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Andy Martello on Touhyville May 5, 2014
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| Listen to me Monday, May 5, 2014 |
Listen to me with my long-time Chicago-area & comedian friend Steve Touhy on his excellent internet podcast, Touhyville.
Check http://www.touhyville.com/ to listen to the show Monday!
LIKE https://www.facebook.com/Touhyville
FOLLOW https://twitter.com/stevetouhy
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
Labels: Andy Martello Author, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, King of Casinos Book, Steve Touhy, The King of Casinos, Touhyville, Where to Buy The King of Casinos, Willie Martello
The King of Casinos on Talk About Las Vegas with Ira
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
Labels: Andy Martello Author, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, King of Casinos Book, Las Vegas, Talk About Las Vegas with Ira, The El Rey Club, The King of Casinos, Willie Martello
Andy Martello & The King of Casinos for Your Vegas-Area Book Clubs!
I've no idea if any other authors have tried this sort of thing, but I have so much fun at my discussions and lectures it seems like a no-brainer for me to offer a great price on the book and actually speak at Vegas area book clubs. Here's hoping you'll agree and take advantage of this unprecedented offer.
SPECIAL PRICE FOR VEGAS BOOK CLUBS!
Get The King of Casinos for 50% off the list price
AND
Have the author at your book club discussion!
That's $10/per book and a special chance to enjoy Q&A with the author.
Let's see Doris Kearns Goodwin do this. lol!
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
______________________________________
www.andymartello.com
Like Andy? "LIKE" Andy on Facebook!
FOLLOW Andy on Twitter!
Like Andy That Much? BOOK ANDY!
Call 702-465-5604 or email andy@andymartello.com
Andy on YouTube
Labels: Andy Martello Author, Book Clubs, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, King of Casinos Book, The El Rey Club, The King of Casinos, Where to Buy The King of Casinos, Willie Martello
Where to buy The King of Casinos: Willie Martello and the El Rey Club
Click the links to purchase from
the retailer of your choice
Signed collector's editions available at
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
Labels: Andy Martello Author, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, King of Casinos Book, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The King of Casinos, Where to Buy The King of Casinos, Willie Martello
Rising from the Ashes: The King of Casinos Book Release Party #1
Click images for larger view.
Come out to En Fuego Cigars & Lounge on January 21 between 6 and 9 pm to watch Willie Martello and his El Rey Club rise from the ashes on the 52nd anniversary of the night the El Rey Club burned to the ground.
There will be other parties, but this is the one that has the most impact and historical significance.
Here is the official press release. Feel free to share any of these fliers with your friends so we can have a real party!
What am I missing? Oh yeah...
BUY THE BOOK!
and
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
Labels: Andy Martello Author, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, King of Casinos Book, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The El Rey Resort and Casino, The King of Casinos, Willie Martello
Working on Sales Options for the Book
Of course you'll be able to purchase books through CreateSpace and Amazon, but you'll also be able to buy signed copies through my website (eventually). The options I am working on right now are...
Individual copies with price breaks
Versions that come with an El Rey Club Collectible
Stay tuned!
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
Labels: Andy Martello Author, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, King of Casinos Book, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The El Rey Resort and Casino, The King of Casinos
And speaking of suspense...
I know, I know!
I will be posting the cover here soon.
In the meantime I'd love it if you'd spread the word through Facebook, Twitter, and so on.
The final files are being uploaded and soon there will be a real (and electronic) book
for all the world to see!
Until then, I need to create some "buzz".
LIKING and SHARING the Facebook page
is a good start.
Website and other goodies coming soon!
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
Labels: Andy Martello Author, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, King of Casinos Book, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The El Rey Resort and Casino, The King of Casinos, Willie Martello
Cover Story, Part Three: It's Quiet...TOO Quiet.
The third cover idea I've had since working on the book, and the second cover concept provided to me by my graphic designer was also within many of the parameters I laid out for him. It was certainly a more traditional cover when compared to other biography/history books.
As you can see this cover did have the old 1946 version of the El Rey Club, it had a warning label, it had The King of Casinos in big, bold letters. What it didn't have was any excitement to it. There's no real reason for anyone walking by at a book store or browsing online to stop what they were doing and pick up the book. It's a very good cover. Clean, crisp, and quiet...too quiet. It had none of the fun or intrigue that lies within the pages.
