Famous Tenor, Joey Spinella, Performs in 'A Mob Story'

    LAS VEGAS, NV, September 18, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Celebrated tenor, Joey Spinella, performs in a new Las Vegas show called 'A Mob Story' at the Plaza Hotel and Casino. Appearing as the singing 'Don Popera,' he wows audiences with his Mario Lanza-style voice and musical versatility. Spinella's booming voice brings a stirring counterpoint to his comedic moments.

Spinella was trained at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. He went on to the New York Metropolitan Opera to study voice under Joan Dornemann, who also coached Luciano Pavarotti. Spinella's career soared with concerts and engagements in Europe and the United States.

"One of the most memorable performances for me, I think, is Lucia di Lammermoor with the Israeli Philharmonic under the baton of Zubin Mehta," states Spinella about his operatic work.

"But crossover styles seem to a necessity today. Theater companies are looking for that show-stopping voice to accentuate the current music and lyrics. I love working the full spectrum of classic songs and standards. They are melodic and timeless. People never seem to tire of them. In fact, I get a quite lot of views for some of my videos online. People just look up 'Joey Spinella, Tenor' to find my website and YouTube videos," says Spinella.

In addition to a well-trained golden tenor voice, Spinella is a master at performing magic. A true illusionist, he has managed to combine the two worlds of music and magic in his show, 'illusionAria.' The show combined innovative illusions with impressive symphonic music and dazzling storytelling.

Spinella's music is available on Amazon and itunes. One of his singles, Trust In Me, written and produced in collaboration with Joe Vulpis, was on the official ballot for the 2013 Grammy award.

All these endeavors led to this latest project about the history of the mob in Las Vegas.

Once upon a time, Bugsy Siegel financed the Flamingo Hotel with money from the New York mob. The hotel opened in December 1946. Six months later, Siegel would be killed in a hail of gunfire in front of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill's, house.

The 1950s saw more mob-connected casinos on the Strip being bought - the Dessert Inn, Dunes, Riviera, Sahara, Sands, Stardust and Tropicana. Moe Dalitz, an old-time bootlegger and racketeer from Cleveland, led a group of investors that developed the Desert Inn.

By 1956, Johnny Rosselli, had become the Chicago and Los Angeles mob's representative in Las Vegas. "Handsome Johnny" Rosselli was to ensure that the mob bosses received their fair share of the casino revenues.

Then came Senator Este Kefauver and his hearings on organized crime in interstate commerce. The Las Vegas hearing was held in what is now the Mob Museum building, but did little to slow mob involvement in Vegas.

In a turn of events, billionaire Howard Hughes visited Las Vegas in November1966 and stayed at the Desert Inn. Moe Dalitz, then the Desert Inn manager, asked Hughes to vacate his luxury suites to accommodate high rollers. Hughes refused and instead bought the hotel for $13 million. After buying the Desert Inn, Hughes went on a spending spree purchasing the Sands, the Frontier, the Landmark, the North Las Vegas Airport, all the land surrounding McCarran International Airport and several casinos operating under the Summa Corporation. This paved the way for corporations to enter the casino business.

The bygone history of how the mob made Las Vegas emerges in energetic dance numbers, notable songs and momentous special effects. Spinella's appearances recreate the atmosphere and undercurrent of the old Vegas showrooms, like the Copa Room at the old Sands Hotel.

"Historically speaking, the Copa Room at the Sands brought in a wide variety of music and international stars. Opera singers like Ezio Pinza, Marguerite Piazza, Jan Peerce and even Jeanette McDonald performed operatic music during the Copa Room days," says Spinella. "The Italian songs were big hits back then - just as Il Divo and Andrea Bocelli are today."

Tickets available now for shows starting in September, and seating is arranged for general admission, VIP with preferred seating, and platinum tickets. Platinum tickets offer preferred seating and a meet and greet with the performers and show narrator and real-life former Colombo family capo, Michael Franzese.

Tickets are available by calling 702-386-2507 or online at https://www.plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/a-mob-story.

For the latest updates on Joe Spinella, follow @JoeySpinellaTenor on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

Located in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, the Plaza Hotel & Casino combines a vintage Rat Pack attitude with modern styling and personal customer service for the ultimate Vegas experience. The Plaza's 80,000 sq. ft. casino floor offers players' favorite slot machines, vintage coin machines, as well as multiple table games.

Classic Vegas showroom with crushed red velvet seating and cocktail service is home to a limited engagement original production that tells the tale of how the Mob made Las Vegas and how Vegas took down the Mob. Created and directed by Emmy and Golden Globe award winner, Jeff Kutash, "A Mob Story" is the most realistic portrayal of the mob ever presented on stage.

"The Place To Be Downtown"

Website: www.plazahotelcasino.com
Reservations: 702-386-2110 / 800-634-6575

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