Las Vegas Legend Pat Cooper

Pat Cooper is a legend among Las Vegas entertainers, a comedian who’s career has spanned decades. He opened for some of the greatest crooners of all time and worked with Vegas legends like Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin. I interviewed him in 2010 about Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the glory days of Las Vegas.

Here are some excerpts from that interview to help modern folks draw a distinction between what it was like to have to travel to gambling destinations as opposed to the ease at which people can play games of chance online where you can indulge in the excitement of poker, blackjack, slots, even live roulette games at Fruity King, without the hassle of packing up the car and driving hundreds of miles or flying to some far flung destination. What a life!

Pat Cooper: It was the greatest era musically and talent wise since the twenties. If I had to be born again I'd want to live in that era again. You don't need a circus show to entertain people. And the proof of the pudding is a Frank Sinatra.

With all due respect to Dean Martin, he was not the biggest tipper. He came across very macho. I mean, Sinatra was a very big tipper and I think Sinatra's more down to earth than Dean. Dean you could not get close to, he did not want anybody too close to him. He would play golf with you two or three months and the get ridda ya.' I'm not being fresh, I’m tellin' ya' a fact, he was very cold to people. No one knew his business, a loner.

My relationship with Dean, little as it was, was, you know, "Hiya doin' kid." I was always a kid. You know, "Hiya kid." I never got close. I finished my show, I closed the door and went home. I didn't want to hang out with any of these people, not because I was a prude. When you close the butcher shop you go home! A lot of these kids want to hang out with Dean and Frank and Jerry...

Sinatra had an enourage of people who thought he was Jesus Christ. I talkin' about tough guys who bent down for this guy. I mean, this guy had an army of people that adored him, "Hey, Frank, I love you Frank. Mention me to Frank. Tell Frank I'm outside. Tell him I loves him." Ah, Bullshit. Not one of them were men, not one of them were men if you know what I'm talkin' about.