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Almost there. Stay on target.
©Andy Martello and Just A Martello Books
All Rights Reserved |
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It did have going for it the fact that even in tiny icon form or at a great distance, you could still read "The King" in the title and that appealed to me very much. I knew I wanted to keep that kind of name recognition involved since many may only be purchasing this from internet retailers.
Somewhere between the two concepts provided to me by Barrington Design Studios there was a way to capture that excitement and tone of the overall book. I asked Greg if he could combine the two. Get the showgirl in there, get the casino in there, get the warning label and the WOW factor all in there. initially I thought I'd take the showgirl photo and have him work his magic to make the onlookers part of the mountain landscape with the legs acting as the warning label. What he came up with absolutely blew me away and I am certain you'll love it.
The chance to get your name listed in the special thanks of this book is running out. Even a donation of one dollar gets you captured in this piece of history. It also helps pay for all this mess. Go to GoFundMe.com today and make The King of Casinos a reality!
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
Labels: Andy Martello Author, Casino Collectibles, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The El Rey Resort and Casino, The King of Casinos
Cover Story, Part One: The Name Game
This is the first in a four-part series of posts leading up to the reveal of the book's cover. In my life as an entertainer I hear quite actually hundreds of questions about the creative process. I'll try to detail in full the thoughts that went into the final cover and all the drafts.
I had several ideas for a cover in the years since I started working on this book. Of course, the cover had to match the title and I had as many or more ideas for a title.
After considerable deliberation I decided to go with something that featured "king" in the title. At least the majority of the titles I came up with had "king" in there. "El Rey" means "the king" and Willie Martello considered himself to be a king in the Vegas area. For the longest time the working title was simply The King with a full title of The King: The Story of Willie Martello and the El Rey Club (or simply The King). I thought that would end up as THE title until Steve Fischer, author of the wildly popular book, When the Mob Ran Vegas, convinced me that "THE KING" would likely get people to think it was a book about Elvis and then be disappointed. I agreed and decided if I were to keep "king" in the title it needed to be tweaked.
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Photo courtesy Nevada State Museum
[J. Florian Mitchell Collection]
My original cover design.
A very B-A-D mock-up made at home.
©Andy Martello & Just A Martello Books
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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Long before I found THE title I found a KILLER photo at the Nevada State Museum. I knew I wanted it in the book and on the cover. The image you're seeing is a VERY rough idea I made myself to serve as inspiration for a real graphics designer and to have something to show potential agents or publishers. I love the stoic look on Willie's face, the runway seemingly going off into infinity as if to suggest Willie and his casino are eternal, a story for the ages. I also liked such a sober photo with such a strong title. No King is without his problems and it appears this King had some problems in his kingdom.
This is NOT what ended up as the cover. this was just the first in a series of concepts that led to what you'll all be reading very soon. At the time I thought I'd ask Jerry Schafer to write a foreword, but he contributed so very much to the book I asked Mark Hall-Patton (Pawn Stars) to write one.
Eventually I settled upon The King of Casinos: Willie Martello and the El Rey Club as the title. No Elvis confusion and "king" was still in there. Plus that title spoke to both the casino which I believe was a template for modern Vegas resorts and Willie himself who thought he was the King of Casinos.
Stay tuned to see the evolution of the cover for The King of Casinos!
There is still time to donate and help fund this project. there are still many great thank-you gifts available for the casino collectors out there. However the time to get your name listed in the special thanks is running out. Donate today and become a part of history!
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.Cover Story, part One:
Labels: Andy Martello Author, Casino Collectibles, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The El Rey Resort and Casino, The King of Casinos, Willie Martello
Title Page Teaser
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Photo courtesy Nevada State Museum
[J. Florian Mitchell Collection]
The King of Casinos: Willie Martello & the El Rey Club
©Andy Martello and Just A Martello Books
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
What you are looking at is the title page (NOT the cover) for my upcoming book. This welcomes the reader after a brief perusal of the book (a perusal inspired by a truly AMAZING cover) inviting you to take the journey back to Searchlight, Nevada, as I did eight years ago.
That's Willie standing proudly on his newly built airport runway, looking eager and hopeful for the future. Knowing this book will be out soon, I feel the same way!
There are still plenty of pieces of El Rey memorabilia available for
donations and pre-orders, however the time to get your name mentioned in
the Special Thanks is running out. Head to GoFundMe.com today!
