Columnist Kate Maddox: Club staff has a night out

Kate Maddox

Saturday, Feb. 3, 2001 | 10:56 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach her at 259-2309 or kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

I don't know when I became the ear/mouthpiece for insiders and disgruntleds at C2K, but I am. Or, I was. I try to get out, but they keep pulling me back in. So when we last left the beleaguered nightclub, management had been fired -- having been accused of skimming door profits and strong-arming patrons. Attendance numbers were miserably low, employees were being demoted and the threat of going to a weekends-only policy was very real.

Victor Piccolella, one of two recently departed C2K managers, says morale at the club is so low the remaining 35 or so employees staged a Friday night walkout.

"I tried to tell them it was a bad idea," Piccolella said. "But they were promised so many things from the owners of that place (H & H of Nevada). Stuff like benefits, raises, 401(k)s, more hours -- and none of it happened." On Friday one insider said a walkout wouldn't be a big deal for business -- the club was only pulling in about 500 customers per Friday anyway. The average draw for most Strip nightclubs on Friday night is around 3,500.

Piccolella also claims H & H was stingy with promotional dough, and that's why patrons stopped partying. "I tried everything I could to get money to promote," said Picolella, a tough-talking Stallone look-alike. "I even bartered with restaurants in the hotel, talking them up to try to get their customers in here."

Richard Heftel, who leases and operates the club with his partner Scott Iwamoto, hinted at prior management improprieties, but denied accusations of employee mistreatment. Heftel insists there were "no salary cuts," and added that most workers were paid by the hour. Heftel also said employees who qualified for benefits were granted them.

"Basically, the idea now is to run a straightforward entertainment venue and do it in a way that's squeaky, squeaky clean," Heftel said. "We are going to go to Fridays and Saturdays only, start from there, concentrate on weekends and rebuild clientele."

But Heftel might not get the chance. One reputable inside source insists the Venetian is finally fed up with H & H and C2K's recurring publicity issues. Look for hotel brass to take the reins at both the club and the showroom sometime very soon. Stay tuned ...

Samuel L. Jackson comes to town this week to tape promos and opening sequences for the upcoming "ESPY's." Jackson will host the ninth annual ESPN awards show at the MGM Grand on Feb. 12. Andy Garcia, Orlando Jones, Matt Le Blanc, Lara Flynn Boyle (She? Sporty?) and Gabrielle Reese (She, sporty) are all scheduled to be award presenters. And just about every big-name athlete should be there, too. Jack Nicklaus receives this year's ESPY Lifetime Achievement Award.

On Thursday night the cast of "Rush Hour II" went to see Danny Gans at the Mirage. Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker and director Brett Ratner were so impressed with Gans' talents that Ratner promised to find a part for him in the new movie.

Gans appears to be on a silver-screen hot streak. Producers for the upcoming "Ocean's 11" are rumored to be working on a way to get Gans into their picture as well.

The Hard Rock Hotel couldn't be happier about Howard Stern's rowdy appearance there last Sunday. Not only did he pack the place, but his presence also apparently encouraged gambling. The hotel reported near record-breaking numbers for the weekend for both gaming and food and beverage takes.

The hotel was so pleased it threw Stern a wrap party at Mortoni's and made him promise that he'd return sometime in the near future.