Las Vegas...Hotel security guards abuse guests & violate rights! Losers in monkey suits!

I felt vindicated today when I opened up the "Review Journal" and spied a report on the ongoing abusive and illegal conduct of security guards at a handful of the local Hotels - which has not only spoiled vacations for tourists - but ended up violating their civil rights in the process.

Tattler readers may recall that I have written exposes on these issues in past posts.

Harrah's Hotel

Post: 10/09/2009

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/10/harrahsvegas-casino-staff-harass-guests.html

The Golden Nugget Hotel

Post: 12/27/2007 Post: 07/10/2010

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2007/12/golden-nugget-hotelharasses-patrons-and.html

Gold Spike Hotel

Post: 07/10/2010

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/07/gold-spikeimpotent-security-guard-brian.html

According to the Review Journal reporter, Hotels try to keep the incidents of assault and battery on guests "Hush Hush" to avoid bad publicity and to protect their coveted image in the industry-at-large.

The main problem?

The Hotels are inclined to employ cocky security guards (unqualified losers who failed to make the grade as legitimate Police Officers officers at recognized Law Enforcement Agencies) who daily abuse their power and end up violating the rights of Hotel guests in the process.

The truth of the matter?

The rinky-dink security details (who are under the mistaken impression that they have big-swinging dicks hanging between their legs) are gangs of thugs in monkey suits with deep-rooted psychological problems.

In the Review Journal's expose, it was noted that security footage on file revealed that guests were nabbed without provocation in some instant cases and held without their will for no good reason.

Shocking DVD records in court records also determined - that on more than one occasion - a major Hotel on the Vegas Strip, handcuffed guests and took photographs of the individuals for their files (!) before releasing the shaken patrons with a warning that if they returned to the Casino they would be arrested (for what crime?).

In response, the Hotels in question were forced to face litigation, and settle out-of-court.

One online reader at the Review Journal web site actually had the audacity to allege that so-called "victims" were just opportunists seeking "marks" with deep pockets (big bucks Hotel owners).

Bullshit!

I have personally witnessed the abusive - illegal - conduct on the Casino floor at a handful of the local Hotels in the desert oasis.

I always urge victims to sue for damages to deter such heinous conduct in the future.

After all, tourists - and locals alike - are legally entitled to frequent local establishments provided they abide by the house rules and regulations and do not break any laws in the Las Vegas community-at-large!

Amen!

http://www.thetattler.biz 

 

Las Vegas City Life...Andrew Kiraly, Managing Editor, publishes false statements, lacks Journalistic Ethics!

It must be the desert sun, or maybe there's something in the water, that makes journalists in Las Vegas so stupid...

A case in point, Andrew Kiraly - Managing Editor - of Las Vegas CityLife.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Kiraly contacted me to request an interview about a disturbing incident I reported on my blog in January, which "went down" at the Golden Nugget Hotel.

In a nutshell, I was walking through the rows of one-armed bandits one afternoon in the Casino, when a female security guard ambushed me, and demanded my I.D. in a rude insulting manner. I handed it over to her, but reeled over the fact that there appeared to be a case of mistaken identity or something. I mean, why was she harassing me?

When I asked her to explain her actions, she sought a quick defense. In response, she stated matter-of-fact that she spied me wandering about the casino floor, not betting, and looking suspicious.

Total nonsense!

In fact, in my hand I held a voucher that was dated and time-stamped, that verified I had been plugging coins into the slots for the previous half hour, contrary to her wild allegations!

Obviously, I caught the woman in a lie, trying to validate her unwarranted intrusion.

For good reason, I asked for her supervisor.

A pudgy, ineffectual man appeared, pooh-poohing my claims of inappropriate conduct. So, I asked to see his boss. At this point, he was quite adamant that he was the "top brass" at the Hotel Casino. Of course, I surmised his claims were false, and demanded that the "Manager" speak with me in person on the Casino floor, pronto!

At this juncture, Mr. Realmuto - the real Casino Manager - appeared.

