Columnist Kate Maddox: Drai’s turning into fight club

Kate Maddox

Friday, Dec. 7, 2001 | 4:19 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column also appears Tuesdays and Fridays in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach her at 259-2309 or kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

According to insiders and club-goers, last weekend's reported overdose at Drai's is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to trouble at the after-hours haunt. One source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the young man who fell ill at the club wasn't as important to management as a significantly larger problem that night.

The source said that a melee broke out between one of Drai's promoters, his entourage and a group of patrons. The source also said the man who fell unconscious was placed in a back room and neglected by ambulance workers until the fight was under control. As of Friday afternoon the man was still in the hospital.

Martine Jordan, a spokeswoman for Drai's, said the young man who passed out was treated immediately, and that the club can back up its prompt response with a videotape. She adds that the man is "doing better every day." (Friends say that he overdosed; Jordan says he had a stroke due to a heart condition.)

Insiders who witnessed the brouhaha contend it broke out after the beefy Drai's promoter decided he wanted to sit in a private booth -- which was already occupied by customers who had paid $600 for the privilege. The promoter then allegedly had his bodyguards "settle" the issue and that's when punches were thrown.

The witness says the violence of Dec. 1 wasn't out of the ordinary. The source, along with other insiders, says Drai's bodyguards and employees often bully unsuspecting customers, resulting in fisticuffs at the popular nightspot. The source added that he was surprised stories about the club's "goon squad" hadn't made the news sooner.

Some people are saying hotelier Steve Wynn is using his love of art to help victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. Wynn was reportedly the winning bidder at an auction for a Jamie Wyeth oil painting titled simply "September 11." The artwork, inspired by the Iwo Jima Memorial, was put up for sale in New York on Nov. 26. Wynn is said to have purchased the piece for $400,000. The money will be donated to charity.

Wynn couldn't be reached for comment, but keep an eye out at the Wynn Collection in coming weeks. I'd bet this painting is one he intends to share with the public.

Wayne Newton, who made a brief appearance at Tuesday's Billboard Music Awards, enjoys wheeling and dealing at ... Imperial Palace?

Apparently, Newton has been doing a healthy side business at the hotel's Auto Collection for a number of years, fulfilling his passion for buying and selling one-of-a-kind automobiles. But whoever buys Mr. Las Vegas' Mercedes 380 SL will be supplementing Newton's Stardust salary quite nicely. The 1981 Roadster has a price tag of $275,000.

However, if a quarter of a million isn't exactly, say, in your budget, you could always go with Newton's second car in the collection: A 1954 Mercedes Benz convertible at $85,000. And if you're really, really pinching pennies, trade Newton in for Dick Smothers. The comedian's Porsche is up for grabs for $28,500.

Robert Downey Jr. apparently has some leeway at the live-in rehab center he has been confined to since July. Downey, who this time around avoided being jailed on felony drug charges, was instead placed on probation for three years and sentenced to a year in a rehab facility. But I guess taking time off for awards ceremonies in Las Vegas isn't a problem.

Downey has been out on the town in Vegas at least twice since his most recent courtroom cameo. In October he presented an award to Elton John at the Radio Music Awards, and last week he accompanied his pal Sting to the Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand and was spotted at a couple of after-show parties. Word has it Downey will also be sprung next month to start work on the film version of "Chicago." At a court-ordered progress report on Nov. 16, a judge in Los Angeles ruled Downey could return to work under supervision.