We’ll wait.
14. The Rat Pack recorded five live albums together, including “The Rat Pack Live at the Sands” in 1960.
15. The last time Sinatra, Martin and Davis would appear in a movie together was “Cannonball Run II.”
Now you know! Have any fun Rat Pack trivia? We’d love to hear it.
Relive the days of the Rat Pack with Las Vegas’ most famous Entertainers and their live big band as they appeared live in the Sands Hotel Copa Room. The only Vegas based show with national touring companies and an award from the “Congress of the United States”. Now in its twenty second smash year with over 7000 performances in over 40 states, 4 foreign countries and over two million tickets sold.
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