The Talk About Las Vegas Podcast | a podcast by Ira Sternberg

This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Deana Martin, who has been performing during the pandemic in her Deana Martin LIVE! online shows for 45 consecutive weeks. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Martin talks about early memories of Las Vegas; adapting to performing during COVID; her global connection with fans online, including taking requests and, as a result, learning 50 new songs; recording one of her albums in the legendary Studio A at Capitol Records, the same studio where her dad, Dean Martin, performed; and her secret for successfully navigating show business and establishing her own performing persona.

On March 2, 1999, Ira spoke with Adelson prior to the opening of the Venetian Resort. This was the first time he appeared on a talk radio show. The program (then called Las Vegas Notebook) aired live on KDWN radio. Adelson talks about  his battles with the Culinary Union and government officials; the property’s sidewalk controversy;  his belief that he was forced into the local political arena;  his decision to go after the high-end market and his vision for its expansion; his doubts about the Las Vegas Monorail; and his belief in the quality of the soon-to-be opened property.

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This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Al Mancini, who has covered the Las Vegas dining scene for numerous publications since 2003. He currently writes for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Mancini talks about his journey to the culinary world in Las Vegas; why he believes the Vegas dining scene will bounce back after COVID; where the off-Strip restaurant action is heading; how the food and beverage industry impresses him with its innovation during the pandemic; why one of the messages that restaurants should send their customers as they fully reopen is: “We care about you”; and most important of all, what he sees as the future of the buffet.

This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with actor, comic and writer Bill Dawes, headlining in the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana Las Vegas, January 7-10. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Dawes talks about his early days and his decision to lead a creative life (capped by throwing his brief case in the Hudson River!); writing a successful play and receiving no credit; why comedy has been one of the keys to his success (and the serious side of comedy); how he started a podcast, “The Afterlaugh,” in his backyard; and why he finds success through trying new things.

This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Ori Spado, author of “The Accidental Gangster: From Insurance Salesman to Mob Boss of Hollywood.” In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Spado talks about his decision to live a life of crime; why, though he knew the top organized crime figures, he refused to become a “made man”; his reputation as a fixer in Hollywood; some of the famous people he met and befriended in the film business; his connection to Las Vegas; his decision to take a plea deal that sent him to prison; and why he decided to write the book as a message to young people.

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This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Matthew O’Brien, author of “Dark Days, Bright Nights, Surviving the Las Vegas Storm Drains,” published by Central Recovery Press. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, O’Brien talks about his decision to write a follow-up to his previous book on the tunnels and drains of Las Vegas, and the people who live there; how he has befriended some of the people who have returned to dealing with life above ground; why he decided to revisit these people and let them tell their stories; why he believes there is a connection between being homeless and being a great storyteller; and what he believes are the solutions to helping the homeless and mental health issues.

This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Murray The Magician, who is back performing in the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana Las Vegas, Thursdays through Sundays at 4 p.m. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Murray talks about his magical career and how he developed his look; why he sticks to his motto, “Don’t fool them, entertain them”; why it’s essential for performers (and especially magicians) to adapt to changing times and new practices and principles; who he considered his mentors while starting out in magic; why he’s not afraid of hard work; and why without Vegas, magic wouldn’t have advanced.

This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Internationally acclaimed guitarist Ricardo Cobo, who will be performing at the UNLV Performing Arts Center (as part of its "Live from" series Livestreamed from the Artemus Ham Concert Hall) December 11. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Cobo talks about his infatuation with the guitar as a child in Columbia; why he chose to move to the United States to pursue his studies and a musical career; his decision to move from New York to Las Vegas (coincidentally on the day that planes were hitting the World Trade Center) to perform and to teach; why he uses more than one guitar in performance; and how this new way of performing (due to Covid 19, there will be no audience) will affect his approach.

This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Richard A. Lertzman, author (along with Lon Davis) of "Deconstructing the Rat Pack: Joey, the Mob, and the Summit, ” published by Prestige Cinema Books.

In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Lertzman talks about the enduring legacy of “The Summit”; how a well-organized publicity stunt that created a show that lasted 28 days in 1960 continues to fascinate people today; how the show was put together and why the principals (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr) treated it as a business decision; the myth of the shows’ spontaneity; the mob’s influence in Las Vegas and the part it played in the Rat Pack’s formation; why Joey Bishop was chosen to be a part of the Rat Pack; and why he rose and fell in show business.

This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with award-winning comedy magician Fielding West, who not only performs in Las Vegas and around the world, but also is an instructor and keynote speaker. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, West talks about his career in magic; how Las Vegas became his base as a performer; his relationship with Master Magician Lance Burton; the future of magic; the importance of stagecraft and why it takes 1,000 shows to be a professional; and the one thing he learned about show business.