After a brief discussion, he concluded that my complaints were well-founded. Realmuto assured me the Security Guard would apologize (or be suspended) and went on his way to take care of other Casino Business.

However, the Security Guard refused to come back to the floor and offer regrets.

So, I reported the distressing incident on my blog, warning tourists about questionable security practices at the Golden Nugget which might warrant a boycott.

Post: January 8, 2008

In spite of the fact Mr. Kiraly read the initial Golden Nugget post (which was self-explanatory) he asked me to respond to additional questions for the article he was penning. I complied with his request, by e-mail.

For a couple of weeks, I never heard back; so, I assumed he published the article.

Then, one day out-of-the-blue, he contacted me once again. On this occasion, he assured me he was basically ready to put the news report "to bed", but needed a couple of additional details clarified for the article.

At this juncture, he asked me to provide my last name.

Duh!

When I pointed out my name was at the top of my blog, he responded, "Whoops!"

Why kind of investigative journalist was this?

Then, to make matters worse, he proceeded to ask a couple of redundant questions. Even still, I remained patient, and provided thoughtful responses without delay to assist with his investigation of the facts.

Imagine my surprise when I was searching the world-wide-web last week and came across the article he'd written, rife with false statements.

For example, Mr. Kiraly reported that I refused to show my I.D. to the security guard.

A total falsehood!

Then, he proceeded to build a story on this false premise.

For example, he wrote:

"Now, strange things happen in casinos, but what followed was one for the books. Ayrs - steadfast in his refusal to show his I.D. and quickly becoming convinced he was the victim of some form of discrimination - drew a veritable chain of Golden Nugget management into a philosophical debate over whether he had to show his I.D."

The account was totally off!

There wasn't any philosophical debate over whether I should show my I.D. How could there be? I showed it upon request.

Mr. Kiraly got all his facts screwed up.

At issue was not whether I showed my I.D. - but rather - the false allegations the security guard made on the Casino floor, which not only embarrassed and humiliated me, but damaged my name and reputation to the other Hotel guests standing nearby.

Indeed, Mr. Kiraly's twisted account of the events, actually inferred that because of an "alleged refusal" to show my I.D., I was at fault.

Hogwash; nothing could be further from the truth.

But, Mr. Kiraly's lack of journalistic skills did not end there.

When I contacted him to inform him of the "factual errors", he had the audacity to assert that I neglected to disclose I showed my I.D.

False!

The reason I chose to conduct the interview by e-mail, was to ensure that all my statements were in writing, and to prevent any misquotes. In my response communication, I pointed out that I saved copies of all the previous e-mails, and that I was able to verify he had been properly informed.

I also noted my dismay over the fact he appeared to try to shift blame on me.

To date, there has not been any reply from Mr. Kiraly.

After firing off a communication to the Editor, I received word back that a retraction would be printed.

But, how do you unring a bell?

I noticed at their web site this past week that the editor has noted in the article, at their online web site, that a mistake was made in respect to my "alleged" refusal to show I.D.

But, even in this instance, the paper has failed miserably in respect to journalistic ethics.

Normally, a newspaper prints a retraction in a "separate" notice, in a prominent place in the publication. The purpose of this procedure is to ensure attention is drawn to the fact that the journalist made a mistake in reporting the facts, and to make a good faith effort to ensure readers are aware of it.

At Las Vegas CityLife...they recognized they were legally and morally obligated to correct the errors; but, bottom line, it's evident by their sloppy patch-up job that they did not want to draw attention to the fact their managing editor made such grievous errors in respect to a representation of the facts.

I have to wonder at this point how a top-level editor managed to mess up so royally.

Does the man have difficulty reading and understanding English (and comprehending facts) or is he just out-to-lunch?

All things considered, I can't help but ponder the notion that he chose to misrepresent the facts, to suit his own agenda.

Either way you look at it, the man is a menace to the field of journalism.

Andrew Kiraly...looking a little bleary-eyed!