The research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
Labels: Andy Martello Author, Casino Collectibles, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The King of Casinos, Willie Martello
On this Date in El Rey Club History...
Willie Martello fought back in court!
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| From the Las Vegas Review-Journal September 8, 1962 |
Want to know more?
Pre-order your signed copy of
The King of Casinos: Willie Martello & the El Rey Club.
COMING IN NOVEMBER!
Labels: El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The El Rey Resort and Casino, Willie Martello
On this Date in El Rey Club History...
Willie Martello was being sued by his casino
investors eight months after the devastating fire in 1962.
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| From the Las Vegas Review-Journal September 7, 1962 |
Want to know more?
Pre-order your signed copy of
The King of Casinos: Willie Martello & the El Rey Club
COMING THIS NOVEMBER!
Labels: El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The El Rey Resort and Casino, Willie Martello
Thanks to Robert Graysmith for the Early Praise of my El Rey Club Book!
Early praise for The King of Casinos: Willie Martello & The El Rey Club
"Who
else could tell the story of the Man in the White Hat, Willie Martello,
that rollicking whirlwind of flamboyance, town builder,
casino and
brothel owner and favorite of Sinatra’s Rat Pack,
but another rollicking
whirlwind of flamboyance and comic verve: Andy Martello.
The rare
photos alone
are worth the price of admission.
My only regret is that I didn’t write
this book."
--Robert Graysmith, author of Zodiac, Auto-Focus, and Black Fire
Pre-order your copy today!
Labels: El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, Robert Graysmith, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, The El Rey Resort and Casino
On this Date in El Rey Club History...
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From the Reno Evening Gazette,
September 1, 1953 |
Readers of the Reno Evening Gazette learned of
gaming license troubles for Willie Martello on this date in 1953.
Someone was tampering with a few slot machine
and poor Willie temporarily lost his gaming license.
Want to learn more?
Pre-order your signed copy of
The King of Casinos: Willie Martello & the El Rey Club!
Coming this November!
______________________________________
www.andymartello.com
Like Andy? "LIKE" Andy on Facebook!
FOLLOW Andy on Twitter!
Like Andy That Much? BOOK ANDY!
Call 702-465-5604 or email andy@andymartello.com
Andy on YouTube
Labels: El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, The El Rey Casino, The El Rey Club, The El Rey Resort, Willie Martello
Pre-Order The King of Casinos TODAY!
Please Donate! The El Rey Club Book Needs Your Help!
Questions Answered Part 2: American Restoration
Many thanks again to those who have watched the show. Whether it was
the original airing on TV, a rerun, or from an online source, it means
the world to me that you checked it out and helped spread the
word.Speaking of spreading the word, I'm targeting the mighty Stephens
Press, which specializes in Nevada/Las Vegas-centric books (and owns the
Las Vegas Review Journal) as the best hope for the book finding a
publisher. I still have queries and proposals out all over the country,
but these folks look like the likeliest of candidates. If you wouldn't
mind sending an email to them wondering why they can't find my book on
their list of titles, or mention that you saw this fascinating story on
This History Channel and was hoping to be able to buy the book...every
little bit helps!
The email for Stephens Press is info@stephenspress.com
Moving
on...It seems that I didn't answer quite all of the questions with my
last note, or perhaps I sparked new ones. Either way I have received
quite a few others and I offer answers to those most asked questions.
I
can say with all honesty that Rick, Kelly, Ron, Kowboy (yes, even
Kowboy) and everyone I met at Rick's Restorations was extremely nice to
me and very professional people. The crew members working for The
History Channel were also very kind and professional people.
What struck me the most was how INTO
the El Rey story they all were, particularly Rick. Everyone loved the
El Rey facts I was spouting off, my personal involvement with the story,
and how I came to own this sign. It was stressed to me that it isn't
often that they get to profile something on the show with more than
sentimental value and love to work on something with historical
significance. Rick was quick to point out that it was something of a
rare treat for them to not having to bring something back to showroom
perfection. They really enjoyed the challenge to restore something, but
make it retain some of the character that comes with age. Even though
the patina of antiquity may be lost with the sanding and the painting,
this particular restoration was more about bringing history back to life
and everyone seemed pleased, if not honored to be a part of it.
- Do You Think the Price ($2500) was Fair?
