Columnist Jerry Fink: Cammisa giving a boost to Las Vegas talent

Friday, Dec. 17, 2004 | 8:31 a.m.

Ron Cammisa is a rarity -- he wants to help entertainers, but he doesn't want anything in return.

The 47-year-old Paterson, N.J., native is doing it out of love and respect, not greed.

"I just want to help out whoever I can," Cammisa said.

In the past few months Camissa has begun acting as a manager for more than a dozen performers, many of them well known in lounge circles -- among them Michael Cagle, Mark Giovi, comedian Kathleen Dunbar and Mary Kaye of the legendary Mary Kaye Trio (who pretty much started the Vegas lounge scene when they arrived in 1949).

"I can't sing, I can't play an instrument, but when I was 17, I started out doing lights and sound for some bands in New Jersey," he said.

Cammisa helped out bands on the side, and he wrote songs.

Starting out as a teenager, Cammisa had five day jobs to pay the bills.

Eventually he became president of five corporations, all related to construction and auto repair.

"I had a lot of stuff going on," he said.

Cammisa started coming to Vegas in the early '80s to gamble, and he fell in love with the place.

"I liked the entertainment so much, all the live musicians -- it was great," he said. "Any day of the week there was something different."

When the economy soured in New Jersey in 1992 he and his wife, Lisa, moved to Vegas.

He didn't have to work, and he didn't for almost two years. He just relaxed.

Then he got a job driving for Henderson Cab, which he did for about 14 months.

"I did that just to get to know the city," Cammisa said. "What better way? I met lots of interesting people, had lots of interesting conversations and heard lots of interesting stories. I found out what shows they liked, what kind of music they liked."

"Driving a cab was a great way to get information and to get to know the city, to see how people were in the town."

Then he took a job as a foreman of a construction company, but he had his own businesses for so many years he quit that and started his own company, RCM Masonry.

The timing was right, with all of the construction across the valley.

"We've been busy," Cammisa said. "Most of the work is commercial. In the beginning it took a lot of time. I had to be on call 24/7 to make sure everything was run right, but over the years I brought in key people I thought could take care of the business."

Which gives him time to pursue his main interest: helping entertainers.

At the first of the year he ventured into producing shows and managing performers. His list of entertainers quickly grew from one to 18.

Cammisa said his first production, which was hastily thrown together to fill a void at Boulder Station's Railhead Lounge in April, was a learning experience.

"Neon Knights" opened and closed very quickly. Although the revue needed a lot of work, its cast of performers were excellent.

Cammisa wasn't discouraged.

"All my life I've learned by my mistakes," he said. "It makes me want to do the next one better."

He's working on several other projects, including a multimillion-dollar production for a venue on the Strip and a recording studio.

And he is working on a deal with the Vegas chain of Coco restaurants that could keep his performers busy.

There are 22 Cocos. Not all of them have lounges, but Camissa says they may be willing to make a space for one if he can show that it would be worthwhile.

As a test, he has taken over the Carrow Lounge at Coco's at 169 E. Tropicana Ave., across from the MGM Grand.

"The manager of the restaurant said they didn't have any money to do anything with the lounge, so I said, 'Give us the place to work and I'll cover all the costs till it takes off,' " Camissa said.

For the past couple of months he has had entertainment from 9 p.m until 1 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

Those nights and hours are steadily expanding.

Each evening one of the entertainers he manages hosts the open-mike show, which gives them and other performers a chance to showcase their talents.

"With rotating hosts, everybody is getting a little bit of work," Cammisa said.

And Cammisa is getting a whole lot of satisfaction, giving performers a shot at a career.

Lounging around

Steve Dacri's close-up magic show at the Imperial Palace's Kabuki Lounge has been extended through Dec. 25. Shows are from 9 p.m. until 11 p.m. nightly.

Almost every night is like New Year's at Bally's Indigo Lounge when Cat Daddy is onstage. Performances begin at 9 p.m. Mondays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

Saturday should be crazy at the Double Down Saloon, 4640 Paradise Road. Beginning at 10 p.m. you can hear the Vermin, Bondage Fairies, the Degenerates and Vegas Dogs. For information call 791-5775.

Jeanine Marie, an all-around vocalist who can sing any style of music with equal ease, will perform at the Stardust's Casbar Lounge at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. through Sunday.