Andrew Kiraly...publishes false statements, lacks professional ethics. Bleary-eyed, Las Vegas CityLife?

It must be the desert sun, or maybe there's something in the water, that makes journalists in Las Vegas so stupid...

A case in point, Andrew Kiraly - Managing Editor - of Las Vegas CityLife.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Kiraly contacted me to request an interview about an disturbing incident I reported on my blog in January, which "went down" at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas.

In a nutshell, I was walking through the rows of one-armed bandits one afternoon in the Casino, when a female security guard ambushed me, and demanded my I.D. in a rude insulting manner. I handed it over to her, but reeled over the fact that there appeared to be a case of mistaken identity or something. I mean, why was she harassing me?

When I asked her to explain her actions, she sought a quick defense. In response, she stated matter-of-fact that she spied me wandering about the casino floor, not betting, and looking suspicious.

Total nonsense!

In fact, in my hand I held a voucher that was dated and time-stamped, that verified I had been plugging coins into the slots for the previous half hour, contrary to her wild allegations!

Obviously, I caught the woman in a lie, trying to validate her unwarranted intrusion.

For good reason, I asked for her supervisor.

A pudgy, ineffectual man appeared, pooh-poohing my claims of inappropriate conduct. So, I asked to see his boss. At this point, he was quite adamant that he was the "top brass" at the Hotel Casino. Of course, I surmised his claims were false, and demanded that the "Manager" speak with me in person on the Casino floor, pronto!

At this juncture, Mr. Realmuto - the real Casino Manager - appeared.

After a brief discussion, he concluded that my complaints were well-founded. Realmuto assured me the Security Guard would apologize (or be suspended) and went on his way to take care of other Casino Business.

However, the Security Guard refused to come back to the floor and express regrets.

So, I reported the distressing incident on my blog, warning tourists about questionable security practices at the Golden Nugget Casino which might warrant a boycott.

Post: January 8, 2008

In spite of the fact Mr. Kiraly read the initial Golden Nugget post (which was self-explanatory) he asked me to respond to additional questions for the article he was penning.

I complied with his request, by e-mail.

For a couple of weeks, I never heard back; so, I assumed he published the article.

Then, one day out-of-the-blue, he contacted me once again. On this occasion, he assured me he was basically ready to put the news report "to bed", but needed a couple of additional details clarified for the article.

At this juncture, he asked me to provide my last name.

Duh!

When I pointed out my name was at the top of my blog, he responded, "Whoops!"

Why kind of investigative journalist was this?

Then, to make matters worse, he proceeded to ask a couple of redundant questions. Even still, I remained patient, and provided thoughtful responses without delay to assist with his investigation of the facts.

Imagine my surprise when I was searching the world-wide-web last week and came across the article he'd written, rife with false statements.

For example, Mr. Kiraly reported that I refused to show my I.D. to the security guard.

A total falsehood!

Then, he proceeded to build a story on this false premise.

For example, he wrote:

"Now, strange things happen in casinos, but what followed was one for the books. Ayrs - steadfast in his refusal to show his I.D. and quickly becoming convinced he was the victim of some form of discrimination - drew a veritable chain of Golden Nugget management into a philosophical debate over whether he had to show his I.D."

The account was totally off!

There wasn't any philosophical debate over whether I should show my I.D. How could there be? I showed it upon request.

Mr. Kiraly got all his facts screwed up.

At issue was not whether I showed my I.D. - but rather - the false allegations the security guard made on the Casino floor, which not only embarrassed and humiliated me, but damaged my name and reputation to the other Hotel guests standing nearby.

Indeed, Mr. Kiraly's twisted account of the events, actually inferred that because of an "alleged refusal" to show my I.D., I was at fault.

Hogwash; nothing could be further from the truth.

But Mr. Kiraly's lack of journalistic skills did not end there.

When I contacted him to inform him of the "factual errors", he had the audacity to assert that I neglected to disclose I showed my I.D.

False!

