Wynn has no ties to crime family, Mirage casino host says

Saturday, Aug. 2, 1997 | 2:20 a.m.

Charles Meyerson, 81, was called by his longtime friend Wynn on Friday to testify in Wynn's defamation suit against publisher Lyle Stuart and Barricade Books.

Wynn is suing Stuart, claiming two statements he made in a catalog promoting Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith's book "Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn" damaged his reputation.

Wynn, chairman of Mirage Resorts Inc., argues that the allegation are baseless and that the statements made it appear that he has connections to organized crime.

Stuart has maintained the statements reflect what the book says.

Smith is not a party to the lawsuit, but a similar suit by Wynn is pending against the author and Stuart in Kentucky.

Meyerson was under investigation for two years after he catered to reputed members of the New York mob in July 1991 at The Mirage.

Las Vegas police pulled his work card, but a Clark County hearing officer returned it after ruling that police failed to prove Meyerson knew of the guests' mob connections. A Gaming Control Board hearing on whether Meyerson should be licensed as a key employee also ended in Meyerson's favor.

Police had alleged that Meyerson arranged for free services for 59 mobsters and convicted criminals since the 1980s at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, N.J., and The Mirage and Golden Nugget hotels in Las Vegas.

Meyerson acknowledged Friday being acquainted with people alleged to have mob ties. But he testified he did not know they were mob-connected when he knew them and only later learned of some of their shady associations, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Meyerson said he came to Las Vegas in 1987, working as a casino host at the Golden Nugget. He later was transferred to The Mirage, ultimately earning $400,000 annually as a casino host.

Regarding reports that he once received a $150,000 loan from Genovese boss Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno, Meyerson said the charge had been investigated and found unsubstantiated. When questioned whether Wynn was associated with the Genovese family or Salerno, Meyerson responded: "No way."

Wynn's attorneys said it is not illegal for people with unsavory connections to gamble in Las Vegas casinos. Meyerson added that, to his knowledge, none of the customers on his client list was in the Black Book, the state's list of people excluded from entering casinos.

The trial resumes next week in Clark County District Court.