VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Books set sights on ‘Sopranos’

Friday, Sept. 13, 2002 | 3:41 a.m.

VegasBeat appears Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Reach Timothy McDarrah at (702) 259-4096, or by e-mail at tim@lasvegassun.com.

Finally. "The Sopranos" returns tonight.

The House of Blues at Mandalay Bay was one of a handful of locations across the country where sneak previews of HBO's season opener about America's Favorite Crime Family were scheduled on Friday night.

One of the show's big secrets is which major character will be whacked before season's end. If anyone tells you he knows who the victim is, he's lying. The episode hasn't been written or filmed yet.

But this being Las Vegas, bookmakers will post odds on anything.

Several Las Vegas sports books have Ralph Cifaretto (played by Joe Pantoliano) as the favorite to be first one to find himself six feet under.

Then, according to oddsmaker Buck Churchill, Corrado "Uncle Junior" Soprano (Dominic Chianese), whose cancer is in remission, comes in at 8-5.

Two of Tony Soprano's (James Gandolfini) close confidantes, Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) and Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) are at 3-1 and 4-1, respectively.

And, since she is facing away from the camera in some of the print ads photographed by Annie Leibovitz, there's also speculation that Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) will be offed.

Tony Soprano himself is the longshot. After all, the show would probably have to be canceled a season early if he gets it. (However, these odds are posted for entertainment purposes only; you can't bet on scripted events.)

Creator David Chase has said that next season -- the show's fifth -- will likely be the last.

Joe Delaney, the longtime Sun entertainment columnist who died in August, is getting a major posthumous honor.

Casino Legends Hall of Fame chief Steve Cutler has announced Hall of Fame officials are creating the "Joe Delaney Award for Excellence in Journalism."

The first award will be given during an Oct. 11 dinner and induction ceremony at the Tropicana, where the collection is housed.

The Hall features the largest and most unusual collection of Nevada gaming memorabilia ever assembled, and honors the individuals -- from Howard Hughes to Liberace -- that helped make Las Vegas the world destination it is today.

Also, the seventh annual Old Time Reunion Party on Sept. 29 at the Stardust has been dedicated to Delaney.

The dinner and dancing event is a celebration of Old Las Vegas, and tickets are available to the general public.

Speaking of Old Las Vegas, Bruce Merrin came to town 40 years ago; his father was once general manager of the Flamingo.

But it was at study hall back in high school where the longtime Las Vegas publicity rep for such folks as Michael Landon met the famous people.

Among Merrin's classmates at Grant High School in Van Nuys, Calif., in 1962 were Tom Selleck, Mickey Dolenz of Monkees fame, TV theme song composer Mike Post ("Hill Street Blues," among others), former California Lt. Gov. Mike Curb and several Mousketeers.

If Jerry Seinfeld were to drive around Las Vegas for even an hour, he'd probably start his next routine like this: "What is it with all these signs for politicians on the side of the road? I, for one, am certainly going to decide who to vote for based on who has the best orthodontist -- because that's about all you can learn about the candidates from all those signs."

Don't know exactly what he'd say when he learned the primary elections were over and some signs were now just litter on the landscape. State law says candidates have 15 days from Election Day to remove their signs from public places, but they can weather on private lawns indefinitely.

Hard to imagine that anyone would copy a U.S. government marketing or sales plan.

But because of the success of the U.S. Mint's decision to customize state quarters, Matchbox is coming out with models commemorating every state.

The California car is a very sharp-looking 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. New York got a tow truck.

Nevada, appropriately, got an armored car. It says "Diamond" on the side.

The miniature models are arriving in stores for the holiday shopping season.

The celebrity chef parade continues through Las Vegas.

Joe Romano, most recently of Aureole, is opening his own room inside The Rio on Friday called JW's Tavern.

A Culinary Institute of America grad, Romano worked for many years as Charlie Palmer's right hand at Aureole in New York before coming to the Las Vegas branch in 1999.

The menu will feature items ranging from paella to such "classic American comfort foods" as meatloaf and macaroni and cheese.