The reason I chose to conduct the interview by e-mail was to ensure that all my statements were in writing and to prevent any misquotes.

In my response e-mail, I pointed out that I saved copies of all the communications, and had evidence in my possession that verified he had been properly informed.

I also noted my dismay over the fact he appeared to try to shift blame on me.

To date, there has not been any reply from Mr. Kiraly.

After firing off a communication to the Editor, I received word back that a retraction would be printed.

But, how do you unring a bell?

I noticed at their web site this past week, that the editor has noted in the article at their online web site, that a mistake was made in respect to my "alleged" refusal to show I.D.

But, even in this instance, the paper has failed miserably in respect to journalistic ethics.

Normally, a newspaper prints a retraction in a "separate" notice, in a prominent place in the publication. The purpose of this procedure is to ensure attention is drawn to the fact that the journalist made a mistake in reporting the facts, and to make a good faith effort to ensure readers are aware of it.

At Las Vegas CityLife...they recognized they were legally and morally obligated to correct the errors; but, bottom line, it's evident by their sloppy patch-up job that they did not want to draw attention to the fact their managing editor made such grievous errors in respect to a representation of the facts.

I have to wonder at this point how a top-level editor managed to mess up so royally.

Does the man have difficulty reading and understanding English (and comprehending facts), or is he just out-to-lunch?

All things considered, I can't help but ponder the notion that he chose to misrepresent the facts, to suit his own agenda.

Either way you look at it, the man is a menace to the field of journalism.

Andrew Kiraly...looking a little bleary-eyed!

Golden Nugget Hotel...harasses patrons and discriminates against individuals attired in Calvin Klein fashions!

 

Fabulous Las Vegas?

Not!

Today I was involved in a shocking and disturbing incident at the Golden Nugget Hotel here in Las Vegas, which has shaken me considerably!

After having a coffee and doughnut on Fremont Street, I stepped into the Golden Nugget to play a few of the slot machines. I selected a one-arm bandit, and began to place bets, as usual. A cocktail waitress sauntered by at one point, offered me a beverage, and wished me good luck with my game.

In a short while, I got up and picked another machine, to try my luck there. In fact, I probably bet on a handful of machines over the course of a half-an-hour.

Suddenly, as I was pondering whether to exit and go uptown - and perhaps take in a show - a woman in a dark suit who identified herself as "security" - blocked my path and demanded to see my identification!

I was in total shock! Had I done something wrong? Was there a case of mistaken identity or something? My thoughts started running wild, I suddenly felt dizzy, and nauseous, and out-of-breath.

When I gathered my emotions, and my head stopped reeling, I asked her, "Why?"

She claimed she observed me walking about the Hotel Casino without betting, scanning the machines, and accused me of looking suspicious!

Well, that was a total lie. In my hand, I was holding a voucher which verified I was betting for at least the last half hour (both time stamped & dated); in addition, the cocktail waitress could also verify the security guard's statements were a total falsehood.

When I noted this, she bristled, then retorted in a nasty, demeaning tone of voice, "Well, I have a right to ask for your ID."

But, the grounds on which she based her decision, had no merit whatsoever!

I felt insulted at this point.

Because there were no sufficient grounds for harassing me, and I was a patron of the Casino for the past few days, it was evident to me that the woman had not only acted out-of-line, but was discriminating against me for some inexplicable reason - and in the process - was seriously violating my rights, as well.

I asked to see her supervisor, who appeared behind me moments later.

When I started to complain, he smiled like a Cheshire cat, and tried to wave me off.

"We can ask to see anyone's ID," he replied smugly.

I pointed out, however, that she based her actions on the grounds that I was wandering about the lobby, that I was not patronizing the Hotel, and appeared to be some kind of bum or street person, with no right to be in their Casino!

Which was totally untrue.

When it was evident he was trying to protect her, and shoo me off, I asked to see the Manager.

He responded quite adamantly, "You're speaking to him."

"You're the Manager of the Hotel," I queried further.

