I had a reader email me asking a question about a restaurant they had visited in the 1980s with a harpist in the middle of the room.   They wanted to know where it was.  It certainly sounds like the Dome of the Sea.  The Dome was a swanky, gourmet restaurant that was part of the Dunes Hotel. 

The Dome of the Sea opened  on June 12th, 1965.   Film legend Cary Grant flew in for the opening of the new restaurant.  Grant liked the Dunes Hotel and had stayed there when visiting.  He and actress Dyan Cannon were married there.  Jane Fonda married Roger Vadim at the Dunes as well.

The Dome of the Sea was built in 1964 and designed by Milton M. Schwartz, architect of the Diamond of the Desert, the Dunes high-rise tower that would replace the original low slung hotel and casino that first opened in 1959.

The Dome of the Sea was on the south end of the tower encased in its own dome.

From a 2005 interview, according to Schwartz, “The restaurant was called the Dome of the Sea because it was meant to be a seafood restaurant. I had chosen a woman with long, golden blonde hair. She was five-foot-six and played a harp, a golden harp, and I placed her in a seashell in the center of the restaurant that rolled around on a figure eight track in the water. She would play the harp in this seafood restaurant in the water. Not in the water—but she sat in the seashell and the seashell-shaped seat. The people were mesmerized by the music and the ambiance of the restaurant; it was very beautiful.”

The other gourmet restaurant at the hotel was the Sultan's Table.  

One of Major Riddle's (the owner of the Dunes) innovations was the opening of the Sultan's Table, the gourmet room. It opened on March 4, 1961. It was the first real gourmet room to open on the Strip and Diner's Club hailed it as "America's finest and most beautiful new restaurant."

The Sultan's Table was inspired by the Villa Fontana in Mexico City. Riddle had dined there once and was taken with the restaurant's atmosphere. He had enjoyed listening to Arturo Romero's Magic Violins and imported them to play the Sultan's Table. The chef, Jean Bertraneau, was from Beverly Hills. The maitre d' was Joaquin Norriega. The restaurant was a success from the day it opened. Its "snob appeal" quotient was through the roof and celebrities made a point of dining there when in town. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton often had their dinners sent over when they were in town.

The reader was also interested in a revolving lounge located atop a tower on the Strip, also from the 1980s.  I'm thinking it might have been the Top o' the Dunes, located atop the "Diamond of the Desert" tower but I don't remember it revolving.

Any ideas?

Special thanks to Pete Moruzzi for the link!

When I was a kid, movie theaters were my home away from home.  In the heat of the summer, they offered air conditioned splendor and big screen excitement.  Drive-ins allowed my family to bundle us up on a Friday or Saturday night and see a movie from the comfort of our car.  Here are some of my homes away from home:

The Cinerama Theater -there weren't very many of them but we had one.  Located on Viking Road just off Paradise, this was a  terrific theater.  I dragged my friends there to see many a film, including "Fantasia", "The Hindenburg" and "The Three Musketeers".

The Fox theater located in the Charleston Plaza Mall.  This was a large and elegant theater located in the first mall in Las Vegas.  On East Charleston, just south of downtown, this theater had a sign that could be seen for miles.  We saw "The Sound of Music", "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "The Hot Rock" and on New Year's Eve, "The Poseidon Adventure".

The Stardust Drive-In located behind the hotel.  We saw "Viva Las Vegas" there.  My parents were big Elvis fans and my dad was working at the Golden Gate when they were filming the movie and stepped outside of the casino to watch the filming of the race.

The SkyWay Drive-In.  After the Stardust Drive-In closed, we used to drive out Boulder Highway to this great Drive-In.  My dad bundled us all up and took us to see "Night of the Living Dead" after my mother brought home a Reader's Digest that had an article, "The film you don't want your kids to see".  My dad had a wicked sense of humor. 

The Huntridge Theater at East Charleston and Maryland Parkway was the closest theater we had to an old fashioned movie palace.  Complete with soundproof "cry room" for unruly babies, the theater was home to Disney films and Saturday afternoons the theater was filled with kids.  In addition to the Disney films, my friend Alan and I saw "Kelly's Heroes" and "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" there.

Other theaters I loved were the long-gone MGM Grand Theater in the original MGM Grand Hotel (now Bally's).  This theater had plush love-sets and a cocktail waitress that brought your drink order to you.  You ordered just by pressing a button on the cocktail table in front of you.  They only ran classic MGM films but I was already a big film buff by the time the hotel opened and they changed the bill every week.  You got a handout with a synopsis of the film and the cast listing.  They showed a cartoon, newsreel and then the film.  It was old-fashioned and it was beyond great.

The Red Rock Theaters on West Charleston.  We lived in Charleston Heights and this was the theater closest to us.  Started as a a dual screened theater, it ultimately expanded to 11 theaters.  The theaters in the back were placed around an old-time Main Street like square.  We lived at this place, it seemed, when I was in high school.  Between this and the MGM Grand theater, my weekends were spent at the movies.  We saw "The Sting", "Billy Jack", "The Godfather" and every  major (and minor) film that came out in the 1970s.

The Guild Theater, the El Portal and the Fremont Theaters were all located downtown.  The Guild was more an art house back then.  I saw "Next Stop, Greenwich Village", "The Passenger" and other art films of the 1970s there.

The Parkway Theaters across the street from the Boulevard Mall.  The Parkway was a dual screen theater.  We saw "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Star Wars" there.

How about you, which theater was your favorite?

For almost forty years, the Macayo Vegas on Decatur has been the hangout for high school kids celebrating football wins, homecoming, reunions and more.  Families go to the restaurants as well as those on dates.

