Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Comedian Favorito tapped as first Binion’s headliner

On Tuesday history of sorts will be made when stand-up comic Vinnie Favorito premieres in the World Series of Poker room at Binion's Horseshoe, a legendary casino that was opened by the late Benny Binion in 1951.

The colorful owner of the property, who died on Christmas in 1989, was more interested in gambling than entertainment, and so his venue never included a showroom.

Not until Binion bought the neighboring Mint in 1988 and merged the two casinos did he even have a lounge for free performances. The Mint had two -- one on the first floor and one at the top of the hotel -- where such entertainers as Ricky and the Red Streaks were popular.

Binion's is famous for being the home of the poker series, which began in 1970. It's doubtful that he would ever have agreed to using the poker room -- dubbed "Benny's Bullpen" -- as a showroom.

But times have changed.

Harrah's, which is very pro-entertainment, bought Binion's earlier this year to acquire the rights to The World Series of Poker. The sale took place shortly after U.S. marshals seized the casino's cash in January to pay outstanding employee benefit debts.

On the same day that Harrah's bought the property it turned around and sold it to MTR, a Virginia-based company, which then turned back around and signed a contract to have Harrah's manage the casino for at least a year with a two-year renewable option.

A sign of entertainment ventures to come began when, shortly after the rapid-fire changes, Harrah's brought in "Honky Tonk Cowgirls" to sing for free on the casino floor. Greg Thompson, producer of "Skintight" at Harrah's, created "Cowgirls."

As far as can be determined, Favorito will be the first entertainer ever to have performed at Binion's (outside of the Mint lounges) as a headliner.

At least marketing director Patrick Durkin hasn't run across any history of showroom entertainment at Binion's.

Durkin says "Benny's Bullpen," also a former bingo parlor, has been converted into a 400-seat showroom for Favorito.

The room was used for the poker series in April and is expected to be the site for at least part of the series again next year.

Durkin said casino executives decided to break with Binion's non-entertainment philosophy in order to increase business.

"We wanted to give our customers another reason to visit Binion's," he said.

Why did they select Favorito to break the non-entertainment tradition?

"We feel Vinnie has tremendous stage presence," Durkin said.

Milton Berle described Favorito as "Rickles, with venom."

Berle, who died at the age of 93 in 2002, saw Favorito work in Los Angeles and liked what he saw. As a result, Favorito began appearing at Friar's Club roasts in Beverly Hills, Calif.

"I'm probably known best for roasting celebrities," Favorito, a native of Boston, said.

He has roasted some pretty big names: Larry King, Larry Flynt, Tom Arnold and Jerry Springer, among others.

Favorito was invited to attend a roast in Los Angeles on Oct. 29 to take verbal shots at Ed McMahon and motion picture producer James Cameron, but he won't be able to make it because of his new gig at Binion's.

Favorito has been a stand-up comic for 18 years.

"I was the class clown in high school," he said. "When I got out of the Navy I started working for the government, but my mother and father said I was always getting into trouble for being a clown when I was a kid, so why didn't I get paid for it."

Favorito attended a class to learn how to be comfortable in front of audiences.

"Facing people wasn't my thing," he said.

Eight weeks later he was doing stand-up. Two years later he was teaching the class.

Favorito said at the start of his career in 1986 he didn't have any jokes.

"I just talked to the crowds," he said. "But then I got a manager who said when I become a headliner I could do that stuff, but until then I needed some jokes."

So he developed some material and soon became a hit on the comedy club circuit and then returned to talking to the crowds. Today his routine begins with some jokes, but is mostly repartee with fans.

"To this day I never plan, I just go in and do it," Favorito said. "To me the people make my show. It's never planned -- I've always been a wise guy, flip with my mother or whatever, razzing everybody."

Favorito moved to Los Angeles in 1998, and that same year won the San Francisco Comedy Competition.

He moved to Vegas in November 2003 and became a headliner at the Tropicana's Comedy Stop. Earlier this year comic magician Mac King, who performs at Harrah's, approached Favorito about an engagement at Binion's.

King is one of the producers of the show, which includes an opening act of about 15 minutes followed by Favorito.

"It's going to be loose," he said. "You never know what's going to happen, who will pop in. It will be a fun show, without too many rules. I'm just going to go in there and have a good time."

Benny Binion surely wouldn't object to that.

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