He hesitated, stammered a bit, then blurted out, "No, I'm not".

In response, I said, "I demand to see the manager right away so I can lodge a formal complaint."

And, I proceeded to explain why.

"I am thoroughly insulted by the woman's inappropriate actions, which unnecessarily humiliated me, in front of all the patrons in this section of the Casino."

He trotted off to find the Casino Manager with me in tow. After a guard managed to secure his whereabouts by walkie-talkie, he appeared about fifteen minutes later.

At first, Mr. Realmuto tried to use the same excuse - that the woman was correct in her position - because the Hotel had the right to ask anyone on the premises for ID at any given time at their discretion.

However, when I pointed out that the grounds on which the woman stated her reasons for making the request were totally without merit - and that she had slandered me in front of other hotel guests in the vicinity of the incident in the process - he recanted.

At this juncture, he agreed to have a word with her supervisor, and try to resolve the issue. In addition, he assured me that she would apologize for her outrageous conduct which caused me undue mental and emotional distress in front of a roomful of strangers.

After about fifteen minutes, Mr. Realmuto returned and informed me that he had spoken with her supervisor, that she would apologize - and that if she did not - he'd put her on suspension.

As he walked off, he noted that matter was now in the hands of her supervisor.

Meanwhile, out of the corner of my eye, I spied the man in question with another security guard about fifteen feet away, laughing at me, and making jokes about the incident. After the Casino Manager was out of sight, the supervisor walked over and informed me the woman refused to apologize - but added - that he would do so on her behalf.

I pointed out that Mr. Realmuto assured me that if she did not make amends herself, that she would be suspended. In response, he stared at me coldly for a moment, then panicked.

Our talks went downhill after that.

When I informed the man (who would not provide his name) that I wanted to file a formal complaint, he arranged for the Director of Security to bring a standard form down to fill out; however, when the gentleman arrived, he argued with the supervisor most strenuously against providing it. In fact, he was downright reticent about handing over the paperwork.

In retrospect, it would appear that he did not want any record of the incident, in spite of the fact there was a roomful of witnesses standing on the sidelines, watching the drama unfold with great intensity.

I noted my intention to file a complaint with the Executive Management of the Hotel and the owners.

At this juncture, I also noted that Mr. Realmuto let it slip that the security woman who harassed me, may have acted the way she did because I was dressed in the manner I was - in a plaid shirt and black jeans.

So, I asked the supervisor - point-blank - to state for the record if the Golden Nugget discriminated against patrons based on casual attire.

He replied with a stunned look, "...it depends on the circumstance."

Well now, is that not discrimination in its truest form?

It should be noted that I was wearing Calvin Klein designer clothes, which were clean and pressed, and relatively new. Are Mr. Klein's clothes not acceptable at the Golden Nugget Hotel?

It should be noted that I was also carrying a flap jacket, so I have to wonder if the woman thought I was in the Military; in that event, does the Golden Nugget discriminate against individuals they suspect to be members of the Armed Forces?

Are the young men who fight for this country, and put themselves at risk and in harm's ways - to ensure our basic rights and freedoms are secure - not welcome at the Golden Nugget either?

Obviously, something is clearly amiss at the Golden Nugget!

The actions of the security staff were wild and reckless, discriminatory in nature, and amounted to harassment. Throughout the shocking, disturbing incident, my rights were violated in the process.

So, I intend to lodge a formal complaint with the Hotel Executive Management, and the owners of the Golden Nugget.

In addition, I shall seek appropriate legal counsel to bring litigation forward - if necessary - to deter such outrageous, heinous, wrongful conduct in the future.

In the interim, I urge all tourists, and visitors to the Las Vegas resort area, to boycott the Golden Nugget - or at least - steer clear of patronage.

After all, this could happen to any one of you.

According to employees I spoke to after the incident, this is the kind of typical, disturbing conduct, that is ongoing at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas.

I say, steer clear of this establshment like the plague.

Amen!

http://www.thetattler.biz