StageTime

When Nevada gambling was controlled by the Mob, it was a different place. They had a different business model to say the least. Most important to them was time. They wanted their shows to run exactly on time. The reason being, they didn't want to have 700 or more people trapped in a show room for very long when they could be gambling. Years ago I was told the casino made 100k a minute. If the show ran two minutes too long they considered that they had lost 200k.

They clocked everyone on an off stage with a stop watch and that report went to the casino manager. There was no doubt what act went over their time. It you did go over they would walk into your dressing room and have it all typed out. They would lay the paper in front of you and say.. "Here is 20 grand we are paying you.... your show went over 2 minutes so the casino lost 200k, we deduct that from your salary and we have a loss of 180k. How can we expect payment?" Based upon the neck size alone of the guys who delivered the paper, It was an effective deterrent.

They even installed a countdown clock flush with the stage at Harrahs, Reno. Only the act could see it. It would start to run backwards when you walked on stage. At five minutes left a red light would go on, and at zero the red light would stay on. I jokingly asked what happened if you didn't get off then? The stage manager told me that a trap door would open and I would fall into the pit with the other comics that were never heard from again.

The names are not mentioned here to protect the innocent...Me. This is a true story. The casino manager is telling the opening comic or maybe a ventriloquist not to go over his assigned time on stage. He says (think a broken nose), "Now when I tell ya ta do fifteen minutes... I mean fifteen minutes... not fifteen minutes and one second.... not fourteen minutes and ninety-nine seconds..... ya do fifteen."

You know, he must have given that speech to hundreds of opening comics... no one ever laughed or corrected his math.

Have a good week end.

As you were,
Jay