At
first I was a bit shocked by the price, but when I brought it in I
thought it was just "wood and paint." Of course, I'm not in Rick's line
of work and I do not work with my hands (juggling not withstanding).
When he told me the price I was reminded of how many times I have quoted
someone a price for my shows and then had to explain that if the
customer could spin plates and eat fire they could do the work
themselves. What you didn't see (among many things) was that Rick
actually quoted me two price options. One was what you saw on TV and
the other was for a less expensive route (about $1800). Why did I
choose the more expensive option? The work being done the less
expensive way simply wasn't what I wanted. It would have made it
showroom perfect, replacing the original metal with new sheet metal,
newer stock wood, newer hardware and a noticeably un-weathered paint
job. It simply wouldn't have looked right nor would it have retained
any of the charm of finding such a rare piece of history in that
desert. Rick and his team took an artist's approach to this restoration
and I really respect that a lot.There were a LOT of man-hours put into
that sign and damn near all the work was done by hand. The paint
work/lettering alone was all done by hand (as you saw on TV) and I was
told just matching up the letters to the original was a REAL CHALLENGE
given how faded the original was. The sign's metal was too thin to be
sand-blasted and everything was done by hand. Finding aged redwood was
neither easy nor inexpensive and the wood work/framing was done in a way to
make the sign look as though the thing had been weathered and warped by
desert winds and heat. Add in the "advertising" for my book that the
show brought in and I think it was money well spent. Worth every penny!
- Did Rick Really Know That Much About The El Rey Club?
I
cannot lay claim to any knowledge of what he did or didn't know prior
to my coming in there. His brother, Ron, knows a lot of people in
Searchlight and he knew of the place. The night before I went out to
Rick's for the first time I noticed a lot of activity on my blogs. All
about the El Rey. The activity came from a HUGE International Property
Rights law firm. The next day Rick was spouting off info and I was
surprised to hear he knew so much. However, some of what he said to me
was almost word-for-word from my book. I would imagine The History
Channel prepares Rick for a lot of TV restorations and given that so
much of my info is either available online or at the Copyright Office,
it would neither surprise me nor bother me in the least to hear he had a little
help...particularly if the help actually came from my research, albeit
in a circuitous way. :)
- What's Standing on the Spot Today Where the El Rey Once Stood?
NOTHING!
It has been a vacant lot since 1962. One day I hope to own it. It's
for sale right now, but I don't have a spare $300K burning a hole in my
pocket. But I can dream. I do have plans for that spot. Stay tuned!
- Were There People Watching the Taping Other than TV Crew or Rick's Team?
Yes.
Rick's, much like the Silver & Gold Pawn Shop (Home to the Pawn
Stars) has become something of a tourist attraction in its own right and
both days I was taping there was a large crowd of people around
snapping photos. I imagine I'm in somebody's Vegas scrapbook right now.
- I Missed the Show. Can I See it Again?
You
didn't see it the first time so technically, NO. You can't see it
"again." lol However they replay those shows OFTEN both on the HD
channel and the regular channel. You may want to check the ON DEMAND menu of your cab;e/satellite provider. Up until this afternoon it was
available on The American restoration website, but the newest episodes
are up there now. Eventually you can get it on iTunes and I'm sure
SOMEWHERE on the web you can find a stream of it.
- Where is Rick's Restorations and Can I Visit It?
Rick's
Restorations is in downtown Las Vegas and it is about a mile away from
the Pawn Stars pawn shop and within walking distance of two of my
FAVORITE restaurants in town (Lola's Louisiana Kitchen and Bar &
Bistro). Tours are available and it is always fun to go see the place.
Specifically, Rick's Restorations is located at...
1112 S Commerce St.
Las Vegas, NV 89102Their hours are:
Monday - Friday (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Saturday & Sunday (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
They
have a website: http://www.ricksrestorations.com/They have a Facebook
Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000134629901
They also have a Fan Page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ricksrestorationsfanpage
I
highly recommend you check them out if in Vegas or simply LIKE them on
Facebook. Feel free to let them know I sent you and tell them how much
you liked the work they did on my billboard.
The
research & collecting of photos and memorabilia from the El Rey
Club never stops! Please contact me at 702-465-5604 or email me at
andy@andymartello.com if you have stories or memorabilia to share.
