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 Richard Wilk was born in a small town in Canada and grew up in the
suburbs of Toronto.
It was during a family trip to Las Vegas, though, when an 8-year-old Wilk
discovered the job of a lifetime: taking care of celebrities and high-rollers.
It's been quite a ride for the 36-year-old Wilk to meet that goal. He's
worked as a head doorman for nightclubs, as a stuntman, and as a
bodyguard for business executives such as Bill Gates and rock bands such
as the Rolling Stones.
He's also performed subcontract work for the Secret Service, including
acting as part of the protection detail for President Bill Clinton and
Vice President Al Gore.
Those in Las Vegas, however, probably know Wilk best as casino host for
the Golden Nugget, where he's enjoying an increasing reputation as the
go-to guy among the rich and famous.
Wilk, who appeared on the Fox summer reality series "The Casino," has
recently written a book about his life, including his experiences as a
casino host. The book, "Connected ... Vegas-Style: True Tales From the
VIP Playground," is $14.95 and available only at Wilk's Web site,
www.richardwilk.com.
The Las Vegas Sun recently talked to Wilk about being a bodyguard, his
dealings with celebrities and whether or not he has the best job in the world.
Las Vegas Sun: How did protecting the president of the United States
compare to being a bodyguard for a rock star?
Richard Wilk: It just depends on who it was. When we did the Rolling
Stones, we were in the SkyDome (in Toronto) and we had to take Mick
Jagger on a golf cart right around to the back of the stage from the
green room (and) he didn't say a word. He was in a trance, all psyched up
for the gig. We get him to the stage and all of a sudden he explodes into
who we see him as on the stage.
I thought that was pretty cool because you get to see the different sides
of the celebrity or the rock star. Away from their big publicity machines
in Hollywood or wherever they are, they are just regular people. And
that's what I relate to. I relate to that ordinary side where they are
just like you and me. And by doing that, I end up building relationships
with them.
Sun: When you deal with celebrities now, do you still consider them
regular people?
RW: We become like friends. Drea de Matteo was just in town on a weekend
and her boyfriend at that time was playing at Mandalay (Bay) at a private
after-party. She had to come up (from Los Angeles) and they had to stay
up there (Mandalay Bay), so she text messages me three times saying,
"What the hell are you doing? Let's party ..."
She's cool, she's down-to-earth with me. She talks to me like I'm just a
buddy. And that's important to me.
Sun: But celebrities aren't average people because they're allowed perks
the rest of us don't get.
RW: Sure. In the world out there, it's what can you do for each other.
And what are they doing for me? They're helping me bring up the property
value for my owners. Or, you're making me look good. So for me, that's
worth me doing something for them.
Sun: How competitive is it with casinos trying to lure big players?
RW: Very. The whales get used to where they're at. For instance, I have a
gentleman out of New York who is a big player, him and his brother. And
they come in and stay at the Mirage villas. How do I compete with that?
Well, I built up a relationship with them. I tell them, "Look, you don't
have to stay with me but at least come down and see me." And when they
see me, they'll have dinner and then they'll give me a courtesy shot
(with a little of their playing time).
I may not get 100 percent of their play, but getting 20 to 30 percent of
their play is better than not getting any at all.
Sun: What's one of your most memorable encounters with a celebrity?
RW: Well, I think that story of (professional wrestler) Bill Goldberg
taking me over to Muhammad Ali's suite. I mean, that was just off the
cuff. We were in a limo and he says, "I've got to stop by and say hi to
the Alis." And I was like, "You mean, as in Muhammad Ali's?" He said, "Yeah."
What you don't know is that Muhammad Ali was lying down taking a nap when
we came into the room. His wife came out and grabbed Bill and took him in
there. (Ali) knew Bill's brother, myself and another guy were in the
room. He got up from his nap and sat with us and took the pictures with
us. To me, that was something else.
Sun: In the book, you describe several instances where a celebrity had a
difficult request and you came through, such as finding someone to create
a birthday cake made entirely of peanut butter for Joe Pesci's daughter.
Have you ever come up short with a challenge?
RW: You know what, it seems I come up short when they want things that I
don't get involved with, like, the illegal stuff. Sometimes you'll be
asked for girls and stuff like that and I just don't get involved ... For
me, I just won't do it. I have enough to offer that I don't need to offer
those kinds of things.
Sun: First with your appearance on the reality series "The Casino" and
now with your book, you're becoming a celebrity in your own right.
RW: A funny thing happened that I'll use maybe for book two. I am
standing against the railing with my back to Bruce Willis as he's playing
mini bac (mini baccarat) with his fans (and) I'm talking to one of his
security guys. A girl runs up to me, "Hey, you're that guy from that
reality show, 'The Casino.' Can you sign my card, can you take a picture
with me?"
After we did that, she walks away and I turn to the security guard and I
say, "How ironic that she didn't know that Bruce Willis is sitting right
behind me and he's this big megastar?" How funny is that? Those are
stories I love talking about because it's unbelievable to me. I'm really
nobody. I take care of people and I love doing it and it's my passion.
For something like that to happen, it kind of puts me in awe.
Sun: Was there fallout from anyone whose stories you included in the book?
RW: Not at all. You know what, you see the back cover (with celebrity
endorsements of the book and of Wilk). Those celebrities would never have
given me those kinds of quotes -- and those are powerful quotes -- if I
had said anything bad about them or I would have come across negative.
I believe, why can't you talk about positive fun stories? Why does it
always have to be negative? And that's why I did the book. And that's why
I self-published it. Every penny that went into that book came out of my
pocket because I wanted to control the rights of that book.
Sun: In "Connected ... Vegas-Style" you say celebrities remarked to you,
"I want to have your job." Do you have the best job in the world?
RW: I've got to be honest, I think I have a great job, but I don't know
about the best job in the world. What they don't see is the hours I put
into it. A lot of times, like Mike Piazza, they'll say, "I would love
your job, but with my salary." All they see is the fun part of it. They
see me getting them into a club and getting them the best booth, or
getting them into a concert and getting them the best seats. Or, they see
the people kind of gravitate toward you in a nice way without being a
celebrity. And they like that because they don't get to see it.
They are celebrities and people gravitate toward them because of their
celebrity status. I don't have celebrity status. I have just me. So for
me to be able to do the job and have the passion to do it, I've got the
best job. I've just got to learn to be able to make even more money.
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