November 2004 Issue The Host with the Most...Richard Wilk By Ed Condran CASINO PLAYER MAGAZINE

		As an executive VIP host at the Golden Nugget, the crown jewel casino of Downtown Las Vegas, Richard Wilk can make just about anything happen for his players. From suites and limos, to tickets for sold-out shows and tables at the hottest nightclubs and restaurants, just give Wilk a call and he’ll put his connections to work.
It also pays to be a friend of Wilk’s if you want to rub shoulders with the many stars that visit the Nugget. The 36-year-old Canadian native, who worked as a stuntman and top-level security expert before becoming a casino host, has taken care of stars such as James Gandolfini, Eminem, James Caan, Joe Pesci and Mike Piazza, among many other notables. These days Wilk is a celebrity in his own right.He was featured on the Fox reality show “The Casino,” which documented the relaunch of the Golden Nugget under new owners Tim Poster and Tom Breitling. Capitalizing on this heat,Wilk recently self-published his first book, Connected...Vegas-Style:True Tales from the VIP Playground. It is available for purchase on www.richardwilk.com.		CP: So what’s a nice Canadian boy doing in Las Vegas? RW: (laughs) I happened to move to Atlantic City ten years ago. I worked in Washington DC for six months. I was in DC to protect a lot of politicians. I protected President Clinton and Vice President Gore. I saw an ad in a newspaper and got a job in Las Vegas. I got a three-year contract (with the Monte Carlo),which wasn’t the norm.They had a lot of faith in me. What’s the key to being a good host? You’ve got to keep your cool at all times,twenty-four hours a day.I leave my cell phone on so I can be reached at any time. Is there any down time for you? It depends who’s in town. If you’ve got big players in, you need to answer every phone call every second of the day. Let’s say that at five in the morning someone is calling from back east.You could let the call go, but a good host answers the phone twenty-four hours a day. A lot of hosts just put in their eight hours, but that’s not enough. I like to say I’m at the convenience of my players. What separates the top hosts from the ordinary hosts? Customer service.You give them a service that they’re not going to get anywhere else. I become friends with my players, and after that we become like family.The biggest thing is: Hosts take care of things. Some hosts will call in for reservations but don’t even come down and meet their players.That’s not the way to do it.That personal touch,with the service behind it—and not letting your hands be tied—is the key. Tim and Tom at the Golden Nugget don’t tie my hands. You worked at Mandalay Bay before the Nugget, and before that, the Hard Rock. What lured you to Tim and Tom’s operation? There are a couple of key points.Tim and Tom were my players in the past.They know I need leeway. In the corporate world you have a lot of chiefs but not enough Indians.We don’t have that problem here at the Golden Nugget.With the odds and the limits they offer, it’s the best in town.It’s a great product that they give to the player.
A Family Affair: left to right are Wilk, Vincent Curatola, Tom Breitling, James Gandolfini and Tim Poster. Breitling and Poster own the Golden Nugget; Curatola and Gandolfini play Johnny Sack and Tony Soprano, respectively, on “The Sopranos” Photo by Rita Hickey/LasVegasVR.com
How did you get into the hosting business? I got my marketing degree back in school (Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada.) I studied business and marketing. I grew up with two parents who were marketing executives for their company,and at the same time my father used to play as a hobby. I saw how hosts treated him. I learned how casinos comp VIPs and what makes a VIP. Nowadays, what makes a VIP? A player who comes in and risks a certain amount of money. The limits depend on what casino a VIP is in. A guy can come in and blow two thousand dollars.To him, that may be a whole lot of money, but to a casino that may not be a whole lot of money. But you want to at least give them something back for that play they’ve given you. If they blew two thousand dollars, how would you take care of them? If they blew two thousand dollars you’re going to take care of a room for them.You may give them a dinner or two in a restaurant.It really depends on what they’re playing, what they’re qualified for. How will you take care of someone who loses six figures? If he blows six figures he’ll get whatever he needs. What’s the strangest request a player has ever made of you? I have something in my book about a woman who basically told me that she wanted me to have a baby with her. She offered to make me a kept man and give me so much per year, and she wanted me to father her baby one day. She was a big player. I was shocked and dumbfounded. I told her the day I do that is the day I start spending the rest of my life with the woman. I wasn’t going to do it for the money.		Have you ever dated a celebrity you met through your job? No comment. (laughs) No, I don’t run into that problem.We just remain good friends. I don’t want to get into anyone’s personal life. I stay professional until I know its okay to joke about things. Will there be a second season of the show? We’re not sure yet.People are talking about it,but they haven’t let me in on it yet. Now that you’ve seen all the episodes, how do you think you came across in your television debut? I came in halfway through the season.The comments I’ve gotten from everyone was that I came across very well.You know why? It was me. My integrity is everything.You can’t trust everyone. I have a big heart and sometimes it’s too much for this city.When it comes to taking care of people,I truly enjoy it. The job may be glamorous, but it also sounds like it can be very strenuous. What drives you? I have a passion for this.You don’t put me on a schedule.They’re going to get six days and ten hours a day out of me easy. I’m not an eight-hour host. Who’s the most difficult celebrity you’ve ever hosted? I haven’t really encountered that.The people you take care of often reflect on you.You get attached to the people that are more along the lines of your character. If you follow through with everything, you’re not going to have a problem. Some of the younger actors who come in and think they’re the next DeNiro or Pacino might be more demanding, more high maintenance, but I haven’t had a real problem. Not yet.