When I was a teenager going to Clark High (class of '75), this Macayo was the anchor in what was then a mall that included Woolco and Dana McKay's Books at Charleston and Decatur. 

Across Decatur was the bank designed by Zick and Sharpe. 

Kitty corner on the northwest corner was Nevada Savings Bank.

Woolco and Dana McKay Books left the scene years ago and Macayo Vegas survived.  The neighborhood that used to include shoe stores, formal wear stores has changed over the years and Macayo has survived.

The first Macayo Vegas is located on East Charleston and this outpost was one of the early forays outside of the eastern part of the city.  Factoid, my mom used to be a waitress at the East Charleston locale back in the early to mid-1960s.

Today, Macayo's has outposts around the valley but this one has a special place in the hearts of those of us who grew up in Charleston Heights.  They allowed us to take over the place and celebrate high school rituals without an eye on the clock and the need to turn the tables.  We returned that good will by coming back well into middle age and still hanging out at this Macayo's.

Unfortunately, time and the economy has caught up with all of us and Macayo's has announced that the long surviving outpost at Charleston and Decatur will close.  So, if you attended Clark or Western High back in the day and celebrated at this Macayo's, stop in and give your thanks by having one last dinner.

They are closing at the end of the month.

I know the Clark Class of '75 is planning a get-together there on Jan. 21st. 

How about you?  Are you going to Macayo for one walk down memory lane?

Bonus question-Do you have memories of Woolco or Dana McKay's?  What other shops were in that mall or the one across Charleston?

National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement opens in Las Vegas on February 14, 2012

There are two sides to every story — and then there’s the truth. Uncover the real life battle between organized crime and law enforcement when The Mob Museum opens to the public on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2012.  The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, is a world-class destination in downtown Las Vegas. It presents an exciting and authentic view of the mob’s impact on Las Vegas history and its unique imprint on the world.

The Museum, which has already acquired one of the most iconic artifacts in mob history – the brick wall from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, will open on the 83^rd anniversary of the infamous Massacre, considered one of the most significant days in Mob history. Admission is $18 plus tax for adults ages 18-plus; $12 plus tax for children ages 5 to 17 and students ages 18 to 23 with ID; $14 plus tax for seniors, military, law enforcement and teachers; and $10 plus tax for Nevada residents of all ages. Museum hours will be Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.

With tales so intriguing they need no embellishment, The Mob Museum reveals an insider’s look at the events and people on both sides of this continuing battle between organized crime and law enforcement. True stories of mob history are brought to life in a bold and contemporary style via engaging exhibits and multi-sensory experiences. The Mob Museum puts the visitor in the middle of the action through high-tech theater presentations, iconic one-of-a-kind artifacts and interactive, themed environments.

The Museum’s board of directors is headed by Ellen Knowlton, former FBI Special Agent in Charge, Las Vegas Division, and a 24-year FBI veteran. The Mob Museum boasts a highly respected board including professionals from local and state government, law enforcement, the judicial system, media and the business community. A key visionary for the project and current board member is former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, a previous go-to defense attorney who made a name for himself representing such reputed mobsters as Meyer Lansky, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and Anthony Spilotro, among others.

Artifacts to be integrated throughout the Museum’s interactive exhibits provide an insider’s look into many of  organized crime’s biggest names, including, Alphonse Capone, Dion O’Bannion, George Moran, Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Ben Siegel, Sam Giancana, Joe Bonanno, Frank Rosenthal, Mickey Cohen, Tony Cornero and Tony Spilotro to name just a few. The Museum is located in what many consider the ultimate artifact, the former federal courthouse and United States Post Office. Completed in 1933 and listed on the Nevada and National Registers of Historic Places, it housed the very courtroom where, in 1950, one of 14 national Kefauver hearings was held to expose and control organized crime in America.  Meticulously rehabilitated for The Mob Museum, the building is significant not only for its neo-classical architecture reminiscent of the period in which it was built, but also for the historic events that unfolded inside of it.

The Museum is also working with the FBI and many famous undercover agents who made a career of fighting the Mob, including legendary agents Joe Pistone who infiltrated the Mob posing as a small time jewel thief, Donnie Brasco; and Cuban-born Jack Garcia who successfully ingrained himself into the Gambino family.

In addition, many items relating to historic eras and specific industries, such as prohibition, money laundering and gaming, will help to tell the story of the mob’s influence on these areas.  Items and artifacts relating to law enforcement’s role in helping to eradicate and control the Mob, such as weapons, wiretapping tools and tactics  and crime scene photos, will also be part of The Museum experience.

Three major exhibits in The Museum include Mob Mayhem, The Skim and Bringing Down the Mob.  Mob Mayhem furthers the understanding of violence as a way of life within the world of organized crime.  This exhibit is the setting for the Museum’s iconic artifact—the wall from Chicago’s St. Valentine’s Day Massacre – and sets the stage for law enforcement strategies that will combat it.

The Skim, yet another exhibit within The Museum, dissects the illegal skimming of profits off the top of a casino’s earnings, which was commonplace in Las Vegas for decades and supplied money to the hidden ownership of some casinos – ownership that was most often hidden from regulators.

 Bringing Down the Mob is a highly interactive exhibit that focuses on wiretapping – one of the most important tools used to effectively investigate and prosecute organized crime cases beginning in the late 1960s. Visitors will learn about the technology, listen in on the mob, learn to interpret coded conversations, examine photos and surveillance footage, take part in a weapons training exercise and learn about living a new life in witness protections programs.

 http://cdn.video.lasvegassun.com/media/video/2008/04/20080515_history5_720p.mp4

 New Year's Eve fireworks on the Strip.

Thanks to DryIcons.com for use of the image!

 Thanks to the Las Vegas Review Journal for the video.