Crazy Rat Pack News – Joey Bishop dies, so does the Sands.
Two items this morning, one that floored me…
First, the last surviving member of the Rat Pack, Joey Bishop, has passed away at 89.
An adept ad-libber with a dry, underplayed sense of humor, Bishop achieved his greatest fame in the ’60s. He was master of ceremonies for President Kennedy’s inaugural gala and joined Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford for the Rat Pack’s historic “Summit” meetings on stage at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. – LA Times
This brings me to the story of the Sands in Atlantic City. Sinatra and the Rat Pack frequented the East Coast version of their famed Vegas hotel, and last night, it was blasted down. 
I loved going to the Sands in AC – sure, it wasn’t the fanciest place (The Borgata is, in my opinion, the “nicest” of all the hotel/casinos in AC) but it had that “Rat Pack” feel to it. It was also the building that had the walkway from the Boardwalk back over to the casinos that were built and connected all in that one area (those not right on the Boardwalk).
I just got that really cool feeling whenever I walked into that place. The walls were covered with black and white photos from back in the day of celebrities and such, and the color scheme was just very cool. They had a Dean Martin impersonator on staff, the Crooner Club lounge, and a martini themed “dance” area and bar downstairs.
*sniffle* I’m gonna miss it a lot. Supposedly while the building was coming down, they played Sinatra’s “Bye Bye Baby” loud enough for everyone in the area to hear… I wish I’d known!
Comments Off