______________________________________
www.andymartello.com
Like Andy? "LIKE" Andy on Facebook!
Like Andy That Much? BOOK ANDY!
Call 702-465-5604 or email andy@andymartello.com
Andy on YouTube Labels: American Restoration, El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, Rick's Restorations, Willie Martello
Watch American Restoration "King of Signs" Online!
Questions Answered: American Restoration
Thanks to everyone for watching the show and encouraging so many
others to do the same. 1.9 million people saw the show and that's a
great start on my quest to find that publisher! Please be sure to write
the History Channel and tell them you'd love to see more about the El
Rey Club. Americanrestorationtv@gmail.com
Better
yet, email publishing houses explaining that the El Rey Club is a story
that you'd love to read. If they know there are people willing to buy
that book, somebody will be willing to publish it.
Anyway,
people have been flooding my inbox with questions about the show so I
thought I'd post a note and answer them here. Some of the questions are
sillier than others, but I'll try to answer them all here, starting
with the two most asked questions...
- What am I going to do with the sign?
I'm
going to try and sell it on Pawn Stars.Just kidding!I'm actually
putting it on eBay. (ba-dum-BUMP!)The sign will eventually be on display
in my home. I need to figure out what my living situation will be
before committing such a large section of wall to it. I will not be
living in this house for a lot longer thanks to the split with April and
therefore any place I go will need to be able to accommodate this
treasured addition to my El Rey Club collection.
If I cannot display it wherever I live it will go on loan to local museums.
- Where is it now and where am I going to put it?
It is in my garage right now, off the stands they made for it. I have given serious thought to making it my headboard.
- Am I happy with the show?
EXTREMELY!
Searchlight, The El Rey Club, & Willie Martello got the majority of
the coverage in the program. About 12-15 minutes in total and it did a
great job of telling the story. I'd have preferred more of the cool
stories ABOUT the place were included so it would be a better
representation of WHY the El Rey was historically significant and why I
would bother researching it for the last seven years. But there's only
so much they can include in a short show and what they presented did not
hurt Willie's legacy one bit. Rather, it helped and that's what
matters most.
- Did I actually pay $2500 to have it restored/Do they make people pay?
Rick's
Restorations is a business and I am a customer. So yes, I paid for the
sign to be restored. However I did have help from friends and family.
Aside from savings thanks to my awesome job and some private gigs,
generous donations came from people like Marty Martello, Matt Martello, Melia Shumaker, Patrick Bertleson,
and others (apologies if I have not mentioned you here.). My tax
refund (the first I've had in years) also made a big chunk of the
payment. If I put five bucks in a slot machine and turned it into ten,
it all went towards the sign.
- Have I been contacted by any publishers or agents?
No.
I've had a few bites from my last round of query letters, but nobody
has contacted me as a result of seeing the show. Even with almost 2
million people watching the show, it seems none of those people are in
publishing. That's why I implore people to email publishers directly
about wanting to read this book about the place. If enough people are
asking, "Where can I buy this book?"
eventually someone will publish it. Here's a link to my agent query
letter.
http://andymartello.blogspot.com/2012/04/author-seeking-representationpublicatio.html
- Did I really find that billboard in the desert?
Technically,
no. A man named Mike Madden found it and contacted me. He lives in
Searchlight, found it and called right away. He didn't even charge me
for it. So other than the cost of a tank of gas and a bottle of
"thank-you beer" I didn't pay anything for the sign. The story of how I
got this thing can be found
here...http://andymartello.blogspot.com/2012/01/el-rey-club-updates-roll-of-dice-big.html
- Has Willie's family reacted to the episode?
So
far I've heard from a few family members via text and phone calls and
they all loved it. Nick Martello has chimed in as well through FB. No
complaints yet, so I think it was a success with them.
- How am I related to Willie Martello?
This
is a big part of the book, but I've never really hidden the fact that
in all likelihood, I'm not related at all. Just a crazy coincidence we
have the same last name. I'd have never given a second thought to the
El Rey Club had Willie Martello had a different last name. Makes the
story that much better.
- Was that my pick-up truck?
Nope. That belonged to my friend & neighbor Victor.
- Were my reactions genuine or was there a script?
