John Katsilometes has a Gordie Brown on wry with the owners of the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan, who love Gordie’s show

Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006 | 7:44 a.m.

Gordie Brown is appearing at the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan.

In a manner of speaking.

Today a half-dozen photos of Brown are hanging on the walls of the famed delicatessen (which next year celebrates its 70th year of operation). The first report I received about this impressive impressionist signage was from Jack Wishna, who several days ago ducked into the restaurant with Donald Trump and Trump's family (daughter Ivanka and sons Donald Jr. and Eric). The group glanced around at the walls and noticed Brown's preening mug.

Others in the restaurant (mostly tourists) began asking about Brown, who that week had made his appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman." But unlike a few other more famous Vegas-centric entertainers (Barry Manilow, Celine Dion, Siegfried & Roy) whose photos also hang on the deli walls, Brown is not always readily recognizable. Members of the deli staff described him as a little bit of Wayne Newton with a little bit of Rich Little mixed in."

The added signage was no happenstance. The owners of Carnegie Deli, Sandy and Marian Levine, have been fans of Brown's since his days at the Golden Nugget. They are also good friends with Brown's manager, Bernie Yuman, who provided the wall art.

"We love his show. He's a little like Danny Gans, but more intimate with the audience," Sandy Levine said during a phone conversation Saturday. "We've been visiting Vegas for years, and for the past two years we've been fortunate to have our own restaurant at the Mirage; so we've had a lot of reasons to come out there. We can't wait until we see Gordie in his new theater. When we saw (at the Golden Nugget) it was in a 300-seat room."

Brown's theater at the Venetian seats 800, and during the first week in December the Levines are planning on being part of the crowd.

NoteMart

Steve Wyrick said Saturday that specifics would be announced Monday regarding his new theater complex at Desert Passage mall. That Dec. 13 start date for the long-delayed project might be moved back, but Wyrick said that the lineup of shows, including those fronted by ventriloquist Ronn Lucas and vocalist Martin Nievera, would "of course" be moving forward. Wyrick is scheduled to meet with the contractor of the project Monday morning to review plans

The Stardust is still serving one Vegas entertainer well: illusionist Rick Thomas. The huge sign promoting Thomas' long-ended afternoon show is still up, facing the Strip from the moribund hotel

On Friday, MGM Mirage Chief Executive Terry Lanni, interviewed by Wayne Allyn Root (who was sitting in for Papa Joe Chevalier on Chevalier's daily sports talk show on Fox Sports Radio, KENO 1460-AM) said some of the planned luxury high-rise condo projects in Las Vegas are simply not going to make it to fruition. Lanni has long had that opinion, too. "I remember when Ivana Trump announced her plans," Lanni told the radio audience. "I said, 'If you want a condo, you'd better buy one of ours."

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that defeated Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald was planning on taking up the guitar once she leaves office in January. Well, Fab LV is nothing if not a vehicle to unite like minds. Soon after that item ran, Boggs McDonald heard from guitar teacher Vincent Cortese, who offered his expertise. Boggs McDonald says she has serious plans to become an accomplished guitarist - and are you thinking what I'm thinking? Lounge act

Up for auction at the Kruse International Car Auction at South Point hotel was a 1982 Bercedes-Benz custom convertible, black and gold with black interior with just 1,700 original miles. The car was bought new and was owned (until this weekend) by Wayne Newton, and if that vehicle survived even a single trip around the block with the navigationally challenged Mr. Las Vegas, it is a true collector's item. Entering the auction, the car's value was estimated between $125,000 and $300,000; we heard it sold Saturday for around $50,000 but we're still checking the exact price

Socially acceptable: This week at First Friday (which is, um, Friday) the new retailer Social will hold its grand opening at 1039 S. Main Street. Social bills itself as "Las Vegas' First Fashionably Sustainable Clothing Store." According to a news release, each item sold at Social will offer at least one of the following socially responsible features: Organic or recycled material, sweatshop free, vegan, designed by local artists. "Beyond hemp and granola, Social brings a fashion forward face to sustainable clothing."

Odd sighting on Thanksgiving was the Cadillac owned by Frank Marino, parked in a visitor parking slot at my nondescript little townhouse subdivision (the LA CAGE vanity plate gave it away)

But Marino's is not today's plate. That falls to the plate that reads FRUGAL on a plum-colored PT Cruiser. As column reader (well, that's what she claims) Sue Casey reports, that rig belongs to Jean and Brad Scott of the "Frugal Gambler" book series. The latest in the series is "Frugal Video Poker," and what the Scotts should do is work a deal with one of the casino companies to offer the book as a player's club prize.