You’ve held court with Muhammad Ali. How do you top that? He was unbelievable, a living legend. He’s the best. He’ll take any picture with you.He is the greatest.His family was so cool and accommodating.I’m nobody, and Muhammad Ali treated me like I’m very important and made me feel good. Has anyone else made you think “Man, I can’t believe I’m taking care of this person?” I take care of all of the top Sopranos and guys like James Caan,Joe Pesci.These are guys I grew up watching. Caan was Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather.” Pesci was in “Goodfellas.” They’re my idols,my heroes, and I’m talking care of them. I have their personal numbers in my folder. What’s more dangerous, your days as a stuntman or not being able to meet a request by James “Tony Soprano” Gandolfini? You’d think you would be scared of Gandolfini, but he’s very nice. He’s very low maintenance. Can you tell us what he’s like? He doesn’t give many interviews. He likes to keep people guessing. He doesn’t talk much.He doesn’t want people to be confused between him in reality and the character he plays on “The Sopranos.” In your book, you talk about the time Eminem and his entourage came to Las Vegas and you hosted them. Were you prepared for the worst? You can’t believe everything you hear.Everyone thinks Eminem is a bad guy,creating problems. Nothing out of the ordinary happened with him. He was nothing but a gentleman when he came in.We had a lot of fun. He had the biggest guys in security around him, and they respect me totally. They know my background in Special Forces and counterterrorism and counterintelligence, and they respected that I listened. I guaranteed his safety, which is pretty strong. Everybody says Mike Piazza is about as easygoing as any celebrity. What’s it like hanging with him? He’s just like you and I.He’s the epitome of cool.Mike is very friendly and low key.You see him sitting around with his buddies, having dinner, just having a good time.You would never guess that he’s a superstar baseball player. He’s a good friend. He’s always been great to me. Why write a book now? I had a friend who said,“Write a book, you have so much to talk about.”I have three things I can talk about: being on “The Casino,” the reality show; another thing is being part of Vegas itself,which is very hot these days.And I take care of celebrities in Vegas , which is fascinating.What the book does is give the reader the opportunity to walk in my shoes and see what it’s like to take care of high rollers and celebrities. Plus, I even teach them how to be a VIP. Those are secrets not a lot of people will give. Give us one tip. Tipping.Try this anywhere—tip the front desk person.Tell them you appreciate what they’ve done.Then ask if there’s an upgrade.Come in a little early at a hotel, ask if there are any rooms available and tip them, and see how their attitude changes.Tipping is the name of the game.The more you tip, the more you get. It all comes back to you ten times over. It’s good karma.That’s just one thing on the list of many. These are true tales from the VIP playground.		Photo by Rita Hickey/LasVegasVR.com Now that you’ve gained some television experience, do you have any interest in acting? I’m more of the marketing guy, the people person. I have a lot of guys that own production studios and big movie houses.They come in and play with me all the time. I think if they thought I could be an actor they would have offered me something by now.Who knows? I’m open to anything. Maybe that’s the next challenge.I’m always looking for a new challenge.But I’m really happy with Tim and Tom and the Golden Nugget.My challenge is to bring new business to them. What’s something you do for players that other hosts can’t match? Creating firsts is huge.If you’re a player of mine,you might come here and see me talking to one of the Sopranos.You’re a big fan. I say,“Meet so and so from the Sopranos,”and you’ll be meeting this celebrity as a friend not a fan.It turns into a friendly conversation.You’re going to go home and tell your friends what you experienced at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas.You’re never going to forget it. I’ve gained your loyalty.You’ll be my customer for life. And you never know who else you’ll meet through me. Unlike other books that go inside the world of celebrities, yours doesn’t dish the dirt. That’s a big reason why I self-published: I wanted it to be my stories. I wanted to tell the truth and not fabricate things. Everybody is looking to be negative. What about the good stories that are cool and fun? They need to be told as well. What’s the biggest misconception people have about you and what you do? After seeing the show, a lot of people believed I only take care of high rollers. But the actual fact is, I’ll take care of anyone who wants to come to the property and take a shot at our tables, whether it’s a hundred dollars, five hundred dollars or whatever. I’m here to take care of people for the owners. Everyone must want to be your friend because of the doors you can open. Does the number of requests ever get overwhelming? Everyone who comes to Vegas wants something for free.That’s completely natural. Everyone knows I have the best connections to get into clubs and restaurants around town. I’ll help them out even if they’re not staying with me. But that doesn’t mean someone should call me if they’re not staying with me. That’s a privilege you get when you stay at the Golden Nugget and you have me taking care of you. I open up a whole set of doors for you throughout Vegas. I make you a VIP even if you step off-property. That’s the bonus you have if you’re staying with me.

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