You
saw my genuine reactions to the initial reveal, but alas, many things
in reality TV are shot over and over again for coverage and such. So
there were plenty of times where I felt like I was being told to cue the
spontaneous reactions. lol There was no
script and so much of what I said was mixed with what you saw on
screen. There was close to 7 1/2 hours worth of footage, reactions, and
discussion between me and Rick and that's only talking about the time I
was filming (over two days). Lord knows how much they covered of the
actual restoration
- Is that really my ponytail?
This
question obviously came from "new" friends and folks who have not met
me nor known me since 1987.Yep. My ponytail. My AWESOME ponytail. My
AWESOME 25-year-old ponytail. Based upon some of the reactions (and
some of the total babes) who have contacted me personally to tell me
they LOVED it, you can see why I've kept it so many years. lol
 This
is no joke. I'm not trying to be funny here. My sister has been asked
this many times now and I've seen a bizarre (but flattering) increase
of private FB messages wondering this exact thing. So I must assume I
need to be on TV much more often if I'd like my social calendar to be
that much more enjoyable. lol
Yes. Single. Newly-single
if that matters. I have not talked much about it publicly due to
special circumstances, but will once we're "officially" (legally) done.
Very
flattered, but this show wasn't about seeing me on TV. I enjoy the
attention though. Makes me blush every time a new message or a comment
from friends who were "TOLD to ask me." lol
Labels: American Restoration, El Rey Resort and Casino
Author Seeking Representation/Publication—The King: The Story of Willie Martello & His El Rey Club
The following is my query letter to agents and publishers. I am hopeful that my appearance on American Restoration will lead to the publishing of my book.  The King: The Story of Willie Martello and his El Rey Club (creative non-fiction, approximately 80,000 words) © Andy Martello PH: 702-465-5604 Email: andy@andymartello.com After a horrific blaze destroyed Willie Martello’s El Rey Club in January of 1962, nearly fifty years would pass before anyone knew of how that very casino and one-time brothel would inadvertently launch the career of Francis Ford Coppola, provide a template for present-day gambling resorts, and upset the mob by luring millions of dollars away from Las Vegas and into the tiny mining town of Searchlight, Nevada. Were it not for my chance discovery of a single photo in a Las Vegas museum, the El Rey Club would be known as little more than the seedy brothel where Senator Harry Reid learned to swim. Willie Martello was a hard-drinking gambler and cavalier womanizer of notorious charm and remarkable luck. Between 1946 and 1962, Martello’s club brought an estimated $5,000,000.00 a year into the near-ghost town of Searchlight, Nevada, by using everything from prostitutes to plane rides, passenger pigeons to wild burros, transgendered celebrities to the DeCastro Sisters. His outrageous exploits and accomplishments should place him among magnates like Howard Hughes or Steve Wynn, yet somehow, very few know his name. What little that is known, mostly excerpts from Senator Reid’s books, is rather unflattering. Referred to exclusively as a pimp or whoremonger, the unbelievable tales of Willie’s innovations and escapades are mysteriously absent. Lost for over sixty years, these vibrant stories are now brought to light. I have been a professional comedian, writer, and entertainer for over 25 years. At present I am a columnist for the North Las Vegas Voice newspaper and a regular contributor to Strip Las Vegas magazine. As a freelance humor and opinion writer, my work has been published at several well-read online publications, including AbsoluteWrite.com, The Riverwalk Journal, and GapersBlock.com. Having only encountered three other Martellos who were not in my family, the prospect of finding a Martello who owned a casino and brothel—possibly a distant relative, transformed me into “an accidental historian.” This project began as a hobby, developed into a wildly popular section of my blog, and rapidly turned into a six-year mission to get this story told. As a result, I’m proud to say some of my research was used in the writing of Robert Graysmith’s best-seller, The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock’s Shower. Mr. Graysmith, a great fan and supporter of my work, is very eager to find my finished book on the shelves, as am I. I offer my most sincere and heartfelt thanks for your time and your consideration. At your request I will forward an outline, table of contents, and sample chapters for your perusal. Should you require an in-depth, formal proposal, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am looking hopefully forward to the prospect of working with you in the near future. Potentially yours, Andy Martello  ______________________________________ www.andymartello.com Like Andy? "LIKE" Andy on Facebook! Like Andy That Much? BOOK ANDY! Call 702-465-5604 or email andy@andymartello.com Andy on YouTube Labels: El Rey Club Book, El Rey Resort and Casino, Literary Agent, Willie Martello
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