Owner Freddie Glusman and son Evan, who now runs the place

 
  Fans of Piero’s famous osso buco include Roger Clemens, Bette Midler, and Sharon Stone
 
  Belly up to the old-fashioned bar. The cushy booths are to the right.
 
  Homage to the Rebels’ Jerry “Tark the Shark” Tarkanian
 
  Vintage photos of friends of the Glusmans decorate the place.

Few restaurants in this city are as inherently Vegas-y as Piero’s Italian Cuisine, the iconic freestanding establishment that’s been waiting on Las Vegas power players and out-of-town celebrities for nearly three decades. That it isn’t located inside a casino makes it an anomaly; that it is something out of a set designer’s dream makes it charming. Currently in its second generation of dyed-in-the-wool local ownership, Piero’s offers decadent dining in an old-school locale that is drenched in Vegas history.

It all started with an eager young proprietor, Freddie Glusman, who discovered chef Piero Broglia at his restaurant on Sahara. “I thought he was terrific and decided to bring menu samplings over to the coffee shop at The Sporting House that I owned at the time,” Glusman says. “They went like gangbusters.” Convinced, the two men became partners and opened up shop in a 1,400-square-foot space on Karen Avenue, near the Las Vegas Country Club. “We had lines out the door within weeks!” he says.

Piero himself lasted five weeks.

“We did a party for [Luciano] Pavarotti, and it sold out almost immediately,” Glusman says. “Two of the guests were these doctors from India, and they requested vegetables. I went and told Piero, and he was adamant about not serving vegetables. So he walked out, admittedly with a little bit of encouragement from me. And that’s how we got Gilbert [Fetaz], who’s been my chef ever since.”

An Eatery for Notables
The new partnership resulted in dining history. Soon, not only were mobsters such as Tony “The Ant” Spilotro filling up on pastas and steaks at Piero’s, but Hollywood flocked there as well, including Bo Derek, Frank Sinatra, and Muhammad Ali. By now, the hot spot had expanded to a restaurant 10 times the size, which its owner had no problem filling every night.

“There was my pal, Joe Pesci. What a great guy,” Glusman says. “Well, Pesci loves his cigars, but I’d never let him smoke them inside, because it would kill the aroma of the food. So when Martin Scorsese rented out the joint for six days, at $30,000 a day, to shoot the restaurant scenes in Casino, Joe walked around smoking his cigars, and every time he’d pass me, would blow a big puff of smoke in my face.”

Veteran captain Linda Kajor says the list of high-profile figures that have visited are too many to count: Bette Midler, Mick Jagger, Tiger Woods, Harry Reid, Bill Clinton, and Prince. (Both Mike Tyson and Wayne Newton count Piero’s as their favorite restaurant.) “Celebrities love it,” says Kajor, “because the staff makes sure they can eat without being bothered.”

Some of the juiciest anecdotes come from the “A Room” in the front of the restaurant. With just 10 tables, the coveted spot features the best seats in the house for its VIP clientele and celebrity guests. One night, it was hopping, thanks to Barron Hilton, A.G. Spanos, Frank Fertitta, and Kirk Kerkorian. “I was in a booth with the late [Stardust owner] Al Sachs,” Glusman says. “Al leans over to me, and gesturing at the other people in the A Room, says, ‘You know what? I’m the poorest guy in this joint!’”

One famous story, from 2005, involves the “Mafia Cops,” Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappo, NYPD detectives accused of having committed major felonies, including murder-forhire, in the service of the Lucchese family. No sooner was their food brought to the table than they were arrested by a battalion of undercover federal agents. Ever the salesman, Freddie coyly asked the shady twosome, “Will you be taking your dinners to go?” After the dust settled, Freddie was overheard mumbling, “Put a guy in handcuffs, and suddenly he’s too good to tip my valet!”

Nowadays, it’s Freddie’s son, Evan, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the restaurant that’s a favorite of everyone from rock heroes (the Rolling Stones grab a booth whenever their show rolls into town) and NBA greats (Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson), to oldschool legends (Jerry Lewis, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, and Ann-Margret), not to mention the beautiful people, including Justin Timberlake and Brooke Shields, both of whom are fans of the restaurant’s osso buco.

Whether young, or young at heart, Las Vegas’s biggest hitters still fill the A Room on a regular basis. And based on the number of people who oversee casinos, sports books, or just a casual pool amongst friends, the trio of flatscreened TVs over the bar are all tuned in to ESPN, ESPN2, and whatever other game happens to be on.

Hey, it’s Vegas. Someone’s always got money on something. Piero’s, 355 Convention Center Dr., 702-369- 2305